What's goody?
Joel ByersHot Breath averse.
Joel ByersWelcome back to Hot Breath Live, your weekly comedy tune up with comedians Joel Byers and Yoshi.
Joel ByersSo, hello.
YoshiHello.
Joel ByersWe just wrapped up a corporate comedy masterclass with Hot Breath OG Stephen Dyer.
Joel ByersYou can check out on the podcast or on our YouTube channel, Straight Fire.
Joel ByersWe live streamed on our YouTube channel, so if you want to get in the know on these bonus events.
Joel ByersWe do.
Joel ByersAnd much more, join our email list linked in the show notes.
Joel ByersBecause if you were on the email list, you would have heard about that live stream about corporate comedy and then you would have gotten free access to my clean comedy workshop.
Joel ByersBut you didn't.
Joel ByersSo you don't.
Joel ByersWow.
Joel ByersBut it is still available if you would like to get it.
Joel ByersBut we're going to get into today's Q and A.
Joel ByersAnd on the topic of corporate comedy, us talking about corporate comedy today really got me reflecting on some fun ones.
Joel ByersAnd there was one that came to mind that was a holiday party, because basically we were.
Joel ByersCorporate gigs pay so well because a lot of the times they're just terrible setups and people don't even care some of the time or a lot of the time.
Joel ByersAnd I think Stefan summed it up pretty well that, like, the only person that really cares is, like, the person that booked it.
YoshiYes.
Joel ByersAnd the only thing they care about is not getting in trouble.
YoshiYep.
YoshiAnd don't make them look bad.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersLike, that's essentially all they care about is that you just don't make them look bad.
Joel ByersSo that is a positive corporate comedy.
Joel ByersAnd what we talked about a lot in that masterclass was just there's so much more you can do than, like, oh, my gosh, I need to stand up there for an hour and tell joke, joke, joke.
Joel ByersThere's a bunch of different ways you can do corporate events that Stefan really broke down to us in a very tactical way.
Joel ByersBut this one holiday party I did was literally I'm standing in front of the buffet on, like, it was like, basically a Mr.
Joel ByersMicrophone.
Joel ByersI mean, it's one of those sound systems that have, like, the briefcase handle that you can pull up and roll around and it, like, lights up, which is the one thing you want on stage, is a distracting thing that flashes every time you talk.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersAnd the mic cord was literally, like 4ft long.
Joel ByersSo I'm like, in the corner by the buffet having to engage this large room of people in circular tables, which, with a wireless mic, I could weave and connect and, you know, like, make it all, like, an entertainment.
Joel ByersBut there I'm just, like, stuck in this for an hour, and it just brought back so many memories of that check clearing and it all still being worth it.
YoshiHow was the gig?
YoshiHow was the actual.
YoshiHow was the actual comedy part?
Joel ByersThe actual gig was actually good.
Joel ByersLike, the audience was into it, and I was still able to play with them and do crowd work and, like, engage with them, but it was just uphill.
Joel ByersAnd the venue that they had it at apparently forgot that.
Joel ByersOr the caterer.
Joel ByersSomething with, like, behind the scenes.
Joel ByersThe caterer forgot or the venue didn't coordinate it.
Joel ByersBasically, the events started an hour late, so then it's already starting late.
Joel ByersAnd then they still had to eat.
Joel ByersAnd then I had to do comedy after all that.
Joel ByersBut they did pay me for that extra hour that I was just, like, waiting around.
Joel ByersSo that was good.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersBut, yeah, it was just one of the many, many, many adventures in corporate comedy.
Joel ByersBut still work it still worth it?
YoshiAbsolutely.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersFrank.
Joel ByersFrank Herrera said in the live chat he had to perform in a food court with a football game playing on a screen behind him.
Joel ByersGot paid to be miserable for 25 minutes.
Joel ByersOh, yeah.
Joel ByersI've done several where it's like, every TV is on and you're just in there.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersAnd this was before I knew to, like, request just to turn the TVs off.
YoshiYeah, yeah.
YoshiYou don't know till you get to that situation.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiYou know, it'd be great if no one else is distracted by this.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah, yeah.
Joel ByersIt's a lot of fun.
Joel ByersBut that just.
Joel ByersThat just brought up good corporate comedy memories.
Joel ByersBut I think people definitely should go listen to that.
YoshiIt's so good.
Joel ByersIt's.
Joel ByersIt's one of the best.
Joel ByersIt's one of the best we've done.
Joel ByersI think it's one of the best pieces of content we've created.
