Friday night in the mecca of Swift Current.  I see what Louie of Modern Restaurant is trying to do, and I applaud his effort to support stand-up comedy.  It was a great crowd and I had a good opener in Blair Skrupski (dude if spelled that wrong call me).  He’s very green but very far along for  his first year.  I’d recommend him for any open mike or guest spots available.  Plus check out this eyebrow!

The Blair Skrupski Project (BSP)

As good as the show was, the motel room was awful.  Stinky trucker pee and no Internet.  The restaurant gave the odd option of  ‘soup  or juice’ as an appetizer.  Then served me a bowl of a glass of juice. Good to be home with my awesome family.  Coming up, Santa!

 I AM STILL AVAILABLE FOR BOOKING ON NEW YEAR’S EVE! COMEDYONDEMAND@HOTMAIL.COM
Welcome to my recurring Thursday column. Every week I’ll be sharing insights into business, comedy, sales, marketing, and life that I have learned while in the one place that makes us all equals. I simply can’t stand downtime. I have a hard time watching TV without doing something else at the same time. If we can create computers that can do multiple things at the same time, why can’t the human mind? And where better to put this theory into practice than in the one place that takes little to no thought. 

Today will be part 1 of my learning from the book Good to Great. Our topic: The Hedgehog Concept. 

The concept gets its name from the comparison to the animal. A fox will hunt the hedgehog and try a number of different methods. The hedgehog however, uses the same strategy of defense every single time: Curl into a ball and let the sharp spines protect it. 

This relates to business in the way that companies can try a number of different products, services, staff, organizational formats, communication styles, brands, etc. The companies that choose to dabble in everything are doomed to mediocrity. The companies that choose to specialize excel.

 Selection of a hedgehog concept comes by asking three different questions. Can we become #1 in our marketplace by doing this? Can we make a lot of $ doing this? Can we love doing this? If the answer is a re-sounding yes to all three, you have your concept. 

A great example of this is McDonalds. The product is fast food. The hedgehog concept is NOT burgers and fries. The concept is quick, cheap foods that can be eaten while driving/on the go. Everything on the menu fits this list. When they make decisions in line with this, they get success like the Chicken McNugget. When they veer off of this path they have disaster. Remember when they tried to serve Pizza? Remember the McLean Deluxe? 

I’m trying hard to apply this to comedy. You could almost equate this concept to the idea of Style. Chris Rock has a specific style. You know what you’re getting when you go to a Chris Rock show. His material, look and pace all match, and answer the questions of the hedgehog concept. It isn’t quite the same as getting ‘a gimmick’ but it’s more than just ‘I say what I find funny’. I’ve heard this process referred to as ‘finding your voice’. 

My earlier ideas on comedy and my hedgehog concept were flawed. I came up with ‘I’m going to be the most professional comic ever’ and for 10 years I’ve tried. I’m always on time, polite, never offend the client, no drinking/partying/drugs, leave my hotel room nice and neat, etc. My thought was that this would get agents and talent managers to think “I’ll send Matthew, I know I can count on him to be professional over comedian X who always has a case of beer and staggers onstage drunk.” 

I was wrong. My energy was spent in the wrong direction, and all I am now is a ‘good enough comic that never offends’. While I never bomb, I never make headlines either. The last 3 or 4 weeks I’ve shaken this off and my show (and thankfully audiences) are starting to come alive. 2010 will be a new year of self discovery, and I owe it all to applying business concepts to my comedy career. Thank goodness I read in the can, I don’t want to be remembered as the ‘McLean Deluxe of Comedy’

I AM STILL AVAILABLE FOR BOOKING ON NEW YEAR’S EVE! COMEDYONDEMAND@HOTMAIL.COM
So the final John & Kate + 8 was on last night. While I didn’t mind the show in small doses, I’m glad this one has been killed off. The blatant merchandising and commercialism was sickening. Let Kate “struggle to provide for her children” via million dollar book and TV deals, and let John “reclaim his manhood” and turn into the shitty father we all know he could be. Good riddance to them. Victims of the situation are really John and Kate’s first two daughters, who were old enough to be emotionally shaped (read: scarred) by a life in front of the camera.

