Comedy as a protest…
It was a weird decision to go out to an open mic, at a club that was recently asked to close because of the second round of quarantine closures. No bar, no food, a cold and sober crowd, social distancing… claiming to be a protest.
The claims were true, it was American, it was a middle finger to the government for the sake of a laugh. The American Comedy Co. in downtown San Diego made a clear stance by staying open when asked to close. Every new law that changed, they adapted. Every required was fulfilled. Every pleasantry was maybe not taken and maybe the club could have worded themselves better or more calmly stated their intentions to allow comics the space for a stage and the public a space for a seat and nothing more. But here we are.
I had recently gotten the opportunity to be their photographer and in this weird, weird world we’re all having to navigate, I kept going. I kept photographing. I kept seeing what was happening. And I didn’t turn down one minute of stage time as a comic.
Keep following this blog and I’ll take time one day to explain the importance of stand up comedy to comics and to the public. For today, I want to tell you that I wanted to capture history, even this small slice that we are living through, in the small corner, in the small basement of The American Comedy Co.
Am I dating the sound guy? Yes. He’s another comic and he’s the best. Fight me on it. But to the point, I would arrive early when his shift started and stay late as he closed up. Temperatures were taken every day. Tables, floors, surfaces, everything was sanitized and cleaned so many times. Masks were worn, gloves were worn, mics, mic stands, mic cables, everything was cleaned before someone new would use it. You get the point. Everyone tried to do everything to keep the show going. And I’m glad I was there to capture some of the funnier, crazier, once-in-a-lifetime moments that happened in the club that gave me an opportunity.
Here are some highlights from the protest shows last week:
