Hey y'all - Here's my first time on stage telling jokes...

Keep reading after you watch the video, I'll tell you the story of how this happened, and what the hostess is talking about at the start.

https://youtu.be/u9UJG1Krx04

Ok, I think I'm funny... I can't help telling jokes and puns...From 2006-2012 I was "Couch Surfing Ori" - I gave away most of my stuff, and just travelled around seeing the world (mostly the USA), and meeting people... It was all based completely on "Who's couch am I crashing on next".

I was at this afterparty for this marketing event, and of course I crack a joke. This guy behind me was at a mastermind meeting with me earlier in the week - he starts going on and on about how I was funny there, I'm funny on Facebook, I'm even funny in my course on making Wordpress sites, and I'm funny now... Forget Wordpress, forget everything-- that's what I need to do... just be funny.

I thanked him, and thanked him, and thanked him... but he kept going (yay booze), and he was very enthusiastic. So finally I say "Ok Josh! How's about this- I will commit that I will do an open mic some time." He agreed, and calmed down.

Some may have figured the guy was pretty drunk so won't remember... but I do love comedy (even more than art, and I've been doing a new work of art every single day for the last 2,627 days at the time of this post), and I do love challenges, so.... I found a place in Austin, Texas (where I was traveling through at the time) called Cap City Comedy Club.

On Thursday I wrote my skit, on Sunday had my spot at open mic. I figured with 2 days I won't be very good (although, I wasn't sure that the amount of time had anything to do with it), and I did not want to have my friends/fans watch me flop, so... I probably shouldn't tell anyone... but not telling anyone is kind of a dick move, so.. I compromised-- I posted just one time "Hey y'all - no biggie, but I'm going to try open Mic Sunday @ Cap City"- I didn't reshare it, did not try to draw attention to it....

On Sunday, there were 30 people there to support me! People friggin came in from out of town! (here's the ones that stayed after the show for a pic with their favORIte comedian!):

The club can hold 120 people, I don't think there were that many that night, but I had 1/4 of the club. I was nervous, but enjoying watching other comedians perform (while being really judgy-- "I can do better than them!" "oh damn, they're good, why am I even trying?"). And then it happened!

This one dude gets on stage, has his notebook (most did... I didn't even know to have a notebook, I memorized mine)- grabs the mic and says "Patrice O'Neal died this week, and the world is worse off for it. He was the master of crowd work, so in honor of him, I'm going to do some crowd work." - he takes the mic out of the stand, walks along the apron of the stage, Goes up to the first table and says "Excuse me sir, why are you here tonight?"

The man was my buddy Bryant, who took the microphone and said "Ummm.. I'm here to see Ori Bengal, the funniest comedian here." --

I melted in my seat.... my head tried to go below the table.

The comedian took the mic back... you could see the gears in his head turning... He said "I'm not sure how to come back from that one."

He walked to the center of the stage, put the mic back on the stand, picked up his notebook, flipped through it, and said "Eh, fuck it." and walked off stage.

I was mortified! Oh no! Did I just end this dude's entire comedy career?

The next guy comes on stage, much more energetic than the last... He was charged up and shouts "Who is this Whory guy?!?"

My 1/4 of the room shouts "Ori!"

"Yeah.. Whory!"

"Ori!"

I'm just hoping that this isn't a sign of how the rest of the evening is going to go!

After that, I decided to go outside for fresh air, and to practice again and again, since I did not have a notebook like the other people.... and to get away from angry comedians.

I was last, which gave me a bit of time to practice... and I think my set turned out well (plenty of room for improvement). But... I can say that I have now done stand-up.

I would go do standup full time if I had the courage.... While I love offensive humor, and I can make people crack up, I'm scared of politics. Most people these days are just looking for reasons to get offended. Comedians say the things they say, which are just jokes... but people go on tirades to destroy them, as if they were serious and really meant the things they said to make people laugh.

Perhaps when they legalize weed on a Federal level... the day when everyone just chills the hell out, I'll get back on those stages, and I'll make everyone laugh :)