Chatting with Mike Von - Part Two

In case you missed it, read part one.
As an inspiring 16-year-old comic, Von began performing at a club in Baltimore called the Five Seasons on open mic nights. How was the first night? “I completely bombed. It had me second guessing myself.” Von wasn’t anticipating that the 30 and over crowd at the club might have a different sense of humor than his high school classmates.

Instead of giving up, Von realized that something had to change. “It’s all about tweaking your jokes. Just because you have a different audience doesn’t mean the same jokes won’t work. You just have to be aware of the environment and make sure the delivery is right.” He also points out that your audience must always understand your joke. For example, just because you’re talking about a situation in school doesn’t mean an older crowd won’t find it funny. The difference is that they have to fully understand the background information. Talking to a classmate, you can throw out the professor’s name and then the joke. With strangers, you have to set up the scene. Who is this professor; what are some funny characteristics? A simple explanation can be the difference between a laugh and a head scratch.

Von decided to leave Baltimore and start advancing his career further. He currently lives in Chicago and says that it’s a great “training city” for young comedians. “You get to meet all the comedians from New York and L.A. because they all pass through here.” And when they come, there’s always a chance Von may be the act right before them. He already has a pretty impressive resume for his age; he’s opened for Tracie Morgan and David Allen Grier. Chicago is also home of the renowned Second City, which features a lot of famous comics, giving up and coming acts opportunities to network and learn. Von has met Tina Fey and Steve Carrell at Second City, just to name a few.

As far as social media, Von uses networking sites, mainly Facebook, to promote his talents. However, he is one comic that does not follow the trend of posting Youtube videos. “There’s a lot of comics that steal, and there’s no way to know most of the time.”

Von’s main goal is to host a late night talk show on HBO, something similar to the Arsenio Hall and Chris Rock shows. He admits that will take years of working in the industry and building a reputation, but he’s hopeful.

Von’s advice to aspiring comedians is to have patience. He says, “Rappers can have one hit single, but a majority of popular comedians have had to work at it for years.” Also he stresses, “What sets you apart from the rest of the bunch?” It’s important to develop a unique style, not copy off of someone else’s success.

Von will be featured in a documentary about up and coming talent in Chicago and the life of a standup comic. The working title is “The art of laughter.” He will also be performing at the Baltimore Comedy Factory, along with his father, April 10 and 11.