Hey kids, it's been a while hasn't it? I've been busy trying to find a new job, figuring out school for the fall, moving and just generally trying to get back into reality.
I finally got back onstage on Wednesday night at Jitter's and at Grumpy's. It was the first time in about a month and a half that I'd done comedy. I don't know what happened exactly that made me stop doing it for so long - maybe it was being on vacation and then not getting up on a Monday or two and then having a concert to go to (Patti Smith) and then a party and then not getting up again. Either way, it had been much too long. I did a fairly decent job - I should've done more new jokes, but I was nervous about going on again and remembering my old ones so I didn't take my chances. Except that comedy is all about chances. Oh well - next time.
I also got a new job at Caribou in downtown. One of the 12 Caribous within 5 miles. The guy just offered me the job right there in the interview. I thought that was weird. I'll be working the morning shift, so 5:30-1ish which means I'll have to plan accordingly for the evenings. I doubt I'll be going out much this fall on account of a.) the new job and b.) the fact that I'll be taking both Chemistry and Biology in the same semester. Also, I need to save money like hella whoa on account of my dreams to go traveling, take a paramedic class and pay for school. I guess wanting a life in the future means not having a life now. Bummer.
In anycase, I'll be emceeing at the Joke Joint this Sunday I believe - it may be tentative, we'll see.
-C.Blo out
Friday, August 17, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Swallow My Pride
I'm transferring from the U of M to MCTC this fall. It's cheaper, it's smaller and the nursing program is better. Lined up this coming semester are: Biology, Chemistry and a Nursing Assistant training course. In all, this is 14 credits. 
14 terribly difficult credits. I'm not a math person by any stretch of the imagination so taking chemistry and biology in the same semester is a death sentence for me. The plan so far is to stay at home as much as humanly possible in order to pass these classes with nothing but flying colors.
Since I'll be finished with my nursing pre-reqs by January, I'll have free reign over my schedule for spring semester. I don't know what I'm going to do quite yet. I could get a certificate in Native American history in one semester, but what good is that? I could study abroad, which would be fantastic. There are no French study abroad options, only Spanish which is fine but I'd really like to continue with my French somehow. There's a Spanish study abroad option in the spring to go to Costa Rica for 6 months. I'll look into it if I have the cash. Or, I could get back into theater and get a theater arts certificate in one semester.
I love theater, I always have. Since the age of four, I've said I was going to be an actress someday. Being a comic is acting, sure, but it's definitely not the same as a constructed, thought-out play. I was involved in high school theater all four years and I adored it.
I got to the U, tried to get involved there but I constantly felt alienated because I wasn't doing it for a career, I was doing it because it's a hobby of mine. The theater kids at the U didn't take me seriously because I'm a nursing student, not an artsy kind of student. That deterred me the entire time I was at the U. MCTC is a fresh start on all levels.
Another thing that's kept me away from it is the fact that the theater crowd in Minneapolis is extremely tight knit. I had done tech for a little theater production company called "Theory/Chaos" a few years in a row for the Fringe Festival. About 2 years ago, I stage managed 2 shows for the Emigrant Theater Company and it was the worst experience of my life. The director never liked me - if I had an idea for a scene she was struggling with, she'd snap at me, yelling "I'm the director for this play, you're the stage manager - shut your mouth and take notes!" Without mincing words, she was a condescending bitch to me and took nearly every opportunity to make me feel both ostracized and neglected. Looking at their website, I'm not even mentioned as the stage manager for either play that I worked with while other plays listed have the SM right up there with the director and the assistant director. I'm offended, really. Granted, I wasn't the absolute best SM, but I tried my damndest to make it a decent production. My duties included but weren't limited to operating lights and sound, lugging a ton (literally) of sand on and off a set, digging through the trash for props and keeping my mouth shut. I fucked up my cues a number of times and I regret that, but they really shouldn't have given me lights and sound at the same time - they should have relegated one of the two to someone else. It's hard enough to memorize cues for lights let alone for sound as well.
In anycase, my point is that the theater community here in Minneapolis is tight knit and since I fucked up royally with this Emigrant play I've most likely been bad mouthed throughout the city as a shitty SM and someone not to be hired or associated with in terms of theater. It makes me sad, guilty, angry and ashamed of myself really. My options are thus: I could either let the theater world go forever or I could clean up my name and become someone worth working with again.
