Today’s column will be my last. I’m bowing out of The SetList.
The reasons? Those of you who read last week’s column know them: I’d like to start concentrating on my comedic efforts instead of focusing on others’. And, as all of you know, that takes work. And time. And effort. Lots of it.
Yeah, it’s as simple as that.
A couple people to thank: First, Big Head Rob for giving me this opportunity. I was initially hesitant, but Rob persisted, indicating that it was something DC needed. Thanks, Rob. Once again, your instincts were correct.
I’d also like to thank Jimmy Merritt. Certainly the exchanges we had here and over on his blog were opinionated and at times filled with a little ginger. But I never got the sense that Mr. Merritt was being mean-spirited or writing out of malevolence, and I certainly hope he didn’t get that from me. In fact, I was glad to demur with a reader as insightful and intelligent as Mr. Merritt clearly is. And whatever disagreements we had, I still maintain that Mr. Merritt is one of the funniest people in DC – and that’s not even really opinion, but a measurable fact.
Finally, I’d like to thank the DC Comedy scene in general. You guys are some of most talented people on the East Coast. You work hard, you support each other, and you’re all damned talented. Let me illustrate by way of an anecdote:
Last night I was in a bar in Old Town (yeah, I know) and ended up talking to a guy who used to live in NYC, and who now lives in Old Town. A mutual friend had introduced us and told the guy of my connection to the local comedy scene, and we ended up discussing the scene in general. He told me that about four months ago he was in Laughing Lizard just hanging out, when LL’s monthly comedy show began. He and a friend decided to watch with the idea of seeing precisely how “bad” the show would be, and to laugh and sneer at what they assumed would be no-talents.
“I was blown away,” my acquaintance said. Almost to a person, he said, every comedian was hilarious. He said he was floored by the number of talented, funny people who would show up to some dive bar in what isn’t really even the “good part” of Old Town. He’d never seen anything comparable to this in NYC. If a place like this is this chock full of talent, he said, imagine what other more upscale venues are like?
Of course, you and I already knew that. But it’s nice to have a civilian verify it every now and then.
Keep breaking legs, guys and gals. May every new joke you write kill, no matter where it’s at in your set, and may Comedy Central offer you all your own stand-up spotlight special.
