Seattle Intl Comedy Competition 2008

[Heather Christianson]

Starts tomorrow - opening night at Laff Hole - doors at 8/comedy starts at 9

[badinia]

Very exciting!

[pg13]

29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week One--Night One
ReBar, Seattle--November 5, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

5) Toby Brown (Seattle)
4) Daniel Carroll (Seattle)
3) Fay Canale (Chicago)
2) Will Weldon (L.A. now, Canada originally)
1) Geoff Brousseau (Seattle


Thursday is Night Two and that takes place at Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland

16 Comics are competing for five open spots in the semi-finals...they have six shows to rack up big enough scores to move on... Well, after tonight, they only have five left.

Friday is Night Three...and that takes us all the way to the Knitting Factory in Spokane!

pg--not competing personally, I'm one of the producers--seattle

[pg13]

<b>29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week One--Night Two
Laughs Comedy Spot, Kirkland--November 6, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS</b>

5) Murv Seymour (Tampa)
4) Morgan Preston (Bend, Oregon)
3) Richard Bain (Portland)
2) Alysia Wood (Bellevue, Washington)
1) Nate Jackson (Los Angeles)


Friday is Night Three and the competition heads all the way across Washington State to perform at the Knitting Factory in Spokane.

16 Comics are competing for five open spots in the semi-finals...two shows are down, four left to make their mark.

Saturday, Night Four, the competition comes home...to the legendary (and newly relocated) Comedy Underground in Seattle.

pg--tonight definitely shook up the standings a bit--seattle

[JesseCase]

thanks for the updates, peter. i've been trying to call everyone but they know my phone has the herp.

[pg13]

Speaking of updates...

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...THE 2008 ROCKY MOUNTAIN LAUGH OFF WINNER: JESSE CASE!

pg--you're welcome--seattle

[pg13]

<b>29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week One--Night Three
The Knitting Factory, Spokane--November 7, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS</b>

5) Tyler Hawkins (Edmonton, Alberta)
4) Morgan Preston (Bend, Oregon)
3) Murv Seymour (Tampa, Florida)
TIE--2) Nate Jackson (Los Angeles)
TIE--2) Kortney Shane Williams (Seattle)
1) Justin Rupple (Issaquah, Washington)

After a couple of shows in front of somewhat disappointingly small crowds, the performers in Preliminary Week One got the chance to show what they could do in front of a couple of hundred comedy fans in a very swanky, multi-level music venue...and they took advantage of the chance to really show off what they can do. The top spot tonight went to the one comedian in this week who plays an instrument in his act.

It should be pointed out that after three shows, 12 of the 16 competitors of this week have placed in the Top 5. We're half way through the week and everybody is very close, scoring-wise. These 16 competitors have 3 more shows to try to make their way into the Top 5 for the entire week...that gets them into the semi-finals.

Saturday is Night Four and the competition heads all the way BACK across Washington State to perform at the legendary Comedy Underground...now in its new location, two blocks away from the old location...still in Seattle's Pioneer Square.

Sunday, Night Five, we'll be headed north...to play the Fairhaven Martini Bar in Bellingham.

pg--A number of very talented and worthy people are going to find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes time to send the Top 5 from this week to the semi-finals...scratching and clawing all the way down.--seattle

[JesseCase]

the plot thickens...

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week One--Night Four
Comedy Underground, Seattle--November 8, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS</b>

5) Daniel Carroll (Seattle)
4) Tyler Hawkins (Edmonton, AB)
3) Kortney Shane Williams (Seattle)
2) Murv Seymour (Tampa)
1) Richard Bain (Portland)

A hot (if drunk) comedy crowd welcomed the competition back home--to the venerable institution that is Seattle's Comedy Underground. These performers played to the largest audience that the club has ever held--either here in the new venue that it has just moved into, or back in the old building. For many, the crowd was hot and loving what they were doing...for some, the crowd was drunk, chatty and hard to corral...

There are only two shows left in this first preliminary week...and the overall scores are VERY close. The battle between these 16 fine comedians for only 5 spots in the semi-finals will be intense on Sunday night at the Fairhaven Martini Bar in Bellingham, Washington...and then right back at the Comedy Underground in Seattle on Monday night for the last show of the week...which is "industry" night--where the judges are all muckymucks in the comedy industry who want to check the pulse of modern comedy.

Good luck to everyone...you're gonna need it!

pg--Ty Barnett dropped in and did a stall set tonight...always good to see Ty work!--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week One--Night Five
Fairhaven Martini Bar, Bellingham--November 9, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS</b>

5) Justin Rupple (Issaquah, WA)
4) Tyler Hawkins (Edmonton, AB)
3) Kortney Shane Williams (Seattle)
2) Nate Jackson (Seattle)
1) Morgan Preston (Bend, OR)

The Fairhaven has long been one of the first road rooms that any Seattle comic gets booked to do...and it has a mixed reputation. On one hand, people do come to see comedy--and tonight's show was pretty much full. On the other hand, they simply don't know how to behave at a comedy show--they sit in the first row and then have conversations all the way through the show, they shout out stupid things at every joke or rhetorical question as if they've been trained to do that, and what they REALLY want the show to be about is for the comedian to make fun of their friends...

It can be a difficult place in a competition when you really need a good score...and most competition veterans have developed an uneasy dread regarding the place.

Tonight, however...while the normal distractions were proudly on display as if they were worried they might lose their reputation if they didn't chat and shout and seem vaguely disappointed when comedians did their act rather than insult them, these distractions didn't stop this group of comedians from delivering one of the better competition shows at the Fairhaven--so said some of the judges and the door man.

The cruelty of math rears its head...and after tonight's show, we know that only 12 of the 16 comics in this week can possibly manage to make it into the top 5 for the week--and thus earn themselves a spot in the semi-finals. On the other hand, not only do 8 different comics have the mathematical chance of ending up the week in first place...but none of the current residents in the Top 5 are a lock to end up there...which makes the final show of this first preliminary week all the more pressure packed.

And, to top that off, this show is Industry Night--the judges are important people in the comedy industry and other industry types will be in the audience...so everyone will be trying to show these fine folks what they've got...while trying to grab the best scores they can...

Right now, the twelve comedians who have a mathematical chance to make the semi-finals (and their current placement for the week) are:

12) Chris Gordon
11) Will Weldon
10) Alysia Wood
9) Daniel Carroll
8) Tyler Hawkins
7) Richard Bain
6) Justin Rupple
5) Geoff Brousseau
4) Morgan Preston
3) Kortney Shane Williams
2) Murv Seymour
1) Nate Jackson

...and we'll know by this time tomorrow which five of those get to come back to compete in the semi-finals.

pg--Those of you in the Seattle area should come down to the Comedy Underground for this 8pm Monday show, to see who makes it in and who cracks under the pressure! That's ALWAYS fun!--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week One--Night Six
Comedy Underground (Industry Night), Seattle--November 10, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS</b>

Top 5 for the night

5) Will Weldon
4) Justin Rupple
3) Richard Bain
2) Nate Jackson
1) Tyler Hawkins

Mini-analysis--Going into this final night of competition for the sixteen competitors in Preliminary Week One of the 29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition, twelve of them were in mathematical contention to grab one of the five coveted top spots...the spots that welcome those performers into the semi-finals.

There was also the added pressure of this being "Industry Night"--where judges (and some audience members) had specific connections to the comedy industry...so, even those not in contention had cause to give it their best.

And I think they did...which, of course, made it very difficult for those who needed some people to have bad sets in order for them to move up...but, you never know until you see the judges’ scores.

Richard Bain had an amazing set...but so did Geoff Brousseau, Toby Brown and Alysia Wood, none of whom made the Top 5 for the night the way Richard did. Emmett Montgomery had one of his better sets of the week--as he seems to put things together on industry nights...and Daniel Carroll fought through what was a somewhat tight crowd to close very strong.

It was good to see Will Weldon get back into the top 5...and after a slow start in the competition, Tyler Hawkins comes along and gets his first win of the week.

As a matter of fact, this competition was so competitive that NO ONE repeated as the winner of a night. Night one was won by Geoff Brousseau. Night two was won by Nate Jackson. Night three was won by Justin Rupple. Night four was won by Richard Bain. Night five was won by Morgan Preston and night six was won by Tyler Hawkins.

How would the scores add up...and who would move on from this week?


<b>RESULTS FOR THE WEEK: TOP 5 (MOVING ON TO THE SEMI-FINALS)</b>

5) Murv Seymour
--Steady wins the race. Murv never won a single night, but he delivered solid sets every night of the week. He ended the week with the highest "drop score" (the lowest nightly score you received gets dropped--this is known as the "drop score".) Murv outscored his nearest competition by less than .5.

4) Justin Rupple
--Justin needed to score well tonight...and it wasn’t clear that 4th was going to cut it, to move him up as high as he needed to go--especially when Richard Bain, who also needed to make a move up into the top 5, took 3 in front of him tonight. However, Geoff Brousseau and Morgan Preston couldn’t maintain their hold of their place in the Top 5...and Rupple’s strong connection with audiences throughout the week, and the momentum he gained with a big win in Spokane, launched him into the Top 5.

3) Kortney Shane Williams
--Kortney’s another one who never won a night but kept racking up solid scores each night. His success is also noteworthy as he had the odd luck of randomly drawing the position of following the same performer for three straight nights--which had to be odd. None of this seemed to faze Kortney, and he’s on to the semi-finals.

2) Tyler Hawkins
--Tyler had a disastrous first night of the competition and he didn’t fare much better in night two, for that matter. Then, he reeled off a string of Top 5 finishes, including a big win on the last night, to move all the way up from 8th place going into this night into the penultimate spot.

1) Nate Jackson
--It is rare, in this competition, for ANYONE to earn themselves a time penalty--as the rules are very clear about how much time to do and the performers are given a very detailed courtesy light that warns them when they have two minutes before a penalty and one minute before a penalty. Somehow, Nate Jackson ended up earning himself FOUR time penalties in six nights...which is unprecedented. Also unprecedented...is the fact that his scores from the judges allowed him to ignore these time penalties, night after night...and his scores made him the top finisher for the week. His energetic style simply swept away audiences, like a flash flood...and penalties just didn’t seem to matter.


Richard Bain and Geoff Brousseau were basically tied for sixth...as their scores were tied to more than four decimal points, less than .5 points behind Murv in 5th place. Richard made a valiant charge at the end and fell just short. Geoff had maintained a place in the Top 5 since the first night, when he won the night at the ReBar...but couldn’t maintain his grip on it and wound up on the outside looking in.

Morgan Preston, who had been 4th going into the last night ended up 8th. Daniel Carroll and his two Top 5 finishes found up in 9th place. Will Weldon was 10th, Chris Gordon was 11th, Alysia Wood was 12th, Toby Brown was 13th, Fay Canale was 14th, Brady Matthews was 15th and our most beloved Emmett Montgomery, despite an excellent set on this last night, finished 16th...


Interesting to note: None of the people who made the Top 5 for the first night’s show at the ReBar ended up making the semi-finals. I guess the ReBar really IS about alternative comedy, huh?


Tomorrow...it all begins again...

The Comedy Underground welcomes the first night of Preliminary Week Two with a show at 8pm. Sixteen DIFFERENT comedians--including Drew Barth, Blaine Reeder, Andy Wood, Rylee Newton, Jake Dill, Seth Perry, Tommy Savitt, Chris White, Jon Lincoln, Todd Johnson, Susan Jones, Todd Lynn, Jay Harris, Rich Ornelas and Lars Callieou--begin THEIR six nights of intense comedic battle. Their path takes them to Hoquiam, Longview, Bellingham, Kirkland, and the Intiman Playhouse.