Joel ByersI think it's.
Joel ByersAnd the first time we had Stefan on was another one of the best.
Joel ByersSo, yeah, he's on a roll.
Joel ByersHe.
Joel ByersHe's kind of.
Joel ByersHe's gonna.
Joel ByersHe's gonna become.
Joel ByersHe's gonna become annoyed with us, because every week we're gonna be like, stefan, come back and tell us what to do some more.
Joel ByersStefan, tell us money.
Joel ByersTell us.
Joel ByersI just love connecting.
Joel ByersIt's always important, and that's why this community is so valuable and that you really are the sum of the people around you.
Joel ByersSo that's why I love this community being so positive and supportive and collaborative, because that just wears off on you, and you become that, and you start to exude that energy into your Own comedy scenes, which is the whole goal of people joining the hot breath of verse and then going and telling their fellow comics out at open mics.
Joel ByersSo when you get to talk with someone like Stefan.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersAnd just learn from them and share different ideas on what we're talking about and be like, oh, I do this.
Joel ByersOh, you do that.
Joel ByersCool.
Joel ByersHow can we learn from each other?
Joel ByersIt all.
Joel ByersAll rising tide lifts, all boats, as they say.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersSo we appreciate Stefan for coming on and we appreciate y'all for hanging out with us on this live Q and A, which we do have some good questions coming in.
Joel ByersBut I do want to get to this Bill Burr situation, go and ramp it on Reddit.
Joel ByersI saw talking about the young guns in comedy, and I think it's worth.
Joel ByersI think it's worth listening to for the peeps to hear and get their opinion on maybe what Mr.
Joel ByersBurr said about this neck, this young.
Joel ByersThis young generation of comics out here.
YoshiYeah, I like that.
Joel ByersSo let me cue that up.
Joel ByersAnd here we go.
Bill BurrThe product gets her.
Bill BurrI see it in stand up comedy now.
Bill BurrYou know, like, you see when I was coming up, it was like there was always.
Bill BurrLook, there was always people trying to, like, write an act to get a sitcom or to get on the Tonight Show.
Bill BurrLike, they had an angle.
Bill BurrBut, like, most people were trying to get good at being comedians.
Bill BurrAnd I feel like my generation would be doing what this generation was doing if what they have available to them, you know, they would do.
Bill BurrBut now, like, analytics has even gotten into, like, standup comedy, and it's just like, okay, crowd work, okay, get some more numbers.
Bill BurrI got to sell tickets, get a special, chop up the special, post the clips, do this, do that or whatever.
Bill BurrAnd it stops being about, like, you know, becoming a good comedian.
Bill BurrYou know, I'm not shitting on younger comics either.
Bill BurrI'm just saying because my work now is affected by that.
Bill BurrPeople are telling me, oh, you know, you got to do this on Instagram.
Bill BurrYou got to post.
YoshiThat's why.
Bill BurrThat's why I'm posting those fucking stories on the thing.
Bill BurrPeople, you got to do this.
Bill BurrAll right, I guess I got to fucking do this.
Bill BurrI don't know.
Bill BurrSo I think.
Bill BurrI don't know what I'm saying here.
Bill BurrI just think I'm kind of going to fucking tap out.
YoshiThat's so Burr.
YoshiThat's such a Burr moment right there.
Joel ByersYeah, it really is.
Joel ByersIt's an interesting point of view coming from like an OG like that to where he's basically like, you know, man, it's not even about being a good comedian anymore.
YoshiYeah, I mean, yeah, I think it's.
YoshiIt's a.
YoshiIt's a.
YoshiIt's a interesting perspective because I think very similar to what Stefan said about corporate comedy is that the expectation is just different.
YoshiI think we have this high expectation that it has to be polished.
YoshiYou got to do 45 minutes.
YoshiIt's got to be corporate clean.
YoshiAnd then Stefan takes corporate comedy and does 15 minutes of comedy and then sprinkles it with improv and things that make the company look good.
YoshiAnd it's like, oh, you're just redefining what the experience is.
Joel ByersRight.
YoshiAnd I think that's kind of what's happening with comedy, is that.
YoshiI mean, whatever you want to call it.
YoshiBut the influx of comedy technology, social media, is redefining what people find funny and redefining what people find to be the standard definition of a comedian.
YoshiSo even established comedians that have material to get people to come to their shows, you got to put clips out, and you don't want to burn your material because that's your bread and butter.
YoshiSo you put out crowd clips to get people interested, be like, oh, he's funny.