Swallowing your pride is a very difficult thing to do, but starting this Fall I'm going to try to get back into it without caring too much what the Emigrant Theater Company or any of the other theater snobs think.
14 terribly difficult credits. I'm not a math person by any stretch of the imagination so taking chemistry and biology in the same semester is a death sentence for me. The plan so far is to stay at home as much as humanly possible in order to pass these classes with nothing but flying colors. Since I'll be finished with my nursing pre-reqs by January, I'll have free reign over my schedule for spring semester. I don't know what I'm going to do quite yet. I could get a certificate in Native American history in one semester, but what good is that? I could study abroad, which would be fantastic. There are no French study abroad options, only Spanish which is fine but I'd really like to continue with my French somehow. There's a Spanish study abroad option in the spring to go to Costa Rica for 6 months. I'll look into it if I have the cash. Or, I could get back into theater and get a theater arts certificate in one semester.
I love theater, I always have. Since the age of four, I've said I was going to be an actress someday. Being a comic is acting, sure, but it's definitely not the same as a constructed, thought-out play. I was involved in high school theater all four years and I adored it.
I got to the U, tried to get involved there but I constantly felt alienated because I wasn't doing it for a career, I was doing it because it's a hobby of mine. The theater kids at the U didn't take me seriously because I'm a nursing student, not an artsy kind of student. That deterred me the entire time I was at the U. MCTC is a fresh start on all levels. Another thing that's kept me away from it is the fact that the theater crowd in Minneapolis is extremely tight knit. I had done tech for a little theater production company called "Theory/Chaos" a few years in a row for the Fringe Festival. About 2 years ago, I stage managed 2 shows for the Emigrant Theater Company and it was the worst experience of my life. The director never liked me - if I had an idea for a scene she was struggling with, she'd snap at me, yelling "I'm the director for this play, you're the stage manager - shut your mouth and take notes!" Without mincing words, she was a condescending bitch to me and took nearly every opportunity to make me feel both ostracized and neglected. Looking at their website, I'm not even mentioned as the stage manager for either play that I worked with while other plays listed have the SM right up there with the director and the assistant director. I'm offended, really. Granted, I wasn't the absolute best SM, but I tried my damndest to make it a decent production. My duties included but weren't limited to operating lights and sound, lugging a ton (literally) of sand on and off a set, digging through the trash for props and keeping my mouth shut. I fucked up my cues a number of times and I regret that, but they really shouldn't have given me lights and sound at the same time - they should have relegated one of the two to someone else. It's hard enough to memorize cues for lights let alone for sound as well.
In anycase, my point is that the theater community here in Minneapolis is tight knit and since I fucked up royally with this Emigrant play I've most likely been bad mouthed throughout the city as a shitty SM and someone not to be hired or associated with in terms of theater. It makes me sad, guilty, angry and ashamed of myself really. My options are thus: I could either let the theater world go forever or I could clean up my name and become someone worth working with again.
Swallowing your pride is a very difficult thing to do, but starting this Fall I'm going to try to get back into it without caring too much what the Emigrant Theater Company or any of the other theater snobs think.
Monday, July 16, 2007
I just got back from a family vacation to Park Rapids, MN on Saturday. (<--- there's the view from our cabin.)We were there for a week, which is just long enough I think. Any longer and I'd go nuts. I can only handle so much time with the folks. I'm so used to living on my own and having my own space that when I'm crammed into a little cabin with 5 other people, I get a little touchy. I had a headache nearly the entire time and I don't know if it's from the meds I'm on or not being able to get away from people or the crappy bed or what I was eating. I still have an excruciating headache now - the kind where light makes you keel over in pain and Ibuprofen doesn't help. Maybe I should go to the doctor.In comedy news, or lack thereof, I haven't been doing it at all for the past 3 weeks or so. I couldn't do it last week, being up North and the week before I just wasn't into it. I got really down on myself and couldn't decide if I really wanted to pursue it anymore or not. That was mostly due to the fact that I haven't written anything in a long time. And by "long time" I mean about a month. I won my contest and now I'm coming down from that, trying to find something to look forward to with comedy. I was spending my time perfecting my timing and stage presence and all that and not concentrating on writing.
