Lucas Zelnick

I always listen to the audience for everything.

So like the audience doesn't really know this, but like they kind of control the show in that they sort of play me like a puppet.

Like I just follow their laughter.

So if it's jokes and then I start doing crowd work and they don't laugh, I stay away from crowd work.

If it's crowd work and they're not laughing at the jokes or

I'll lean into that.

If, you know, if the audience loves someone that, you know, even if they're kind of annoying me, I'll give it at least a chance to try and grow on me.

So I don't ever try to be the guy that's like, you know, I think the worst comedians you'll ever see are sort of in denial because they have an agenda up there that's separate from what the audience is picking up.

I don't really believe in that.

So it's like if some dude makes some dumb ass comment and can I curse on you?

Yeah, I guess it's either confidence or it's just like...

I don't know.

I've done this enough now where you just got to know how to not swim against the current too much because you're being perceived by all these people.

I think the thing that I always hated about stand-up comedy growing up, like when I saw it live, because I grew up in New York City, so every once in a while I'd go, you know, there's so much stand-up in New York that...

you could maybe walk by a comedy club and pop your head in, especially as a teenager.

Not at the Comedy Cellar where you see professional great comedy, but when I went to an open mic night, the biggest thing I remember noticing was this guy on stage has no clue what the people in the audience think is funny.

He almost seems resentful that the people in the audience think something's different

you know, something different is funny than what he wants to make funny.

So when I became a comedian, it was pretty important to me and I didn't get it right.

I still don't always get it right, but it was pretty important to me to have a better connection with the audience that way.