My Show At An Airport Hotel
Live Clips + Show Notes 6
Last night, I performed stand-up at a Bar & Grille in an airport hotel in downtown Honolulu. It was one of those gigs where you walk in, look around, and immediately think, This just got interesting real fast. The crowd was incredibly diverse: Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, Filipino, Caucasian—a true melting pot. And to make things even more well, shall we say “dynamic,” they weren’t there specifically for comedy. Like, at all. They had no idea there would even be comedy. They were eating, talking, and casually enjoying the background tunes of a live cover band.
The band had just finished their first set, an Elvis Presley tribute, and I was up next. Apparently, the hotel had tasked them with playing three sets, each 45-60 minutes long, but the band only had two sets worth of material. Their solution? Stand-up comedy to fill the gap. Enter me, the lone comedian of the night.
I went up for 10 minutes, 5 more than I was supposed to but, hey, nobody was counting at all. I opened with a couple of minutes of crowd work to tried to connect with the eclectic audience. The mix of languages and cultural differences actually didn’t prove to be a challenge; rather, it made for some fun and spontaneous moments. Here are a couple short clips where I lightly and playfull roast some tourists and some locals.
After the crowd work, I transitioned into about 8 minutes of jokes. For the most part, it went well. There were some really good laughs, in fact, and I managed to keep their attention despite the fact that they’d come for dinner and music, not comedy.
Once I wrapped up and sat back down, some members of the band came over to chat during their break. It turns out they enjoyed the set and asked if I’d consider coming back to do 30-minute sets during their gigs. That was a pretty cool moment—what started as an open mic opportunity has turned into a regular gig with potential for more stage time, much more stage time.
Even more unexpectedly, I learned that some of the band members had backgrounds in ministry—like me. We swapped a few stories, and one of them asked me to pray for him. It’s the second time in just a few months that someone has asked me to pray at a comedy show. Full disclosure: I pray about my comedy almost daily, asking God to guide me and use me however he sees fit, so moments like these feel significant. They remind me that comedy, while it’s about making people laugh, can also open doors for connection and encouragement in unexpected ways.
The night wasn’t just about laughs; it was a learning experience too. First, it reinforced the importance of seizing opportunities. This gig started as a random open mic and is now something I’ll be running point on regularly. Second, it underscored the advantages of working clean. A clean set doesn’t just broaden your audience; it also makes you adaptable to different venues and situations, like this one. In fact, one of the band members was just gushing over how good the set was and that while being 100% clean!
Third, it reminded me that every venue and every crowd is different. I told a joke that hit well that night but had completely flopped with a different audience the night before. Being observant and adjusting on the fly is key to maximizing laughs. Fourth, I don’t have to cease being who I am (a Christian, a conservative, etc.) to move about in the comedy world. Not that I would any way, but I don’t have to. I’m noticing a trend that more comedians are moving conservative, by the way; so, maybe I’m ahead of the curve. Who knows? In fact, a couple nights ago a fellow comedian was very civily engaging me about Scripture, particulary passages about homosexuality. It was a kind and fruitful conversation.
But all in all, it was a good night at this hotel restaurant. I got to perform, made some new connections, and walked away with an ongoing opportunity. Plus, it’s always fascinating to see how stand-up can fit into unexpected places—like being the stopgap entertainment for an Elvis cover band. This gig was a reminder that comedy is as much about flexibility and timing as it is about punchlines. I’m looking forward to seeing where this opportunity takes me.