YoshiThat'd be fun to go to a show.
YoshiAnd then you get to the show, you're like, man, he's a real comedian, bow kind of thing.
YoshiBut also our attention spans are smaller.
YoshiLike, it's.
YoshiI mean, I think it's all just about shifting with what's happening in the world itself as well.
YoshiLike, we are where we are because the world is where we are.
YoshiSo, yes, you can go back to the way that it used to be.
YoshiBut can you survive doing that?
YoshiProbably not.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersBut not all times are they saying, oh, we saw their social media, let's go see them live.
YoshiVery true.
Joel ByersIt ain't.
Joel ByersIt ain't there.
Joel ByersHappens a lot of the time.
Joel ByersNot all the time, but there are several comics.
Joel ByersSo, you know, I like to keep.
Joel ByersKeep my ear to the ground.
Joel ByersAnd I've gone and watched several comics, big on social media.
Joel ByersAnd then you get there and it's some stand up and then a lot of crowd work.
Joel ByersAnd then sometimes it's literally, all right, it's the crowd work portion of the show.
Joel ByersAnd then they just like, prompt the crowd work.
Joel ByersI saw one recently.
Joel ByersOh, my gosh.
Joel ByersThis guy's, like, super known for crowd work and by the way, selling out shows, moving tickets, like, these comics are killing it.
Joel ByersAnd their fans love them.
YoshiAbsolutely.
Joel ByersAnd they're making money and they're happy like the fans are happy with the experience.
Joel ByersThe comic, like, it's, there's no fault here.
Joel ByersI'm, I'm, you know, I, I skew in Bill's point of view of just like, man, don't you just want to be good and just murder all the time from like a, that perspective?
Joel ByersBut like you said, the medium is evolving or devolving.
Joel ByersYou can look at it either way progressing or regressing.
Joel ByersIt's what you want it to be.
Joel ByersWe're now game show hosts more than stand up comedians.
Joel ByersBut there was basically, he was, I guess some of the people in there didn't want to be crowd worked.
Joel ByersSo he was like trying to do crowd over them and the lady was like, I didn't consent to crowd work.
YoshiThat's so funny.
YoshiAnd here's the thing, there's probably so used to it because now when you walk into a lot of comedy shows, there's usually like a thing on the, on, on like a, like a consent form that says if you walk in here, you are consenting to crowd work.
YoshiBasically because this comedian does crowd work.
Joel ByersYeah, we're being filmed because comics will have a camera on stage with them now just filming the audience know.
Joel ByersYeah.
YoshiSo basically, yeah, it's like a legal document that basically says if you enter into the space you are now being recorded and anything you use, we can use or anything you say can be used for the sake of, you know, crowd work.
YoshiBut it's like, I actually wonder if that might come and bite us comedians in the back when people are just like, all right, I'm tired of going to shows where everything is crowd work and I just want to hear something funny rather than what kind of job this dude has.
YoshiOh, dude.
Joel ByersI saw a clip one time that made me cringe where it was a comic trying to do crowd work to the front row.
Joel ByersAnd then the audience member was like, oh, the other comic already asked me that.
Joel ByersAnd they were like, oh, well, now I'm asking you.
Joel ByersAnd they like doubled down on trying to crowd work.
Joel ByersThis person that was not wanting to be crowd worked asking the same question the comic before them asked.
Joel ByersAnd you could tell it was like a younger comic and it can just become a crutch or a bad habit.
Joel ByersBut gosh, if it's working and it's selling tickets, it's hard to tell a comic.
Joel ByersCome on, pay your dues, hate yourself for 10 years, get bitter, and then you know it.
Joel ByersIt's so tough to, you know, hate yourself on the road.
Joel ByersStay at a Motel 6 for eating sardines and, you know, with a spork.
Joel ByersSo it's just.
Joel ByersIt was interesting perspective to hear, you know, Bill say that.
Joel ByersAnd, you know, Bill and I are on a first name basis.
Joel ByersSo, you know, he told me actually to play.
Joel ByersHe's like, hey, hey, Joel, would you play that clip on your podcast?
Joel ByersLet these kids know the truth.
YoshiThat's a pretty good impression.
YoshiThat's solid.
YoshiI did.
Joel ByersI've never done a billboard impression.
YoshiI did a gig with Karen Mills, who opens for Leanne Morgan.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Joel ByersOG master.
YoshiMaster class.
YoshiAnd just like, just a com.
YoshiLike just a con.
YoshiJust watching someone, you're like, oh, you do this, do this, right?
