And I Thought Sunday Night Was Slow...

The kids are back in school, the tourist season has come to an end, and I am still performing on the street. A closed street. 23rd is much larger than my corner at 18th. That makes the crowds look even smaller.

Getting people over is like you are offering to pull their teeth. The foot traffic is much slower, so without the people to pull from, it makes a long night. My last show was a mess. I had about 15 people who had seen the show before. That is my short show since it starts at 10:35 and ends by 10:50 so I can be off the street by 11:00. I was planning on using Dangerous and keeping it short and sweet. The kids there hadn't seen the start of my show, so I pulled it out and went into that instead. It was kind of awkward, but it was about giving the people what they wanted. Entertainment on demand.

One more long night here. Then Beach Street USA closes the streets and my 2010 run here is over. I'm going to miss the funny and talented acts I've hung with. I'm going to miss the ocean and the area. I'm not going to miss these last two nights. Although I keep hoping "tonight's gonna be a good night"!

Sunday Night On The Corner...

was a quiet night. The crowds showed up, but they took their time. The starts were rough with bored teens trying to "mess" with the comedian. Unlike the jugglers, I have no fire or knives to catch their attention and dazzle them with skill. I have to rely on my wits.

So they think I am un-armed.

Let it be said that when the show is done, I am still there with a crowded street corner, and the bored teens have moved on to easier prey.

We end here on Tuesday night. An odd day to end, but the City wanted to follow the calendar month. It will be slow, and I will be on a closed street - making the crowds look that much smaller...

Saturday Night - Sunday Morning

Awesome shows on the street last night. 18th was packed at every show. The crowds were into it, the laughs were rolling and I was having a blast. Shows are so much better for the performer when the audience wants to have fun. That feedback makes us work even harder to entertain the crowd.

I was having so much fun with my last show, that when I looked at my watch, I realized it was already 11 pm, which is the time we need to stop. I finished up and shook a lot of hands, inviting everyone to come see the full show if they were in town Sunday night.

The one thing I kicked myself on after the shows - I forgot to mention the FaceBook Fan Club Page.

After shows, I hooked up with Brian Rudo, Steve King and Matt (sorry Matt, your last name escapes me at the moment) to go to Sharx. The bar was showing the UFC fights and Brian is a huge fan, so we went, got wings and beer and made a night of it.

About 3 am I finally laid my head on a pillow. Can't believe I didn't sleep longer today. Maybe its the adrenaline from last night's shows still rushing through my body.

With only three more days here in Virginia Beach, I'm looking forward to going home, but I realize I'm gonna miss it!

Back On The Street and Other Updates

Thursday night I worked the beach in Sandbridge, just south of Virginia Beach. One show, and an interesting one at that. I was scheduled to go on at 7:30 and arrived an hour early - only to find that things had changed and I was going on first. Made for a quick set up and interesting show.

Friday night I was back on Beach Street. The shows all started really slow with a very transitional crowd. By the end of each, the street was packed. The last show was like pulling teeth trying to get an audience. It is always a short show - so that makes it tough. By the time the crowd arrived, I was finishing. Oh well, maybe they will come to see me tonight.

I'm told that after this weekend (probably after tonight) the crowds really die out. Kids are going back to school, so the tourists are gone. That means Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will be very sparse audiences. I'm not looking forward to that.

On another note - I was finally convinced to start a FaceBook Fan Page. I've never seen the need, but now that I have done it, I plan on making the most of it. I'll be able to do uploads from my shows, text before and after - and who knows what else. Check it out and like me!

Down Time

Off to the Outer Banks of North Carolina today since I have no shows!

17th Street Stage And Time Off

Last night I worked the 17th Street Stage for the first time. Its a great location in a park that overlooks the ocean. The show there has a circus theme and several acts. After Ryan the Ringmaster warmed the crowd up and brought them in, I had a 15 - 20 minute set. Following me was Aaron Bonk, juggler extraordinaire and Brit Dibbs, Empress of Fire. The crowds were into the show, the responses great and the evening was a lot of fun.

When I arrived in Virginia Beach for this run, I learned they had overbooked the street. Since I've been going non-stop all summer, I volunteered to take a couple of days off. Those days fall today and tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the rest - although I'm in a resort town - so I have to go explore what I've missed while performing!