In an effort to increase my creativity I started making jewelry up at the lake. I bought a bunch of crap beads from the Ben Franklin and started making earrings. They're actually pretty nice. I gave a few pairs away and the recipients seemed to like them. It's fun, but it hurts the back and eyes when done for over 2 hours at a time. It's really refreshing to be doing something artistic again.
I also picked up the guitar again. I hadn't played in maybe a year. Not with conviction, at least. I used to play all the time,
I wanted to be like Nancy Wilson from Heart. (there's my guitar --->) Then I got to college and all of my priorities were forced to shift over to school and whoever I was dating at the time. I realise now that you (I) should never give up something I enjoy for someone I'm dating or anyone, really. It leaves you feeling empty and insecure. So now I'm playing again, remembering old songs and writing new ones. Nothing serious, just dicking around for now.Also, since getting back from the lake, I've made a concerted effort to do things I generally wouldn't have done before going up North - ie: not going to ACME on Saturday night and instead going to a party by myself thrown by a friend I hadn't seen in almost a year with whom I thought I had a falling out but apparently not. It was just a misunderstanding I guess, at least that's what I'll leave it at. It was a dance party and it was awesome. Also, I went to my ex's little sister's 18th birthday party yesterday. Bow and I dated for about a year 3 years ago and we've stayed relatively close since. His sister came to my contest night and really enjoyed it. His other sister lives in San Francisco and comes back twice a year or so and she wanted to see me too. Bow's going through kind of a rough time and I hadn't seen him a while either. I'm going to keep doing things I normally wouldn't and see where it takes me. Both of the aforementioned shindigs were things that I didn't see myself having a good time at. I thought I'd be uncomfortable and awkward, but I had a really good at time at both of them and they were way better than sitting around on the computer or napping all day.
So life is taking all sorts of turns and I'm trying to just go along with them without struggling or forcing it. It's a lot easier said than done, but I'm making an effort and that's better than most, right?
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Contest, Spade, Joke Joint
Hey folks! The contest was this past Thursday and I must say... I kicked some major ass, I won't lie. 20 or more people I know came to see me. I had never performed in front of that many people I know and I was incredibly nervous beforehand. About 2 minutes before I was supposed to go on, I got this incredibly feeling of calm and I knew it'd be okay. I went on and rocked the mic for 3 minutes or so and I most definitely got an applause break. Huttah! The headliner, Costaki Economopolous, almost did a callback to one of my jokes but then another contestant did it first. I consider that a huge compliment when 2 comics want to do a callback to your joke.
It was very weird to have all my friends and family surround me after the show. I finally feel like I can do something right, I know that sounds emo and all but this is the first thing I can really say I'm genuinely good at and mean it. It feels good. Too bad comedy doesn't really pay, at least right now it doesn't.
Last night I saw David Spade in Hinckley, MN. I had never been there before, but I have to say that it's absolutely everything I expected. Boring and somewhat trashy. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy old women with oxygen tanks and cigarettes as much as everyone else does, but this place was just disconcerting. I don't like gambling much anyway. It was weird to have people smoking indoors. That's not the point, though. David Spade is the point. I have a crush on him and that made the show that much more amazing. I really wish I could've actually met him but he disappeared into the abyss pretty much immediately after the show. Todd Glass opened for him which was pleasant surprise. Overall, it was a really great show.
Tonight, I'm performing at the Joke Joint in Bloomington, MN. Matt Fugate is the headliner and Bill Young is the feature, so it's a show well-worth coming out to. I have no idea how much tickets are, but I can't imagine they're that expensive. Come on out and see some comedy tonight, it's better than television and probably more entertaining than watching your drunk friends walk into tables and fall off couches all night.
Peace
It was very weird to have all my friends and family surround me after the show. I finally feel like I can do something right, I know that sounds emo and all but this is the first thing I can really say I'm genuinely good at and mean it. It feels good. Too bad comedy doesn't really pay, at least right now it doesn't.