And yes, I’ll keep everyone updated on the results from THOSE shows as well.

pg--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week Two--Night One
Comedy Underground (Industry Night), Seattle--November 11, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS</b>

5) Drew Barth (Seattle)
4) Susan Jones (Seattle)
3) Lars Callieou (Edmonton, AB)
2) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)
1) Todd Johnson (Boise)

Mini-Analysis--Back to back nights at the home club of the competition brings 15 new comedians into battle for the first time. (It was supposed to be 16 but one competitor could not compete for personal reasons and an alternate could not be secured in time...so, this week will run with 15.)

The first night of the week is a bit of a feeling out process--as many of the performers have never seen each other and they don't know where they and their act fits in the pecking order. Adding to the pressure is the fact that the second preliminary week STARTS with industry night.

I won't go into too much detail--but I think the industry judges missed the boat when it came to Rylee Newton, who had an amazing set...one that absolutely floored all of her peers both in the competition and those simple watching the show. Her style, her approach and her material seemed destined not only to put her in the top five for the night, but possibly win it. The industry judges, however, didn't seem to agree.

Well, that's part of the competition process...sometimes you don't get what you think you deserve and sometimes you get luckier than you have any right to be...the hope is that over the course of the week, these things tend to average out.

Also having good sets but just missing the top 5 were Seattle's Blaine Reeder, Washington DC's Chris White (who took the bullet tonight) and Vancouver BC's Seth Perry.

Wednesday night, the competition heads towards the ocean for a show at the charmingly named "Stiffy's" in Hoquiam. This show is sold out...all 60 seats of this road comedy palace. There won't even be room for the comics to hang out and watch the show--Week One competitor Morgan Preston is being kind enough to roll up in his 5th wheel and let the comics hang out in there during the show.

Yes...this is the yummy part of show biz, kids!

(Thursday we're back at Laughs in Kirkland...Friday we've got a special show at the Intiman Playhouse in Seattle)

pg--seattle

[KevinLee]

Here are a few dudes that PG said did good but didnt make the cut:

Seth Perry
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Chris White
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[pg13]

Here are a few dudes that PG said did good but didnt make the cut:


Well, it's not like they're out...they've just got to step up their scores over the next five shows.

It's far too early to say how anyone might do...remember that in the FIRST preliminary week, NO ONE who placed in the Top 5 for the first night made it into the Top 5 for the week.

Anything can happen...and probably will...

pg--I mean, our next show is in a bar called Stiffy's. Seriously.--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week Two--Night Two
Stiffy's, Hoquiam--November 12, 2008
TOP 5 REVISED RESULTS

5) Susan Jones (Seattle)
4) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)
3) Spencer King (Salt Lake City)
2) Seth Perry (Vancouver, BC)
1) Todd Johnson (Boise)</b>

Mini-analysis: <i>By the way...thank you for all of the emails and comments about how much some of you miss my full competition reports on the late and not-terribly-lamented SeattleComedy.net website... I wish I was doing them too...but this is what we've got and this is what we're working with...</i>

Floods, landslides and a lack of toilet paper in the men's room could not keep the Seattle International Comedy Competition from making its appointed stop at Stiffy's in Hoquiam. The fine folks of Hoquiam braved ever-rising river water and the lack of a $1-million RiteAid stop them from packing this little pub & grub that could...and they couldn't have been a better comedy audience.

Sometimes, somethings just work out far better than you could have ever imagined--and this was one of those times. Thanks to Morgan Preston for the use of his 5th wheel trailer for the comedians' green room and production office (as the bar, itself, was far too small to offer such amenities). Thanks to Anastasia, Sativa and everyone at Stiffy's who made us good food, stiff drinks and gave us a place to play.

Everyone had good sets...and the judges were generally good to everyone...but once again, Todd Johnson's scores were heads and shoulders about everyone else as he's acting more like NASCAR'S Jimmie Johnson in his total dominance.

Seth Perry left the good people of Hoquiam with PLENTY to discuss (and a few things to try...) Susan Jones enjoyed her second straight Top 5 finish, as did Tommy Savitt...while Spencer King definitely seemed to find himself at home in this fun little road room.

Also having good sets but not placing tonight were Lars Callieou, Drew Barth, Blaine "Hard Luck" Reeder and Boston's Jon Lincoln.

Next up for the competition...we give THIS week's fifteen comedians THEIR shot at Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland (the night before that club hosts Doug Benson and Graham Elwood, by the way...)

pg--Although we performed along the banks of the muddy Wishkah, it was actually the Satsop that was cresting after threatening the area where Stiffy's is located.--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week Two--Night Three
Laughs Comedy Spot--November 13, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

5) Andy "AST's own EMBIGGEN!!!" Wood (Portland)
4) Jon Lincoln (Boston)
3) Todd Johnson (Preston, not Boise, Idaho)
2) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)
1) Seth Perry (Vancouver BC)</b>


Mini-analysis: One had to wonder going into this night whether the dedicated comedy fans from the Eastside of Seattle would be saving up their laughter for a weekend with Doug Benson at Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland...but luckily it seems this comedy fertile land is filled with people willing to spend a little laughter tonight without having to worry about not having enough left for Doug...as we had a fine turnout for a wonderful presentation of the Seattle International Comedy Competition.

Third night of the second preliminary week...and people are starting to realize that they've got to put up some scores to secure their place in the Top 5 for the week. First couple of nights, you're just feeling everybody out and seeing what material you might want to do...but NOW, on the third night, you've got to bring it.

Well, some, indeed, brought it...and others thought they brought it only to show up at the end and find out that they may have lost it somewhere on the way because it was clear that it hadn't been brought.

Of course, any comedy competition that is judged by humans is going to be unfair--and I think every comedian knows that...but it is still hard to see that your finest efforts can be appreciated by two of three judges only to get blindsided and sandbagged by a third judge who just didn't like the cut of your jib. That happened to more than a few people on this night...and that makes me sad, because you want those who do good work to be rewarded for what they do...and you don't want anyone to feel frustrated when those rewards are not only snatched away but they get punched in the gut for trying...

Vancouver BC's Seth Perry took his energetic style and video game porn re-enactments all the way to the top spot tonight...pushing the top placer from the first two nights, Todd Johnson, down to third on THIS night. Tommy Savitt snuck between them to grab the second spot with another rock solid performance. Jon Lincoln (or should I say Joe Lincoln, as our guest host--"My Name Is Earl"'s Josh Wolf--a wonderful and funny guy, himself--called him in his intro...which might just be his lucky charm from now on, if Jon/Joe is a superstitious fella...and being that he's a Red Sox fan from Boston, he probably is...) cracked the top five for the first time this week...as did the one, the only EMBIGGEN...Portland's Andy Wood.

More props to Andy...he made the Top 5 from out of the bullet spot--as he was the first competing comic to go up tonight--which is always a hard place to get good scores from. Good for him!

Narrowly missing tonight's top 5 were: Susan Jones, Spencer King, Blaine Reeder, Drew Barth and Rylee Newton.

Our next show is at the prestigious Intiman Playhouse at the Seattle Center. If you're in the Seattle area and have tickets to see Doug Benson on Saturday night, perhaps you'd like to spend your FRIDAY night with the Seattle International Comedy Competition at the Intiman? I can probably get you a deal on tickets if you're interest. ;)

Three more shows. Three more chances to get good scores. Three more nights before we know which five of these fifteen fine comedians get to move on to the semi-finals.

Three more nights before a single night off where I might actually get a good night's sleep!

pg--Like Loverboy, I'm "Lovin' Every Minute Of It"...but I AM getting tired.--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week Two--Night Four
Intiman Playhouse, Seattle--November 14, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

5) Lars Callieou (Edmonton)
4) Seth Perry (Vancouver BC)
3) Rylee Newton (Portland)
2) Todd Johnson (Preston, not Boise, Idaho)
1) Drew Barth (Seattle)</b>

Mini-analysis: There are very few things in life that will allow me to justify not going to see Doug Benson when he comes to town (and he IS in Seattle--well, Kirkland, really--this weekend...and definitely, go see him if you're able to...)--death, being frozen in Carbonite and transported by a bounty hunter for a substantial reward, or my own comedic efforts.

This month, as you know, I'm helping to produce the 29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition...and that left me a few frustrating miles away from Doug and his show--but, as wonderful as Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland is...I was somewhere wonderful as well...as this night of the competition was being held at the prestigious Intiman Playhouse on the Seattle Central grounds.

This is a beautiful 450 seat theater where some of the best regional theater in the world is produced...

I saw a production of "Our Town" here.
I saw a production of "Our Town" with Tom Skerritt in it here.
I saw a production of "Our Town" with Tom Skerritt in it...when Tom Skerritt forgot some of his lines...here.

Ooooooh, that was a great night's entertainment...as a fellow performer, someone so far advanced in their careers compared to me with mine...to see someone who should be far beyond forgetting lines...forget his lines...is INCREDIBLY ENTERTAINING.

<i>And the weird part was...instead of just ad libbing based on the scene...he started inserting dialog from his movies...

He'd go "Maverick, this is Viper. You do NOT have permission to buzz the tower!"

And, "Ohhh, Ivy...this is wrong...I'm a married man and you're the same age as my daughter..."

And, of course, "Game over, man! Game over!!!"

--Which is weird of course, because that last one wasn't even HIS line...and it was from "Aliens", the sequel to "Alien" which is the movie that Tom Skerritt was in...</i>

Thank you, thank you...as I wasn't performing tonight, I wasn't in position to tell that little joke on the Intiman stage...which is the only place that it might get a laugh. Now I've shared it with you, laughs or no, I feel better.

Speaking of feeling better...so were most of the 15 comics in this week after this show! The crowd was hot and responsive...the judges were hot (although their attractiveness did NOT in any way impact their scores) and they LOVED the comedy they were presented with...

This means there was less space between the positions and almost every comedian got a good score to add to their collection for the week.

Rejoice, rejoice...fans of Rylee Newton. After absolutely KILLING the other comics and the staff of the competition all week, she FINALLY got judges who agreed with how we were seeing her performances--and she made the Top 5 for tonight...and she received the loudest cheers of the night for another excellent set.

Also, rejoice for the local kid...Drew Barth...who reclaims a spot in the Top 5--the TOPPY-TOP of the list. One judge even gave Drew a perfect score--and, honestly, it was hard to find fault with what he did on that stage tonight.

Lars, Seth and Todd are familiar faces in the Top 5. Usually they're joined by Tommy Savitt, but Tommy fell just short tonight...he took 6th. Spencer King actually tied Tommy Savitt to share 6th place while Chris White bounced back from a unexpectedly poor showing the night before to come in 8th tonight. Jon Lincoln once again found himself in 9th and Blaine Reeder took 10th.

Helping out the production were hosts Duane Goad and 103.7FM-The Mountain comedy tastemaker Marty Riemer...and then the crowd was treated to a bonus performance as we tabulated scores by former Competition champion Rod Long.

Two shows are left...and the math is about to get very cruel to some people, so it's going to need to be brung by everybody...and no, I don't think "brung" is really a word.

