the comic's comic: James Smith

What do they say about New York City: There are eight million stories, and sometimes it seems as though eight million of the people telling them think they're comedians? No, that's not it. It is a fact, though, that America's biggest city is also its biggest comedy mecca. Hollywood may be Hollywood, but New York City is where comedians are born funny, become funny or arrive to thrust their funny upon us. I think we should meet some of these people. This is a new recurring feature, a mini-profile of newcomers, up-and-comers and overcomers of New York's vibrant comedy scene. It's called Meet Me In New York.

James Smith is one of my favorite people to talk comedy shop with, because he does not hold back his opinions about anybody. Why not get to know a little bit more about him. Before he was a comedian, Smith was a lawyer in Australia. Since moving here, he has appeared on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, performed at Montreal's Just For Laughs, and even done a gig on the Mayercraft. Tonight, he headlines at Carolines as part of the club's weekly "Breakout Series."

Name: James Smith
Arrival date: March 9, 2005
Arrived from: Sydney, Australia
When and where did you start performing comedy? I started performing at a venue in Sydney called the Comedy Cellar, which no longer exists. It was there for a very short time. And simultaneously, I began performing at the Sydney Comedy Store, which is very much still there, and is probably the premier club in Australia, and that is certainly where I made my bones, came up, as it were, at the Comedy Store.
What was your best credit before moving here? My best credit before moving here would have been Rove Live, which is an Australian Tonight Show format, very successful show. And Tough Crowd (with Colin Quinn), which I managed to acquire before I moved here. So those two.

Why did you pick NYC over LA or anywhere else? I chose New York City over Los Angeles, having always had a desire to live in New York, and, extremely intrigued by the excitement of, and the 24-hour schedule that it runs on, so yes, the excitement of New York. It being the city that never sleeps. That sort of drew me to New York. In terms of comedy, it would definitely be the stage time and the comedy scene. There's just ample stage time here. The comedy scene flourishes here. There's really an abundance of venues, and too, I think the crowds here are some of the best crowds in the world. They're extremely engaged in the shows and they give you a good verdict on whether or not your material is funny. And I think they're really truly prepared to listen to whatever ideas you might be exploring. So they're very much up for it, as we would say in Australia. They're up for it. Or a more sophisticated way to say that it is they're certainly prepared to be engaged by any ideas whatsoever, and you can literally say anything to a New York audience and they will generally at least hear you out. They might not laugh, and they might not support you, but they will at least let you have your say. And they're connoisseurs. They're really good crowds here. They're very good crowds. They're comedy fans. Comedy enthusiasts. So for those reasons: the stage time, the excitement, 24-hour lifestyle and the crowds that you get here, the fully-engaged crowds, they really are a good barometer, they give great feedback. For those reasons I chose New York City over Los Angeles.

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The 2008 season of Comedy Central's Live at Gotham debuts the Friday after Memorial Day. But why wait that long for some deep dish insider exclusive scuttlebutt? Especially when we got plenty of bits of tid to share just from swinging by the tapings on Saturday and Sunday at Gotham Comedy Club.

Let's get to it! First off, don't be surprised if many of the guys have a similar look. It's not a new fashion trend in stand-up comedy for the summer/fall runways -- it's a Comedy Central/Levity edict: No red, no patterns, no logos. Also, we learned that TV's standards and practices (read: the censors!) sometimes can actually make your jokes funnier. Matt McCarthy had to change one of his lines from "choke her to death" to "murder her to death" (see? funnier, right?) so it wouldn't sound as though he were endorsing domestic abuse. Baron Vaughn said he couldn't say "KKK.com" in a joke, but realized he didn't need to spell out the Web site for the joke to work. Vaughn noted that Patton Oswalt got a new six minutes out of one joke he had to change years ago for Comedy Central.

Matt McCarthy: Live at Gotham interview
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Vince Averill was more than just happy to be there. He only got the gig on Wednesday after another comedian couldn't fulfill his or her duties. From first alternate to TV credit. Congrats, Vince.

Lucas Molandes had a funny cover line when the audience didn't know how to react to his dreamcatcher joke: "Sorry I blew your minds with awesome!"

Joe List uses nervousness in his act, so even if he was nervous about his first TV taping, it wouldn't show, would it? Let's ask him, after he's done.

Joe List: Live at Gotham interview
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Sunday's final two show tapings had plenty of odd incidents, starting from the top when early show host D.L. Hughley walked offstage with the mic, leaving Paul Ogata wondering what to do. Fortunately, Ogata had a relevant bit at the ready and raring to go. Myq Kaplan blew plenty of minds with his awesomeness, earning multiple applause breaks and the attention of everyone downstairs in the lounge/green room. Very poised. Kaplan told me he had an even better set last week at a showcase for Eddie Brill -- if so, man, Kaplan is on his game. And he didn't let the cold/flu get in the way of delivering a shining performance that'll certainly get him industry attention. Hughley then got Liz Miele's name wrong even though they had the pronounciation in the teleprompter (they should clean that up later, right?) but she seemed unfazed. Shane Mauss, watching his fellow Bostonian Kaplan tear it up, announced he'd go up and get 12 applause breaks. He just might've done it, too. But what I remembered most about his set was seeing him have an "American Idol moment" when the camera panned across the stage and in close-up, Mauss gazed directly in the camera to deliver the set-up punch to his vegan coffee joke.

The biggest thing about the late show Sunday, other than Daniel Tosh and his strong hosting set, was the light show. As in, the lights failing multiple times, most notably during Matt Braunger's set. He was a trooper, though, even starting from the top a third time which must've been difficult considering he had a weary live TV audience to deal with (they can clean that up with his earlier takes, right?). The first time the lights went out on Braunger, without missing a beat, he broke into song: "When the lights...go down...in the city!" Tosh had to return to the stage. "The lights are overheating," he explained. "Which is really good for comedy." During one such break, he exclaimed: "Let's do jokes that won't air. Do you know who loves to get fisted? Sock puppets."

Mary Mack was very nice and funny and you can join us in her writers club, as soon as I find it.

Raj Desai and Anjelah Johnson were both so fun to talk to during the afterparty that I wished I'd seen their Gotham sets earlier last week. James Smith told me he forgot one joke in his set, but I told him not to worry...he can tell it during his next TV apperance! The afterparty brought out most of the comedians who performed during the weekend, plus their friends and plenty of other New York comics. Good times. On a Sunday, even.