COMEDY IS HARD.

This Facebook post turned comedic insight tell-all was written in 2023 by 10-year comedy veteran Chris Bowman, and it still hits just as hard two years later. I wanted to resurface it because the realities of stand-up comedy haven’t changed — the work, the grind, the unpaid hours, and the reliance on community support are all still very real. If anything, this perspective feels even more relevant now. Chris does a great job breaking down what goes into being a comedian and how much behind-the-scenes effort it takes just to get on stage, making this worth revisiting whether you’re part of the comedy world or just someone who enjoys live shows. — Collin Ruegg (Editor)

COMEDY IS HARD.

Here’s why and how you can help.

Here’s what it takes to be a stand up comedian.

First, you have to actually get up the nerve to do it. Not everybody can make themselves vulnerable and get on stage in front of people and try to relate and be funny.

Once you have gotten the nerve to get up and do it, the work begins. We spend countless hours writing jokes and material, workshopping these jokes with other comedians, and tweaking them to a point where they are presentable. Then we spend countless hours going to open mics waiting for our turn to try these jokes out. Some work, some don’t, and that is the nature of the beast.

Your next step is to find enough jokes that work so that you have a really solid 5 minute set. This can take weeks, months, or even years. All this time, we are supporting local businesses who host these open mics by buying drinks and food while we are at their business.

Once you’ve got 5 minutes down, you can work on a guest set at a venue. You aren’t part of the official show and you aren’t getting paid, but you can get a shot to try of that material in front of a crowd that paid money to see comedy.

Now you rinse and repeat this process until you have a solid 10–15 minutes of material and jokes, and you might start getting some hosting gigs. Hosting gigs usually don’t pay much, $20–50 per show. It is through hosting that you get a chance to really start networking, meeting people, and trying that material you have worked so hard on in front of real audiences.

Now you repeat all of the steps from above — writing, workshopping, open mics, shows — until you have a solid 25–35 minutes. This usually takes a couple of years to really get.

Now you can start featuring. Featuring is basically the act before the headliner. Feature spots pay a little better, but not great. You might get between $50 and $150 per show to feature.

Repeat the process until you have enough material and following to be a headliner. It takes years from the start of this journey to becoming a headliner and making decent money.

So, when you see someone who is a comedian and they are sharing events or inviting you to a show, take just a second and think about what they have gone through and the work they have put in just for the opportunity to try to bring you joy.

Of course, we would love for you to be at every show, but that isn’t realistic. So if you can come to a show, we are always grateful. If you can’t come to a show, hit the like button — it helps keep our show flyers and events in people’s feeds. Hit the share button!! You never know which one of your friends may really need a laugh in their life, and you sharing the flyer may be just what they need.

These are two completely free options that will mean the world to us as performers. If you will share the video or pay hundreds of dollars to go see the comedian who “made it,” do these free things or come to a show and help us on our journey to “making it” as well.

It is only with your support that we can progress through these steps and continue on our journey of making people laugh.

2023 is coming to a close. I have performed on over 50 shows within a 1 hour radius of Louisville this year — how many have you come to or shared with your friends?

Please continue to support live comedy, a place where entertainers are free to share their thoughts and try to bring happiness.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.