A must read for anyone interested in open mic comedy or the pursuit of a dream.
Not Good Yet is a roller coaster ride of laughs, emotional struggles, and go-to insightful information from an aspiring comedian who attempted the impossible. To get good at comedy in just six months.
He gets on stage as much as possible. He organizes comedy shows. He checks out comedy in New York and Los Angeles. He reads, listens and breathes all things comedy. And in the end, (spoiler alert) he fails to get consistently good.
But there are glimmers of hope. The lessons he learns along the way will make you laugh, cry, and shake your head. Interviews with a comedy transplant, an open mic veteran of nearly a decade, and a comedy club owner complement his stories of accomplishment and defeat.
Here is a partial list of chapters and comedians mentioned in the book:
Not Good Yet, The Opener - Mark Masters, Gary Gulman, Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan
What’s In A Name - Sam Tallent, T.J. Miller
The Comedy Marathon Analogy
My First Open Mic - Orin Be, Uncle Paulie, Andy Hamilton
Your First Open Mic - Alan Bromwell
The Open Mic Experience - Meghan DePonceau, Andrew Schulz, Nicolai Roscoe, Ben Bryant
New Talent Night in Denver - Deacon Gray, Josh Blue, Adam Cayton-Holland, Mike Stanley, Greg Baumhauer
My Denver Comedy Class - Mike Hammock, Deacon Gray, Mike Coppolino, George Delgado, Michelle Herring, Sarah Benson, Louis Jesse Ricardo Martinez, Josh Grambo, Miljen Aljinovic, Brian Evans, Phil Corridor
My Denver Comedy Elders - John Novosad, Sam Tallent, Brent Gill, Adam Cayton-Holland, Mitch Fatel, Al Jackson, Mike Stanley, Nancy Norton, Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, Brandt Tobler, Janae Burris, Alan Bromwell, Christie Buechle, Jose Macall, Derrick Stroup, Zac Maas, Nathan Lund, Ben Bryant, Michael Isaacs, Ben Duncan, Allison Rose, Austin Black, Nic Dean, Derek Walton, Sammy Anzer, Evan Johnson, Grayson Knight, Roger Stafford, Byron Graham, Roger Norquist, Caitie Hannan, Orin Be, Matt Cobos
The Transplant - Michael Isaacs, Ben Duncan, Derek Stroup
The Elder Statesman - Aaron Maslow, Christopher Titus
The Comedy Club Owner - (Wende Curtis), Deacon Gray, Josh Blue
Comedy Podcasts and Books - Joan Rivers, Ralphie May, Ari Shaffir, Geoffrey Asmus, Pete Holmes, Jesse David Fox, Joey CoCo Diaz, Mike Dorval, Gary Gulman, James Altucher, Dan Cummins, Joe Rogan, Tom Papa, Marc Maron, Andrew Schulz, Stu Melton, Anthony Crawford, Sam Tallent, Adam Cayton-Holland, J.D. Lopez, Brent Gill, Nathan Lund, Jeremy Pysher, Andres Becceril, Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, Christopher Titus, Noah Reynolds, Aaron Maslow, Steve Martin, Jay Sankey, Jim Gaffigan, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Pryor
One Way To Gain Hosting Experience - Aaron Maslow, Nic Dean
Not on Facebook
(10+ more chapters and 50+ more comedians mentioned in the book)
Mark Masters is even surer now than when he started, that calling himself a comedian is a stretch. In spite of that, he is definitely available to perform at your showcase, work event, or dog’s birthday party. He has performed stand-up comedy in six of the United States, including stage time in New York City and Los Angeles. Which sounds more impressive now than it will after you read this book. You can ask him anything by dropping a note at his website, markmasters.co.
