First of all, click the title of this post and watch our Kickstarter video, then come back and read this.

I work on The Late Live Show.  If you’re not familiar, it’s a comedy talk show performed live at Stage 773 in Chicago.  It’s a project I’m very proud of because of the high quality of the writing and performance.  Each week we put on a new show complete with jokes, sketches, videos, interviews, games and a band performance.  It’s a lot to do and everyone involved with it has been doing it for free (or at a loss) for 2 years.  It’s a passion project for everyone involved.

The one limitation we’ve always had has been our tech equipment.  I’ve shown people clips we’ve put online in the past and I always hear the same thing; that our audio sucks.  We know.

We’re also firm believers that our tickets should be as cheap as possible.  No one wants to go out and spend $15 bucks for a show, no matter how good it is (at least my cheap asshole friends don’t) and I don’t blame them.  We’re able to negotiate this price with our theater, Stage 773, but last season, that meant we weren’t making enough to cover rent (even when selling out or nearly selling out every show).

So we decided to do a Kickstarter, which sounds to me like we’re begging.  I was a little uncomfortable with it at first, but I really do think this is a worthy project.  Part of what made me feel this way about it was reading this.  If you’re too lazy to click that link, it’s a piece written by Patton Oswalt about the state of the comedy industry.  It’s fantastic, part of it is to comics about how the game has changed and the industry gatekeepers are crumbling.  It’s basically a note of encouragement saying you can do whatever the hell you want to do, because with new technology, no one is keeping you locked out of the game.  If your product is good, people will tell you, and encourage it, and it will be successful. 

A very important part of what Patton says, is that the luck of comedy is being removed.  Comics make their own luck now.  I think that’s what we’re doing with this Kickstarter.  Instead of hoping we magically get to keep doing our show with dirt cheap tickets, we’re asking for a little money to guarantee that we can continue, and with a higher quality product.

I think Patton’s words are true, and I find it very inspiring.  I believe The Late Live Show is one of those projects.  One that’s worth paying $10 bucks to see it continue.

Thanks for reading, and if we make it to our goal, I promise we’ll stop telling Spuds MacKenzie jokes.

1. scannedlife likes this
2. illtumblforya reblogged this from joemcadam and added:

   How ‘bout it.

3. usawinchell reblogged this from joemcadam and added:

   never stop Spuds MacKenzie, never

4. joemcadam posted this