Last night I saw David Spade in Hinckley, MN. I had never been there before, but I have to say that it's absolutely everything I expected. Boring and somewhat trashy. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy old women with oxygen tanks and cigarettes as much as everyone else does, but this place was just disconcerting. I don't like gambling much anyway. It was weird to have people smoking indoors. That's not the point, though. David Spade is the point. I have a crush on him and that made the show that much more amazing. I really wish I could've actually met him but he disappeared into the abyss pretty much immediately after the show. Todd Glass opened for him which was pleasant surprise. Overall, it was a really great show.
Tonight, I'm performing at the Joke Joint in Bloomington, MN. Matt Fugate is the headliner and Bill Young is the feature, so it's a show well-worth coming out to. I have no idea how much tickets are, but I can't imagine they're that expensive. Come on out and see some comedy tonight, it's better than television and probably more entertaining than watching your drunk friends walk into tables and fall off couches all night.
Peace
Monday, June 18, 2007
Unpaid gigs
Hey there, kids. I've been making the rounds with the open mics around town lately in order to prepare for Thursday's show. I went to the Joke Joint in Bloomington and did about 5 minutes worth of material. The owner of the club, Ken Reed, agreed to let me emcee on Saturday night for their two shows. Matt Fugate is headlining and Bill Young is featuring. There'll be two shows, 7:30 and 10:00. I would do Friday night too, but I'm going to see David Spade up in Hinckley that night and there's no way I'm skipping that in order to emcee for a show I'm not getting paid for. I'm not getting any cash because a.) the Joke Joint doesn't have the funds yet, they're still pretty new and b.) it's against the Funniest Person in the Twin Cities Contest rules to get paid. Also, I need the experience in case I work my way up to ACME level emceeing. It should be fun if not humbling.
Here's the info:
Saturday June 23rd
7:30pm and 10:00pm
the Joke Joint Comedy Club
2300 American Blvd
Bloomington, MN
I have no idea how much it costs, but I think it's relatively cheap. The Joke Joint is located in the old Thunderbird Hotel which is now a Ramada Inn across the street from the Mall of America.
Come see me do stuff!
Here's the info:
Saturday June 23rd
7:30pm and 10:00pm
the Joke Joint Comedy Club
2300 American Blvd
Bloomington, MN
I have no idea how much it costs, but I think it's relatively cheap. The Joke Joint is located in the old Thunderbird Hotel which is now a Ramada Inn across the street from the Mall of America.
Come see me do stuff!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The red light means stop!
There's a big red light right in front of you at ACME when you're onstage and when it goes on for the first time, it means you have 30 seconds left, so wrap it up. When it starts blinking, you have 10 seconds. If you keep talking, your mic gets turned down. Embarrassing. We all laugh at the folks who get turned down on Mondays, but this past Monday... it happened to me. I was so frustrated and embarrassed and mad at myself. I don't know what the fuck I was doing,but I saw the redlight and thought I had enough time. Guess not. I had about 5 words left of the joke when I got turned down and Cliff, the announcer, was like, "sorry Carolyn..." Naturally, I ran away with my tail stuck between my legs, avoiding all the scrutiny and harrassment from the other comics. Ever since I started way back in September, I've heard nothing but "if you go over, you're fucked." "If you get turned down, you'll be 86'd from ACME for life!" So of course I was traumatized and saw my comedy career go down the toilet and yes, I wept a bit. I'm just taking me crying over it to mean that comedy really is incredibly important to me and it's something I want to continue doing. They even gave me 25 extra seconds! I was at 3:25 and I still wasn't done with my joke, I'm retarded. The other comics wouldn't stop saying "just don't go over, you don't go over!" which is like, "thanks, I know!" Pointless. It just made me feel like an even bigger moron.Anyway, so I went back inside and sat in the theater for the rest of the show, to prove that I wasn't some dumbass who got turned down and ran away. Afterward, I went up to the manager and told him I was really sorry and I just wasn't paying attention and I'm so mad at myself. For a few minutes, he played it off like I was totally screwed and I should just give up now, but then he said "pfft, it's ok - just don't do it again - this is your get out of jail free one time pass." What a relief, eh?
So yesterday, I timed out my contest set and without a lot of laughter breaks and going a bit swiftly, I was at 2:30. I'm gonna try it out tonight at Jitter's to see how it might possibly go next Thursday.
