Steve Martin

Yesterday I read "Born Standing up" by Steve Martin. First of all, I'm a little impressed with myself that I read a book in one day. Granted, it didn't have a lot of pages and had pictures, but still... I was looking at it in the library and then accidentally walked out with it. I did. I feel a little guilty, but if you take something that is free anyway, I don't think that is really stealing. So back off, Conscience.

Anyway, Steve writes about his career as a stand up comic. I saw him during this time. According to his book, he had already been at it for several years, but with out a lot of success. I knew about him because I had seen him a couple times on the Tonight Show. He was still pretty well unknown to most people, though. He did a performance at my college. My colleges wasn't noted for attracting a lot of talent. Besides Steve, they had George Carlin and Jim Stafford (?) - the guy that did "I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes". In my four years at the college, that was it.

I remember it was a Sunday night. He was scheduled to do two shows, but they cancelled the second one because of low ticket sales and the first show wasn't a sell out. Tickets were only $3.50 to begin with, so he obviously hadn't hit the big-time yet.

I still remember a lot of the things he did that night -

"I'm not into cheap jokes", as he puts on an arrow-through-the-head while playing the banjo.

or - Stopping in the middle of a joke to say, Oh oh, my shoe's untied." He leans over and then starts laughing and says, "I just love playing practical jokes on myself". Hilarious.

or - "How many here have never raised their hands".

After his close he wandered through the audience doing various crazy stuff. He walked down my aisle and I made a point of touching his coat as he passed me. I haven't washed my hand since.