New Faces Soundtrack

By Jack Stephen

I headed to Denver to compete in The New Faces Competition at Comedy Works. The annual New Faces competition receives over 200 applicants and accepts 168 people. Over 6 months or so, the field is whittled down to the top 40 comics for the semis. Then, there is the finals and finally the crowning of the champion. This was my third year competing, and my sights were set low because the comics competing are top notch.

What song was on the radio as I drove down to Denver from Loveland? “Honky Cat” by Elton John.

Elton John, what to say? I’m not sure I’m the biggest Elton fan, but I’d have to admit he has put out some incredible songs. I read his autobiography, ME, and it sure was interesting. Perhaps with a bit of serendipity, he decided to partner with songwriter Bernie Taupin—otherwise he probably would have been relegated to a life as a session piano player or a lounge act. In his early twenties, he was the biggest pop star in the world. Another interesting tidbit in the book was that one of his rock bottoms, before he decided to get sober, was a night of pounding martinis with Duran Duran, which sounds like quite the evening.   

My favorite Elton songs are probably “Mona Lisa’s and Mad Hatters,” “Amoreena,” and the obvious “Levon” (choice lyric, “Jesus wants to go to Venus”). There’s another three I might list on a different day, as they’re all filled with passion and presence. My favorite track of his was the one with minimal piano on it, “Philadelphia Freedom.” This song was a tribute to the tennis superstar Billie Jean King, who started a new tennis league trying to get women paid fairly, sponsored by Virginia Slims cigarettes! It is a big groovy pop song, especially awesome to have him paired with an orchestra. While Elton had some duds (see the album Caribou recorded in a studio outside of Nederland, Colorado), overall, he’s a genius musician with an epic career.  

But let’s come back to “Honky Cat.” I guess it’s about a redneck who was trying to navigate upscale New Orleans? He realizes he needs to “get back to the woods.” At one point, he mentions “he’s read some books and magazines”—yeah, that’ll show those upper crust ladies! Let’s bring back the term “Honky Cat.” It sure is a crack up as far as white monikers go. This is a song that really gets stuck in your head. Elton nails the ragtime piano better than Scott Joplin or Jelly Roll Morton ever could.

What song should I have played as I drove down? “Philadelphia Freedom” by Elton John. 

There’s a bit of time to kill before the show. I parked in the garage across the street from Comedy Works around 6 (you must check in before 6:30), and the show wasn’t going to start until 7:30. 

As I sat in my car, what song did I play to get ready? “N.Y. State of Mind” by Nas.

I recently discovered Nas, and what a fantastic find. His album Illmatic is killer; it kind of reminds me of early Ice Cube records. It’s one of those simple rap albums; lay out a great loop/beat and let Nas do his thing. He was in a great headspace on this one, perhaps in a “N.Y. State of Mind”? I played it a couple of times and got it stuck in my head; I was there—this audience was going to be rocked.  

I checked in and paid my $20 entry fee. I shot the breeze with the comics loitering at the club and then walked around in Larimer Square. I was trying to stay loose and not get worked up.  Around 7, I sat in the back, watched the patrons file in and get seated for the show.

What song were they playing? “Don’t You Evah” by Spoon.

I really like Spoon. They were one of the Austin bands that caught the 1990s wave of indie rock and have been riding it ever since. Much like the bands The Shins and Built to Spill, they have a super unique sound and vibe. They kind of remind me of Jeff Buckley’s music, well, maybe, if Jeff Buckley had lived long enough to start an indie rock band. I would say Spoon would be the top for me in this genre, whatever it’s called. So many cool tracks, especially on the album Gimme Fiction, which included the gems “I Turn My Camera On” and “The Beast and Dragon, Adored.” Thanks Spoon for the music, nice to hear you tonight while getting set to rock this room.

What song do they play when they start the show? “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” by Tomoyasu Hotei.

Almost every show at Comedy Works starts with this song, at least the ones I’ve attended anyway. It is probably most remembered from the Quentin Tarantino movie Kill Bill: Part 1. It is certainly a good one to start a show. The song is used in the movie when the Bride is preparing to take on O-Ren Ishii, as O-Ren is entering the tea house with her gang. The scene devolves into a pretty epic blood bath/battle scene, which goes on for about 30 minutes and the blood never stops spewing across the screen. I guess this is a good song to set up a comedy show as well?  Killing and crushing on stage is pretty awesome, albeit less gruesome. 

Tonight was the first night for group A, and twelve comics were going up with a five-minute set. This year I was equipped with the ultimate pro tip; my buddy was going to give me a light at four minutes. Comedy Works doesn’t light for the contest, so the timing can be problematic. If you go over your time, your mic is cut. This can be especially challenging, as the room is red hot and most comics aren’t used to the long laugh breaks, which can mess up your timing. Five comics in my group got their mic cut, missing their closer, which is usually their best joke.  

Going up fourth, my set was going great. I settled in and was relaxed. The pops were popping.  The crowd was on my side. I was able to ad lib and get into the moment. I even had time for my trademark deadpan comment “It’s a fun crowd out here tonight.” Then one more joke, and into the closer, no problem—hit just like it should. It felt great, but I thought my chances were slim.  The competition was tough. I watched the rest of the comics and the headliner. It was time to hear the winners, so I headed backstage. We milled around. The judges announced the wild card winner. Then they put forward two other winners, which were no surprise—crushers with great sets. It was time for the last spot. They called my name; I advanced to round 2! I took the stage a bit lightheaded with a loopy smile. 

After they took the winners picture, I headed out hitting fist bumps and heard the compliments along the way. I walked to the parking garage and some guy got the door for me and said, “Dude you are fucking hilarious!” I got in my car, yelled, and cried a little bit. “You fucking did it!” As I paid for my parking, I was laughing a strange looney laugh. I turned down Larimer Street and stopped at the light. I put my window down—still smiling. I saw some people from the show at the street corner waiting to cross. I hear one of them exclaim, “Hey, that’s the guy,…there he goes.”

What song was on the radio? “Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?” by Chicago.

Chicago was such a cool band. They embraced a location with the band name, much like their colleagues Boston and Kansas. Of the three, I would say it’s a close race with Boston, but Chicago probably wins by a length or so. They just have a deeper range and overall better songs, but let’s not forget “Carry On My Wayward Son,” which is a great Kansas song. Between the horns, the super creative songwriting, and Peter Cetera and Robert Lamm on vocals, Chicago nailed it. With a perhaps bit of synchronicity, the choice lyrics in this song punctuated tonight’s experience for me—“Does anyone really know what time it is? Does anyone really care?”