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That one critique about my joke pacing totally flipped my standup set
A guy in the back at an open mic in Cleveland said I rush the punchline every time, so I tried pausing a full two seconds longer on my last three jokes and the room actually laughed harder. He even bought me a beer after and told me the silence was doing the work, not my words. You ever gotten a random tip from a stranger that changed your whole approach to something you thought you had figured out?
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the_emery27d ago
Damn, two full seconds? That's an eternity on stage. I tried stretching a pause once and felt like the audience was staring through my soul, but I guess that's the point, right?
It's wild how one random heckler can basically hand you a masterclass in timing. I had a similar thing at a jam night where a sax player told me my guitar licks were too "polite" and I needed to play like I was stealing the song. It completely changed how I approach solos now.
That beer was a good sign too. Strangers don't usually buy you a drink unless they're genuinely impressed or feel bad for you, and getting one after a note like that is a solid win.
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