So how'd it go?

by Nathan Hartswick

Holy crap that was fun.

Last night’s show at Higher Ground’s Showcase Lounge exceeded our wildest expectations. The room was packed; every seat was taken, and the area by the bar was elbow-to-elbow. The crowd was a diverse mix of friends, family, coworkers and strangers. As people got their drinks and listened to our pre-show mix of 80s pop songs and TV themes, the mood was festive.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the green room, we six comics were being treated better than we ever have at a gig. Nick and the whole gang there simply know how it’s done, and we never had to worry about anything besides putting on a good show.

And that we did. I got up and warmed up the crowd a little, then brought on the bright young comic:

Pat Lynch: My girlfriend said it best: he prepared to be an opener. Typically when someone opens, they do a short version of their usual material. But Pat had incredibly funny stuff welcoming everyone to Higher Ground (“Hey, look how many of you have 5 dollars!”) and the Vermont Comedy Club (“Tonight was supposed to be ‘Let Bums Come Inside and Get Warm’ Night at Higher Ground”); it totally set the tone for the evening, and got everyone laughing right away. Then came the incomparable:

Avi Waring: She’d been nervously pacing backstage, but the second she stepped up there she owned the room. It’s fun seeing someone whose material you know find the best possible version of it. Avi added a couple flourishes to her hilarious stuff and it worked every time. She took advantage of the “tax free day” to tell a hilarious joke about Buck’s Furniture, ending with her waking up on a leather camo loveseat (complete with beer cooler) after a shopping blackout. Then the tone changed with:

John Lyons: John belongs in the middle of a lineup, because the crowd needs to be warmed up and laughing before you hit them with something crazy. John’s thought-provoking one-liners and unsettling social criticism was perfectly balanced. He would reel in the audience with more accessible stuff (“One benefit to being morbidly obese is you’re virtually guaranteed to never be kidnapped.”) and then punch them in the face with his theories about the Middle East. I came on for a song, during which John berated and abused me and insisted that my mic be cut. Next in line was:

Chad Smith: John and I haven’t known Chad long but we all clicked instantly, and he has been so great to work with on VCC stuff. He is super enthusiastic, and that energy translates to the stage. In terms of the sheer volume of laughs, Chad may have won the prize last night; he just knows how to set ‘em up and kick ‘em down, over and over. He held the crowd’s rapt attention – no easy feat with 20 minutes of material about jerking off into a cup. Intentionally, we followed Chad in the lineup with:

Martha Tormey: I like watching Martha pull from her surroundings for the first two minutes she’s onstage, and I knew putting a frenetic lesbian after a masturbating jock would ensure a funny result. (“I wish I could raise my mother from the grave and make her watch that, to answer her question about why I’m a lesbian.”) Martha, as always, had a terrific set, and even gave us a thank-you present afterward. A class act, that woman. Last, it was:

Nathan Hartswick: I (Chad) hijacked this part so I could write about Nate’s set….his “awwww shucks” crap won’t fly with me.  This show wouldn’t have gone off without him and we couldn’t have asked for a better guy to lead us last night…so from all the comics and crowd: THANKS NATHAN!

His set: MC Nathan Hartswick came out to wrap the evening up with his special brand of social commentary on everything from having a 25 year old girlfriend (“I know what you’re thinking: ‘nice‘.”) to kids wanting to text on 50’s style rotary phones. His easy delivery and timing made the crowd feel like they were with him in his twisted little world. A definite highlight of the evening and an awesome way to end a great show!

Back to Nathan: All in all, the night was terrific – there was something for everyone, and never a “down” moment. Afterward, Nick called it “a great start to the series,” and insisted we get another one on the calendar soon – maybe even with two shows next time (an early and a late one).

Though we conceived of this thing as an opportunity to do our own thing and get more stage time, it quickly turned into something bigger. The launch of vermontcomedyclub.com seems to have struck a chord with fans and comedians; they’ve been really grateful to have the resource. And that seems to have translated into buzz that led to a sold-out show at Higher Ground, for which we so appreciative.

And so, many thanks to all the other comics on the lineup, the consummate pros at Higher Ground, and everyone who turned out last night. Let’s do it again soon!