Next up...the Columbia Theater in Longview. This is as close as this week will come to Portland--so, maybe some of Rylee Newton and Andy Wood's hometown fans might consider making the trip to give some love to 'em!?!

The week finishes up at the Fairhaven in Bellingham (and that's as close as this group gets to Canada...so, maybe some Seth Perry or Lars Callieou fans will be there to support them?)

pg--Host Duane Goad told an "Our Town" joke in his set tonight...and that joke was FAR better than my Tom Skerritt joke. See...this competition DOES put the best people forward, after all!--seattle

[Lilly]

HOORAY for Rylee finally getting the recognition she deserves!!! BOO for Tommy not making the top 5 last night (oh well, he's definitely still in it)! And a big THANK YOU for keeping us up to date on the competition. This forum is awesome!

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week Two--Night Five
Columbia Theater, Longview--November 15, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

TIE 5) Jon Lincoln (Boston)
TIE 5) Seth Perry (Vancouver)
TIE 4) Rich Ornelas (Los Angeles)
TIE 4) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)
TIE 3) Drew Barth (Seattle)
TIE 3) Lars Callieou (Edmonton)
2) Spencer King (Orem, UT)
1) Todd Johnson (Preston "not Boise", ID)</b>

Mini-analysis: If you concentrated on the positives, you'd know that this night we performed in a beautiful 1000 seat Vaudeville-era theater...in front of a great, nearly full crowd who loved the show and cheered loudly for everyone...and everyone rose to the occasion and delivered great sets...and the judges ended up scoring things very closely...so much so that four pairs of comedians were tied when scores were compiled...three of those pairs in the Top 5 alone!

If you didn't concentrate on the positives, you'd realize how bizarre the night was...from someone in the audience yelling something incoherent right at the start of one of the performers' sets...to the guy who was hanging around backstage that the theater staff thought was with the competition and we thought he was with the theater...but he simply walked on stage in the middle of the stall set while numbers were being tabulated, carrying a ladder...he interrupted the performer on stage, climbed the ladder and told an offensive, nonsensical "how many blanks does it take to change a lightbulb" joke... And then the Top 5 turned into a Top 8 with three tie scores...and, after all that, there was still no clear picture as to who would be making the Top 5 for the week...and there's only one more show to do!!!

It's almost sad that this train ride is headed into the station...as tonight, everybody rocked the mic...and this is really a great bunch of performers, it'll be odd not to see everybody...

The cruelty of math will send ten of these comedians home after Sunday night's show. Now, we know that only 9 of the 15 comics in this week can possibly manage to make it into the top 5 for the week and earn their way into the semi-finals. Making things even tougher is that two of the performers have locked their selves into that Top 5. So, there are 7 comedians battling for 3 spots...and the scores are astonishingly close right now.

...something that all of those ties didn't really help.

No matter what happens on Sunday, Todd Johnson will end the week in the top spot. Nothing anyone can do--as Todd's built up a lead big enough that no one can beat the lowest score he could possibly score.

And Seth Perry will make it through to the next round--although he could end up in 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th to do so. He simply can't be pushed lower than 5th.

The performers with a mathematical chance to move include:

9) Blaine Reeder
8) Susan Jones
7) Jon Lincoln
6) Spencer King
5) Lars Callieou
4) Tommy Savitt
3) Drew Barth

...and we'll know by this time tomorrow who will join Todd Johnson and Seth Perry from this week, plus Tyler Hawkins, Nate Jackson, Justin Rupple, Murv Seymour and Kortney Shane Williams from week one...as those who get to come back to compete in the semi-finals.

pg--Those of you who can should show up in Bellingham, at the Fairhaven Martini Bar, for Sunday night's fateful show...it should be a tense and wonderful time!--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Preliminary Week Two--Night Six
Fairhaven Martini Bar, Bellingham--November 16, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS</b>

Top 5 for the Night

5) Rylee Newton
4) Seth Perry
3) Lars Callieou
2) Drew Barth
1) Todd Johnson

Mini-analysis--Unlike the last night of the first preliminary week, where twelve of sixteen comics were still in contention and nobody was a lock, the competitors of Preliminary Week Two of the 29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition knew that certain things had already been decided, even before they got the chance to perform one last time...

They knew who would place first for the week. They knew that at least one other performer had guaranteed a spot in the Top 5 for the week. They knew that only seven of them were actually in contention for the three remaining spots. They also knew that everybody else was a potential time bomb--ready to blow the whole night up with what is known as a "snap set"...and that's the set you do when you don't care what the judges might think about you... You "snap" and kind of go crazy a little.

Snap sets can be some of the funniest things that anyone does in the competition, because unshackled by expectations, comedic instincts take over...and all of those risky topics that you'd chosen not to do suddenly burst into fruition (and it can drive you even more crazy as you wonder if maybe that's the set you should have been doing all along). Snap sets can also be horribly destructive--both to that show on that night (and especially the performer who has to follow you...dealing with a potentially poisoned audience) or to the competition (there have been some snap sets so bad that venues wonder if they should ever allow comedy to be performed there again...)

The first week, having everything to play for, didn't have any snap sets...would the second? And, if there are...how will that impact Blaine Reeder, Susan Jones, Jon Lincoln, Spencer King, Tommy Savitt, Lars Callieou and Drew Barth as they struggle to grab and hold one of those spots in the semi-finals?

The show, hosted by Duane Goad, started slowly...but the Fairhaven massive were on their best comedy lovin' behavior on this night--no major interruptions or incidents (and certainly no asshole with a ladder storming the stage)--and the show maintained a good momentum that benefited everyone who performed... It was a damn good show.

Rich Ornelas came as close to a snap set as anyone...but, really, it was mostly the same attitude and whipsmarts that Rich has shown all week--and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. When Rich ripped off his shirt at the end of his set, a trend was started...and Duane encouraged it. Soon, each performer seemed to be taking off their shirt (Jon, like Rich at the end...while Chris White came on stage with his shirt off.) Later on, Drew Barth took off his shoe...and Andy Wood showed the audiences his boxers...

It was good that this great batch of comics left in such festive spirits--because there was definitely pressure when it came to the scores. The Top 5 for the night, however, seemed to suggest that there would be no change to the status quo... However, props must go out to Rylee Newton for her second Top 5 nightly finish of the week...but also to Chris White, who road the shirtless momentum to a 6th place finish--just narrowly missing making his first (and long overdue) Top 5 of the week. Next time, Chris!

The hardluck kid on this night would have been Spencer King. Spencer went into the night in sixth place--just on the outside looking in on the Top 5, but certainly in position to make a move, if he had a good set and those ahead of him stumbled. He had to make up at least a half point--and not only did none of the other comics seem to stumble...but Spencer would be the last to go up on this night...and he'd have to follow the Todd Johnson heat...

...and then, just as Spencer was to be introduced...perhaps to ride the surge of audience enthusiasm that Todd Johnson had built up...the mic cord broke...and it took a few precious minutes to solve the technical problem. So much for the wave--and I think that messed with Spencer's confidence a bit. He scrambled to build something out of the wreckage--but it was clear that it wasn't the "push the guys in front of me out of the way and take their spot in the Top 5" kind of set that Spencer needed.


Because of this, it almost seemed anti-climactic to count up the scores for the week and announce who would move on to the semi-finals from this week...but, it had to be done, so it was done...


RESULTS FOR THE WEEK: TOP 5 (MOVING ON TO THE SEMI-FINALS)

5) Tommy Savitt
--Tommy went into this last night brimming with confidence--despite his not be assured of a spot in the finals. He was going up in the sweet 6th spot tonight...he's a veteran of these types of competitions, so he knew not to get overly excited or woried...and, he had earned himself a very high drop score going into tonight. He got to use that drop score as his score tonight ended up being his lowest--and even that was over 9.00. Tommy moves into the semi-finals where the longer set lengths will allow him to show off a little more of what he can do.

4) Lars Callieou
--Lars was the one with the most visible target on his back tonight. He went into this last night in 5th place. Tommy had a high drop score, Drew had higher scores over all...so, if anyone was going to push their way into the Top 5, they'd probably do so by pushing Lars out. So, when Lars came up tonight and rocked it just as hard as he had rocked it EVERY night this week...the game was pretty much over...and, sure enough, Lars remained in the Top 5 for the week.

3) Drew Barth
--Drew made a couple of adjustments after the third show of the week (Laughs in Kirkland) and never scored lower than 10.39 in the remaining shows. He actually had a week's worth of great shows, no matter when he went up in a night or whose heat he had to follow. Drew's making the Top 5 means that there will be two former Giggles Laff Off champions in the semi-finals (Justin Rupple being the other, he made it in from week one.) One wonders what Scott Black is doing next year.

2) Seth Perry
--Seth never compromised or wavered in his presentation of a rather adult-centric set each night...not even when his mother was in the audience, as she was tonight. Seth added a level of energy and physicality that no other comedian had this week...and he'll join Lars Callieou and Tyler Hawkins to mean that while there may be no women in the semi-finals, there'll be three Canadians.

1) Todd Johnson
--Todd Johnson is a machine. He reeled off four wins out of six shows this week...and his lowest score on any night was 9.96--an insanely high "drop" score for this competition. Todd, in doing a bit that he hadn't done previously this week, may have previewed how he'll make the adjustment from 5-7 minutes in the prelims to the 10-12 minutes of the semi-finals...and, if true, we're in for another week of hot shows.

Spencer King, then, obviously, did not make up the needed ground tonight to make the Top 5--but he did maintain the 6th position...which will sound better in a few weeks, I'm sure. Jon Lincoln, happy to have gone to an NFL game earlier in the day, seemed quite happy to end the week in 7th place. Blaine Reeder actually got his lowest score of the week tonight--in a set where he threw his carefully cultivated mainstream approach out the window and went back to the angry soothsayer style that he made a name for himself with in Seattle over the past four years--but still managed to move up to 8th place in the standings for the week.

Susan Jones started the week off with an unexpected Top 5 placement when she received better scores than she'd have guessed on the first night of the competition. Towards the end of the week, she kept getting surprised by not getting good scores for shows where she felt she'd done very well. Susan ends this week in 9th.

Rylee Newton finished 10th, her fellow Portlander finished directly behind her (always a good place to be if you're both naked and running, by the way) in 11th place. Chris White finished the week in 12th--but didn't seem as disappointed in that result than I'd have thought he would have been. Thirteenth went to Rich Ornelas--and I think we'll be seeing more of Rich over the next few years. Jake dill ended the week in 14th place and Jay Harris rounds out the field in 15th place.

So, that's it from week two! We send out our best wishes to the man who didn't make it--New York's Todd Lynn, who couldn't compete as he was in the hospital. We hope he gets better soon...in time for next year's competition, at least. ;)


The competition takes a much needed day off on Monday...but on Tuesday, it all begins again...this time, it's the semi-finals!!! The sets are longer and the stakes are higher.

On Tuesday the 18th of November, the Semi-Finals Week of the Seattle International Comedy Competition for 2008 kicks off at the Edmonds Performing Arts Center. Then, we head to Puyallup, Kirkland, Bow, Rochester and Everett... The ten comedians who will be competing for more prize money and a spot in the Finals are: <b><i>Drew Barth, Lars Callieou, Tyler Hawkins, Nate Jackson, Todd Johnson, Seth Perry, Justin Rupple, Tommy Savitt, Murv Seymour, Kortney Shane Williams.</i></b>

And yes, for those of you still interested in any of this...I’ll keep everyone updated on the results from THOSE shows as well.

pg--seattle

[ShowKiller]

This is getting a little drawn out.