They finally put the bios up on the ACME website! Here's mine:
Carolyn Blomberg:
Favorite Comedian: Maria Bamford (great choice!)
As a comedy purist, Carolyn chose the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory vs the Johnny Depp version and Joe Rogan over Carlos Mencia. Now, if she could only apply that good taste to her boyfriends (jk/tr). Creative writing and a strong inner voice makes this comedian one to watch.
Woo woo! I don't know what a "strong inner voice" is, but I'll take it.
Come see me perform, guys!
Thursday June 21st 8pm
ACME Comedy Company
708 N First St
Mpls, MN 55401
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Laughing or Crying - which one?!
'Sup kids. Two stories to tell, neither very interesting:
Story one:
On Wednesday I went to Grumpy's on Washington for some open mic hilarity. I was the very last comic to go up for the night and I. fuckin. bombed. It was the worst set of my life. I went up there without really thinking about my set and I tried out some half baked jokes that didn't work at all. After sets like that, I generally run away with my tail behind my legs. And that's pretty much what I did. I went home and on the drive home I suddenly got very lonely and insecure about some things. I got to thinking that comedy is the only thing I consider myself pretty decent at and having blown donkey ass that night, I started thinking that maybe comedy isn't my forte. Then I got really depressed and starting wondering what really is my forte in life. What the hell am I supposed to do in 70 years? I know I'm only 21, but I feel like I don't have much time left to figure things out and get going. I feel like I've wasted a lot of time watching tv or googling my name online. I want to do comedy full time and not have a "real" job. I don't want to get up everyday at 8am and take the lightrail downtown where I see shells of people walking down Nicollet to their crappy office jobs. More importantly, I don't want to become one of those sorry souls. 9-5 jobs are not for me, nor are 8-4, 7-3 or 6-2 jobs. I want to be my own boss. I'm sick of not doing anything right for micromanagers in a company that means absolutely nothing to me. The point of this story is, I felt like shit that night and I was forced to consider my life and where it's going which is a very scary thing to consider.
Story two:
Tonight I went to the Joke Joint in Bloomington and did their first ever open mic night. It was pretty fun. I'd like to say I hate the set of the night, but that's relative and debatable. Either way, I think I did a kickass job and I'm pretty sure that was God's way of telling me "y'know what, kid, sometimes you need to suck in order to know that you're not really that awesome - here's a killer night, though - enjoy!" and then He patted on me the shoulder, turned around and starting walking away, turned back momentarily, threw me a baseball and kept walking into the sunset. The owner of the club, Ken, told me he was looking for emcees but he couldn't afford to pay right now. Kind of a bummer, but I'll take all the experience I can get right now. The point of *this* story is that I think comedy really is what I want to do for a career.
I went to the hospital today to visit a friend's friend who got into a really bad bike accident and I realized that I don't really like hospitals all that much... I was planning on being a nurse, but I've wanted to be a comic for much longer. The only reason I chose nursing was because my mom's a nurse, my aunt's a nurse, my great aunt's a nurse and so on and so forth. I would have a totally steady job with benefits and all the praise for being a good person a girl could want. Part of me is still somewhat interested in it, but I just can't see how nursing and comedy could work together - timewise, at least. The trip to the hospital was such a downer and I just can't see how I could go from such a sad environment to a comedy environment without going absolutely psycho somewhere down the line. Now is the time to decide, though. I'm on the brink of paying thousands of dollars to get a degree that I don't even know if I want. I'm having a really hard time figuring it all out.
I went to the Nick Swardson show last night at the State Theater downtown which kicked ass. I had heard most if not all of the jokes he told, but it was still really really cool seeing him perform in front of 1k+ fans. All I could think while he was up there was "holy crap, I want that!" The sound of hundreds of people cheering and clapping and most importantly, laughing must be such a high. Hell, I got high from the residual laughter, it was great. After the show, we all went to the Chamber's Hotel down the street and partied it up with Swardson and the guys who opened for him: Owen Benjamin, David Huntsberger and Patrick Keane. All nice guys, except for maybe Owen who wound up being a douchebag by attacking my religion and other very personal aspects of my life. I know he was drunker than friggin Lindsay Lohan, but it still stung a lot. Not a fan of Owen Benjamin, that's all. David Huntsberger, however, is one of the nicest and coolest comics I've met yet. He just recently started doing comedy full time and he's travelling all over the states doing it - how awesome, eh? He's featuring at ACME this week with Doug Benson - not a show to be missed, my friends.
