if you were to come up to me and ask, “hey chad fogland, why are you in los angeles?” i would answer by telling you one of the best stories of my little life.
i first moved out here in november 2001. back then i was living i the valley. i hadn’t been here very long, about two weeks. i didn’t have anything going for me at the time. i was trying my hand at stand up, but at the open mike at “the comedy store”. 3 minutes of stage time on sundays. and that was if i was lucky enough to be one of the fortunate 20 out of 40 who drew a number out of a hat the previous sunday. besides that i didn’t do anything, but try and write new jokes. i was a little lost. a small fish in a very big lake.
then one day i came across an ad in the “la weekly”. it was an ad telling of an appearance going to be made by steve martin at “book soup”. steve martin’s stand up and early work in movies is probably my biggest inspiration; thus, i felt compelled to go see him and get my copy of “cruel shoes” autographed. now i was a little apprehensive because i thought i would come off like a big geek or fan boy. i thought to myself, “is this the way you want to met this man?” so for the next few days i was off and on if i was going to go. finally, i decided not to attend the book signing. i decided to go up to san francisco and visit a friend of my living up at the time.
as i left for san fran, i quickly changed my mind and decided the hell with it, i’m going to go see steve martin. i got to book soup and took my place in line. i was surprised that from what i could see, i was the only one there with “cruel shoes”. others remarked on this as well. in fact that is how i met skyler stone, a comic who had also just moved out to los angeles just a few months prior. skyler and i starting talking about comedy and stand up and what have you. he brought up “the groundlings”. “the groundlings” is a school teaching improve and sketch comedy (www.groundlings.com). i had heard of “the groundlings” before but never give it much thought. skyler convinced me to call for an audition to get into one of the basic classes starting up soon. i did and got into the program there at “the groundlings” and am now an upper classman awaiting the last class in the program, the advanced class.
skyler and my conversation was overheard by another person in line. a young lady who spoke up and told me of a comedy show where she was booked. it was at a place called “the goodbar” on sunset blvd. down at the end of the strip. she invited me to the show and later that month i attended. a lady came up to me at the bar and told me that i had a “great look”. she then asked me if i was a comedian. i said i was. she introduced herself as lesley wolff and she booked me at the “goodbar”. i performed and lesley wolff booked me again and again which started off my many stand up comedy opportunities here in LA. meeting people here and there, getting booked other places. it was pretty much the way i got started here in LA- stand up wise.
but of all the people i met there is one i will never forget. the girl right in front of me was one of those nutzo fanjobs. she told everyone this story about a dream she had about steve martin and when we finally got up to met steve martin, she reprised the story for him. this is her dream: “about a year ago i was living in minnesota and i had this dream in which i was kissing steve martin in front of a library in los angeles. and i woke up and was like, i have no plans to move to los angeles. but, whenever i dream about kissing someone, i always end up kissing them and here i am now living in LA.” to which steve martin replied, “well, i’ll be in front of the santa monica library at 7 o’clock tonight.” the girl freaked out and ran off all crazy-like.
so now it was my turn to see steve martin. this is the guy who has been the biggest inspiration on everything i do comedy-wise. this is the one celebrity in the world that i actually get very nervous around, and yet at that very moment i couldn’t help myself. my mouth opened and out came, “hello steve martin. about a year ago i was asleep and i had this dream in which i was making out with you in front of a butcher’s market here in los angeles. And i woke up and i said, “i’m NOT GAY!” but here i am.” steve martin, my favorite of favorites, looked up at me and grinned a wide smile shaking his head. he laughed. and then after signing my copy of “cruel shoes”, i handed him my pre-printed autograph card, an idea i got from something he use to do in his hay days. steve martin laughed again, stood up and walked down the line of patrons exclaiming that today wasn’t a total loss for him, he got an autograph as well. And with that i just lost it and ran away.
i was so happy. and it was because i went to that steve martin book signing that i was able to launch my comedy career out here in california. i met all my friends, cohorts, contacts, lady friends, business contacts through “the groundlings” and my stand up performances. And i got those due to the fact i went and got my copy of “cruel shoes” autographed. plus, i made steve martin laugh. if anything that was more than worth.
cowabuga!
