I started doing comedy in 1996 in New Orleans, Louisiana. There weren't any established comedy clubs in town at that time, so it was a matter of getting stage time from other comedians that ran one-nighters at local bars. The crowds in New Orleans were a great starting place for a beginner comedian because they were always changing, so you had to quickly learn to flow with the crowd. After a couple of years doing comedy around the city, I ventured out to the rest of the states and became a road comic - opening or featuring wherever I could get the work. I would come home after a week's run and be either ahead by 50 to 100 bucks, or break even. I was lucky because I had a wife who had a job! Plus, I figured it was my way of paying my dues as a comic. Trust me - others have paid their dues in worse ways.
