Darrenfrost.com | The Official Website of Darren Frost

What a week it has been.

The first time I have been out west in a year and it will be the first time I play edmonton in four or five years.  I have been spending tons of time watching open mikes in calgary and doing sets getting ready for my new dvd recording.  It has not been easy as I have too much material on my last dvds and getting a new 45 together for the main dvd has been tough. 

Sure lots has changed in my life but that has not lead to much in way of comedy material like it has in the past.  Maybe as you age your ability to keep pumping it out gets harder…or maybe you become too critical or self aware of what you want out there.  It is also hard to expect audiences to like some of the material i am throwing as well.  It is not happy at all and in fact it is pretty harsh even for comics to listen to…when your punch lines include necklaces made from clitoris’s of genitally mutilated ethiopian teens you can see my dilemna.

I did a photo shoot with a good friend and a great photographer out of calgary names Billy Cowen.  Some may know him as a standup..some may know him as the radio guy but like most who have lasted in this business: we know him as a jack of all trades guy.  Make sure you check out his website if you are looking at getting shots done in the calgaqry area.  He hooked me up with a great makeup artist and we shot in five locations, all in five hours.

billycowen.com

The above picture is for the packaging for the new dvd called Dead Inside.  I will be posting more when we get working on them.  I had to drive eight hours total yesterday to pull it off.   Three to the first location then two hours of driving from location to location then three hours back to Calgary

Some comics get upset and say that i dont deserve some of the things i get but they refuse to put the time in.  I have three days off in a row so i planned a photoshoot to use that time wisely.  Sure i could have just went and hung out in malls or got hammered and try to fuck waitstaff at open mike after open mike but i dont.  If you want to be successfull and even make a living at this full time then you have to put in the time and with three kids at home my time gets shorter and shorter.  SO the road is where i get most of my shit done. 

Even young comics are still not willing to travel or go outside their comfort zone to get better.  In calgary I have spoken to young comics who will go on the road for a few days for free and do open spots to get better.  Years ago when I played edmonton very few comics came out to see the show but i noticed two came out more then once.  I remembered that and so when one of them was coming to toronto I helped her get some spots ..and then when she went to LA I hooked her up with some spots with a friend of mine.  Then when she came to toronto i told the office about her.  Now we are good friends but that all started with knowing that she worked hard and put the time in.  Now I am not telling you this so you can say

“oh look at darren helpng the young..he is so nice”

This is to show you that most comics operate this way..if they see you respecting the artform and putting the time in then they will help you.  Just killing on an open mike night is not enough sometimes.

In the past i have waited for others to do things for me but i no longer wait.  That is why I recently did my first show in winnipeg for the first time in the 18 years of spreading hate in shitty town after shitty town.  Due to politics I had been not welcome in that town.  Told different reasons over the years that winnipeg wont like my act blah blah blah..I am too much for winnipeg.  I was like, it is not vegas it is a drinking and fucking town.  Why would they not like a little anger ..just spend some time downtown and you will see people with something to be angry about.

I contacted a guy who runs an open mike and was told by other comics he is a good guy and cares about comedy.  So in a few email messages I booked my own show with him and was able to support a room that is trying to do something different.  I didnt do the show for the money and barely broke even after my expenses but not everything you do in this business has to be motivated by money.

Look around you and see how many people are still motivated to do anything outside of waiting for the phone to ring.  Comedy is a young mans game they say and even though i dont believe that to be true I still act like it is and try and run with the herd.  I may be off to the side of the herd but i am trying to keep up.