YoshiAnd like at the beginning, we were trying to figure out, like, the time or something like that, and she was like, so how much time am I doing?
YoshiI think they said 70 minutes, just no flex.
YoshiShe was like, oh, yeah, that's okay.
YoshiLike, just.
YoshiYeah, that sounds about right.
YoshiAnd does 70 minutes of killing.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiKilling comedy.
YoshiAnd just.
YoshiI.
YoshiI watched her from the back, I watched her from the side.
YoshiI was like, oh, my God, this is like.
YoshiIt was just such good comedy.
YoshiAnd I love just what I think for me, it is hard to watch an hour of clean comedy.
Joel ByersWhat?
YoshiFor me.
YoshiYeah, yeah.
YoshiLike an out.
YoshiLike, even if it's funny, it.
YoshiIt's like, it's got to be like, bargazzi level for me to, like, as I would say this.
YoshiI can watch an hour, like, at a club, but at home, it's hard for me to stay, like, attuned to an hour.
YoshiExcept maybe like, Gaffigan or somebody like that.
YoshiIt's got to be like, top tier.
Joel ByersOh, well, that goes for any comedy.
Joel ByersWatch an hour of bad comedy.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiBut, like, I just.
YoshiI wasn't expecting how much I was going to enjoy this.
YoshiYou mean?
YoshiAnd like.
Joel ByersOh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiAnd it was just like, oh, this is.
YoshiIt was just so good.
YoshiShe was so good.
YoshiAnd also just read her crowd and the crowd just, like, was just eating it up.
YoshiBut it was so.
YoshiIt was so good.
YoshiIt was just like well written material.
YoshiVery good, like, engagement with the crowd.
YoshiShe barely did any crowd work, but when she did, it was still magical, but just watching like an OG in the game.
YoshiShe's probably been doing it, like 30, maybe 30 plus years.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiStarted in Atlanta as well, so I.
Joel ByersDidn'T know she started in Atlanta.
YoshiYeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiShe.
Joel ByersShe's friends with, like, probably at the punchline.
YoshiYeah, at the punchline.
YoshiShe's friends with Andy Sanford, mom or something.
YoshiSo, like, they're like, best friends.
YoshiI think I'm hilarious out there.
Joel ByersWhat's the tea, Yoshi?
YoshiYeah, basically, it was just like, oh, this is like, this is like a professional.
YoshiAnd it's just like.
Joel ByersAnd there's a difference in, like, younger comics can tell when they're like, oh, man, I've been doing crowd work.
Joel ByersI need to get my material game on point.
YoshiYeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiLike, I went home and wrote, like, a lot.
YoshiI was like, I need to step my game up.
YoshiLike, when you watch somebody like that and be like, oh, my God, like, that was just.
YoshiIt was, like, effortless how.
YoshiHow well she did it.
YoshiSo it was just awesome to watch.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersAnd it's not just, like, young comics doing the crowd work.
Joel ByersYou know, Pete Lee was on the podcast.
Joel ByersThis is a vet who popped on social doing crowd work.
Joel ByersBut this is a guy who has the show to back up the clips, you know, so he developed and then started, like, doing the clips.
Joel ByersSo it's all, you know, there's no one way.
Joel ByersThere's just really your way in this game.
Joel ByersSo.
Joel ByersAnd, you know, and Burr was specific about saying he's not hating on the young comics.
Joel ByersHe's just saying, as an og, it's like, oh, man, it's not even about being good anymore.
Joel ByersThat's not even the goal for comics.
Joel ByersThey're not like, oh, I want to get good.
Joel ByersThey're like, oh, I want to get on.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiBut I think that's part of it now is that I.
YoshiI think I've.
YoshiI've mentioned this to you.
YoshiI feel like comedians, we've made this look so easy.
YoshiLike, we make comedy look so easy to do.
YoshiOh, you just get up on stage and talk with the crowd and then make it just work.
YoshiAnd you're like, oh, God, you have no idea.
Joel ByersLike, it's so hard you had to.
YoshiDo to get to this point.
YoshiBut it also makes it, like, hard because people think it's so easy.
YoshiThey go on stage and they're like, not good.
YoshiAnd then you also, to your point, you see these social media people sort of try to just redefine it.
YoshiI like the fact that people redefining what comedy is.
YoshiI think the hard part is there is no longer, like, rules of the game.
YoshiAnd it's also taken out, like, a lot of gatekeeper level stuff, which I think was also the thing that was holding a lot of people back.
