The stage at the Comedy Club on State received heavy traffic last Wednesday night. A boy excitedly raved about Cracker Barrel for three minutes as an older gentleman made sharp, funny political observations. Meanwhile, college kids made jokes about sex, weed, online dating and other activities often discussed behind dorm room doors.
This was the scene at Madison’s Funniest Comic Competition at the Comedy Club on State. The annual competition began six years ago with the introduction of weekly Open Mic Nights. It provides an opportunity for local comics to showcase and improve their acts. This year, 82 contestants will perform three-minute routines in the preliminary rounds.
On the first night of these rounds, 41 comics prepared to take the stage. A judge didn’t show up, so Comedy Club manager Joe Buettner allowed me to take their seat. We sat at the judges’ table along with four other judges — Comedy Club regulars who he believes have a good eye for good comedy.
I sat between Roger Ash, a comic book enthusiast who grew up admiring actors like Steve Martin and Robin Williams, and Andy Gussert, the chief operation officer at the Frank Lloyd Wright Church. In turn, they explained what they look for in a comic.
“Originality and personality,” Ash said.
“Authenticity, confidence and professionalism,” Gussert said.
The contestants may have had different comedic styles and voices, but one thing they had in common was nerves. The spotlights shined so brightly that they could only see the first row. The rest of the audience, about 200 people, sat invisible. Until the comics hear laughter; nothing about this is fun.
“You’re always nervous, but the second you get that first laugh most of the nerves go away,” Buettner said. “Never getting that first laugh is the initial fear.”
Both Ash and Gussert seemed to agree that owning your own voice and personality is key to giving a good routine. An awkward comic can accomplish greatness in comedy as much as a confident comic can.
“You get a lot of people who are really comfortable being on stage but not that funny. And you have some people who are really funny but not comfortable on stage,” Gussert said. “When you put those two types of people together, it’s really beautiful.”
The judges and audience members give comics a score from one to 10 and choose the top 15 comics to continue to the next round. Buettner explained that he has developed a spreadsheet to organize the scores and decide the comics’ fates: Judges’ scores accounted for 60 percent of the final decision and the audience’s scores accounted for 40 percent.
This leftover 40 percent of the comics’ scores was dictated by an almost exclusively young crowd. Much like their counterparts occupying the intimate venue, many of the comics were either college students or in their 20s, sporting worn jeans and plaid shirts.
Despite the nearly homogenous audience, the varying comedic styles and performers were well-received. Some of the biggest laughs of the night went to older, more experienced comics. It was obvious who was new to comedy and who was more seasoned. For example, the newbies tended to stay on one joke for longer and the pros knew exactly when to move on.
One younger comedian performed a rant about grinding for the whole three minutes.
“[Grinding is the] sour cream of dancing,” he said. “It’s only OK in moderation.”
Meanwhile, an older, half Middle Eastern, half Ecuadorian comic began with a bit about being a VIP at airport security and moved his routine along making sharp political jokes after sharp political jokes.
No matter the age or experience level, Buettner knew how nervous every single person on stage was. He himself had performed in comedy competitions, giving him insight as a judge. He appreciated the time, thought and practice the comics put in their routines. Gussert also was empathic toward contestants.
“I competed in this a few years ago,” he said. He laughed and added, “And I hope a lot of people didn’t see me.”
The competition is noticeably different from previous years, Buettner observed. In the Madison comedy scene, every couple of years marks the leaving of the most prominent comedians for different prospects while a new batch cycle in.
“This is the freshest group of people we’ve ever had in a competition,” he said. “Some of these comics are going to be big. You get to see these people before they make it.”
Buettner finds the Madison comedy scene very supportive — maybe it’s that famous Midwestern friendliness — and he wants the winner to use the competition, experience and prize package to start a career in comedy. No one has ever been booed off the stage in the six years since Open Mic Night started. Madison acts as a kind foundation for any future careers.
The winner of the competition will receive $500, their name on the trophy and a press kit. The press kit includes various tools that allow the comic to promote himself or herself: a video he or she can send to bookers, a headshot and a professionally written bio.
The final preliminary round will take place Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 9 p.m. Thirty comics continue to the next round of the competition, whose winner will be decided in the final round March 5.