Just skip to the part where the winner hoists the Toaster/Oven over his/her head and be done with it.

[pg13]

Showkiller, don't you have some flexibility exercises to concentrate on?

...because this competition is only at the half-way point and the toaster part doesn't come until November 30th.

pg--Not being mean to Showkiller, just calling back one of his own previous post jokes.--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Semi-Finals Week--Night One
Edmonds Center For the Arts, Edmonds--November 18, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

TIE 5) Drew Barth (Seattle)
TIE 5) Kortney Shane Williams (Seattle)
4) Todd Johnson (Preston, ID)
3) Lars Callieou (Edmonton, AB)
2) Murv Seymour (Tampa)
1) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)</b>

Mini-Analysis--After each group spent their own week getting there, the semi-finals is that last moment where comics who haven't seen each other in the competition yet can make that first impression. Based on what happened tonight, I bet both groups walk away impressed with the other.

The beautiful Edmonds Center for the Arts was our home for this first night of the semi-finals, as the Top 5 comedians from Preliminary Week One joined their counterparts from Preliminary Week Two...and this was their first chance to see how their pieces all fit together.

The crowd tonight seemed to be hesitant to truly let themselves release--and that tightness caused more than a few comics to leave the stage wondering how they did...although our gracious MC tonight, Brad Upton, felt that every comic earned themselves their encore point...

The crowd also proved more sensitive than most regarding any blue material--and I know that a couple of the competitors tonight chose to veer away from some material that was absolutely slaying audiences in their preliminary week. We'll never know if that was the right decision or not--but it did show that some of the competitors aren't so missile-locked in on one particular set...that they couldn't adjust on the fly if they noticed something like this...

The scores were all very high and very close. This is a long way from over (sorry, Showkiller) and it promises to be a battle all the way to the end of the week (...and that only gets us TO the finals!)

The next show is at the beautiful Liberty Theater in Puyallup, Washington... Just as it was interesting to see how the performers adapted to the longer sets of the semi-finals (--in the preliminary week each performer did between 3-7 minutes...usually they did between 5-7...but, in the semi-finals, they do between 8-12 minutes...and most of them were hovering between 10 and 11:30 minutes), it will be very interesting to see who makes a FURTHER adjustment, based on what (and who) they saw tonight...

(For Seattle folks hoping to catch a semi-finals show: We'll be at Laughs in Kirkland one last time this year on Thursday...and we'll be in Everett on Sunday--but other than that, we won't have a Seattle-proper show until the finals. Of course, if you want to chase us down at either the Skagit or Lucky Eagle Casinos...that's also where we'll be this week...)

pg--seattle

[KevinLee]

Please be more mean to ShowKiller.
How 'bout this? ShowKiller more like ThreadKiller

[Lilly]

But getting there is half the fun! The Ten were amazing last night. Can't wait for Laughs tomorrow!

The suspense is terrible....I hope it will last! :)

[pg13]

A quick rant before tonight's update...

One of my jobs during the competition is that of "official timekeeper" (in addition to "official scorekeeper" and "director of talent"--I'm a mo'f'n CERBERUS of this comedy competition bitch...I need three heads to hold all my HATS.) Part of that duty is to sit somewhere close to the performers and give them their courtesy timing light signals--to indicate when they've done a certain length of time (we actually give them three different lights...not that it's important, but some how it makes this shitty job seem much more demanding. "Oh, it's THREE lights...well, there you go... You've got to complete a course in time light management before you operate THAT sophisticated machinery, for sure...")

Now, I feel very personally responsible for everything that goes on during the course of a show--because I want every competitor to get the chance to do the best that they can...and give everyone a great show. I don't want anything happening that somehow ruins someone's set...and maybe their chances of continuing in the competition.

Tonight, I was seated right behind a front row table in a large theater. This large theater had table side service...and this table in front of me had already drained a few wine bottles... There were six people on this table...a young couple in their late 20's, I'd guess...and then two other couples that were at least in their 60's.

And they talked at full volume all the way through the pre-show speech given to the audience by the producer--but that happens, you know...people don't feel that the show starts until the host comes out...so, I didn't say anything...yet... But, it was somewhat ironic that when the producer told the entire crowd to silence their cellphones and to keep table conversations to a whisper, they were talking at full volume to each other.

And then the host seemed to get their attention--but the young couple seemed to be in a lengthy conversation with each other...and while annoying, I didn't think that would be enough of a problem to make me play nanny to them...

But, when the first competitor took the stage, the young guy's conversation with the young woman grew loud--to full volume...as if he was speaking over the comedian, right into that girl's ear. One of the older women also seemed incapable of speaking in any sort of "indoor" voice, much less a whisper...as she'd talk about whether or not she needed more wine as if that was something that everybody needed to know.

I didn't do anything until just as the second competitor started his set...when one of the older gentlemen started talking to the young guy--across the table, and at full volume... And I should make it clear, they weren't in any way responding to the comedy being performed for them--they were just wanting to talk at that exact moment and loud enough to be heard over the person on stage talking into the microphone.

I didn't want them to distract the performers on stage--so, I thought I would gently nip this in the bud...so, I just leaned in and whispered "guys, we need to keep it down to a whisper...seriously...thank you."

Those of you who know me know that I'm all about customer service. I didn't say this with any malice or any threat--I was trying to get them on the side of those who wanted to enjoy the show...

Well, the older gentlemen turns to the loud older woman and they begin to talk at full volume about my having just told them to keep it down--meanwhile, the young guy goes right back to basically yelling into his girlfriend's ear--that is, when ever he's not nuzzling her.

I give them a few minutes...but it was clear that my gentle suggestion didn't take...and again, my main concern is that as they continue through the night (and through however much more booze) that they'll just get louder and louder...and eventually, it will impact the show.

So, again, I quietly kneel next to them when the old guy started talking across the table to the young guy...and I whispered, "Again, I'm sorry...but really need you guys to whisper...and don't talk during the show."

The young guy, at full volume mind you, replies "YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BEING LOUDER THAN I AM RIGHT NOW..." and I just gave him the same look I gave McCain/Palin when they suddenly started saying that THEY were the ones who were about change.

I repeated myself and said "Just try to keep it to a whisper, ok?" Again--I'm still trying to be positive...as I've dealt with drunk patrons of bars for over twenty years now.

The older gentlemen stands up...just as the producer of the comes over to me to see if I need anything. I tell the producer that I'm having problem with this table talking at full volume...and the producer shrugs.

Bummer. I wish he'd have backed me up or taken over the customer service role--you know, the way that a manager does when you have problems with a clerk or a waiter--but he didn't.

The older guy, standing, as I said, now comes to me...full volume voice again...just a few feet from the stage--which, luckily, is raised...so most of the room isn't distracted by this little drama at this point. He says, at full volume, of course, "I've got a question for you." I nod and again put my finger to my lips in a futile attempt to get him to simply lower his voice a little. I even leaned in to listen to him to encourage him not to talk loudly.

He says, "You've told us twice to keep our voices down. Why?"

I said, "Because I don't want your talking to distract the performers on stage. This is a competition and these guys are all trying to do their best...and if you talk during their set, it could mess them up..."

He says, "We're not allowed to enjoy ourselves?"

"Of course you can," I replied. "I don't even mind if you talk to each other...just, please, whisper...so it doesn't impact the show."

He looked me dead in the eye and said "That's bullshit."

Now, I should point out that this whole table were well-dressed people of at least a certain means--we're not talking drunken rednecks out to fuck with the show because that's something fun to do on a Wednesday night. We're talking about six people who enjoy some wine and don't realize that unlike your television, the performers on stage CAN hear what people in the audience are saying and might react to that...

I WANTED to say "How can you enjoy the show when you're not paying any attention to it?" but I realized that without any back-up from the producer or the venue staff, if this escalated any further, it would actually CAUSE the very distraction I was trying to prevent...so, I backed down.

I let him say what he wanted to say and hoped that his having done so would give the situation a reasonable resolution.

Didn't really work.

When the young guy's continued yelling into the ear of the girl next to him would grow too loud, I looked pained in the direction of the loud older lady--who, I have to say, while not having an indoor voice, also wasn't talking very much. She couldn't talk very much, because now the older gentlemen who called my answer "bullshit" was now in non-stop "bitching about being told to be quiet" mode.

So, I took a moment. I walked away. I got a refill of my soft drink. I didn't want to lash out emotionally at these people--as, again, I recognized the danger of my actually causing the very thing I was trying to prevent (a very Dr. Who concept, if I do say...)

I saw the owner of the venue and said, "I've never been yelled at when simply asking someone to whisper instead of talk out loud while sitting in the front row?" and he shrugged.

That, of course, meant that it wasn't like security was going to have my back either...and I'd be surprised if there actually WAS any security. And, while this room can be somewhat talky...I can't say that I noticed any other areas of distraction. So, either my proximity to this particular table might have made me notice them more...or, I just got unlucky...

So, I went back...resigning myself to just grinning and bearing it. The young guy and girl whipped out their cell phones and they started taking pictures of each other and the room (but never the comic on stage...who they consistently seemed to be ignoring--how much were tickets to this event that you don't even bother to pay attention to the thing you went to see???) and sending text messages to some other couple sitting somewhere else further back in the room. I even saw them wave back at them during one comedians' set.

Meanwhile, I watched as when the loud older woman wanted to say something to the "bullshit"-saying older man she was sitting next to...and she actually leaned in to talk to him in a lower voice (Hallefreakin'lujah!), he reacts to this by giving her a snap elbow. That's right, I saw him...and he elbowed her hard in the ribs...for no earthly reason that I could tell.

Well, of course, this meant that the loud older woman, who was just elbowed in the ribs, had to complain, at full volume, to the loud older man about how he just nailed her in the ribs when all she wanted to do was tell him something.

I nearly bit my lip right through...trying so hard just to stay out of a no-win situation...one where I had no back up coming to me. But, you could sense that whether or not I was involved, something was going to escalate with this group...you could just tell.

Now, I haven't mentioned the OTHER older couple on the table. There was, as I said...another older couple on this table. They weren't talking. They were watching the comedy show and, from what I could tell, enjoying it. And they even looked at their other table mates when their conversations got loud enough to distract THEM from the comedy...so, I thought I might have allies there...I just needed a little peer pressure from someone who they would actually listen to...like a table mate and friend...

And then one of the performers tonight had the only set where a comedian struggled, all night, with what was except for this table, a damn hot room. He struggled, I think, because his choices were aggressive...he went with stuff that had a high risk/high potential reward factor...but came up snake eyes with this crowd. He wasn't connected with this crowd the way he had during the preliminary week--and I could see him trying to make that connection during his set...and, at one point in time, he made a crack about how the old people in the room would be confused by a joke that he'd just done--it's usually a line that kills, but it wasn't quite as big tonight...

And so the performer looks down at my favorite table, right in front of me, and points at the quieter of the older gentlemen at my table...and all he said was "...like you, sir."

The quieter of the older gentlemen at my table responded with a very emphatic middle finger at his direction.

The performer's set did not get much better...but it wasn't like he was getting crickets--there were people in the room that were liking him, but he was obviously not getting EVERYBODY on this night. His closing bit did all right--and he worked his ass off to get it to do just "all right"--and when it came time for the host to come out to back announce the performer and do the request for audience response that leads to a comic getting the "encore point" (in this competition, if the audience cheers loudly for five or so seconds when prompted to at the end of a performers' set, they are given an "encore point"--which can be 1/11th of a comedian's score...and is very important.)

