About

100 paid or free sets before turning 40. Call it midlife crisis if you want. The page is midlife crisis.

The backstory

Mr Anonymous Comedian was a shy kid who grew up with social anxiety. At 15 he started intentionally challenging himself. Small uncomfortable things, then bigger ones. The anxiety did not vanish, but the willingness to do hard things in public did.

At his ripe old age of 39, he found a diary entry from 4 February 2008. The entry said he wanted to do stand-up comedy. He had written the same intention at least once before and never followed through. The 2008 version of him would be turning 18 in a few weeks.

So he gave himself a deadline: 100 sets before 40. Public account: an AI-assisted plan. Private account: a man who did not want to die having never tried. The site documents the journey.

The AI joke

A language model produced the venue shortlist, the phase structure, and the weekly cadence. The joke: a machine told me to do 3 sets a week, and I said OK. Whether the joke is on me or on the model, only show #1 can say. So far: zero sets, all theory.

Practical stuff

From Chadstone, Melbourne. Most open mics are 9 to 18 km away. 3 per week when not on a break, roughly 12 to 14 gigs a month. One full week off per month is non-negotiable. It keeps the writing habit alive.