This month I'm turning 2 years in New York, 4.5 years in America and 30 years of total life.
2.5 of them were in LA. Dear LA.
Which brings me to my next blog thingy I'm about to write.. Where would I rather live for the rest of my life? NY? LA? or maybe back to Israel...??
I can say outta the 2 years living in LA, 1.5 years I spent in traffic. and the rest of the time on stage.
I started doing comedy in LA, it's a good place to start I would say, not intimidating. LA makes things look like no one takes things seriously, blame the weed, blame the sun.. but people are relaxed and with no real concerns or real problems. You can survive with making no money, and you will still have a good time. Up until 1AM because that when SHIT IS CLOSED. And that life style is shown on stage and that's mostly why most of the stand up you hear in LA makes you go: “you guys seriously have thins shit written down somewhere?” . You will hear the same thing from comics.. which is basically how much nothing I have going on in my life because I smoke too much.
Don’t expect to get paid in LA. If you do it won’t be more then $25 and you won’t get it before 60 days. And that how clubs in LA work. Of course you can do out of the city gigs and get paid, but those will be a bit more difficult to get.
If you move from NY to LA you will definitely think LA is a joke.
LA is tricky. You will be surrounded by illusions, and so much bullshit it's so easy to get distracted. I do miss the sun. I was able to get on stage every night between 2-5 times, because I had a car (I’m a grown woman….!!) and there's plenty of OPEN MICS to do your shit. And I didn't wait for nobody. Plus I was bored and had nothing better to do. And I’m a loser and had to talk about it.
I left LA because I needed a change. This city is not built for young people with the will to live. It's boring, unless you're a working actor, producer, director, which i'm non of those. so I left. Don't get me wrong my heart was broken, I have a new family there, but I know, eventually when I don't have to work i'll be back there. (PLEASE GOD.. I hate working).
The first thing I noticed when I moved to NY and started going up on those stages is that people here are REALLY FUNNY. I was like holy shit girls are not pretty here, and they are funny, fuck I'm not special anymore!!! Comics talking about real problems. I was like shit. I felt like I went back 2 years. Doing my jokes and not really getting any reaction. Anyways, first 2 months in NY I did over 50 black (oh excuse me.. Urban) rooms, because black people love me (or maybe just the guys), and didn't mind me bombing. I ate my ass off. Again and again. I went to the Bronx, Long Island, Harlem, Brooklyn, Queens, I learned NY in 2 months. And I'm a slow learner. I'd get lost in my neighborhood, ask my mom.
My first year in NY I honestly want to say there wasn't a day of not thinking about going back to LA. I hated EVERYTHING. The dirt, the people in my face all the time, the weather, the WEATHER!!!!!! I can punch that weather in the face! top it all I wasn't getting much laughs, I'm sweating all the time, my hair looks like shit, and it's actually more expensive to live in this dump. then why am I doing this to myself???
Things got better tho. I met some friends, found my way in the comedy scene. I barked for stage time, (For LA peeps that means standing on the street like an asshole and try to get people into a comedy show), I didn't bark for long, I got into fights really fast (just arguments relax) , and ended up barking for a club and getting money for it and stage time. And that helped me meet the club owner, and work at comedy clubs in NY.(whoo hoo finally a break). Barking and trying to get people to watch a show when there's 3 more shows going on the same block ISN'T EASY AT ALL. I did it for a min until I got into beef with club manager and then I had to find new ways to get on stage.
Of course I kept getting up, meeting every fucking person and at some point produced a show, host mics, help producing shows, sit people at shows, be everywhere do everything.
That's the main difference about those 2 cities, LA you can't really work your way up like NY, here you can actually clean toilets and get more stage time, I'm not saying it's cool i'm just saying it's possible. NY NY ??!?!
I know I didn't made it yet. but I don't wanna forget this shit. so shhhhhhhhhhhh.
anyways, I miss my car. I hate people touching me on the subway. I hate dropping things on the floor and just leave it there outta fear of catching diseases. I hate this freaking cold, specially cuz I lost weight and I can't show it off and I KNOW it's not gonna last. But NY, I love the night life, I love the comedy clubs, comics actually get paid here (THE SAME DAY!!) Here you make btw $20-$40 on a week day and $75-$85 for a weekend spot. And if you get to do the Village underground you can get $125 a set. JUST SAYING WTF LA?!
On my 30 birthday I got to do a show at Greenwhich Village Comedy Club and invited all my friends. I did my 20 min special. I had 40 people coming to see my dumb face. I was surprised and very grateful. I can tell you one thing.. If someone would have told me 5 years ago i'd be celebrate my 30 birthday at a comedy club, doing stand up comedy in English, in NYC with 40 of your friends that you don't even know yet, i'd be like HA (or Cha) whatever. But you never know.
I'm still Ricki from the smallest city in Israel. Akko (the hood). look that shit up.. Oh can't find it?! Told you it's small.
I miss Israel. I miss my family, my friends. all my friends now are parents. with kids and shit. I never had that kid bag in me, it was always career. My mom is like wtf Ricki but she did the same only in the 70's light version for girls gone independent.
I hope to buy a house in LA. I don't want to live here for the rest of my life. I want trees, and nature, and recycle my bottles! I hate the subway. I hate waiting. This city reminds me too much of Israel, this constant pressure, accomplishments, fast, now.. I don't need this, I want be on the beach in Santa Monica and smoke weed. The medical shit.
I'm excited, Because i'm inspired here by so many talented people, hard working, and not so hard working yet talented enough to not work hard.
But honestly if you are debating, or need a change.. and you can make a change at this point of your life then just do it. Sometimes you want to make a change and you can’t. I’d do the whole thing all over again. I want to have choices, I don’t get people who lived in one place all their life and they prefer where they live over anywhere else… even tho they never been anywhere else..
Just keep in mind it’s a big world, go expend yourself.. you will grow as a person and as a comic.
Have a happy spring New Yorkers.
Yours truly <3
Ricki
This is a link (you gotta copy paste..) to one of my shows.. Enjoy???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKFBSoXdGX4