I hadn't realized how personally this quieter older gentleman on my table had taken that very mild connection comment...or I hadn't recognized how much this particular individual hadn't liked the other parts of this performers' set...but when it came time for the encore point prompt from the host, this guy starts chanting "YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!" over and over again.

The performer, bless his heart, gives him an air kiss...which, of course, just incensed the guy further. The host says "Sir, just cheer or don't cheer...we don't need that...everybody's working hard here for you tonight..." and the guy shouts something about this all being fucking bullshit...and he and his wife--who, as far as I could tell, hadn't said a word all night--got their coats and walked out of the show.

Well, this turn of events is now definitely worth the entire table discussing at full volume during the NEXT performer's set. It is now loud enough that the performer is glancing down at where this happening...and other tables around them are now looking angrily in their direction.

So, of course, although I really didn't want to...I couldn't stop myself from doing the customer service thing and trying to resolve the matter. I again kneel down between the young guy and the old guy who are talking away at full volume...and I say, "Now, you have other tables staring over here...you're talking at full volume...please, can we just keep it down to a whisper...?"

The older guy says, at full volume, of course, "Yeah, I'll whisper this to you. FUCK YOU."

This now is loud enough for EVERYONE to notice...and the comic on stage has now stopped mid-bit to look in our direction.

The loud voiced older woman gets up and she gestures to me as if she wants to talk to me in the back. Well, at least she's gone...

"I'm just trying to protect the show, sir..." is my response to the "FUCK YOU"...and he comes back with a gem. He says "FUCK YOU...and if you tell me to be quiet again...if you don't get out of my face, I'm going to press charges against you."

I have to say, I laughed. Then, I went to get someone to kick them out. I told the staff what'd been going on...I described who they were and what they were doing... They sent one of their staffers down to the area...which, of course, I had to go back to...as that's where my timing/light shining position was... When I got there, the young guy is back to ignoring the show while joking at full volume with the girl...and the old man is still bitching at full volume about me telling him to be quiet.

And nothing was done. Luckily, however, there was only one more performer for the night...and he did the smart thing and only worked the other side of what was a very large stage.

I went backstage quickly to apologize to the performers--especially the one who got the "YOU SUCK!" chant and the guy who followed him who had the "FUCK YOU!" interrupt his set. The first performer said that he didn't blame me...and the second performer THANKED me for saving his set as the guy was really loud and was distracting him.

I don't really know if I did anything to make it better--it didn't seem that way.

When the last performer's set ended, the two older people left...not bothering to stick around to see who won that night--which made sense, as neither had been paying attention to the show AT ALL. What was weird was that not only did the young couple stay to the end...but then they hung around after the show to talk to the comics and tell them how much they like their stuff--which, again...IT'S NOT LIKE THEY KNEW WHAT THEY'D DONE AS THEY'D BEEN ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SHOW THAT LASTED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SHOW.

I really don't need a pristine environment for comedy. I understand that liquor reduces inhibitions...and some inhibitions are both good and important to have at full strength...but that we exist in an industry that really only exists to sell alcohol to those who come to the show. I know that after a good joke, you might want to instantly relive the joke by telling your seat mate--or that something that someone said on stage might remind you of something that you feel the need to share with a nearby friend at that exact moment.

This wasn't that. This was a table of people who should never leave their houses again. They don't know how to behave in public. They don't have any thought for anyone other than themselves--and that level of misanthropy is probably dangerous. They would kill you and eat you and not feel at all bad about it. People like that do NOT make a good comedy audience.

There were hundreds of people in the audience who did make a great comedy audience...and I do wish that some of those who were stuck in the back of the room were given these seats near the front of the house...seats that were wasted on the pathetic excuses of subhuman that occupied them tonight.

pg--Vitriol! It tastes like revenge and regret! Now with extra caffeine!--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Semi-Finals Week--Night Two
Liberty Theater, Puyallup--November 19, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

5) Murv Seymour (Tampa)
4) Lars Callieou (Edmonton, AB)
3) Todd Johnson (Preston, ID)
2) Tyler Hawkins (Edmonton, AB)
TIE 1) Justin Rupple (Issaquah, WA)
TIE 1) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)

Mini-Analysis</b>--The Liberty Theater in Puyallup, Washington is such a beautiful place. It's a converted movie theater that is now mostly used for large weddings and events--but it has proven to be a dependable home for the Seattle International Comedy Competition for the past few years...they draw really well and, for the most part, the audiences really love comedy. (See above rant for an example of the exceptions that prove the rule.)

So, hot crowd...and a strong host--former Seattle International Comedy Competition champion Gabriel Rutledge--made for a solid night of comedy, with almost everyone hitting on all cylinders...it must have been difficult for the judges--just as it should be.

Tommy Savitt is stretching out his legs a bit with these longer sets--proving that there is little that so benefits a comedian as much as experience. The value of developing those chops is evident in two straight semi-finals #1 placement finishes.

On the other hand, there's something to be said for youthful exuberance...as tonight, Justin Rupple really delivered on his brand of crowd pleasing comedy with music and tied Tommy for the top spot. And finishing just .05 points behind those two was Canadian Tyler Hawkins...who went up last and was one of the few comics on this night who truly existed in the moment and recognized the crowd as a living entity that could be interacted with...

Lars, Todd and Murv are no strangers to the Top 5...and found themselves there again tonight.

Thursday night the competition returns for a final time to Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland. After two theater shows, getting another taste of a club environment might change things up a bit for this group...but chances are everybody is going to bring what they've got, just as they have every night so far.

pg--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Semi-Finals Week--Night Three
Laughs Comedy Spot, Kirkland--November 20, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

5) Drew Barth (Seattle)
4) Kortney Shane Williams (Seattle)
3) Lars Callieou (Edmonton, AB)
2) Nate Jackson (Los Angeles)
1) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)</b>

Mini-Analysis--Three straight nights. Three straight finishes in the top spot for Tommy Savitt. That's a pretty damn impressive way to start out the semi-finals week.

Tonight, the competition returned for the third and final time to one of our favorite comedy clubs in the Pacific Northwest: Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland. Once again, the show was being held at the end of a two hour long wine-tasting event...which is an odd combination as the competition show itself is 2 1/2+ hours long...leading to variable crowd attention and enthusiasm levels...making where you've randomly drawn for order one of the most important elements of your potential success.

Unless, of course, you're Tommy Savitt...and you can go up second from the end when the crowd is flagging and dead-to-laughter and you can rile them up into yet another chart topping finish.

I'm not one to criticize the judges, but I did think that Tyler Hawkins gave a far stronger performance than the scores he received would indicate. There were, as there have been during our previous two stops (one for each preliminary week) here at Laughs, a few very odd scores...and sure enough, tonight there were a few scores that would just make you scratch your head if that helps you think more clearly, which it seems to in the movies. And remember, even if the venue is the same, the judges have been completely different people each night!!!

Odd, that.

Our host was the Northwestern legend, Rod Long...and the stall set was done by Ryan Belleville, who happened to be in the area and dropped some laughs on the crowd late into the night.

The math is starting to come together for this semi-final week--as we're half-way through and the scores are so ridiculously close that one performer who has made TWO OF THREE NIGHTLY TOP 5's is somehow in 9th place for the week. While Tommy Savitt might have a stranglehold on the top spot, it's a mad scramble below him and to say that "it's still anyone's game" isn't just a sportscaster cliche...it's the truth.

Friday night, the competition heads to the sold out Skagit Casino & Resort in Bow, Washington. This is always a hot night (unless you're Allyson Smith who met her personal competition Waterloo here last year...a fact that still depresses a few of us who think she's awesome) and it's a big room...so, those whose acts work better in the clubs will have to find a way to make it happen for them in the theaters and show rooms.

...or we just hand the toaster to Tommy like Showkiller suggested a few posts ago.

I don't know about you, but I think you play out the string and see what happens. Because you never know...

pg--giving it 110% out there--seattle

[Lilly]

Hi PG,

It was nice to finally meet you last night and put a face to the words on these pages.

Tommy was nothing short of amazing last night, considering he went second to last in order AND considering what he was following.

I agree with you that Tyler should have placed in the top 5. I admit I wasn't too sure about him when I first saw him on Tuesday in Edmonds, but I loved him last night.

I'd never heard of Ryan Belleville until last night. WOW! He should have been in the competition!

[pg13]

<i>Hey Lilly! You should have come to the Skagit on Friday night... You could have also put a stomach to the words on these pages!</i>

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Semi-Finals Week--Night Four
Skagit Casino & Resort, Bow--November 21, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

5) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)
4) Murv Seymour (Tampa)
3) Justin Rupple (Issaquah, WA)
2) Nate Jackson (Los Angeles)
1) Todd Johnson (Preston, ID)</b>

Mini-Analysis--Big room, big stage, big crowd and big changes in the Top 5 for tonight. That's what they do at the Skagit Casino in blustery Bow, Washington...they make things BIG.

Tommy Savitt's reign of domination over the Top spot for the night came to an end tonight--but the guy went up last in what was a nearly three hour show and still brought the house down. I think the judges may have just ran out of pencil lead to give Tommy the big scores.

However, that's not to take anything away from Todd Johnson. This was Todd Johnson's crowd...these were his people...and he owned the night tonight--his scores were much stronger than any other performer's tonight.

Justin Rupple and Nate Jackson also blew the roof off--Nate out of the bullet spot and Justin with a set filled with music, lights and dancing. Murv Seymour was, as ever, solid as a rock. The hard-luck boys tonight--people who had great sets but didn't get great scores--were Kortney Shane Williams, Drew Barth, Lars Callieou and, once again, Tyler Hawkins. Was this crowd a little too blue collar for their witticisms to go unrewarded with high scores? Hard to say--but, they all did well with the crowd, so I wouldn't have thought so...at least not until I saw where the judges ranked them.

Without putting too much emphasis on it...but this is a bad time in the competition to start to get unlucky with scores...as it's never mattered more and there isn't much time to reverse that luck and bring it all back around.

I should also give a shout out to our host for the evening--Cain Lopez. Cain brought a sense of wild adventure...while demanding the longest length of applause necessary for him to consider granting the encore point to each competitor of any host we've had so far this week.

The crowd loved him--as did our judges. One judge wrote on her score sheet that Cain should get an encore point...while another judge wrote in his name and gave him perfect 10 scores in all seven categories that our actual contestants are being judged on.

Of course, since he did far more time than our competitors are allowed to do...his score, unfortunately, had to be disqualified. We may have taken away his score, but no one can take away his dignity...<i>because the greeeaaaaaaaatesssssst looooove of alll is innnnnsiiiiiiide</i> him.

(Thank you George Benson. Thank you Whitney Houston. Thank you Randy "Sexual Chocolate" Watson.)

By the way...if you're ever making the trip to the Skagit...do the buffet and have the prime rib. It can get your mind off of the pressure of getting good scores in one mouthwatering bite, I swear.

Saturday night, it's an amazing SEAFOOD buffet (featuring crab legs!) at the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester. Casinos do things properly...we get treated like we're visiting royalty...and the Lucky Eagle, especially, is good to us...as we'll be playing in front of at least 900 people who all seem to love comedy.