YoshiLike, people were.
YoshiTo his point, people were just writing to try to get onto the Tonight Show.
Joel ByersRight.
YoshiSomething to get on a sitcom or whatever.
Joel ByersRight.
YoshiAnd now the game's different is they're not really worried about getting on a sitcom.
YoshiThey're worried about, can I.
YoshiCan I get to a show?
YoshiCan I do shows?
YoshiCan I also, like, make my numbers pop?
YoshiCan I do other things outside of just comedy?
YoshiWhich I appreciate.
Joel ByersThat's true.
Joel ByersIt.
Joel ByersIt has leveled the playing field in terms of, like, gatekeepers, and really, the power is in our hands more than ever.
Joel ByersSo, yeah, it's just kind of what you want to do with that and what you want your comedy to be built on.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersYou know, I mean, the content game is a whole other hustle that anyone who listens to this show consistently hears me complain about more than doing anything about.
Joel ByersOh, I should be posting more.
Joel ByersOr I'm.
Joel ByersHere we go.
Joel ByersWell, I remember we.
Joel ByersWhen Leah Rudick was on here, I was like, this is it.
Joel ByersThis is the time.
Joel ByersI.
Joel ByersI just learned everything I need to know about social media.
Joel ByersI'm gonna.
Joel ByersHere we go.
Joel ByersAnd then, like, three days later, I posted the same clip.
Joel ByersI posted the clip once, and then I was like, ooh, let me edit that.
Joel ByersAnd then repost it like, an hour later.
Joel ByersAnd then we're just like, I'm not doing this anymore.
Joel ByersAnd you could say that every time I've interviewed a social media comedian, I was like, this is the time I' all in.
Joel ByersSo I respect the game and the hustle because, like, it's a mental barrier that for sure, I'm currently working on.
Joel ByersAnd we're getting more consistent on the hot breath page.
Joel ByersSo we're posting.
Joel ByersWe're posting clips on there.
Joel ByersY'all can go follow on Instagram at Hot Breath Pod.
YoshiWe getting there.
YoshiWe moving, man.
YoshiWe moving.
YoshiLike, we're doing things differently.
Joel ByersIt starts with one.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersBut it is a weird.
Joel ByersIt is a weird mental block to just show up.
Joel ByersI don't know what it is.
Joel ByersIt's very interesting.
Joel ByersIt's very vulnerable.
Bill BurrBut.
Joel ByersYeah, that was Bill Burr.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiBilly Burr.
Joel ByersOh.
Joel ByersAnd we do have some questions coming in, but I cut you off for you.
YoshiNo, no, no.
YoshiI wasn't going to say anything.
YoshiI was just looking at some of the questions.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersSo.
Joel ByersOh, Jerry Kroll asked if we saw Leah on hiking with Kevin Nealon.
YoshiNo, I have not seen that either, but she's great.
Joel ByersShe's like.
Joel ByersI went in.
Joel ByersShe was in Atlanta, and I went and, like, did, like, a guest spot on her show and got to watch her.
Joel ByersShe's like a carol Burnett.
Joel ByersShe's wild.
Joel ByersShe's.
Joel ByersShe's so good.
Joel ByersYeah, she's so good.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersLeah Rudick.
Joel ByersCheck her out if y'all haven't.
Joel ByersShe's awesome and super nice.
Joel ByersBut the next question I'm seeing here as we get into the questions, and we would love to hear your opinion on the Bill Burr clip as well.
Joel ByersIf y'all want to tag us on social media, we'll be sure.
Joel ByersWe love seeing y'all sharing clips of the show.
Joel ByersWe love getting dms, and I love when people do, like, screen records of this podcast and share them out and whatnot.
Joel ByersThat's always.
Joel ByersThat's always fun.
YoshiAlways.
Joel ByersWe're all in this together, kids.
YoshiYes, we are.
Joel ByersSo, Mike Becurt asks the best apps for organizing jokes.
Joel ByersJokes and sets, which I think this was a topic in our Facebook group, actually.
YoshiYeah, I mean, I think I'm starting to become, you know, not even become, but, like, I really do enjoy Notion and I use Up Note as well.
YoshiThose are the two that I.
YoshiThat I use, and they're basically, like.
YoshiOne is, like, organizing all of, like, my.
YoshiMy material into one place and then picking out which one I want for, like, a specific thing.
YoshiAnd then I use Up Note just as, like, a quick.
YoshiJust notes about anything and everything.
