The start of every comedy show is thrilling, gives me goosebumps where my feathers used to be.
The bright stage lights pop on as the intro music starts up. Then we hear the voice of God (usually one of the comedians on a mic in the sound booth) welcome the crowd and request some “thunderous” applause for the evening’s emcee.
The opening act is one of the most underappreciated parts of a standup comedy show.
Here’s what the emcee of a comedy show often faces:
- A darkened roomful of tables filled with couples and strangers who don’t know each other at all.
- When the show starts most of the audience is still busy getting their drinks ordered and served.
- Plus, the cold crowd just sat in traffic and had to find a place to park.
- Did I mention some of them argued and got lost on the way to the club because someone didn’t program the GPS correctly?
Emcees are the comedy cannon fodder who perform first on the lineup to an ice cold crowd.
Therefore they typically struggle to get laughs, so most nights they’re forced to take one for the team.
For multiple reasons, a great opening act is key to a successful show – they train the audience about what to expect for the evening and how to behave and when to laugh and what to focus upon. Their job is to turn that group of sober strangers into a buzzed collective whose only purpose for ninety minutes is to listen, laugh, and applaud while having the time of their life.
While keeping their traps shut.
Back during the 80’s comedy boom, most club bookers understood the importance of a good emcee and would typically hire experienced headliners to host their shows. Now (to save money), many clubs hire the newest comedians they can find to open their shows. That’s because those comedy newbies work for far less money and are more likely to do as they are told.
But regardless of how long you’ve been doing standup, being able to effectively open a show should be on your list of “I can do’s.”
Here are Ten Ways to Warm Up a Cold Crowd – hope they help.
1. Own the Room
When you’re opening the comedy show, you’re the first comedian the crowd sees. They watch you walk from the back of the room and through the crowd, up on stage, where you then face the microphone. That entire time they’re clocking your confidence. As in, do you look self-conscious, or do you look like you’ve been there before? Do your hands shake when you grab the mic, or do you pull it off with finesse? Is your voice trembling when you greet them, or do you sound like you own the room? Gain their trust before you ever say a word by mastering those unspoken parts of starting the show.
2. Speak Clearly, Confidently
It’s nerve wracking to perform first for a “cold” crowd because they tend to be chattering and settling and buying their snacks and drinks. The key is to not let that nervousness come through in your voice. Know your material and speak loudly and clearly into the microphone. That will help to get the audience to shift their attention from all that busy work towards you and the comedy show. Remember, those in the back and far sides of the room need to be able to hear you as clearly as everyone in the front row, so keep that in mind as you start the show.
3. Make Direct Eye Contact
Nothing says “I’m nervous about being here” more than being incapable of looking your audience in the eyes. Who cares that in reality the bright stage lights will prevent you from ever actually seeing 90% of your audience’s faces? Estimate where their eyes might be and make a point to visually connect. Scan left to right and then right to left. Pause now and then like you’re looking right at someone. Most crowds will begin to pay attention to you if they believe you’re confidently eyeballing them so figure out how to pull that off from the bright stage.
4. Get Some Quick Applause Breaks
A cold audience unites quicker after working together as a hand-clapping unit. After you introduce yourself, get your audience to clap for themselves just for showing up. Hype up the other comics on the bill along with the club and the hard-working waitstaff. Be sure to insert some throwaway bits in there now and again for some quick laughs. Be careful, though, because this “Give it up for A, B, and C” technique can be easily overused and it gets tedious fast without some “sans clapping” funny sprinkled in.
5. Check in With the Back / Sides of the Room
An audience is made up of five different sections – the front row, the center section, house left and right and everyone sitting and standing in the back of the room. Warm up a cold crowd by checking in with each of those sections. Let them know you understand that each has its own unique needs and that you have their back throughout the show. Have these sections work together or compete with each other in how they clap or order or laugh or whatever else you can think up. Make it “fun” for them to be in their section of the room.
6. Local References
A cold crowd warms up quicker when you make them laugh about something they know in the local area. That’s when it pays off to tour the town during the day if you can. Ask the locals which highway is the busiest and which building, or bridge, or structure is most popular or hated. Bring those up whenever you talk to the crowd – sometimes just the mention of them gets a laugh. Find out the name of the local mayor and if any celebrities are from the area. Use those names as punchlines in your opening material. Research the local historical landmarks and events and figure out how to have fun with them in your act.
7. Current Event Jokes
Going up first can be challenging because it can be tough to get a cold crowd to give you their attention right away. Having a few jokes handy about any news breaking current events can be helpful to win their interest. Quick jokes about any hot stories in the news or sports or Hollywood are a great way to hook a cold audience in. Also have a few holiday jokes that are in season. It’s probably best to avoid anything too political that early in the show because you could risk dividing them before he main acts take the stage.
8. Funny Announcements
Every club manager gives the emcee a list of announcements they must rattle off during the course of their first part of the show. This can kill an already cold crowd. That is, unless you can figure out how to get laughs with the drink specials and the upcoming events and special comedy guests. Write some material about the location of the exits and bathrooms and comment cards. Find a funny way to remind them to shut the hell up during the other performances. Make them laugh when you remind them to generously tip their waitstaff and to “keep their table talk to a minimum and their laughter to a maximum.”
9. Quick Crowd Work
Veteran emcees are great at working the crowd a bit to start the show. Find out if anyone is having a birthday or celebrating something special. Notice the big groups and give them some funny attention while reminding them that they need to keep quiet during the rest of the show. Notice a weird hat or an extra large purse or someone’s fancy outfit. Do just enough crowd work to break the ice but not so much that it ruins the audience’s expectations for the prepared material of the other acts.
10. Have a Plan
The most important key to warming up any cold audience is to have a solid plan in mind, meaning know what you’re going to say and how you’ll say it. The more times you go up first, the better you will get at it, especially if you begin to truly understand the value of that role. The emcee sets the stage for the rest of the comedians on the bill, and the best openers understand their value to the show and act accordingly. And do their time. There’s no better way to get the positive attention (and future work) from a club owner and booker than to consistently host their shows in a way that gives their comedy club a professional reputation.
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Great tips! Warming up a comedy crowd is an art, and your insights are spot on. Personally love the idea of engaging the audience early on and establishing a playful vibe. Humor is a powerful connector, and these strategies are a surefire way to get those laughs rolling! #ComedyCrowd #FunnyMuscle
Nice! Thanks for taking the time to say all that.
I’m like you, I love when the performer and the audience connect on multiple levels.
It makes it a memorable night (day?) for everyone.
Cheers, Sotrue, thanks for the visit.
Mike
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