It's another big room, big stage...and the pressure, too, is big... The pressure to do well and get a score that can help propel you into position to make the top five for the week and get into the finals...it's building up and those who can handle that pressure and deliver a solid performance in the clutch will find themselves moving on.

...because the math is close and some very good comics are fighting for far too few spots.

And that's what makes these shows so good...and if you're anywhere near Rochester, Washington and can score a ticket to Saturday night's show...you'd be foolish not to do so.

pg--I'm no fool, I'll be there.--seattle

[Lilly]

Well, you know that food and gambling just happen to be right up my alley, so I will definitely make the drive and check out the Skagit sometime. Sounds like it was a great evening. I expect a full report on the seafood buffet tonight (oh, and maybe something about the competition as well). ;)

I'm just amazed at how you are able to write such coherent posts at such ungodly hours. I'm barely awake enough to read them when I get up in the morning, I couldn't imagine having to write. :p

See you tomorrow at Marson's!

Lil

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Semi-Finals Week--Night Five
Lucky Eagle Casino, Rochester--November 22, 2008
TOP 5 RESULTS

5) Tommy Savitt (Los Angeles)
4) Nate Jackson (Los Angeles)
3) Murv Seymour (Tampa)
2) Justin Rupple (Los Angeles)
1) Todd Johnson (Preston, ID)</b>

Mini-Analysis: This was a night where the dominant paradigm was reinforced instead of dislodged. This was a night where the same people who had been doing well recently continued to do well while those who really needed to get a good score to give them a decent shot of claiming one of the Top 5 spots for this Semi-Finals week--which would grant them entry into the Finals of the Seattle International Comedy Competition--just couldn't seem to squeeze that particular blood from judges made of stone.

The show, itself, was incredible...as it always is every year we get to perform at the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester. While some venues seem like they can just take or leave the Competition when we're there, you couldn't have asked for more from the Lucky Eagle. When it was flooding in Hoquiam in the Preliminary Week, the radio station carrying the flood information was broadcasting radio commercials for the Competition's coming to the Lucky Eagle. When the competition had it's only day off, this past Monday, my few precious hours of catching up on television were sponsored by the Lucky Eagle tv commercials for the Competition.

That's probably why this expansive showroom fills up every year--so much so, that the Lucky Eagle added BLEACHERS at the very BACK of this huge bingo barn to accommodate even more patrons...and STILL, with crowds topping 900+, the show sold out early in the day...and, according to a staffer at the venue, the phone NEVER STOPPED RINGING with people BEGGING to be allowed to buy tickets to the show.

I described the room as a huge bingo barn--but it is a very comfortable and well appointed bingo barn--with a professional sound and light show and all the mod cons. And while a casino in the foggy woods in the middle of rural nowhere is not going to bring a Benaroya Hall kind of crowd...they consistently prove themselves to be one of the best audiences we play to...willing to let a comedian go where they want to go and to appreciate it when they go somewhere funny.

It can be hard for a comedian, especially a comedian on their way up as most of our competitors are, to command such a large stage...to manage such an large crowd--but, to their credit, this particular audience has never taken advantage of any potential power vacuum...certainly not the way I've seen audiences lose the plot and take control over less potentially vulnerable venues than this.

Oh, and they offer one HELL of a buffet. (Better than the Skagit Valley Buffet? Yes, because of the predominance of a wide variety of seafood, I'd have to say yes. Props to you, Lucky Eagle...because I enjoyed the hell out of Skagit's Buffet just the previous night.)

This was a gig that felt halfway between playing a state fair and playing an Atlantic City showroom...and, as such, it was a hot room for almost every performer...which made it a difficult place to make up statistical ground on anyone else. Some of our competitors needed others who were ahead of them in the standings to trip and fall...and none of them truly did.

And that's why this crowd loves this show, every year.

As far as the comics go, two comics who were in contention to make the Top 5 for the week fell out of contention because they just didn't make up enough ground with their scores for THIS show that would allow them to move into the Top 5 after the sixth and final show of the week, Sunday night at Marsons in Everett.

And two comics absolutely locked down their positions in that very Top 5--two comics are already in the Finals, no matter what happens tomorrow.

There are five comics who are within 1.5 points of each other who are playing musical chairs for the three remaining slots into the finals. Three of them are within .05 of each other...and two of them are actually tied, at least to the 1/100ths of a point.

So, to say that it all comes down to tomorrow's show might be underselling it a bit.

Marsons, the final venue of this semi-finals week, while nice in its own way, is no Lucky Eagle Casino. It's a much smaller, more intimate room--ironically, the kind of room where the people who needed good scores TONIGHT would have done better in. The competition has NEVER played Marsons before...and no one knows what to expect.

...whereas, at the Lucky Eagle...I think we always get what we expect...and what we expect is always great.

pg--seattle

PS--Many props to Ron Osborne, former SICC champion, who came up from Portland to be our host for this show.

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Semi-Finals Week--Night Six
Marson's, Everett--November 24, 2008
RESULTS

Top 5 for the Night

5) Murv Seymour
4) Todd Johnson
3) Nate Jackson
2) Tommy Savitt
1) Lars Callieou</b>

Mini-analysis--So, going into tonight...those at the top knew they were staying at the top...and those who were at the bottom knew that they were staying at the bottom...but the people in the middle, THEY were in for an epic battle of cosmic proportions.

Am I overselling this a bit?

OK, let me try again. This was the last night of the semi-finals. After making it through their preliminary weeks and after five nights of semi-finals shows, our competitors had one last shot to show why they're already locked into spots in the finals...or one last shot to make a final impression, as they were mathematically incapable of taking one of those spots in the finals...or had to fight for one of the few spots left.

It makes it much more exciting when everyone knows what's on the line...and what's on the line is something important--and that's where begin our story.

Marson's at the Club Casino in Everett, Washington is a nice little room. It's long and rectangular but the stage is set up for the short throw--that means the stage is along one of the long walls, not one of the ends. This means an intimate show for those up front (including COUCHES instead of chairs for the very first row)...but some oddly deep profile seats on either side of the comedian.

Our host was, once again, Duane Goad...who did a marvelous job setting the table for everyone to do their best...to get a fair chance of reaching off this merry-go-round and claiming one of the golden rings for themselves.

Of course, while the food at Marsons was excellent and the staff did all they could to make us comfortable and happy...perhaps the people seated in the front two couches were a bit "too happy"...as, once again, the mind-boggling exhibition of people who simply don't know how to behave in public was on display in full force. These two groups of people simply talked, at full volume, through most of the show.

Why? Didn't they pay good money to see the show? Why would you pay to see a show and then not spend a moment to pay attention to it...or, worse, try to involve yourself in such a way that you ruin the very show you paid to see? Again, I simply can't understand it. And it isn't like we don't tell them what the basic level of non-rude behavior for a comedy show audience is right at the top of the show--so, no one can claim ignorance...

So, the performers--who, I remind you, have EVERYTHING on the line with this show and the judges scores from this show--had two choices--ignore it, talk over them and lob the jokes over the net to get to the people who WERE there to enjoy the show seated in every other row...OR, address it...and in doing so, risk alienating the crowd or causing worse of a disturbance.

Most chose the former. I guess they figured--better to go down doing your best than to interrupt your best just to voice your annoyance at some of the crowd. And I can see the merits of that decision.

I think Lars Callieou was sweating this all out the most. Not only did he go into the night in a virtual tie for 5th place for the week with the always-very-strong performer Nate Jackson...but he would be going up last on this night...after all the laughs that this audience may have brought with them might have already been laughed.

He had to sit back and watch as Justin Rupple, also in the mix for one of the open spots into the finals, went up first and killed it. He had to sit back and watch as Drew Barth, out of the running but looking for some redemption, went up second and killed it. Tyler Hawkins, still in the mix, did great. Nate Jackson, still in the mix, delivered as strong of a set as he's done all week. Todd Johnson, already locked into the finals in either the first or second slot, didn't back off...he went up there and blew the room apart...as did Tommy Savitt, who is in the same boat as Todd--already locked into the finals in either first or second place. Murv Seymour, solid as ever, and looking to make a small step forward which would get him into the finals--had to deal with some of the loudest distractions, but he dealt with it as a professional and used it to his advantage. Kortney Shane Williams, like Drew Barth, looking to show everybody what would be missing from the finals with their absence, went up right before Lars and crushed it.

And what does Lars do? He has the best set he's had all week...he does his material the best he's done it since he got into this competition...and for that, he ends up taking his very first #1 spot for a night in this entire competition.

And what a time to grab that honor, eh? With everything on the line and needing a good score to assure yourself a place in the finals...amazing.

That meant three of the five places were probably locked up...and there were still four other comics trying to squeeze into two places. It doesn't work in musical chairs, it doesn't work in a mall parking lot...it wasn't going to work in this competition.

A couple of people were going to be sad...

...and a couple of people might end up with dinged cars.

(Actually, my own car got keyed in the parking lot at Marsons. :( Kind of took some of the fun out of the night--but I don't mean to bring anyone down here.)

So, let's find out how tonight's numbers impacted the overall results and see who will battle it out in the last week of the competition, otherwise known as THE FINALS...

<b>RESULTS FOR THE WEEK: TOP 5 (MOVING ON TO THE FINALS)

5) NATE JACKSON
--While Nate's energy and exuberance allowed him to breeze through the semi-finals despite not managing his time well and turning some audiences off, one of the stories of this competition will have to be how Nate made some astute adjustments to what he was doing...concentrating on keeping his sets within the time constraints AND smoothing out some of the edges of his material where some audiences were getting snagged. By the end, jokes that had been alienating some in the audience were being told in a way that no longer risked any alienation...and that's the sign of a comic with enough self-awareness (or "set awareness, to be more precise) to recognize what's happening, talented enough to make things better and confident enough to put that into practice immediately. Nate takes the 5th and final spot in the finals by only .33 points over the 6th place finisher.

4) JUSTIN RUPPLE
--With Lars having won the night and Nate having already been announced in the Top 5, it wasn't entirely certain that Justin was going to make the Top 5. He pulled the bullet for this, the last night of the week...and that's always a difficult place to get really good scores out of. His combination of broadcast quality voice work and variety elements of impressions, guitar playing and dancing gave him a unique place in the mix of the semi-finals. After a tough first night of the week, he found the right blend of material and performance to get the scores he needed...and thus, he managed to hang on to a position in the Top 5...only .03 points ahead of Nate!

3) LARS CALLIEOU
--I made a comment in the report from the last night of Preliminary Week Two that Lars had gone into that night with a target on his back...as the person most vulnerable going into that last night to being knocked out of the Top 5. Same was true tonight...and, once again, Lars delivered the kind of performance that everyone wishes they could deliver in the clutch moments of whatever they do. If you want sports analogies, this was a walk-off home run, a goal-line stop, a glove save... Lars is also the last remaining Canadian in the competition. Could he join Damonde Tschritter on the walls of the Comedy Underground? (Damonde is the only Canadian champion of the competition, to date.) If he does, I bet the first thing he'll do is go clothes shopping...

2) TODD JOHNSON
--I predicted last week that Todd Johnson would present another week of hot scores...and Todd went right out and did just that. His ended the week with the highest drop score of the week...again. If he can muster up the motivation to last for five more shows, you know that he'll be right there at the top, fighting to lay claim to the crown...and not spending any of his prize money on a better haircut.

