For the first time, I saw a friend perform a stand-up comedy routine. It was a friend I've known through my local Impact Zone Wrestling troupe. In fact, my first show was his first show. And we had both known each other through a mutual friend for a couple years before IZW. In IZW, he was known as Tony Trouser, and that nickname has stayed with me since then. I call him "Tony" these days, even though he performs under his birth name of Keith Wilson.
Overall, the show was entertaining, and apparently, it was a contest (I suspect a very crooked contest since the winner was neither the funniest routine nor the most popular amongst the paying audience) but I had promised myself that I wouldn't laugh unless Tony earned it. I wanted an independent opinion of his routine. Lucky for him (and the $5 that I paid to attend), it was hysterical.
He started with a short observation about how he looks like the guy from Twilight. Either Jacob or Edward. He didn't seem sure, and no one cared anyway. Then, he went straight to his next joke (observation) which was in regards to his size. He noted that he was skinny, then mentioned that it saves a lot of money on X-Rays. Impersonating an ER visit, "doctor, doctor, I think I broke a rib!" "Uhm, yes, you did. It is that one right there. It's sticking out. I can see it!"
Perhaps it was the delivery, but hopefully, he was truly that funny. He went on to make a few other observations (which is all jokes are these days anyway), and he eventually built up my level of interest to the point that I literally laughed to tears. It was part of his routine, but he made a statement that I thought was on accident, so when he frantically corrected himself, it sounded genuine to me. After the show ended, it was the first thing I asked him. I was glad he said it was part of the routine. Primarily so I could learn the exact quote. Unfortunately, it is not very print-friendly and it invovles my least favorite four-letter word, but even still, or perhaps because, I thought it was hilarious.
His best friend of the other competitors (Shawn) stole the show. He came up to the stage and said, "Yea, that's the sound of -- inviting the entire audience here!" It was true. No less than 75% of the crowd was there to see him. Any other group organizing a "contest" would have recognized that fact and given him the win for that reason alone. Afterall, he may have invited a dozen people out tonight that won't go back because their whole evening was ruined by his coming in second place.
Nonetheless, his routine was fantastic as well. Plus, he was able to gauge the audience. This crowd was not a blue crowd at all, which was good for me. It would have been good for all of us if the "talents" were actually talented enough to adjust their routines to suit the audience. They weren't. But it was a local amatuer contest at a bar, instead of a comedy club anyway, so I couldn't expect more than I got. Shawn (or maybe Sean) started his bit by saying that he had a troubling day, because his mother unfriended him on Facebook. It maintained the same level of cleverness throughout his time.
Before the show, Tony Trouser and I got to catch up for a bit, especially in regards to IZW. It has been about a year since my last IZW show, and when I left, I swore that I would never attend another local wrestling show for a full year. I was bitter about everything involved around it, and I kept to my promise. Now, my self-imposed embargo has been lifted. I'm free to go back, but I'm not really interested in the shows these days. I've spoken with several of the people with whom I used to work closely, and I don't sense any bitterness from them. Talking with Tony Trouser tonight, I feel as though I moved a few steps closer to making that final step of enjoying a local wrestling show again.
The real problem is that I'd rather watch Tony perform comedy, or especially either Jeordie or Kyle Sonnenberg perform music any day over seeing a handful of my old wrestling friends perform. But I know the time is coming. I had planned to write a blog about my time with the wrestling troupe. And I have it mostly completed. I just need to put it together and make sure it flows, then check to make sure that I've said everything I wanted to say and told every story that I wanted to tell.
After that, then I'll be able to let all my previous resentment go. It really hasn't served any purpose for me the past nine months anyway.
