All you need is love

[Mark Wessels]

Today I went down to Fanieul Hall and I saw two shows. Al and Jim, following nearly immediately after one another. Of course the shows are different and many other factors apply but one big difference I noticed was how each person interacted with the crowd. Al told the crowd that they were good throughout the show and got them united as well. He acted as if it was the best crowd he had ever had. Jim, on the other hand, made comments excusing the crowd's non-excellence, such as the fact that it was sunday. The crowd was not so good to him because they didn't feel as loved as the crowd gathered by Al had. Livingston Taylor once told me that it is important to play to a crowd as if it was the best crowd you've ever had. Honestly, Jim's show was probably better overall but without the love for the audience i bet his hats were smaller and the audience definately didn't show as much love back. What do you fellows think?

mfw

[Jim]

I think you're right Mark. My hats probably were smaller that Al's. I was at that Livingston Taylor lecture and I remember everything he said. But I have a difficult time lying to an audience. That crowd DID suck. And they were ugly.

Jim

[Danny Hustle]

[quote]Originally posted by Jim:
<strong>That crowd DID suck. And they were ugly.

Jim</strong><hr></blockquote>

Jeeze Jim, if you have a point just make it will ya'. All this beating around the bush is killing me. If you got something to say, just spit it out.

What was that crowd REALLY like [img]smile.gif[/img]

Best,
Dan-

[ 05-06-2002: Message edited by: Danny Hustle ]</p>

[HiveQueen]

Hats, whatever. Who got more phone numbers?

[Jim]

[quote]Originally posted by HiveQueen:
<strong>Hats, whatever. Who got more phone numbers?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Al probably wins again. But as I said before... they were ugly. He can have them.

Jim

[peterpanic]

al had the pitch from 11-1
he may have got there early, he is like that
the jim show was from 1-3
it was a warmish sunday afternoon
3-5 was cyrus p koski aka tip the clown
he traded the spot to me because he had a gig
i did not really have a spot to trade but he does not know that yet
if i get caught i could do some serious jail time
i did two shows. the first one one was really fun.
the second one was only ok but it ended well.
they were my first street shows since october
after me 5-7 was a boy band called ball in the house
anyone who wants to work fanieul hall should just call vicky at 617-523-1300. she will sort you out.

i did not count the money but i will spend it.
now this does not happen much but i did get a #
it says: peter
we loved your show
and want to go out with you
two names (gary and steve)
but seriously... do people do that?
do you call numbers dropped in a hat?
i would never do something like that because i am a good boy but my girlfriend treats me like shit and i think she would respect me more if i was running around on her.
is it worth a try?
what are your experiences?
p. panic esq.

[Todd]

Good for you Jim.
Sure love your audience, but if you deeply feel they are ugly, don't lie to them and tell them "You are a great group." Audiences can smell the stink of the lie. Be real, heck it's only one show, it's not like a life choice.
Besides I'm not suprised.
It's Boston.
That lovely town that spawned my favorite road rage phrase "I FUCKED YOUR MOTHER" and the place where Gazzo refined his warm and fuzzy stage pesona. My cousin was a "Boston comic" (now moved on to "comic") said that if you can learn to rock a Boston crowd you've done something 'cause they are "some of the best audiences and some of the uglyest."

[Mark Wessels]

OK, ok.

call me idealistic, call me young and naive, mock me because i don't even really have a show. (don't really do any one those things.) It may be just one show in a million to you but to most of those people it is the only interaction they will ever have with you. Make the most of it. I don't think that audience was as ugly as you make them out to be. I happened to be part of that audience that day and enjoyed your show very much. I just wished you had been a bit more sugar-coated. (yes, fake, your a performer) Perhaps I'm wrong but i think the show would have been better for you as well as the audience. I don't really know, just something I've observed. Also Livingston Taylor came to my school, I was not fortunate enough to attend motionfest though I'm sure he gave the same(ish) lecture. It was pretty amazing because only about 10 people showed up when he came to my school and he was inspirational. Sorry tangent. I'll go now

mfw

[Jim]

[quote]Originally posted by Mark Wess:
<strong>I happened to be part of that audience that day and enjoyed your show very much. I just wished you had been a bit more sugar-coated. (yes, fake, your a performer) Perhaps I'm wrong but i think the show would have been better for you as well as the audience.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Mark, That WAS sugar coated. My comments during the show were a LOT nicer than they could have been. Have you ever seen Sonny Holiday? Now HE tells it like it is.

For the record, Yes, I could have been sickly sweet and made maybe 10% more money... but by keeping it "real" and being honest and being myself, I fell the people who DID enjoy the show enjoyed it MORE. I would rather completely connect and entertain 50% of the crowd than sell out attempting to be loved by 100% of them. That just won't happen. Not on the street. In a stage/paid gig, it's a bit different. When someone is paying me to be somewhere, I put on my show face and try everything possible to make it the best show I can. If the crowd sucks, I carry on and make it through the show as positively as I can. But I'm a lot more honest on the street. It's more raw and real. People appreciate that.

A lot of people come back show after show and really enjoy watching multiple performances. They know the act so well, they just watch the audience. And they love when weird things happen and particularly enjoy the ugly crowds. They're more interesting.

I don't know why, but I always have my weirdest shows on Sundays. Something about the Faneuil crowds... The Jim Show just doesn't fly as well on Sundays.

[Doctor Eric]

Have you ever noticed that even though he is just plain rude, Sonny's message (yes, there is one underneath all that bile) is actually really positive... You know, pay attention, don't watch so much TV, get an education.... Just something that Chris Karney pointed out to me one day that made me laugh...

[firegirl]

...one of my favorite performers ever (the venerable & surly whipboy) will actually say 'why don't we try that again & this time take the SUCK out of it' to his audiances when they do not respond w/the enthusiasim he deems appropriate...

...he also said one hot day last summer (to a small child heckler...) 'kid, i've got a hose backstage & if you don't shut up i'll fill you like a waterbed...'

i find that his brand of sarcasim & abuse endears him to his audiances... (tho' it doesn't work for everyone) and, his shows are among the funniest i've ever seen...

btw ~ this is also the person who first told me this lovely nugget of information: 'it's not that the audiance doesn't get you... YOU don't get the audiance.'

smart man.

~firegirl

ps: if you want to get A TON of phone numbers... just wear a clevage exposing top, stick torches in your mouth and make jokes about oral fixations... ha!