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This one is easy. I was starting a weekend, featuring at a new club I was excited to do with my first show of the week. I was just about to go on stage and just going over my set. I was standing to the side as the host was about to bring me up. The club had a swinging door for the wait staff to walk in and another swing door to walk out to deliver drinks and food. There is a sign that says "Do not stand in front of this door" which is where I was standing. Just as I was about to go on. BOOMMMMMM! A server runs in with drinks and nachos with HOT cheese. I was covered in cheese and cranberry vodka, just before going on stage. It was hot. The server felt awful. I was cheesed up and smelling of alcohol. He quickly brought me a couple wet towels to help me clean up but I had to go on stage and address it. I made a joke about it and made sure the server knew it was my fault, not his. It was fun, but definitely weird and a memory I will never forget. And I never stand in front of swing doors now and walk through them with extra caution now as well, with a stiff arm out. #standup #comedy #memories #flashback 
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No. Maybe $5 Million. I am not doing stand up comedy to become rich. As some of you know, I was doing fine as a litigator and music manager, money wise before I got the comedy itch. I probably made far more money some years as a lawyer and I was fortunate to have grown up in an upper middle class family where decisions were not governed by money. As a result, for me, you can't put a price on happiness. I have friends who followed the natural path of their respective careers, only to hit the mid-life crisis period, where they are now pursuing their passion projects. I have friends who put their energy into their kids, now that their careers are on autopilot. Those are all amazing ways to stay happy and balance the success of hard work. Money isn't. And I don't have kids or passion projects I can explore. I did all that already and I guess, in some ways, I still am. I am blessed to be able to pursue a challenging career that provides actual joy. While really difficult to find "success" in, especially monetarily, I still find joy daily in my growth and no money can match that. But again I can probably find joy with $5 million dollars. LOL #comedy #standup #formerlawyer #careerchange  It's a mixed bag when you are a comedian and you try to bring up a serious topic or venture outside your lane. I recently experienced that when I was explaining defamation per se to my followers (as a former lawyer) and my take on Alexandria Ocacio-Cortez calling the President a r*pist and his silence in response (when he usually is vocal). A few of my fans were upset that I was venturing into politics ("Just dribble, Lebron") but I also was exposed to a slew of new people who enjoyed it (Check it out on Instagram - over 200k views). And while I don't practice law anymore, I still love the law and will talk about it, especially when I see people who are talking about it inaccurately. Comedian Nathan Fielder's second season of Rehearsal focued on pilot error and airplane safety, a serious and relevant topic, but many of his ideas were dismissed because he was a comedian. History has shown us that comedians are the observers of the real world, often speaking truth to power and exposing people to different points of views while also being funny. Like George Carlin. Recently Comedian Marc Maron also addressed real topics on his new special, even calling out the wave of comedians who seemed to buddy up to power and also punch down to those without power. It will be interesting to see how it will play out to people who feel that he called them out. #standup #politics #formerlawyer #comedy #lawyer  This would require a thesis paper response. To begin with, I like crowd work and use it. In fact, I used it more years ago and now I try to steer away from it. I jokingly call it "lazy comedy" as there is a need for it in every show. It's a good way to check in with the audience and stay present, especially when the pre-written jokes are not hitting as hard as you want them too. It also is useful during the "check drop" when the servers are dropping off the bill and people are focused on that, instead of your jokes. I also use crowd work when I am working on a new joke. It helps me understand the climate of the premise and shape the beats I can later incorporate into the final product. That being said, its an art form that, when done correctly is amazing. Its like a magic trick. Some comedians, however are using canned responses to get a laugh or a clip for their social media. More power to them. If it gets you clicks which in turn gets you followers which in turn gets you people to your shows, more power to you. Some of the comedians who blew up from crowd work are actually really good joke writers and only were posting their crowd work clips to avoid "burning" their jokes online before their live performances. As a trained litigator, I was taught never to ask a question you don't know the answer to during cross-examination. I love asking questions now where I sincerely don't know what the answer is going to be. I often have an idea and a "response" ready to get out of the situation but the uncertainty is fun. And of course, I am pretty good on my feet (lawyer training) so my alleged quick-wit usually gets a good laugh. All to say, the comedians I respect the most are the comedians who write amazing jokes and can also adjust with crowd work. #standup #crowdwork #comedy #formerlawyer  |
AuthorPaul Farahvar is a comedian hailing from Chicago, Ill. Archives
February 2026
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