Alright, this blog is too long - hope you read it all and didn't shove a pen in your eye in the process
Peace
Story one:
On Wednesday I went to Grumpy's on Washington for some open mic hilarity. I was the very last comic to go up for the night and I. fuckin. bombed. It was the worst set of my life. I went up there without really thinking about my set and I tried out some half baked jokes that didn't work at all. After sets like that, I generally run away with my tail behind my legs. And that's pretty much what I did. I went home and on the drive home I suddenly got very lonely and insecure about some things. I got to thinking that comedy is the only thing I consider myself pretty decent at and having blown donkey ass that night, I started thinking that maybe comedy isn't my forte. Then I got really depressed and starting wondering what really is my forte in life. What the hell am I supposed to do in 70 years? I know I'm only 21, but I feel like I don't have much time left to figure things out and get going. I feel like I've wasted a lot of time watching tv or googling my name online. I want to do comedy full time and not have a "real" job. I don't want to get up everyday at 8am and take the lightrail downtown where I see shells of people walking down Nicollet to their crappy office jobs. More importantly, I don't want to become one of those sorry souls. 9-5 jobs are not for me, nor are 8-4, 7-3 or 6-2 jobs. I want to be my own boss. I'm sick of not doing anything right for micromanagers in a company that means absolutely nothing to me. The point of this story is, I felt like shit that night and I was forced to consider my life and where it's going which is a very scary thing to consider.
Story two:
Tonight I went to the Joke Joint in Bloomington and did their first ever open mic night. It was pretty fun. I'd like to say I hate the set of the night, but that's relative and debatable. Either way, I think I did a kickass job and I'm pretty sure that was God's way of telling me "y'know what, kid, sometimes you need to suck in order to know that you're not really that awesome - here's a killer night, though - enjoy!" and then He patted on me the shoulder, turned around and starting walking away, turned back momentarily, threw me a baseball and kept walking into the sunset. The owner of the club, Ken, told me he was looking for emcees but he couldn't afford to pay right now. Kind of a bummer, but I'll take all the experience I can get right now. The point of *this* story is that I think comedy really is what I want to do for a career.
I went to the hospital today to visit a friend's friend who got into a really bad bike accident and I realized that I don't really like hospitals all that much... I was planning on being a nurse, but I've wanted to be a comic for much longer. The only reason I chose nursing was because my mom's a nurse, my aunt's a nurse, my great aunt's a nurse and so on and so forth. I would have a totally steady job with benefits and all the praise for being a good person a girl could want. Part of me is still somewhat interested in it, but I just can't see how nursing and comedy could work together - timewise, at least. The trip to the hospital was such a downer and I just can't see how I could go from such a sad environment to a comedy environment without going absolutely psycho somewhere down the line. Now is the time to decide, though. I'm on the brink of paying thousands of dollars to get a degree that I don't even know if I want. I'm having a really hard time figuring it all out.
I went to the Nick Swardson show last night at the State Theater downtown which kicked ass. I had heard most if not all of the jokes he told, but it was still really really cool seeing him perform in front of 1k+ fans. All I could think while he was up there was "holy crap, I want that!" The sound of hundreds of people cheering and clapping and most importantly, laughing must be such a high. Hell, I got high from the residual laughter, it was great. After the show, we all went to the Chamber's Hotel down the street and partied it up with Swardson and the guys who opened for him: Owen Benjamin, David Huntsberger and Patrick Keane. All nice guys, except for maybe Owen who wound up being a douchebag by attacking my religion and other very personal aspects of my life. I know he was drunker than friggin Lindsay Lohan, but it still stung a lot. Not a fan of Owen Benjamin, that's all. David Huntsberger, however, is one of the nicest and coolest comics I've met yet. He just recently started doing comedy full time and he's travelling all over the states doing it - how awesome, eh? He's featuring at ACME this week with Doug Benson - not a show to be missed, my friends.
Alright, this blog is too long - hope you read it all and didn't shove a pen in your eye in the process
Peace
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