YoshiSo everything kind of starts an Up Note, and then it makes its way into Notion for me.
YoshiSo to organize it when it's like.
YoshiSo basically, and it's like, final draft form, that's when I move it over and then I organize it there.
Joel ByersYeah, I've been using Notion as of late.
Joel ByersOh, and Mike.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersThis was in the Facebook group, so people were saying Google sheets, Google keep.
Joel ByersYeah, there's a standup writer app.
Joel ByersThere's an app called the Gag that used to be known as Bits.
Joel ByersSo, yeah, there's a few options out there.
Joel ByersHonestly, it's like the one you're going to use at the end of the day.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersYou know what I mean?
YoshiAnd I still use a notebook, even, like, just a straight up.
Joel ByersRight.
Joel ByersYeah, me too.
YoshiGot me this thing a while back.
YoshiI'll say I'm like 50, 50 on it, where I can write notes, like, in it, and then I can transfer it over to, like, my Google Notes or transfer it over to, like, Evernote or something like that.
YoshiAnd I use it for, like, a little bit, but it doesn't transcribe.
YoshiAnd does it, like, take my handwriting?
YoshiBecause I think some other ones do.
YoshiAnd so it just comes in as images.
YoshiSo that was good for, like, a couple of Times, but I was like, I don't want to rewrite twice or, like, copy and paste twice.
YoshiSo I did that for a little bit, but I like it just because it helps with, like, my daily.
YoshiAnd then I just take it off and then write in there whenever I'm, like, working on, like, a long set and I actually want to write it down.
YoshiBut, yeah, it's.
YoshiWhatever you use is the best thing for you.
Joel ByersMm.
YoshiYeah, just.
YoshiI would say just find a way to organize your material to where you're not going back to it, trying to organize it later on, because then it just becomes a cycle of, oh, I'll do it this weekend.
YoshiOh, I'll do it next weekend.
YoshiAnd it's hard to catch up.
YoshiSo when possible, just find a system that works for you.
YoshiFind like a.
YoshiLike, just an organizational structure that works for you.
YoshiIf you organize your stuff by tags, tag it as soon as you write the joke.
YoshiIs it a family joke?
YoshiIs it a about material?
YoshiIs it about dating?
YoshiWhatever you want to use, do that.
YoshiAnd then when you look up your material, be like, oh, what dating material do I have?
YoshiYou can find it easier as well.
Joel ByersYes.
Joel ByersYeah, whatever.
Joel ByersWhatever best fits your creative process.
Joel ByersBut we all need some sort of structure, even though we're artists and creative man, and just do what I feel.
Joel ByersIf you want comedy to be your job, you gotta treat as a job.
Joel ByersAnd these jokes are assets that can pay dividends for years and years and years and years.
Joel ByersSo you really want to honor the work you're putting in to develop them by keeping them organized.
YoshiLet them know.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersAnd Michelle.
Joel ByersOh, Michelle said I could do a funny gardening with Joel, where I dig in the dirt and get dirt from comedians.
Joel ByersThat would be fun.
YoshiThat would be fun.
Joel ByersBe a good way to get help in my garden.
Joel ByersJust, hey, my wife has five more roses she wants me to plant.
Joel ByersCome on over.
Joel ByersLet's do content.
Joel ByersHow can we monetize this?
YoshiThat's great.
Joel ByersI love that, though.
Joel ByersYeah, I definitely want to host a gardening show.
Joel ByersThat's the dream right there.
Joel ByersOkay.
Joel ByersMinor Zadon Z.
Joel ByersWhat are the minimum requirements I should ask before accepting a gig?
Joel ByersBesides actual money, we want to make sure that they have, like, sound.
Joel ByersOr if they don't, you can.
Joel ByersYou can provide the sound and charge extra for that.
Joel ByersThat's something that I'll do if someone wants me to do an event for them and they don't have sound.
Joel ByersI do have, like, a system that I can charge extra for them for me to bring it.
Joel ByersBut, yeah, I mean, you Want to get as.
Joel ByersAnd this is something we talked about in the corporate comedy masterclass, you really want to get as much context as possible for the event.
Joel ByersYou don't want to go into the event blind.
Joel ByersYou want to know as much as humanly possible.
Joel ByersSo I mean, of course you want to know when, where, who's going to be in the audience.
Joel ByersYou want to get a feel for the demographic, what's the location, so you can get kind of a feel for that area and what kind of people are there socioeconomically and things like that.
Joel ByersIt all to help build context for who you're going to be performing for.
YoshiSure.
