The Host
There are two important people in a stand-up comedy show. Everyone knows the first one - it’s the headliner. He’s usually the best comedian…he goes last…he leaves the final impression…he makes the most money (if there is money)…he’s the real deal. The second…and most underrated and often overlooked is the host of the show.
Most people in the comedy world look at the host as a lowly position. One for the newcomer. Most clubs and promoters put the comic with the least amount of good material in this spot. I had a comedian tell me he was afraid people would look at him as just a host instead of a no name comedian. Really?
Let’s get this straight…the host is the point guard of the show. If he’s not good…he can really destroy the entire night. He needs to set every comedian up to be better. He needs make the show run like a well oiled machine. This is very difficult to do and requires a great deal of skill. I’ve watched too many selfish hosts in this city. Promoters and clubs need to start putting professionals in this position. It makes a huge difference for those of us in the audience.
For the comedians…guess who gets more face time with the crowd than any other comedian…you guessed it smart guy…the host. The audience remembers two people…the headliner…and the host. Everyone else is normally forgettable. Now…if I’m a comedian in the city of Los Angeles…where I’m making very little anyway and there are a ton of people just like me…my ass is hosting every show that I can possibly host. You know why…name recognition. It’s about promotion. You need people to know your name. When you’re the host…you can say your name…your website…your credits…anything you want…without someone else screwing it up. How many times has a host messed up your name? You control the action. Call me naive…but in a business where you need to be different…and even the funniest people on earth are just hanging out at the Comedy Store…I say don’t be afraid to host. But hey…I could be wrong.