Expat Jon takes on the world (well... Sweden)

I have to start off by saying that I love my job.  Everyone has been very welcoming there, I like my coworkers on my team, my boss' style goes great with my working style and I LOVE the general corporate environment in Sweden (at least the part of it that I've experienced).  There's a lot of freedom here.  It's like you're trusted to do your job, so no one is breathing down your neck and adding a new layer of stress.  There are no TPS reports. It's been great to apply my skills and knowledge to a new company.  There's also this feeling that I can be more of my "off-the-clock" self when I'm "on-the-clock". I got my job because of a contact created through "Yrkesdörren".  It's an awesome program that I blogged about here  that was created to help integrate skilled immigrants like myself into the seemingly impenetrable Swedish work force.  I like the program so much that I agreed to be a part of a commercial they were do...

I had a gig the other night at Södra Sällskapet.  It's one of my favorite clubs to perform at.  It's a basement, nice room, normally a good, energetic crowd.  I have fun when I'm on stage there.  The gig went very well.  I got laughs and applause.  I felt good.  I stuck around for the rest of the show and some drinks and socialization.  The night was good.  I met with some comics and some of their friends upstairs and began chit-chatting. One Swedish guy told me that I was funny.  It's always flattering.  I gave my normal "Thanks a lot, man!"  It really means a lot to me when someone tells me I'm funny.  You should try it.  Go up to a comedian and tell them they're funny.  I promise you you'll make their day.  However, this guy followed it up with a "but".        - The only thing I would say... Here goes.  Another person that doesn't get on stage telling me what I should do the...

At Big Ben I made it!  For one year now I've been going on stage and trying to make people laugh.  It's been such a fun journey thus far.  I remember that first night like it was just yesterday.  Some American comedians were trying out material for their tour called "Team Amerika".  Cool!  My now friend Yemi called me onstage for my first set.  I was terrified.  I said my jokes and felt like the funniest man ever. This comedy thing was going to be a piece of cake!  I was on cloud 9.  I blogged about the experience .  I called it "My Next Chapter".  I was sure that I was on the road to realizing my calling... Never mind the fact that I loaded the crowd with friends and family.  I had a dozen or so people there supporting me.  Of course I got laughs! Guess what I didn't blog about... My very next standup set.  I went up the next week and asked Yemi for a spot.  I'm sure he could see the desperat...

It had been a while since I got on stage and told jokes.  You get a rush when it goes well.  There is a level of happiness after a good set that's hard to explain besides saying it's like taking a bunch of ecstasy without the worry of going to jail or dying.  After my first set  I was hooked.  I tried to book myself as much as possible.  I needed to get on stage and get better.  For two months I went up at least once a week (except one week when Swedie told me I had to keep my ass at home).  I was starting to feel like a comedian.  Then the summer came.  This summer has been bad (ask any Swede) in regards to the weather, but my first summer as a comedian was a tough one.  Most of the comedy clubs (and everything except bars) shut down in the summer here.  That means every comedian in Stockholm is trying to get on one or two stages.  That also means no one cares about Jonathan Rollins getting some time.  Who is Jonatha...

My overall feeling about my very young stand-up experience is encouraging.  People laugh when I tell jokes on stage.  That's a good sign.  I think I have the luxury of having felt like I've been on stage my entire life.  My family is full of funny storytellers.  Every time I'm home, my aunt asks me to tell a funny story that she's heard before.  She laughs every time.  Different people are around every time.  I began to learn to pull the humor out and time the punchlines of the story just right.  It's almost like stand-up comedy boot camp.  The main difference is the real audience.  These family members and friends didn't come over expecting one person to make them laugh.  Plus, my aunt is setting up the jokes.  Stand-up is normally one person setting the jokes up and following through on them.  Lots of responsibility. My first sets went well.  Last night was my tenth time out and it may have been my best. ...

I finally did it!  I got up the nerve to get up on stage and try to make room full of strangers laugh (that are waiting to laugh).  The best part was... I didn't suck!  I had envisioned pretty much every possible disaster that could have happened.  I could freeze up and my mind go blank.  I could not get laughs at points where I expected to get laughs and then things get awkward and worse.  I could get booed off stage.  I could fall and seriously injure myself but everyone would think it's a part of the show and laugh at me while I writhe in pain.  I could say my five minute routine to a polite, but silent and generally unentertained crowd.  Or, I could kill it.  My jokes could get people to laugh. The cons definitely outweighed the pros heavily, yet somehow I mustered up the courage to do it.  I kind of stacked the deck in my favor by inviting a bunch of friends and family to support me on this crazy stunt.  I couldn't belie...

Tomorrow is the big day.  I've finally gotten the nerve to get up on stage and try to make people laugh.  I have always been able to make people laugh, but this is different.  The crowd will expect  to laugh.  They will want me to be funny.  And if I'm not, they won't laugh and it will be awkward for everybody in the room.  I will be failing in front of a bunch of people that paid to see me succeed.  Oh my goodness, I just got more nervous thinking about it! But I HAVE to do this.  I've flirted with the idea of trying stand-up for years, but I always chickened out.  I've heard about the incredible rush that you get when you "kill" and I want to experience that.  But I've also heard (and seen) the terrible horror that is bombing.  I've made my friends laugh hysterically and that is like a drug to me.  I can imagine the high I'll get from a room full of people laughing hysterically.  That's what drives me to go throug...