Chris' Last Night Again

Chris Yerlig is a great guy. He is a mime with international credits and performs on Beach Street. He ended his Beach Street run about a week ago, but he was working area gigs through yesterday. As a result, he's had a number of last nights this season. And everyone went out to send him off again. Thanks for the laughs last night Chris. It is always fun hanging with you!

You can check out Chris on his web site: http://www.mimealot.com/

Another thing I am grateful for is drunk Maid of Honors who prefer hunky jugglers over middle aged balding ventriloquists. You da man Bonk!

Oh, and shows on Beach Street were packed and fun last night!

The Last Show

My last Beach Street show of the night starts at 10:35. It is always a short one since I need to end by 11:00 pm. The last two nights it was like pulling teeth to get people to stop and watch. The funny thing is, the crowds built both nights and my last shows were my favorites of the evening. I love my job!

Ventriloquism and Bug Bites

Working as a street ventriloquist is an extremely challenging branch of the art. I took the gig on Beach Street as a way to hone new material. It has definitely improved my work. Doing 4 shows a night to audiences that have no connection to the performer is a lesson. You have to grab their interest as they pass your pitch. Draw them over to watch, then entertain the heck out of them so they will stay. I do 40 minute shows here. Luckily the crowds grow and word of mouth brings plenty of people to my street.

Last night, the first show was tough. The crowd stood pretty far back, despite my attempts to move them forward. During the show, I realized why. The street was infested with small biting bugs. This was the first time in two years I had encountered them here. Trying to do a show and brush the bugs from your face and arms wasn't easy. I lost a lot of people, but I wasn't alone - the other acts up and down the street were having the same problem.

Thankfully the bugs went wherever it is they go before the start of my second performance. The rest of the night I itched like heck though! Thankfully the audiences came closer and the shows were a lot of fun. Especially my last one!

Rain

Rained here tonight. We were held an hour to see what would happen, but the word went out to get on the street. It spit during my first show, but the crowd was there and having fun. It had to be the weirdest Human Puppets ever!

Shortly after I started my second set, it poured. Everything went into the car wet and my night was over. They are calling for rain again tomorrow. I hope not.

Back In The Swing

Over the last number of weeks, I was working 25 - 30 minute sets at the fairs and Knoebels Park. Here in Virginia Beach, I work 40 - 45 minute sets. Shorter shows allow me to pick and choose what material I want to use, and where to put the bits. In the longer show, there is a different pace and each "chunk" has a spot.

My first show was fun, but I wasn't back into my groove. The second and third shows rocked. My crowds were so large, they needed to send down a "green shirt" to help keep the people on the sidewalk and out of the street. The final show of the evening started out very weird. A mixture of younger kids and drunks. Once things got rolling, it was a decent show.

It feels good to be back at the beach!

A Great Evening!

No shows last night, but a great evening hanging with friends. I think this was the largest number of Beach Street variety acts in town this season. Chris the Mime Guy finished up the other night but decided to hang an extra day or two. Hilby finished up his run last night. Krendl and Company, Fly By Night (Ryan and Steve), Brian Rudo, Bonk & Brit, and a few others were there - unfortunately all the names escape me now.

Its now 10:40 a.m. and I am just starting to wake up. Time for a nice long walk on the beach. Shows start tonight at 7:30. Looking forward to making people laugh.

Back In Virginia Beach

Had a shock Saturday. One of my credit card numbers was stolen. I am pretty careful on the road - and am at a loss as to how this one was obtained. Still, it was caught and I am not liable. I am also a credit card down for the next few days.

Got home from Clinton Fair around midnight Sunday morning. Spent the day unpacking, re-packing, doing laundry and handling office tasks. Finally broke to take my wife and son to a nice dinner, then relaxed and watched a movie he had gotten.

This morning I stopped at the post office, got a haircut and hit the road. Now back in Virginia Beach, I get an evening off to watch friends work. Tomorrow I start performing on Beach Street and continue through the 31st.

One more day...

The weather cleared up yesterday evening and people came out to the fair. Unfortunately they had to cancel the race since the dirt track was a mess. While that kept some away, the turn out appeared good and the people were there to have fun.

Today will be another long day at the fairgrounds. I check out of my hotel and will attempt to drive home tonight. Should get in early a.m. if I am lucky. While a hotel along the way is not out of the question, I'd like to go home. Especially since I have to leave again Monday morning.