I just don’t get these TLC shows. The titles describe them as educational and sympathetic, but it’s really just vulgar voyeurism. Case in point: The Little People/Couple/Parents/whatever else they invent. These are not shows about ‘the trials and accomplishments of Little People as they cope and contend with stereotypes, social bias, and physical limitations’. This is pure ‘Watch midgets shop! Watch midgets climb a rock wall! Next week, Midgets on ice!’

The main Little Person show I’ve caught glimpses of profile a married couple. If I recall correctly the man is an IT tech and the woman is a pediatrician. Now that’s a great story! Show me how these people didn’t take what life dealt them and instead worked to be personally and professionally successful. It would be great to see how the lady interacts with patients, or how the man solves complex IT issues and takes advantage of his size. Instead we get another trite episode of them shopping and swimming. OOh look Ma! They is just likes da real peoplez, just litler! PLEASE…

I do have ONE guilty pleasure of the reality circuit, and it is NOT on TLC. I love to sit down, Monday night, with a big bowl of (insert healthy snack here that Melissa subbed in for cookies) and watch me some HOARDERS. Oh man, what a hoot. All the derisive voyeurism I just condemned above, I indulge in with full finger pointing, laughing, and ‘You are seriously fucked up man!’ shouting at the TV. Watching people wallow in piles of their own filth, seemly unable to comprehend how to throw away a slurpee cup, just somehow makes me feel good….about me.

And it IS all about me isn’t it?

I had a fantastic time in Avonlea Saturday night. I did 75 minutes in front of an awesome crowd of merchants, businessmen, and Lions Club members. Check out the attached video! Thanks to everyone who saw the show and bought some merch, you guys were incredible!

Dane Cook

Yes it’s time to bust out the news.  I was just backstage with Dane Cook!  Even more than that, I’ve signed a digital distribution agreement with New Wave Dynamics meaning my CD (renamed) Matthew Murray: No Gimmick Required will be available for download in the new year!  I’ll have more details in the near future, but today I need to say a huge thank you to Dane Cook and Barry Katz.  Both were gentlemen and a pleasure to meet.  I managed to get my CD and DVD into Dane and Barry’s hands, under the pretense “I have this commemorative coaster set for you Mr. Cook…. oh and it has my show on the other side too.”  He laughed.

Watching Dane Cook from the second row tonight, I realized it’s time for me to reclaim my act and my art form.  Somewhere along the line my concern of ‘other’ people’s perception of me and my act have clouded my writing.  I’ve stopped writing what’s true to me, and been writing stuff that ‘works’.  Well Good is the enemy of Great, and Dane tonight showed me it’s not what you say so much as how you say it.  I’m spending hours looking and crafting, he’s spending hours refining and perfecting.  I have a lot of work to do, but I feel at 10 years, my comedy career is now ready to begin.

I also want to say a massive thank you to the love of my life, Melissa.  She has put a ton of effort into my comedy, from creating and selling merch (check out those hot photos on my merch link above!) to taking notes during my act, to filming my Gerry Dee set, to riffing in the car.  She has been friend, critic, confidant, and publicist all rolled into one.  She was the one who insisted we start an attempt to contact Dane, and all the personal and professional gains I’ve made as it relates to this event are due to her.  Thank you.

Well, a handshake and conversation with Dane Cook, a new distribution deal, and a bucket of cold water have me shaken up and I’m ready to rule in 2010.  Soon I shall be king over the land of wheat.

I had the pleasure of putting up Christmas lights for the first time last week. Sure I’ve put up lights before, but this was the first time it was for MY house, done right. No crappy half-hearted BS like in my past life. 2009 has been one of the very best years of my life so it’s only fitting that I set up this Christmas to be the best ever as well. See the bottom of the blog for my crappy pictures of my awesome lights.

Tomorrow I’ll be revealing BIG news here on this blog as it relates to comedy, stay tuned…

The Corporate season is upon us and once again the goal of ‘make them laugh’ is quickly replaced by ‘don’t piss off the guy who cuts the cheque’. I enjoy these shows, and the opportunity to network for both comedy and Horizon is huge. I still have a weekend or so open, and New Years Eve is also available, email me today!

