thanks to all and to all a good night.

[beardedlamb]

i put this in the tumblr but if you werent reading that, you can read this here now.

just want to take this opportunity where I have nothing to do for the first time in a week to thank everyone involved in making this psychotically huge festival run like it did. I heard more compliments from out of towners about how awesome the community in Austin is than compliments about how awesome my beard is, so you know we’re doing something right.
it’s the Austin comedy community that really pumps this festival and this incredible city with all the energy and electricity it needs to power such a huge 7-day monstrosity. every year we expand and every year I think it’s too much. this year was no exception as we basically doubled our venues and nearly tripled the number of shows. but to our surprise, every audience save a few exceptions was sold out or near capacity. it’s a testament to the health of the Austin comedy scene and lots of other incredible factors on the staff that helped spread the good word and get people to those seats.
anyone who knows me at all knows producing oob is one of my favorite things in the world, and having all these incredible volunteers and staffers, some of who I had never met until last Sunday, really warms my cockels. I leave Austin to go back to new York on Wednesday, and every year I have to leave after oob is like getting punched in the stomach by Jordan from on the spot, who by the way would never punch anyone. it tears my heart out to have to leave and one day I won’t. but it’s really amazing to know my shangri-la waits for me growing into an incredible, supportive scene that supports out of bounds as much I do.
and a quick thank you to my only year round employees and fellow producers in Dave Buckman, roy Janik, and Kareem badr. they put up with my little tantrums, leveled with me when I was being stupid and supported me when we all thought an idea was stupid but could maybe work. let’s do it again next year, starting now. roy can you fix the web site?
to the performers: in a business where there are no raw materials or inventory, you are the festival’s product, what we sell to the audiences, and I want to thank you for being so excellent across the board as people and artists. there will always be rough shows in the festival mix, but I honestly heard less about struggling shows than I have any other year and that’s saying a lot considering we more than doubled in size. thanks for being an artist. the world needs you.
to the audience, thanks for showing up again and being patient when shows were running late, or when something was sold out. you give us money and well, it’s tough to beat that relationship. you pay us and we get to talk to you in a big onesided coversation for 90 minutes while you sit in the dark in silence. then you applaud.
to my girlfriend Caitlin, who had to listen to me complain about oob problems and rave about oob successes all year even though it probably got really old. I love you. can we move to Austin?
and lastly, to my mom who doesn’t read blogs.

thank you from the bottom of my cockels and we’ll see you next year.

vigilant,
Jeremy Lamb
OOB Exec. Prod.

[ratliff]

As always, OoB left me exhausted but inspired and grateful to be a part of this community (local, national, international, whatever). I would never in a million years have the gumption to make something like this happen, so I owe an enormous debt to those who do year in and year out. Thanks for ringing the bell again.