My First Hosting Experience

Hosting a comedy show is a great honor and something I'm really proud of accomplishing in only 6 short months. The overall general consensus is that the opening spot on a comedy show is almost always the hardest spot to be in. There are several reasons for this but the most obvious is that the audience is "cold." You basically have a group of strangers seated next to one another and eventhough they may be there for a comedy show, they are not quite in the laughing mode just yet. As the opener it is your job to get them warmed up for the next comedian and keep the show going. This is where your material will get the ultimate test as to how funny it is. My first go at it was no different.

Memorizing each comedians credits and announcements before hand turned out to be a bigger challenge for me than I anticipated. Lucky for me, I already knew most of the comics on this particular bill, so it wasn't really a huge problem. It also turned out to be a really great show. Overall, I think I did rather well and I only mispronounced one person's name but she was very forgiving. (Thanks Hailey!) The headliner that evening came up to me after the show and was really appreciative of how I got everyone involved, gave generous introductions and kept the show moving foward. Considering that this was my first time ever hosting a gig and the fact this guy has done thousands of shows all along the west coast and is also an extremely exceptional talent, I thought that was pretty high praise. I learned that being a host for a comedy show is not just about being funny. It's about doing what's best for the show as a whole and I'm all for that. I can't wait for my next opportunity to host again.

Clips from my May 21st show at The Sacramento Comedy Spot!

1: Since I Became A Comedian

2. Rash

Comedy Night at Luna's Cafe

Comedy night at Luna’s Café in downtown Sac is approaching its one year anniversary in August. To commemorate the occasion Luna’s is putting together an anniversary special featuring a lot of the outstanding comedians that have helped give this room the exceptionally fun loving reputation it so rightfully deserves. Comedians like Ngaio Bealum, Caitlin Gill, John Ross, Chazz Hawkins, Carlos Rodriguez, Nick Pettigrew and the ring master himself Keith Lowell Jensen. At one point or another I’ve been lucky enough to be apart of shows with each one of them, so I have no problem vouching for this group’s hilarity.

With the exeception of the brick wall back drop and a smoke filled atmosphere Luna’s Comedy night has a really old school feel to it. I remember thinking to myself, that this is the kind of place where the greats honed their craft. From established comedy stars to local up and comers, Luna’s has it all. And they do it every Wednesday! I’m very proud to be considered one of the “regulars” on this magical night. There is great food and drink but limited seating so come early and enjoy the show. Only six bones at the door will treat you to an unusually intimate and entertaining experience in a relaxed midtown environment. Be there on Wednesdays!

Luna's Cafe & Juice Bar
1414 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

What up!

First off, thanks for coming to hang with me! I think this little comedy venture of mine promises to be a very fun and equally as interesting endeavor to say the least. Well, time for little bit of background about this amusingly demented dude named Des......

I guess you could say I always enjoyed entertaining. When I was about 8 years old, I began to realize that with a few spontaneous smart ass remarks, I could make everyone in class laugh when I wanted them to. Including the the teacher. When I got older I was able to get my hands on some of my dad's old Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx audio tapes. I remember being amazed at how a comedian could touch me on such a personal level. I remember how good it felt to laugh at him and how great it must have felt for him to be able to provide that laughter. But still, it never really crossed my mind that I may become a comedian myself one day.

I found the Sacramento Comedy Spot in mid January 2010 and decided to take some classes. A month later I was performing on stage for the very first time. In retrospect, I really didn't do very well that night but I was elated! The shire rush of adrenaline coupled with the fact that I had the balls to do it were more than enough to put a huge smile on my face. I didn't completely bomb but pretty close. The poor performance actually fueled my tenacity and persistence. I was determined to get it right.

After about 3 months I started noticing that I was having trouble telling all of my jokes in the time alloted because the laughter and applause breaks would eat up more time than expected. A great problem for a comic to have. Things were going great for a while and then it happened. I completely bombed! There was no doubt about it. At this particular club they have pictures of comedians on the wall and even they looked sleepy during my set. You can call me crazy but to this point I think it's the best thing that's ever happened to me in my career. I failed beyond my wildest dreams of failing and didn't get discouraged for a microsecond. That's when I truly knew that comedy was for me. Since then there's been no shortage of funny. And I haven't looked back.

Please feel free to keep checking this site for info on where I'll be performing next. There is some much comedic talent here in the Sacramento area and I'm honored to be a part of it. I thought it'd be a cool idea to document the journey I'm embarking on and I that's exactly what I plan on doing. Thanks again for dropping by, and I hope there are many many returns.