Matt Hall, Bob J, and a bunch of douchebags

First, I've activated word verification to prevent spam in the comments area (I'll hunt my own MILFs, thank you).

+

The twenty "strong" audience at the Jukebox's Thursday pro-am in Peoria hardly laughed at a damn thing. By the time I got up, I didn't give a rat's ass - partly because the crowd didn't respond well to most of the folks that went up before me, partly because I was tired, and I walked up there in a kind of funk. According to a friend who often comes with me to these things, the attitude turned out to be an unplanned step in the right direction. He's one of the three people I know whose criticism is always brutally honest and usually accurate, so I'll have to look at the tape and see for myself.

Matt Hall did the guest spot ahead of Bob J. Matt's been at this for several years and has a good stage presence and solid material, but the audience wasn't buying it for some reason, and finally he just snapped: "What the hell is wrong with you people!" He said this with a big smile on his face, and this got a laugh. "Gas is $3 a gallon dammit, now laugh at my jokes!" This also got a laugh. Maybe Matt and I both learned the same lesson. As Bill Hicks said, the act is something to fall back on when you have nothing to say.

Bob J may be the closest thing to Rich Little currently working. He may be better. He did Robert Plant singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," complete with Jimmy Page riffs. He did the entire casts of South Park, King of the Hill, and The Family Guy - all at the same party. I've heard enough Shaggy/Scooby Doo impressions to last a lifetime, but I have to admit that Bob J's were the best I've ever heard, and audiences never seem to tire of those voices, so more power to him. Even with all that, the crowd didn't put out as much as they should have for him.

Doug Stanhope will be there at the end of this month. I'll go if I have any gas money left.