So last night I headlined the open mike night at the Hardrock Improv. Long story short, it was a looooong show and by the time I got up there, half of the crowd had left and the ones that stuck around, well it seemed to me that they just didn't want to be there any more. And to be honest, I couldn't blame them. I mean they had been there for over 2 hours and sat through some shitty comics. No offense to those comics, but they're still open mikers; they're not supposed to be good yet.

And what sucks is that the crowd was so fucking good at the beginning of the night, I couldn't wait to get up there. But as the night progressed, they're energy, patience and attention degressed.

Anyway, about three acts before I hit the stage I was not looking forward to going up. Shit, who wants to go into a hostile situation? But then I had a little realization. This is an open mike night, there is nothing for me to prove to anyone else except for myself. I mean there's not industry, it's not an audition, there's no girlfriend or family members that I want to impress; this show was strictly for me. So I said to myself, "Flip, this is a great challenge. Let's see if you can get these people to not only focus, but to laugh". That was my mission, to bring this tired and slightly disjointed crowd together again.

So right when I went on stage, a group of people in the front row got up to leave...."perfect", I thought. But I wasn't being sarcastic, I was glad they did because it gave me a perfect opening. I yelled at them, "You fucking quitters! Haven't you ever heard of saving the best for last!?" And with that kind of energy, swagger and egotism, people started to shut up and pay attention.

From there I just went into all of my "A" material, and didn't let up really for 13 minutes. I got applause breaks, laughing fits, one woman even got the hiccups from laughing so hard. When I did my last joke and said "thank you", I got a great ovation, and one guy even stood up.

I can't explain how these moments make me feel. It really makes me feel like I'm accomplished; like I really know what I'm doing. I mean I made this challenge to myself and BAM!, I did it. I fucking rocked that crowd. It's like passing a final exam that you've been studying all night for. It's just that I've been studying for 15 years. And this isn't the first time I've done something like this, it's just that this is the most recent time. :)

You really learn a lot over the years when you're doing comedy. You learn how to read a crowd, how to approach them, how to rangle an audience, what material you should or should not use. You can feel if a joke is bombing and know how to gracefully get out of it without looking lost. And last night was a night where I felt myself using the skills I've learned.

Just a really great night for comedy.

And the ego-stroking ends....now!

Oh, I've started doing podcasts, or as I call them, FliPodcasts. I literally just started so the only thing on my page is a recording of a private show I did on Jan. 14 of this year. But it's a start. Anyway, here's the page and keep checking back for more...episodes? Is that the right word? I dunno.

Later.

1/23/08
OK, can one really be called lazy because they haven't updated their blog in almost two weeks??? Yeah, I guess they can. Sorry.

OK, what's been going on in the past week or so? Well, I had my time at Club Med; as usual it was great. Just relaxed from my hectic life of doing nothing.

The shows there were pretty good, although there was a last minute change in the venue. Usually we performed at this restaurant/lounge just off of the golf course. But apparently the course was sold to a private company and they don't want comedy there. So at the last minute they moved us into this little meeting room...not ideal, but it worked for the most part. Sadly though, the comedy at Club Med is no more. This week April Macie is doing the show Friday, but Saturday the venue is changing completely. So myself and Todd Link were the last comedians to do a full week there. By week I mean 2 days.

But the reason to do the gig was not for the shows, or money, but for the free week at Club Med.

Oh, that's another thing. Don't really want to go into it here, but I found out that I got a little screwed out of money. The business really pisses me off sometimes.

OK, onto better things.

I'm working on a couple of projects right now which hopefully will come to life when I get back to LA in a few weeks.

I'm soooooo ready to get back there. I hate feeling this antsy. I know I've mentioned this before, but after a few weeks on the road I get so uncomfortable being away from LA. I mean I was supposed to go back on Jan. 8, but decided to stay because of the writers' strike and I had to be back here anyway for a college show on Feb. 9...but now I see that I'm missing the LA auditions for Last Comic Standing (yes, I plan on auditioning again). But I need to keep a positive outlook and know that there's a bigger picture here. Right? Right.

Other than that, I'm working a bit. I picked up this week at The Improv in Ft. Lauderdale, and I'm headlining 3 of the shows. That's always nice. And I'm working with Jeff Garlin on the other shows. That's going to be fun, I haven't seen him in awhile. Hey, maybe that's the reason I was supposed to stay down here???? Oooo...scary.

Anyway, it's only 2:00 PM and I'm sitting in my bedroom, so I think I'm going to go outside and play for a bit. Later peeps.

1/11/08
Greetings from a Days Inn in Melbourne, FL. This is the time that sucks as a comedian; doing nothing during the day. I guess I could go out and see a movie, but I'm a bit tired too.

Well, I'm not sure if I'm tired or just so bored that I feel tired, you know? Either way, I hate this part.

The show last night in Cocoa Beach was great, and I was really surprised to be honest. For those who have seen my act before, you know that analogy I give to those situations: "When you expect a bad crowd and they turn out great, it's a nice surprise. It's like when you get some milk from your fridge but it's a couple of days expired and you wonder if it's still good. Then you try some and it is...that's what you guys are like!" Well last night was really a perfect example of that. I thought that they might tired, or tight when I got up there, but no, they were great. And the comic I'm working with, Todd Link, he's funny but he does a lot of crowd work. So I thought they might not want to talk to me when I got up there, but nope, they were still eager and nice. So thank you Cocoa Beach.

I'm atching Comedy Central now...when can I get a half hour special? No, scratch that. I'm not going to ask that, I'm going to make a prediction and a declaration. THIS YEAR I WILL GET MY HALF HOUR SPECIAL! I'm putting it out there, I'm doing what I've always believed is right. I'm going to imagine having it, work for it and not lose sight (or the absolute knowledge) that I will get it. There can be no doubt in my mind or in my heart. So my faithful friends, believe with me and mark my word, by the end of this year, I will have it. :)

So what else to do? I guess I could go to a coffee shop and do some writing...hey, you know what I'm gonna do. I'll call Todd and see if he wants to write a bit. That's a productive thing to do, right? Write? Right.

1/6/08
Hello 2008! So far, it's going pretty good. Just finished my week at the Improv in Miami with Dov Davidoff; it was really a great week.

Today was the open call for the South Beach Comedy Festival at the Improv and I judged it. There was some really good comics there...and then there were some comics who...let's just say, were just beginning. But it was interesting to be on the other side of that situation. Usually I'm in comedy competitions, not judging them. I honestly hate competitions; comedy is subjective and just because it's not my taste doesn't mean it's not funny. So I judged the comics in three different categories that (I felt) was fair and impartial.

ORIGINALITY - Were the premises and jokes original, or had an original twist and/or point of view.
STAGE PRESENCE - Did they look uncomfortable on stage, did they have confidence in the jokes and themselves. Did they know how to utilize the space.
AUDIENCE RESPONSE - Now this might seem to go against my original thought about comedy being subjective, but if someone isn't getting any laughs, that says something.

So with that in mind, I had my picks and so did the rest of the judges and we narrowed it down to five semi-finalists. Now the semi's will be held in Miami this Wednesday where (I think) I'm hosting that show. So if you're in the area, well c'mon down!

What else to report?

Oh yeah, I'm exending my stay here in Florida. I got offered some more work while I was down here and since I needed to come back for a college show in early February (and since LA is kinda dead now because of the writers' strike) I decided to take the work, make a little extra money and spend time with the family. Not to mention that one of gigs involves that free week at Club Med. Hehehehe...

Well I'm exhausted now so I'm going to turn in. Hope you guys are smiling.