1) TOMMY SAVITT
--It should come as no surprise to anyone who follows comedy to see Tommy's name on the top of this list for the semi-finals week. Tommy used the preliminary week to warm up a bit...and now, he's playing longball. He reeled off three straight wins this week before easing up on the throttle a little towards the end (although, he scored a 10.96 tonight...showing that he's ready to once again put the pedal to the metal and bring some serious heat in the finals.) Many predicted that this might be Tommy's year to win this whole thing...and he's spent his first two weeks in this competition making more people into believers.</b>


Murv Seymour is the heartbreak kid this week--as he finishes the week just outside the Top 5... His sixth place finish in this competition matches his sixth place finish in the San Francisco Comedy Competition held in September. How frustrating must it be to go through TWO of these competitions with the same frustratingly close but not quite finish?

Kortney Shane Williams bumped himself up to 7th with his set tonight. Both Kortney and the 9th place finisher, Drew Barth, seemed to get their momentum tripped up by the pair of big rooms--Skagit Valley Casino and Lucky Eagle Casino. Still, great work from both of them all week.

In between Kortney and Drew was Tyler Hawkins...who proved any doubters wrong with excellent sets all week. Scoring-wise, Tyler started the week strong but his scores faded as the week went on and he saw his chances for advancement fade as well.

And then there's Seth Perry, who was so strong in the preliminary week. Seth was simply off his game the entire semi-finals week and he ends up in 10th place for the competition.


So, that's the semi-finals week.


The competition takes another much needed day off on Monday (and I've got an entire day to try to make all of these late nights up to my trying-hard-to-understand wife)...but on Tuesday, it all begins again...this time, it's the FINALS!!! Once again, the sets are longer and the stakes are higher.

On Tuesday the 25th of November, the Finals Week of the Seattle International Comedy Competition for 2008 kicks off with a private show at the swanky Washington Athletic Club. Wednesday, we take the ferry--not across the Mersey, as that would be in Liverpool England and that would be a much longer and more significant boat ride than what we're up for--over to Vashon Island, where we'll be performing at the Vashon Island Theater. We'll eat ourselves silly for Thanksgiving...and then it's right back to finish off the competition with three amazing shows: Friday at the Kirkland Performance Center in Kirkland, Saturday at the gorgeous Admiral Theater in Bremerton and then, we come back home to crown our new champion at the newly relocated Comedy Underground in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle.

Someone is going to walk away from all of this with $5000...and a national recording contract with Uproar Records...and it could be: <i><b>Lars Callieou, Nate Jackson, Todd Johnson, Justin Rupple, or Tommy Savitt.</i></b>

And, once again, for the benefit of any of you still interested in this...I’ll keep everyone updated on the results from THOSE shows as well.

pg--seattle

[Lilly]

That was a pretty cool venue! The food was awesome - I had the coconut chicken. The gambling - not so awesome. I lost $100 after the show.

Congrats to all the semi-finalists for making it as far as they did, and especially to the 5 who are moving on. It's going to be race to the finish for sure.

Peter, I hope you're enjoying your day off. I'm sorry that your car got keyed - bummer! :( I had a couple of cop friends with me in the audience who would have gladly taken care of the perp for you.

Lilly

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Finals Week--Night One
Washington Athletic Club, Seattle--November 25, 2008
RESULTS

5) Nate Jackson
4) Justin Rupple
3) Lars Callieou
2) Todd Johnson
1) Tommy Savitt</b>

Mini-analysis--This is the home stretch. No more "Top 5's"--as we've only got five competitors left. Five out of 32 (well, 31...but it was supposed to be 32 until someone couldn't make it due to medical concerns) who started this brave adventure on the day after Election Day.

Remember THAT? Oh, my Obama...that seems like a long time ago. <i>DO I HAVE A GREAT BIG BUSHY BEARD?!?!?!</i>

And everyone left should know exactly what their fellow competitors are going to bring...and everyone should know the task at hand. They've got five more shows to get the best four scores they can (as your worst score gets dropped in this week, too.) Get the four highest scores and you will be the new Seattle International Comedy Competition Champion...and you'll get the biggest cut of the prize money...and that recording contract with Uproar Entertainment...

...and your first chance to try to get one of those big scores is in the somewhat stuffy environs of a private show at an exclusive Athletic Club in the toniest part of downtown Seattle. This isn't just a corporate-style gig...this is nearly banquet-style.

Granted, what these competitors might not guess is that the Washington Athletic Club has hosted the comedy competition for many years...and they're not nearly as stuffy as a first glance might suggest. I mean, even posh folk like a good joke about yer willy, <i>You're FORCED to!</i>

Of course, a little sensitivity isn't a bad strategy...as last year one of the competitors tried to go completely against paradigm and he went as filthy as he could--which impressed only one judge and none of the audience.

There is one other element at play in this first night of the finals--that of the longer sets. When this competition started, everyone was doing their showcase set: 3-7 minutes of their best stuff. If they made it out of their preliminary week, they expanded their showcase set a little in order to fit the new 8-12 minute set length...but, if you make it all the way to the finals...you now have to shoulder a more professional comedy load of 15-20 minutes.

Do less than 15 (or more than 20), you lose an entire point...and that's a pretty significant jump in the amount of time you're doing...and you're probably adding things that aren't quite as strong as the stuff you did in the first two weeks (unless you're just so balls out confident in your B+ material that you saved your A material for the finals...and if you're THAT good, what are you doing in this competition...you should be headlining in Vegas, my friend.)

The question on everybody's mind was "What did their competition have left in their tanks?"

Well, if tonight is any indication...everybody has enough material for the time and everybody's added material fits in very well with what they were doing before...

Tommy Savitt had the benefit of going last tonight...and his style is so structurally sound and internally consistent--you just had the feeling that tonight was going to be his night. Not only did he take the judges' scores, but he won the "Favorite of the Washington Athletic Club" award last night as well.

The other four finalists didn't make it easy on him...and the audience was talking about how much they enjoyed last year's show, but that this year's show was even better...

...and, really, that's what comedians want...

They don't want scores, or top finishes, or special awards, or recording contracts, or prize money...

They just want love.

(Although, the other stuff is nice, too.)

Next up...we ferry 'cross the sound to wind up on Vashon Island. This show might be the most polar opposite we could find to the Crystal Room of the Washington Athletic Club...so, it will once again test our competitors' abilities to suss out the room and find the sweet spot where the crowd's mind and the comic's material match best.

And if the fog doesn't freeze and if the ferries don't shut down for the night, we should all make it home in time for Thanksgiving!

pg--One down, four more shows to go!--seattle

[ArchStanton]

Atta Boy Lars

[pg13]

<B>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Finals Week--Night Two
Vashon Theater, Vashon Island--November 26, 2008
RESULTS

5) Tommy Savitt
4) Lars Callieou
3) Todd Johnson
2) Justin Rupple
1) Nate Jackson</b>

Mini-analysis--What did I say in my last report? I said that the Vashon Theater on Vashon Island, the venue for the second night of the finals, MIGHT be the polar opposite of the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle, which was the venue for the first night of the finals.

Well...look at the standings from the Vashon Island show that I just posted above. Damn if that's not almost entirely opposite of what the judges' placement was the night before. Nate takes the top spot tonight after having been last on the previous night. Last night, Tommy took first place and tonight he ends up 5th out of 5.

Is it possible that the three most important elements in doing well in the Seattle International Comedy Competition might just be: location, location, location? Location, not just in venue...but also in where you go up in the performance order... (Last night, Tommy went up last and took first...tonight, he went up first and took last.)

If you dig a little deeper into the five judges' scores, you see that there wasn't exactly agreement between the judges. One thought Lars won it, one thought Todd won it...and TWO thought that Justin had won it. However, the one who thought that Nate won the night gave Nate a score that was SO much higher than the other competitors, that difference made all the difference.

(One interesting thing in the results: One judge commented that Tommy Savitt went "too long"--when actually, Tommy did the least amount of time of all the competitors tonight.)

Well, the nice thing for Tommy is that even in the final round, you drop your lowest score...so, this score can only hurt him if he has another night of low scores.

And the nice thing for Nate is that now both he and Tommy have a win--and the all important top nightly score of 11.00 that goes with it.

And the nice thing for Todd, Justin and Lars is...they're absolutely still in it--since the end result of two tipsy-topsy nights of scores means that almost everyone is now equal...and it becomes a three show race to the finish.

And the nice thing for everyone is that the competition takes Thanksgiving off...and everyone can spend the day eating far too much food and wondering what the audience at the Kirkland Performance Center might be like...more like the WAC or more like Vashon Island?

...and the nice thing for ME is...they won't know until they get there! Hee-hee!

Happy T'giving Everyone!
pg--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Finals Week--Night Three
Kirkland Performance Center, Kirkland--November 28, 2008
RESULTS

5) Justin Rupple
4) Nate Jackson
3) Lars Callieou
2) Todd Johnson
1) Tommy Savitt</b>

Mini-analysis--Producer of the Seattle International Comedy Competition, Ron Reid, has stated that the Kirkland Performance Center is his favorite of all of the wonderful venues that allow us to put on competition shows during our mad dash up and back across (mostly Western) Washington State over the course of November every year. It's nice but it isn't precious...it's plush but not ostentatious...it's a large room but it still feels remarkably intimate.

And, of course, I think Ron likes it because this audience laughs at his pre-show announcement jokes more than any other audience--and, at heart, he's still a comic needing the "juice" from a good crowd...like most of us.

Tonight, in front of a sold out Kirkland Performance Center, the five finalists of the 29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition had to shake off the Turkey-eatin' tiredness that the day after Thanksgiving often inspires, they had to duck bullets flying out of a Toys-R-Us and a mob trampling a Wal-Mart worker to death (due to it being Black Friday)...and some of them had to shake off the remnants of their Vashon Island experience...in order to get back into competitive mode.

Our host for the night was the always amazing Damonde Tschritter--who worked with a couple of our finalists in Preliminary Week One. Our judges for the night included a couple of members of the video comedy/news troupe "Seattle Untimely" and a former producer/cast-member of the legendary "Almost Live!" tv show.

The judges scores, like some of the reactions for even Damonde Tschritter's part of the show, were a little tight... That's fine--these are finalists, make 'em work for their scores...there are no hand-outs in the final round.

This was thought to be Justin Rupple's home turf...but he drew the bullet spot for this night. That's a lot of pressure to put on the comedian in this competition with the least amount of professional comedy experience...and that pressure might be why he ended up his set a few seconds too soon...costing him an ENTIRE POINT due to a time penalty. The good news, such as it is, for Justin is that the point only cost him one position in tonight's placement--he'd have been fourth instead of fifth tonight...and even if you gave him that point back to his score for tonight, it'd still be his lowest score for the week so far...and thus, is dropped from the computation of his overall standing score...so, in the end, it really didn't matter.

...but when it happened, it sure must have FELT like it mattered...and I think we've all been there at some point in time in our lives.

Nate Jackson, who took top honors the previous competition show over on Vashon Island came off stage after his set rather unhappy. A Kirkland theater crowd just didn't warm up the way he needed them too...but, on the plus side...he DID do all of his time.

Lars Callieou went up last tonight--which is the same performance order spot where he took his dramatic "last night of the semi-finals" victory that pushed him into the finals--but he, too, came off stage thinking that it had just gone "ok." Four of the five judges tonight had him either in first or second for the night--so, it must have been better than ok...but when all of the scores are added up, Lars is once again right in the middle--not on the bottom, luckily, but not on the top either.