Joel ByersReally, the questions you want to be asking, if they have any limitations on what they want you to talk about.
Joel ByersAre there certain topics you want me to avoid?
Joel ByersCertain words you want me to avoid?
Joel ByersThings like that.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersIs another good thing to ask as well.
YoshiYep.
YoshiAsk if it's clean or dirty show, depending on where you are.
YoshiAsk if there's gonna be kids there.
YoshiSurprise, surprise.
YoshiYou just never know sometimes if there's gonna be kids at the event.
YoshiWhen you get to the event, ask that they turn off the TVs.
YoshiI know we talked about this earlier.
YoshiAsk that they turn off the tvs.
YoshiTurn off the music, especially if it's in an area where like, it's like super loud.
YoshiThat does not help out your set to have music in the background at all.
YoshiAnd before, I would say before you book, always ask, like, what kind of marketing they do to promote the show as well.
YoshiSo you know, whether you're going to be doing all the promotion and marketing or they're going to be doing it.
YoshiAnd the goal to making it work is that this is a partnership.
YoshiTo think of it as a partnership rather than you're doing everything, they're doing everything.
YoshiIf you're both doing stuff to make it work, then that's a true partnership because you go.
YoshiYou both got some skin in the game, as they say.
YoshiBut yeah, ask about the marketing.
YoshiAsk about the venue, the space.
YoshiDo they have a stage?
YoshiLike, is it going to be properly lit for actual comedy?
YoshiAnd yeah.
YoshiAnd I always say before you do the show at a venue, go to the venue.
Joel ByersOh, yeah.
YoshiLike, just take in something else at the venue.
YoshiHelps you recognize, like, what kind of space you're in and the kind of crowd that you may likely get for that evening as well.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersThe least amount of surprises as possible.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersIs really what you're going for there.
Joel ByersSo you can go in with as much confidence and preparation as possible.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersAnd it looks like the final question I'm seeing here.
Joel ByersOh, and congrats.
Joel ByersGo.
Joel ByersLike Personality said they just came home from their first open mic and it went great.
YoshiYay.
Joel ByersVery nice.
Joel ByersCongratulations.
Joel ByersWe love hearing these victories.
Joel ByersAnd earlier, I think before we started the live, Frank Herrera was talking about doing his first English open mic in Sacramento, which is awesome.
Joel ByersWe love hearing these wins, so thank you for sharing.
YoshiLet's go, baby.
Joel ByersSo the final question I'm seeing here, actually, we did the apps.
Joel ByersWe did that one.
Joel ByersI thought there was another one.
Joel ByersPerhaps not.
Joel ByersOh, Minor asked about dealing with gatekeepers as a young comic.
YoshiWhich, I mean, I think gatekeepers are going to be there.
YoshiI think the key to really handling gatekeepers is sort of just to think, as part of your job as a comedian is also to always network, no matter where you are.
YoshiSo are there because they've got their own show, they've got their own thing that they're doing.
YoshiThey might be a producer, they might own a club, whatever you want to call it in terms of what you consider to be gatekeeping, just know that they're doing something else likely other than just looking for talent.
YoshiSo it's all about.
YoshiAlways about putting yourself in the right situation.
YoshiOne thing to always ask gatekeepers, I.
YoshiThis is a helpful.
YoshiIs to say, how can I get in front of you?
YoshiSo you can book me, or are there places that you go to that I can be seen that you consider for booking, basically.
YoshiOr you can ask them, can I send you a tape?
YoshiThat's always a proper request as well.
YoshiJust say, hey, can I send you a tape?
YoshiI'd like to get on your show.
YoshiAnd especially with gatekeepers.
YoshiAnd I know I'm bucking them in, like gatekeepers and comedy club owners and people who are bookers, but go to their venue, don't just show up and just be like, oh, can I get you a tape?
YoshiAnd then they don't see you at all.
YoshiIt just doesn't help.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersAnd these people are getting just heckled with gimme, gimme, gimmes all the time.
YoshiAll the time.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersSo, you know, be mindful of that.
Joel ByersAnd how can you separate yourself from every other annoying comic?
Joel ByersAnd it's being professional and empathetic and just, yeah, don't try to work with them and not get something from them.
YoshiBoom, boom.
Joel ByersBut yeah.
Joel ByersAnd otherwise it's focused on what you can control.
Joel ByersBecause I have.
Joel ByersI've done the dance, I've played the games and done exactly what certain gatekeepers say and then nothing.
Joel ByersStill nothing.
