Michael Kosta
Los Angeles, CA
Male, 30s
I'm Michael Kosta, stand-up comedian (yes, that's what I write on my tax returns). I've performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, and Comedy Central, and I tour all over North America and Australia. Ask me anything about life as a stand-up.
Your going from music to acting? WOw almost as risky as going from professional tennis to stand up comedy! I hate to sound negative but if you are "deciding" if you should do comedy or not, it probably isn't for you. Go with what is burried deep in your heart (cue soft music). Think back to your kindergarden class when the teacher asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up. I remember I said "Pro athlete or comedian". The odds are always against you but if you are really doing what you want to do, and what you are made to do, it doesn't matter if you make it big, little, rich or poor. Hopefully that helps but I guess it doesnt ;(
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OMG I wish they would! I work probably 25 clubs a year and I would say only 3-4 drop the checks after the show. I'm not a restaurant manager or club owner (maybe there is one on Jobstr you could ask!), I'm just a comedian so maybe its more complicted that I realize but when I am performing and they drop the tab, I see everyone's face go to the check, chat about it, pay, talk about the tip, how much they owe everyone, blah blah blah, meanwhile I've been doing comedy for 15 minutes and no one has heard a word! Normally I take a drink and chill out and talk to ppl because it can be very distracting.
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I think you never feel like "OK I got this" but you do start to have more confidence that you can get yourself out of trouble if something wrong happens. I remember when I was starting I would have all my jokes memorized in an ACRONYM and I would have to go in that exact order... now as I have more experience I am moving things around and adjusting based off of what the crowd likes, or how I am feeling, etc. my experience with comedy is once you get cocky and think you have it figured out, you bomb your ass off and it bring s right back to "Man, do I have a lot to learn still".
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Comis groupies are waaaay different than music groupies. I have had very little and the ones that I have had, you wouldn't want to sleep with. Partying after a show is fun, common and usually a great way to unwind. But to be honest it usually happens with the club workers, waitresses, other comics. Groupies tend to be annoying and expect you to make them laugh all night which I always think "I already did this, now I want a break"
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All the time. Comedians get booked for corporate, private events, colleges, fundraisers, all that shit. Agents that book the clubs also book the private stuff, some agents specialize in just private stuff.
Corporate gigs are the most profitable but you have to be the cleanest (in general) and wear a tie at some of them which makes me vomit.
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I want the show to kick ass, from start to finish. The better the show from the MC to Feature to Headliner the better the crowd pays attention, and is more likely to come back again and support the comics. When I have a shitty opener or a hacky opener I find that the crowd respects the show less, respects me less and the club. If all the comics are kicking ass, the show is awesome and actually makes my job easier as headliner. The only real problem is when the feature act (the act before the headliner) has a very similar style to me. That can get complicated. Im a cocky, tall white guy who yells a lot on stage. If the opener is the same, the show gets old fast. The good clubs pay attention to who they are booking and make sure that doesn't happen.
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Everything depends on everything. TV credits, draw, number of shows, number of nights, holiday vs weeknight, etc. All of that stuff is determined by negotiating contracts with agents and buyers. In general if you are headlining a comedy club, you can get paid any where from $500 for the weekend to as much as $20,000 depending on ticket sales, etc. Its really that broad. If you are asking me what I get paid, I'm not going to tell you that:) 2) I don't know about theaters because I don't play them but the general rule of thumb is that the more seats, the more money. 3) Vegas is not as profitable as you would think. Comics actually kind of cant stand playing Vegas. The crowds suck (they just lost all their money), the week is long and the showroom doesn't really give a fuck about comedy, they just want to offer a distraction to people before they start gambling again. Last time I played Vegas I got to eat with the casino employees, that was a blast! Eating chicken wings with blackjack dealers!
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