Because at this stage of the competition, the overall scores count two of each performers' three best nightly scores for this finals week, being "Mr. Consistently In The Middle" when everyone else has had highs and lows give Lars the unfortunately distorted perspective of looking up from last place in the overall standings. This should change as more scores come in--even if Lars merely remains consistent. However, if he intends to make a serious claim for the championship--I think he'll need at least one win and another strong showing in the last two nights.

Todd Johnson had one judge who really didn't like his crowd pleasing set...but even if that judge had given him the same score as the performer who was FIRST on his ballot for tonight, it wouldn't have changed the placement for the night. Todd came in second tonight and he's right there in second in the weekly overall standings as well.

Tonight, was another strong night for Tommy Savitt. He went up second tonight, after Justin, and he did what Tommy always does--he delivers. Maybe, in Tommy's mind, this is simply a case of a Steinbrenner-esque "return to the natural world order" after what in his mind might have seemed like an aberration--the results from the Vashon Island show that had him in last place, by quite a sizable amount. Or, maybe after being reminded that no one can coast their way into victory, Tommy pulled out the whip and rode his horse all out tonight. Hard to say...but the roar of the crowd as Tommy was named the winner proved that the crowd and the judges agreed with Tommy's assertion--that he is, indeed, a catch.

Tomorrow, an even bigger stage...the wonderful Admiral Theater in Bremerton. Bremerton is not Kirkland, but this venue might be MY favorite venue of all of the wonderful venues we get to bring the competition to each year. It's like a little piece of Atlantic City...in a military town on the Kitsap Peninsula, across the sound from Seattle... This odd mix of blue collar town and swanky digs often provides for explosive shows...and I'm expecting nothing less on Saturday night.

Two shows to go...and the difference between first place and fifth place is a SINGLE POINT!!! Are you kidding me? This is exciting and entertaining...and if you're in the area, and if tickets aren't sold out...you've got to make your way to one of our shows.

pg--I really hope none of our finalists explode (in a "Scanners" sort of way) from the pressure over the next two days...although, I do realize what that would do for press coverage of our event...--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Finals Week--Night Four
Admiral Theater, Bremerton--November 29, 2008
RESULTS

5) Lars Callieou
4) Tommy Savitt
3) Justin Rupple
2) Todd Johnson
1) Nate Jackson</b>

Mini-analysis--There is a Chinese saying that says "May you live in interesting times." Wait. That isn't a saying...that's not a saying at all! That's an ancient Chinese curse!

And the 29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition is definitely gotten interesting...

This fourth of five shows in this Finals Week of the competition took place at the gorgeous Admiral Theater a short ferry ride away from Seattle in the military/shipyard town of Bremerton (home of the "Bremelos" that Sir-Mix-A-Lot once made famous.) Bremerton is the last of our big theater shows--as the final show in the competition takes place in the comedy club confines of the Comedy Underground in downtown Seattle.

Some acts simply play better in theaters, while some acts have trouble filling the large open spaces and lack of intimacy...and, conversely, some acts work incredibly well in a comedy club setting while other acts just don't seem to work there. Tonight would be the last night for those whose acts favor the big rooms to get in one last good score and hope that it sticks through the final night...while those who do better in the clubs need only to keep things fairly close, knowing that they've got one more venue that favors their style of performance left on the schedule.

The other option--since you don't want to just give away any scores, especially in a week where the scores have been all over the place in general--would be for those comics with more intimate acts to try to go bigger...to try to make what they do work in the theater setting...

With the standings as tight as they are...it was clear from the get-go that everyone was going to do their best to get the best scores they could...and, from my perspective, I thought that nearly everyone had brought everything they could bring.

While our producer, Ron Reid, found the audience tonight to be a little tight...host Gabriel (2005 Seattle International Comedy Competition champion) Rutledge got the crowd going great early on...and he handed it off to the first competitor for the night, Lars Callieou.

Lars "Mr. Consistently in the Middle" Callieou knew that his act has tended to score better in the more intimate venues...he knew that he needed a good score tonight to keep in within spitting distance of the leaders. He also scratched his cornea earlier in the day--an injury that left him in a great deal of pain...and his eye was not only puffy and runny...but it was blinking like he was one of the "Nudge Nudge" guys from Python-fame. Lars also had the discomfort of taking the bullet--and, going into tonight, every comic that had gone up first has ended up in last place for the night. And, to top things off, his significant other had just arrived from Canada--as she wanted to cheer her man on to victory...

The man had a LOT on his plate...and through all of this, Lars made the decision to try to go BIGGER...more energy, more vibrancy to his delivery, a couple of new jokes thrown into his finals-set to try to grab a few more laughs and hopefully better scores.

I thought he had a great set...but I knew there were some substantial players left to come.

Next up was Todd Johnson. Todd's been close enough to sniff the top of the placements, but he hasn't made it to the actual top this whole Finals week...and at first glance, it wouldn't seem like his act would play terribly well in the big room...as Todd tends to be a stand-in-one-spot story teller of the rural variety...but that Blue Collar factor gave him an edge here in Bremerton, that it might not have given him at, say, the Intiman...

And sure enough, Todd was poppin' this crowd BIG TIME...big enough to be noticeable compared to what I'd thought was a good response for Lars' set. Todd was ALSO choosing to go a bit bigger--adding some more physicality and a couple of different joke selections than he'd been using prior to tonight. I thought it all came together quite well for him...and while I knew there were still significant players, I moved Todd towards the top of the list...expecting him to be in the fight for the win.

Third to take the stage was our points leader, Tommy Savitt. With two wins under his belt in the finals already, Tommy could make it very difficult (but not impossible) for everyone by snagging another victory here tonight. While the difference of approach of Tommy versus Todd caused for a slower than normal opening for Tommy, I felt by the end he'd done a solid job. Tommy, however, wasn't pleased with his performance...and he felt that he'd be on the shorter end of some of the judges' scores.

After a short intermission, the fourth competitor took on the Bremerton massive. This was Justin Rupple--whose combination of broadcast-quality delivery and music based skills (both playing guitar and dancing) might just give him his first win of the week (and he'd had a nightly win in both the prelims and the semi's before this.) As he's also added a non-music impression to his repertoire, this crowd--which has, in previous years, given important nightly wins to last year's champion, Marcus and one of the previous year's finalists, Tyler Boeh--would seem to be his for the taking...

And I've got to say, I think he tried his best to take 'em. He gave it his all...and at the end, I thought the applause that he received was close to if not the equal of what Todd had gotten earlier in the night. Would the judges choose Justin's performance skills over Todd's storytelling? We'd have to see...

Fifth up for the night was Nate Jackson--the only other competitor to have received a night win other than Tommy Savitt all week. The previous night in Kirkland, Nate struggled with a crowd that just simply wouldn't roll with his style--so much so that there was some question as to whether the previous night's host, Damonde Tschritter should have given him his encore point (even Nate didn't know if he'd earned it or not)...but Tschritter DID indeed give him the point that night. Tonight, there really was no question about it...although Nate's last joke wasn't as strong with this audience as the earlier parts of his act, Nate certainly brought it tonight.

Still, I was guessing that it was either Todd or Justin for the win tonight...with Nate, Lars and Tommy all in a tight battle for third.

That, however, is not how the judges saw it...and, to paraphrase Anne Robinson, "it's judges scores that count." One judge gave the night to Justin...but two judges gave the night to Todd and two judges gave it to Nate...and, making the math VERY interesting (and cursed, as much as the rest of us), the judges seemed to give the couple comics they liked a wide berth ahead of those they didn't on their scoresheets.

Nowhere was this more clear than on one judge's ballot--who had Nate winning and had Todd in absolute last place. The difference between the score for Nate and the score for Todd on that judge's scorecard was 37 points. THIRTY SEVEN POINTS DIFFERENCE out of a possible 70 points for either competitor TOTAL. This was unprecedented...and it indicates that something Todd did must have really made this judge upset, as some of the scores simply didn't make ANY sense from any objective standpoint.

So, when the Top five for the night were announced...the loudest cheer of the night came when Todd Johnson was announced in second place. Nate got a good solid cheer--but it was not close to the roar given to Todd.

At some point, someone not involved with the competition points at something like this and says "Well, that's just an unfair result..."--but as we keep reminding everyone, COMEDY CONTESTS ARE INHERENTLY UNFAIR. We ask people to use numbers to try to objectively quantify their observations and feelings about such a subjective and personal art form...that's never going to be fair. That's why we have so many shows and why we have so many different judges give us scores...to smooth out aberrations like this...

...but the structure of the competition has never had a 37 point on one ballot aberration in a situation like this before...and, in the end, this is what we asked the judge to do...to give us their opinion of what they saw and heard by using numbers...

(But saying that Todd got only a "5" out of "10" for audience response? That's either a sign that the judge wasn't paying attention or that the judge kept the scores low in all of the categories to send a message about their personal opinion towards Todd and/or Todd's act.)

So...neither Todd nor Justin won...it was Nate getting his second night's victory for the week...and since his third highest score is higher than Tommy's third highest score (and Tommy also has two night victories this week)--Nate Jackson is the new overall standings leader!

Lars Callieou, cursed by the bullet to take the 5th place he did indeed take on this night, somehow translated that "last place for the night" finish into moving up a spot in the overall standings (which means that the time penalty that Justin Rupple earned himself on the previous night looms far larger today than it did yesterday.)

So, going into the final night of competition...there is only 1.09 points separating the leader from the performer in 5th place... No one is a lock for the top spot...the championship is totally up for grabs, and suddenly EVERYONE needs to have a great night on Sunday at the Comedy Underground...

And think, for a moment, of that encore point that was but almost wasn't for Nate Jackson on Thursday night. That might end up making all of the difference in who wins and who doesn't!

And pity poor Todd Johnson...who would have to break the curse of the bullet to earn himself a score better than his current drop score--(just don't pity Todd TOO much, since Todd has the highest current drop score of any competitor...which gives him a certain advantage if the scores are as mixed up as they've been this week...)

Will it be Tommy Savitt? Will it be Nate Jackson? Will Todd Johnson overcome the curse to come home the winner? Will Lars Callieou make another miracle move on the last night to leapfrog past everyone to the top? And what part will Justin Rupple play in all of this?

After 22 shows and nearly 3000 miles...WE WON'T KNOW until the 23rd and final show of the 29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition...Sunday at 8pm at the Comedy Underground in Seattle.

(...and that's certainly exciting and VERY interesting.)

Details of the last show to conclude this thread tomorrow night...when we'll know the winner and the reasons why!

pg--And if you live in the Seattle area and want to come to this show, hopefully you've got your tickets by now...because last I heard, they were going fast!--seattle

[pg13]

<b>Seattle International Comedy Competition
29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition
Finals Week--Night Five
Comedy Underground, Seattle--November 30, 2008
RESULTS

For the night...

5) Lars Callieou
4) Todd Johnson
TIE--2) Justin Rupple
TIE--2) Nate Jackson
1) Tommy Savitt</b>

Mini-analysis--Tonight, Seattle was bathed in a deep, competitive fog...as if ancient warriors from the mist had all gathered to shroud the town in a very dramatic haze...as befitting a major battle where blood would be shed and some would not return... (The kind of fog that looks great on Monday Night Football.)

Tonight, Seattle was playing host to the final show of the final week of the 29th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition. This would be the 23rd of 23 shows. Near