The city where I live only has one comedy club. I have been keeping myself sharp by performing at a local bar on Tuesday nights. The audience is usually not that attentive but it’s my job to get their attention, and for the most part, I do just that!
People that go to bars are not expecting to see a stand up comedy show. Knowing this, I consider this experience as the “Hard Knocks” school of stand up. When performing at a bar, a comic has to deal with the TV’s being on, loud conversations, intoxicated people and every comics’ favorite….HECKLERS!
I have welcomed each and every one of those distractions. During the past few years I have learned how to quiet a crowd, fill the room with laughs and ultimately, destroy hecklers! I am currently booked to perform at Laffs Comedy Club in Tucson at the end of this month and at The Comedy Spot in Scottsdale, Arizona at the end of April. Having paid my dues on the local scene have enabled me to totally kill at the pro clubs!
My advice to any comic looking to get better at this craft is; Perform everywhere and anywhere. Take the stage as often as you can. Take every on stage experience and learn from it. Pay your dues and above all, NEVER QUIT…
Comedian Omar Tarango 
Good advice! I imagine stand up is a lot like teaching– you have the shows that are just magical and everything clicks, and then you have those when you wish someone would please just get you off the stage. But we just keep plugging away at it. Good luck at your shows!
Yeah, I can really see that as being true! You take that classroom “stage” every day, and you either bomb or totally get your point accross. And I’m sure that must be a great feeling when you get your students to absorb your every word! Thanks for commenting and I’m looking forward to more of your posts!