After reviewing all of my posts in 2010 it certainly has been an eventful year full of ups and downs, except financially, where it has mostly been downs.  For all the fans and/or readers of www.JLCauvin.com or just looking for yet another year-in-review to read here goes.

JANUARY

• Took an 18 hour train ride to Detroit and an 18 hour bus ride back to NYC for a gig that netted me $12.  (one of the harsh lessons of 2010 was that club owners don’t give a fu*k in many cases, in developing careers for comedians or bringing in really good comedians, when they can skim a few dollars off of the top and just pay an ok local comedian).  The people of Detroit made it worth it though – they bought 22 CDs from me with all the money ($220 x2 = $440 because I gave it to a matching donor) going towards the Red Cross for earthquake relief in Haiti. 
• Saw LeBron James wearing a Cavs jersey in Cleveland in person in a basketball game.  I did not know that I would not have another opportunity to see this so I’m happy I did.

FEBRUARY

• Lost the father of a friend and a comedy fan – Mike Crotty Sr. from Belmont, MA.  Any comedian can appreciate this man when they read what I wrote.  In a business that can feel quite lonely and misguided – people of Mr. Crotty’s magnanimous spirit are worth ten thousand fans.

MARCH

• Was kicked in the face by an amateur stuntman in a College Humor Video.
• Was tripped by a woman (on purpose) after a set at Karma Lounge in NYC when she disapproved of my set
• Lost in the second round of March Comedy Madness
• Auditioned for Greg Giraldo for Last Comic Standing.  Did not get passed through.

APRIL

• Performing just outside of Baltimore for a weekend performed for a crowd that cheered (not ironically) for the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.  This became the first of many awkward moments  occurring around and below the Mason Dixon line in 2010.
• Unsuccessfully began a campaign to stop Betty White from hosting Saturday Night Live.

JUNE/JULY

• Big month of travel – great shows in Toledo, Ohio and Chicago, Ill.  Also performed to indifferent crowds in Asheville, NC and Atlanta (Atlanta was the best I did in the South in two years, but I graded out to a B at best.  If I had less optimism and more realism for the speed and intelligence of the Southern sense of humor I would have taped one joke in every club I performed at over the last two years and then stringed them all together – the four weakest reactions and slowest reactions would have come from the four southern venues I have worked).  The South will not rise again.  Sorry.
• Flew myself to the midwest on short notice (various Benjamins were spent) for an audition at a club, where if I did well I was told I could anticipate two weeks of work a year. Did 30 minutes.  Killed it.  Club told me I killed it.  Have contacted the club 8 times since then.  Have not heard back. 
• Finished second out of 72 comedians in New York’s Funniest Comedian contest (there were many, many NYers not in the contest that are very funny).  1st place won $2500.  Second place – second place in a comedy contest.

AUGUST

• opened for Patrice O’Neal in DC. I worked with several headliners this year, but none could touch what O’Neal did at the DC Improv in August.  I felt like a comedy fan for the first time in a while watching his sets.

SEPTEMBER

• A giant of comedy and my personal favorite comedian, Greg Giraldo passed away.  A terrible loss to comedy.
• Performed at a hospital for patients that did not have all of their faculties, but they still knew not to laugh at me.
• Opened for Paul Mecurio in Connecticut – meaning that the headliner and feature both had law degrees from Georgetown.  A sad day for GULC.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

• Performed in Hoboken for a woman who wanted to fight me and another woman who criticized me for making such an obscure reference of Ben Roethlisburger.
• Got to hear a middle aged white man drop an N bomb at the bar of a Long Island club.  Then got to perform for that individual fifteen minutes later.
• Lost in contests in Indianapolis and Boston.
• Performed for 115 people in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  That was 115 people over the course of 4 shows.  At least 47 of those people laughed.

DECEMBER

• Had a brief spat with a “comedy” sports website.  I got paid my twenty dollars.
• Had great sets in Chicago and Verona, NY.  I have been paid for one of those gigs.

So it has been an eventful year, but at least one thing is already looking up in 2011 – I am going to get paid for at least one gig.