Who is Martin Furgang?
What can be said about Martin Furgang that hasn’t already been said… by Kanye West? Marty loves performing stand-up comedy but doesn’t do it too often; it interferes with his suffering. Marty says he has over 1000 pages of material. He won’t tell you it’s a page of pick-up lines and 999 copies.
I met Marty three months ago at Union Beer Store at a Wednesday open mic. Everyone there knew Marty! I, meeting him for the first time, was in for a treat. Marty began his set hobbling up to the stage with cane and stool in hand. At first I felt bad; but by the end of the set I felt that I had just witnessed greatness. Marty is a true character: everything he does on stage is hilarious! His set is full of punchlines about his age and lifestyle but his delivery and emotion are what make him the most memorable act in the Miami comedy scene.
I had the pleasure of going to ten shows with Marty last week. We hit four spots on Monday: from Pompano Beach to Coral Gables. He got us booked in Brickell on Tuesday. We did two mixed-art mics on Wednesday, a couple shows up north on Thursday, and rounded out the week with two local open mics.
Seeing Marty go up ten times in ten different venues gave me insight into a master at work. His sets varied to match the venue, crowd, and timing constraints: going up at bars and comedy rooms, to audiences big and small, and going anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes! He had a command of his material that made it natural and fluid. And he was always in character.
Marty stays in character so well because he performs from an authentic place: his act is an expression of his true beliefs and feelings. He opens up onstage. He doesn’t do anything contrived or unbelievable; the fact he is so truthful is what yields shock from his adoring fans.
Yes, Marty has fans. People come up to him after the show to say hello, to follow his social media page, and to take pictures! Perhaps they are entertained by his well-rehearsed writing and preparation! But more likely his material seems spontaneous to each new crowd. This is because Marty works the audience into each performance and leaves them wanting more! According to Marty, those are the six elements of the successful comedian:
Write
Prepare
Rehearse
Connect
Entertain
Leave the audience wanting more
He does them each, to a T!
Make sure to give Marty a follow and catch him at a show sometime soon, who knows how long he will be around (before his act takes off and he makes for New York and Hollywood, of course). Thank you Marty for a week of fun shows, lessons, and friendship. Here’s to your five year overnight success!
Every word is true! Thanks for this beautiful, magnificent, and touching tribute to me!