Life As A Comic Videoblog

Welcome to Buffet o' Laughs, the latest episode in my completely sporadic series Life as a Comic!In this episode, follow Rob as he and fellow comedian Ray Devito head to western New York for a one-nighter at a banquet hall. Will the small town crowd like these comedians from the big city? Will the local gun show outdraw the comedy? Will the local bars of Olean, NY be open after the show? These questions and more answered on the latest installment of Life as a Comic.

We're back! A new episode of Life as a Comic is here! How have you been? It's been so long, wow, you look great!Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to start this video blog up again, I had a really good time putting this episode together.Come with me on a one-day trek from New York to Las Vegas and back to perform for 20 minutes at a NASCAR track.Sound weird? Of course it does! That's why you're coming along.Enjoy!

In episode 3-2, join Rob and his comedy buddies as they take to the Brooklyn streets to perform at a block party in Fort Green. How can a comedy show succeed in the middle of the street in 90+ degree heat? Find out in this episode!Many thanks to the comics: Peggy O'Brien, Victor Varnado, and our emcee Bob Powers. Also to the Greenlight Bookstore on Fulton St., who host Bob's monthly comedy spoken word series Steamboat.

Nooners--Life as a Comic Episode 2-4Ever wonder what it's like to do a comedy show at noon in the cafeteria of a community college? Will it be as challenging as it sounds? Will the performer break down and cry? Will the students throw tater tots at him?"Nooners," the affectionate term comedians have given these mid-day comedy shows, are tricky to pull off, and this latest episode of Life as a Comic follows Rob as he does a week of three nooners in central Nebraska.So grab your tray, friend some friends to sit with and enjoy!

College Conventions follows Rob P. to Peoria, Illinois where he performs for student union boards and student activities committees in hopes of landing college gigs.See the expense, awkwardness, techical difficulties and more that go into showcasing at a NACA convention, which is something many comedians do to get college work.Thanks to the folks at the NACA Mid-America region, as well as Rob's wonderful college agents, Kate and Robin at Joey Edmonds Presents.

RoadmobilesIf you're having trouble viewing the video, try the version posted on YouTube.com.When a comic says he's 'going on the road' people don't often think about how he or she gets there and what condition the thing that gets them there might be in. Roadmobiles takes a look at the kinds of cars comedians tool around the country in; and showcasing their darlings of the interstate along with Rob are comedians Jesse Joyce and Ray Devito. See how comics deal with a vehicle that is their bread & butter, their home away from home, their office and their storage unit. note from Rob:Sorry for the static in some parts of the audio, I was using a new wireless lavalier mic and was picking up some interference from somewhere, probably cell phones. It's not too prevalent but I just thought I'd warn you so you don't think it's your computer.Filmed on location on the road and in Queens!

Music & Comedy, a subject Rob knows well, explores what it's like to play music in the ranks of standup comedy. Rob talks with NYC-based musical comedian Joshua Grosvent about the trials and tribulations facing music/comedy hybrids, and you can see some of those trials and tribulations first hand as Josh explains how his big Summer Jam show almost didn't happen because the venue decided to close for the night!Also featured in this episode are The Rob and Mark Show who didn't let a closed venue stop them from rockin' out on the street, along with the other performers from the night Baron Vaughn, Shayna Ferm, Schaffer the Darklord and The Hazzards.

Pirates! Sunken Ships!! Party Boat -- Episode 10 is Life as a Comic's summer blockbuster!Follow Rob as he performs in a show on the Frying Pan, a 75-year-old Lightship that sunk, was salvaged, and is now docked on NYC's west side and used for parties. Journey down into the belly of the beast as the show takes place in the lowest deck of the ship and see what it's like to perform at an 'event' when the crowd is there to drink and mingle and not necessarily catch a show.After the show you can hang out with celebrities, like TVs Mike Siegel from the Superstation!Many thanks to co-producer Jon Friedman for having me on the bill and to everyone who was kind enough to watch the show in the hot and humid hold of an old salvaged lightship.

Reels -- Episode 8 shows all of the video packages comics have to put together in order to get work and further their careers. From taping sets to editing 90-second vignettes for showcase submissions to putting the press kits together, Rob takes you through the process that leaves comics with more tape on themselves than Nixon.Note from Rob: This episode is a little different in that it doesn't center on a particular show and it's completely behind-the-scenes support for the life of a comic. But the truth is I spend dozens of hours each month editing, writing, packaging and mailing video and written submissions that I thought it would make a good episode. Hope you like it!

"It's Not Just Me" takes you to Hoboken, NJ (sorry) for a show Rob does with fellow comedian and big man on the college market Eric O'Shea. Rob and Eric have worked together before so they meet up early to ride the PATH train under the Hudson to the Stevens Institute of Technology in the downtown 'Boke.This episode also explores the ins and outs of what it's like to perform opposite free cookies and a snack bar. Between the sugar rushes, cafeteria-style seating and the full moon, Rob and Eric joke their way through two states, green rooms, and drunks on the subway.Enjoy!

Going Back to Indiana follows Rob to southern Indiana where he performs at Vincennes University hosting their student variety show. See what it's like to do a show at 6:30 in the evening for the local senior citizens, to sample the local cuisine, and to live, laugh, and love in the heartland.Many thanks to the students and faculty at Vincennes University, as well as the good people of Vincennes who came out to the shows. And to John Cougar Mellancamp, who attended Vincennes University back in the day and went on to idealize the Hoosier State in song.

Episode 4 -- Weekend at ZaniesClick here to watch.When you're living life as a comic, you're definitely going to spend a lot of time in comedy clubs, and Zanies in Chicago is one of the oldest stand-up clubs in the country. See what it's like to play this quintessential venue, from the three-show Saturday nights, to the green room antics, to dealing with the various audiences.Mad props to the other comics on the bill, Brooke van Poppelen and Rob Brackenridge, as well as to Bert, Martin, and everyone at Zanies Chicago.

To view movie, click above or here.The New York alternative, or "downtown," comedy scene is where I spend most of my time, and if you've ever wondered what it's like to do shows in these kinds of places, tag along with me. Learn how to entertain hipsters and what it's like to perform for an audience that thinks it's cooler than you.The show I did was put together by Liam McEneaney for his showcase for a Comedy Central Presents submission, and it also featured Baron Vaughn and The Domestics. It was a lot of fun and it definitely helps explain the differences between the downtown scene and the clubs.Hope you like it.

"College Gigs" is episode 2 of Life as a Comic, to view it click image above or here.Are College Gigs non-stop parties full of hot coeds where comedians party all night long on campus or are they actually work? I started playing colleges early on in my career and I've played over 300 of them since, and I've learned they can be fun, and they can be terrible, but they never seem to be what people think they are when I say "I do a lot of colleges."So check out the real nitty as I perform at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

It's the first episode of "Life as a Comic"! View it here!One Nighters are stand-up shows that take place in the most random assortment of venues, sometimes they're fun, sometimes they make you question the choices you've made in your life. And you can never tell going in which kind it will be.For example there was a one nighter in southern Illinois at a bowling alley on a Tuesday night and you'd think it would be the worst show of your year, but it's always packed and the audience is always great.This particular one nighter took place in Millstone Township, New Jersey at a restaurant near Six Flags Great Adventure. I was working with Jody Wasserman and Jeff Kreisler and a woman who clucked like a chicken. Seriously.We'll be back in a couple of weeks with another episode, thanks for stopping by!