Comedy and Graduate School: the triangle comedy scene

In many ways, the Triangle comedy scene should be better. There are infinitely more places to do comedy here which means more time to polish your act, less people who have heard your jokes etc. 

More venues also means more variety. You have coffee shops, bars, and comedy clubs that all host open mics. With each venue comes a specific and unique clientele. 

The open mic organizers themselves generally tend to be very nice people who respect the art and are accommodating to the comedians performing. 

However, I have to say that I miss the Wilmington comedy scene a whole lot more than I was expecting. To be frank though, a huge reason why I miss Nutt Street is the people and friends I got to meet there. They made a huge difference not only in my enjoyment of the Wilmington scene, but also in my development as a comic. Part of the reason why I was able to become a better comic in Wilmington is because I had a support system that pushed me to achieve more on stage and as a writer. 

But another thing I miss about the Wilmington scene is the professional comedians that I had the chance to see and learn from. Outside of Goodnights in Raleigh and Laugh out Loud in Clayton, both of which are sort of out of my way, none of the bars and clubs in Durham and Chapel hill host touring comedians. Luckily this will change soon as the Carrboro Arts Center will begin hosting touring comics in October. 

That being said, part of why I loved Nutt Street was I had that chance to see, open for and talk to touring comics. One of my best experiences so far as a comic was getting to talk and hang out with Rory Scovel who a friend of mine opened for last year.

However I think what has made me the most  jaded about the scene here have been my performances on stage. Outside of one really good set at DSI and another hosting a showcase at Loco Lu's Coffehouse, I'm just not doing well on stage. Part of that has been because I am still trying to adjust to the crowds here who by and large do not care about what's going on on stage. But to a certain extent I feel I am lacking confidence, which of course is not helped by the fact that the people watching me don't give a shit.