Joel ByersHappens.
Joel ByersI mean, I literally.
Joel ByersI mean, there was literally, like, one.
Joel ByersI.
Joel ByersWe won't say names, but there's literally a place who was like, we want to do this with you.
Joel ByersSend us this on this date, and we want to make this happen.
Joel ByersLike, they reached out to me.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersSo I did all of that, sent it to them on that day, and then they replied, oh, we're not doing anything until next year.
Joel ByersWe're all booked up for the rest of this year.
Joel ByersAnd I was just like, okay.
Joel ByersA younger me may have been like, yeah, but I mean, now I'm like, oh, okay.
Joel ByersWell, I did everything within my control to set myself up for.
Joel ByersTo take the most of that opportunity, and that's what came of it.
Joel ByersSo, like, it happens at every level, and it's just.
Joel ByersYou can do what you can control, and then beyond that, it's just putting yourself, putting your best foot forward with your best intention possible.
Joel ByersAnd then whatever happens from that effort, you can live with because, you know, you did everything within your power to make the most of the opportunity.
Joel ByersAnd everything else is out of your control there.
YoshiEverything else is out of control.
Joel ByersYeah.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersSo let's.
Joel ByersLet's land this plane.
Joel ByersI know we have a little bit of a shorter one, but we.
Joel ByersThis is the second live stream we've done today.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersSo y'all get on that email list.
Joel ByersOh, and I see Lightning Rod asking if, are there limits to comedy anymore?
Joel ByersLike, Kill Tony style?
Joel ByersAnd it's really.
Joel ByersIt just has to be funny at the end of the day.
Joel ByersI mean, that's all I care about.
Joel ByersIt has.
Joel ByersThere has to be jokes in their kids.
YoshiAnd I think one thing to be just mindful of, especially in, like, the Kill Tony world, is there is a crowd for that.
YoshiBut sure, don't equate that.
YoshiThat crowd is what every comedy crowd wants.
YoshiThere's a certain type of crowd that wants that style of comedy, but that doesn't mean every crowd like that is out there wants that style of comedy.
YoshiSo just know that because you're going to start touring and start going to different parts of the country, you're going to try your Kill Tony material, and it's just not going to do well.
YoshiYou mean there's people that show up from Kill Tony, that this has happened in Atlanta, they do their Kill Tony type material and they hear crickets because it just doesn't work or it just is not the crowd for that type of comedy.
YoshiAnd so just being mindful of that is a super important thing.
YoshiSo it doesn't mean that you can't do that comedy.
YoshiJust know the audience that you're trying to do it in front of may not be geared towards that style of comedy.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersAnd if.
Joel ByersAnd if that style is authentic to you, then go for it.
Joel ByersBut don't feel like you need to try to be edgy because maybe I'll get on Kill Tony or I see it working there.
Joel ByersSo maybe it'll work for me.
Joel ByersIf that's your authentic style and that's where your sense of humor is in your head.
Joel ByersThat's what the kind of comedy you like to create, you're not trying to put on some sort of character for the sake because it's popular.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersThen, yeah, by no means don't feel like you have to do that style.
Joel ByersThat is a style of the infinite styles.
Joel ByersAnd the whole goal we're trying to find is our own unique styles because that's when you find your voice.
YoshiYes.
Joel ByersYep.
Joel ByersBut great, great question.
Joel ByersGreat questions all around.
Joel ByersGreat live stream today, Yoshi.
Joel ByersI think we got a good talk about Bill Burst.
Joel ByersWe'd love to hear Yalls feedback on that Bill Burr clip.
Joel ByersWhat do you think?
Joel ByersLet us know on social media at Hot Breath pod in our Facebook group.
Joel ByersJoin our email list.
Joel ByersI mean, you know, we out you.
YoshiWe are.
YoshiWe are.
YoshiWe're putting in that work.
Joel ByersThat's right.
YoshiWork, baby.
Joel ByersWe're here for your comedy fam.
Joel ByersWe do these live streams every Tuesday at 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time on our YouTube channel.
Joel ByersYour homework.
Joel ByersTell one comic out in open mic this week about hot breath.
Joel ByersYeah, that's all you got to do.
Joel ByersSay, have you heard of hot breath?
YoshiYep.
YoshiGo tell them.
YoshiWatch the Yoshi so American African special.
Joel ByersAs well on The Hot Breath YouTube channel.
Joel ByersWe love you all.
Joel ByersWe'll see you all next Tuesday.
Joel ByersHot Breath.