Rain

Today it is pouring down rain. After a night of restless sleep, my mind still playing yesterday, this makes it very hard to break my current pattern. Usually rain at a fair means the shows are cancelled. Here, I am under a cover - and the back rows of the audience are tarped. My guess is I will be doing shows, for a handful of people, who are sitting way back under cover. The laughs won't be there and the shows will drag for me.

Wishing the sun and the people were out...

AND - I was right and wrong. The audiences were small - but they grew. It rained during the shows, but people were there and wanted to be entertained. So I did.

Small audiences are harder to work than larger ones. For me anyway. But tonight I took the shows to a more personal level and things worked out fine. I was able to beat my funk and look forward to the rest of the run now.

Stupid Things

Today was a bad day. We all do stupid things at time, and today, I took my turn. Maybe things were going too well. The worst part is that I internalize that stuff and keep punishing myself. Time to take a deep breath, let it go and move on.

Bad Economy?

On a performer's forum, there is an economic discussion on the amount of work available. Most of the contributors are crying that they are "dead in the water". As I read their complaints that no one is hiring entertainment, I looked over at my calendar - which has two nights off for the month - both of which are travel days. I so badly wanted to chime in, but I didn't.

2010 has been a very busy year for me. I've been working and making people laugh. A few months ago, September looked slow. Now it has some very nice paydays and a fair amount of travel. I'm actually looking forward to a slow down in October - although I thought that September was going to be a rest period.

In bad economic times, people need to laugh more than ever. So if the calls aren't coming in, the performers should get off their butts and look around. Although if they don't, I know plenty of acts who don't mind taking the work they can't seem to find.

Clinton County Fair

Today was hot. I arrived at the fairgrounds and within minutes the sweat was rolling off me. I didn't expect many people at the first show, but was pleasantly surprised. The second show had a huge crowd. My last show went on at 9 pm. The teens were out and I heard a few comments about "a ventriloquist". It amazes me when people won't even give you a chance. With Jeff Dunham's popularity among that age group - you think they'd at least be curious.

Despite the naysayers, the crowd ended up being a large one. The Human Puppets even had me laughing.

Clinton County Fair is a small, but excellent event and I'm having a great time. Thanks to the directors for having me! If you are in the area, definitely stop by. It's a real treat!

The Show

Last week, Knoebels was FUN! I had a few quiet audiences, but for the most part, the crowds rocked. Some of them were pretty large and actually hanging out the doors.

On Thursday, 11 year old Maria Alfaro came to the park to perform in two of my shows. I saw her perform at the VentHaven Ventriloquist convention and had talked with her Dad, Albert (an incredible artist and figure maker). It was rewarding to be able to give her an opportunity to get in front of an audience. She did a great job and I predict good things in her future.

Today I started a fair an hour Northwest of the park. The early crowds were small and sat in the shade far away from the stage. Makes it tough to entertain. The 8:00 show rocked though. Started with a good sized crowd and it built continuously throughout the act. This fair is really taking care of me too! They provided a great sound system which saved me setting up my own.

Today's post is titled "The Show" for a reason. I like to "dress" my stage. I want my name visible and to create an image that makes people say - I want to see this. One of the ways I do that is through my use of backdrop. The brick wall is actually a collapsible display. It literally sets up and tears down in less than a minute. People can see this from a distance and it really draws their eye. Here it is under a tent at Lebanon. The beauty of this is that it includes my web site, and more and more, I see people calling up my home page and watching my videos while they wait for the show to start.

Dressing the stage is just one way to make the show - a SHOW.

A New Week Begins

Last week I had a great time at the Lebanon Area Fair. The audiences were great and the fair was a lot of fun. I hope they have me back sometime.

Today I woke to rain, and as I type this, I am waiting for my laundry to dry. I figured I'd take care of the chore here at the hotel rather than stopping at a laundromat along the road. Checks need to be written and placed in the mail, a shopping trip needs to be handled and then the drive to Elysburg. This is the reality of life on the road - day to day stuff still needs to be done. It isn't the vacation some assume.

Monday I start at Knoebels. My 15th year there! I look forward to returning. The best part, my wife is planning on joining me Tuesday. Not sure how long she will stay, but it will be great to see her.