Michael Kosta
Los Angeles, CA
Male, 30s
I'm Michael Kosta, stand-up comedian (yes, that's what I write on my tax returns). I've performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, and Comedy Central, and I tour all over North America and Australia. Ask me anything about life as a stand-up.
First time on stage was pretty amazing. Not the actual jokes of course, or the venue, or anything other than the opportunity to perform. Like most people who first do stand up, I had been thinking about doing it for a very long time (maybe 15 years), but never had the balls, or the knowledge of how to do it. Somedays I still feel like I don't have the knowledge to do it but back when you start you are really lost. Once I got off stage I remember thinking "Well that's it, thats what I want to do with my life" after that everything just kind of made sense. Being called a class clown in first grade and writing jokes for a radio station in college and having people say to me at parties "you're funny" all that just kind of clicked after I realized how much I loved performing. So to answer your question, yes i was hooked. Now my very first joke, being called "Crotch Karate" that's a whole new question.
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Oh we are getting personal now!?!?!? First it was "How much do you get paid" and now its "what kind of boyfriend are you?" Whats next "Why did you abort that baby in high school?" Touring can be very fun with all types of distractions but as you do it more and more it becomes less and less "party" time. Netflix streaming has killed many a late night parties on the road. Now how is your relationship?
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I would argue shit-stew but maybe thats because I don't have that many followers (at this point 5700). I don't want to so sound bitter but twitter has made EVERYONE a comedian and I find it annoying. Or even worse, it has made really mediocre comedians, who buy followers, or who somehow buddy up with the right people and get a lot of followers, appear to be great comedians. Time after time there are examples of comedians who bookers, club owners and TV bookers think are funny because their twitter is funny and then they bomb or can not deliver or perform a stand up joke. I use twitter and I follow my favorite comedians and for the most part I like what they have to say (Its a compliment to their act) but be very careful going to see someone's live show just because their twitter is popular.
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Not yet! But every single comedian I know has had checks bounce, not gotten paid, etc. Its normally not the comedy clubs, its normally the one nighter bar gigs where you can get screwed. The older trick in the book is when you show up, they start throwing drinks and food at you and then when the show is over they present you with a $85 tab. That's happened to me a few times and that sucks. I have an agent and a lawyer now so everything is contracted and signed and all that jazz, so that eliminates a lot of that nonsense but earlier in the game before all that, club owners do try and stiff you. Sometimes I still get the "our hotel changed last minute" and they end up putting me in some shit hole and then I have to act like a diva and change hotels, that sucks and makes me feel like an asshole but if they would have put me up where they said they were going to, wouldn't have been a problem! Man do I sound like a douche.
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Hotel Employee
Can you give guests room upgrades at your sole discretion?
Server / Bartender
What's the best tip you ever got?
Antiques Dealer
If you buy an item that turns out to be stolen, do you have to turn it over to the police?
Lately I've been keeping notes on stage because I have a set of new jokes that I want to make sure i don't forget to do, but thats just a napin with words written on it. Something like "Girls bday, friend divorce, apple cider, yoga". I know for me that for a long 45 minute to an hour set, I have it pretty figured out. I know the order that I like to start and finish with and mostly will do the same order in the middle but I also like to adjust order depending on certain reactions from the audience. May move a lower energy bit later in the set if they are reacting differently than I expected. Think of a comics set as a "play". Actors in a play don't carry their notes with them because they know their lines. Even though we have no strict order, I know the lines of my personal play and I get to perform them anyway I want. Hopefully that way is funny.
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I think ultimately the question is "Are you funny?" Looks can either help or hurt ones evaluation of your performace. In my case, I think I have both benefitted and been at a disadvantage because of my looks. My guess is all comics would feel the same about their "look". Some buyers like me because I look clean cut and "Midwestern" and that is what they want for their brand or network, etc. Others think its impossible to be funny if you aren't frumpy and nerdy, or overweight, etc. We all judge someone the moment they walk on stage. Its just part of the deal. I think the best comics use their physciall look to help their act, kind of like another tool in the tool box. I know some female comics that are pretty, try to dress that down because they don't want the other women in the crowd to get jealous or immediately hate them. That sucks that they have to do that, but its also smart. I work out 4-5 times a week but not because of comedy, because I enjoy it, feel healthier and look better when I look at myself in the mirror while fucking.
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Shit, I have no idea... any good ideas?
This is certainly one of the harder questions to answer. I follow the method of "just start writing". Just start typing, or writing and see what happens. In LA, it can be challenging because we are less likely than people in NYC to interact with people. Sometimes I'll hop on the bus or go to a busy coffee shop just to be around people. That always seems to help. Another great method is to go back to old stuff you have written and rewrite it. Usually there was something there in the first place, and maybe since the time as passed, you've become a stronger writer and can make it even funnier.
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