Chirstmas Party Video

So my dad throws a christmas party ever year with a comedian and his band. This was the first year I was invited to perform, and open for Richard Lewis. I’ve worked with him before and he’s always had nice things to say.

Anyway, the shows are always sponsored by worldvision who my dad does tons of charity work through. They show this tearjerker video, and then my dad comes out and takes a few loving jabs at me and introduces me. Tough to follow. “Here’s a bunch of starving children in third world countries. Nowwww… COMEDY TIME!” Granted it doesn’t have the potential to be a Birbiglia worst show ever story (“12 year old boy who survived Lukemia…He’s not funny at all.”) Because they bought tickets for a comedy show and a famous headliner is on the bill with me. but I definitely took some time to gameplan my set so I could open on a few jokes about my parents traveling and me being poor. Which I was worried might be taken the wrong way, and my dad was no help to reassure me either. I called him a few days before and said “I’m thinking about the set and I’m thinking about opening on a few jokes about your worldvision travels, do you think it would be inappropriate since it’s sponsored by them?” He just said “Depends on if the jokes are funny.” I just had this feeling again like: Why am I asking someone who’s not a comedian for advice? He’s never heard these horror stories. He’s never had that bombing feeling. Anyway. So I left that opening on the video to give it context to the funny story and also because my dads intro was pretty funny.

I also left the end where Richard comes on and gives me a compliment on there because … well I don’t have a good reason for that one. I just like to brag. lol. It won’t be on the final video, and I won’t send this one out to any bookers, but this one is for my friends until I get the better footage up. People wanted to see my set, this is where I’m at. The starting jokes still need a little work, but it’s much improved after a month of working on it and eating shit with them from time to time. Some of the jokes were really old, some were really new.