Ahamed Weinberg Instagram – When I moved to LA 12 years ago I needed an internship for film school and googled the word “comedy”. The Comedy Store came up and I called. A man named Tommy picked up and said they don’t do internships, but gave me a long rundown of the entire history of the club and said I should come for Potluck. I went.
The Store was a different place then, very dismal and empty. I performed in an empty OR that night and bombed in front of 12 people. I kept trying to save myself by telling the crowd that these jokes worked in Philly. Another joke didn’t work and I’d say “that’s a philly joke”. The host went up after me and said “I guess Philly means terrible”. That was the first big laugh of the night.
I kept going. A few months later the booker came up to me and said “you had a good set tonight”. He said the store likes me, meaning the building. He said I was being myself, and that’s what The Store is looking for, it’s what Mitzi wanted. He also said I’m now “friends and family” and I can start calling in for spots. I was overwhelmed, it felt like I was in the mafia. This was around 11 years ago.
I’ve been through so much in this building. Getting passed seemed like something that only happened to door guys or people with credits. Even after I had credits, it seemed so far away. Impossible. But I always felt like I could hang out there, and like I was part of the building.
The Store changed and became a focal point in the world for comedy again. I stopped getting spots, I got spots, I felt great there, I felt awful there. I’ve been through so much in LA but I never stopped going. The creepy dark hallways and hidden passages. The lure of Cero’s nightclub and all the murders and ghosts. The only place in the world I could go on a random lonely night and be sure to find friends. A solace in the unemployment haze of being an open mic comedian.
Very rarely does something feel special or important like this. I truly feel honored to be apart of it. Thank you @thecomedystore | Posted on 02/Feb/2024 00:38:17
