Really, I’ve been emceeing for many years ever since I started up an open mike at Kaskad, the atmospheric local cinema from the 1950’s here in Blackeberg, home of the Swedish vampire (Låt Den Rätte Komma In/Let Me In).
That open mike, which premiered in May 2009, was modelled after the ones I frequented on the Lower East Side of Manhattan when I lived there in the summers of 1999 and 2000. Those were what I call “the Fight Club” of open mikes due to the high level of intensity, hardcoreness (just invented that word) and the feeling of being pushed to the edge – sometimes of one’s own seat – because the acts could be unbelievable: everything from poetry slam kings and queens, to pro beatboxers, comedians, singer/songwriters, dancers, you name it – to people who went up to get their 6 minutes of stage time and just complain about their day. Hence, “open” mike. 😀
So doing the part of the MC isn’t really new for me, but doing it on a pure comedy stage is, and I’ve avoided it for a couple of reasons until now. The first being that I had a notion that if I did that job, I would be forfeiting my comedy stage time, as in I wouldn’t get to do my act. Secondly, I didn’t think of myself as MC material. But after a chat with friend and colleague Martin Randahl Edsman, I realized that no, I’m not “losing” stage time – I still need to get people laughing, albeit as a warm-up for the other comedians, and…stop being silly, of course I’m MC material! :p
Sometimes it’s good to hash it out, cause now I’m psyched! And hey – I got this! 😉
PS West Side Comedy has its season premiere on January 26th with none other than one of Sweden’s greatest, Magnus Betnér, the amazing Zinat Pirzadeh, and a few other funny people!
Come one, come all! Link to the show