Can’t type anymore, too excited about tomorrow’s big announcement…

I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Ryan Ash and Simon King this weekend at the Laugh Shop in the Parktown. It certainly was an odd one. Every drunk idiot in town came out and did their best to fuck with the show. I don’t usually swear on this blog, but it is what it is. The token ‘thanks for coming’ cash was not worth the abuse. I did my job and shot the hecklers dead, but that’s never fun. I won’t launch into a tirade about people trying to ‘help the show’, I’ll just say stay home and yell at your TVs while you watch American Idol or some other piece of shit show.

Wow, bitter Matthew? Nah…

I saw Cake Boss for the first time on TLC last night. I really enjoyed the personality of the guy that runs the shop. While Reality TV in general is obviously becoming more scripted than sitcoms, I still found the family run business semi-realistic. One TLC show I can’t stand is ‘Little People’. Here was an opportunity to learn and educate, and essentially it’s just voyeurism. ‘Let’s watch little people exercise, let’s watch little people travel, etc.’ More TLC reviews to come.

My boys have been awesome all week. Yesterday we had ‘Dude Day’ and the three of us traveled town, went to Future Shop to grunt and ugh at large TVs and loud stereos, hit the pool, and searched for Waldo…god I hate that guy.

Horizon is firing on all cylinders now, and I’ve been given the responsibly to hiring two new techs. I’ve run group interviews, informal lunches, reference checks, budget analysis, and at the end I’ve got my guys. 2010 will be the year Horizon’s been waiting for.

Duane gave me the honour of taking me to the B’nai Brith Saskatoon event last night and what an amazing time we had. The food and games were 1st rate, and bonding with team members is always a plus. I also caught a massive deal on a home improvement Melissa & I have been needing since we moved in, woo-hoo! Simon King and Ryan Ash are the talents booked, come on down and see who actually goes on stage!

I’ll be the MC at the Laugh Shop all this weekend, feel free to drop by and see the show.

November 15th marks the first year of Melissa in my life. What started out as a friendship quickly became my liberation from an abusive relationship and tyranny. I have her to thank for the 2009 ‘Year of Mattitude’ and the reclaiming of my soul.

I decided to pull out all the stops (Where do you keep the stops, anyway?) and surprised her. I took her from the house on an errand and a chef came in the back door and prepared a fantastic 4 course gourmet meal for us when we arrived home. Candles, table settings, dessert, wine, the whole thing. I’ll get more of the finite details right next time, but the look on her face was priceless. Happy anniversary baby.

Enjoyed my show with Gordon Food Service last night, thought it was the best of the worst.  No lights, no stage, no real intro, and no feedback from the client.  These corporate Christmas shows can be so much more with just a bit of time and effort, but often I find myself making due with what I get.

Burnout is trying hard to grab hold of me.  My daily life of Problem Solver for Horizon & stand-up comic in busy season, have combined to make me pretty testy.  Melissa’s school load and her not feeling well has tried her patience as well.  It’s days like these when you REALLY find out how strong your relationship is.  It’s easy to get along on tour, or when life is grand.  It’s the tough days in the trench where everything the other person does just grates on you, is when you learn your true feelings.  I’m happy to have found the love of my life, and like I warned her a year ago, I’m not the easiest cat to live with.  Still she comes through for  me, slaps me around when necessary, and loves me through the bad.  I’m a very lucky man.

You just can’t sweat the small stuff in life.  Petty things like parking, traffic, money, all those things really get put into perspective when your spouse works in a funeral home.  The tired old “A had a bad day, boss was a jerk, traffic was terrible” argument goes out the window against ‘I stitched up a dead guy, he had a hole in his chest and was purple.”  I’ve always been one to let the little things go and just enjoy the big picture, and lately I’ve been bogged down in the details.  I don’t know HOW detailed oriented people survive the day.  Still, as a Sunday night with a home cooked meal, the love of my life, and a Family Feud DVD game can go along way to healing the small things and re-charging me for the days to come.

Ok enough of that.  Melissa took me to a place in Saskatoon called Liquidation Superstore.  This must be the place Value Village and Liquidation World shop from.  It was TERRIFYING!  I could  only guess at the functions of half the stuff.  The toys looked like a mix of asbestos and firecrackers, and the knock-off names were hilarious.  I’ll be posting pictures of this  place as often as I can, check out this rare find!