A Thursday Night

Thursday


This night I can admit there was some bitching up. I only got about 10 to 12 sets in for those 3 hours 11pm to 1am that I was there. All these sets except for one were 5 minutes or less.


I found a club that has a lot of people called, Xbar*. I get there at 10pm expecting to get settled and get into my grove and mingle before the crowd came, but it’s already packed.


Stuck in the line for an hour. For 30 minutes I talk on the phone to my ex (we’re still cool) to get in a social mood. The next 30 minutes I talk/joke with the people in line with me. Couple fights and a few shots fired before anyone can even get in. I joke that, “If people ask did you see the fight?” The person’s going to say back, “Which one?”


Finally get in the club. It’s pretty much an “urban/hood” club I guess. Go to the bar and order a Redbull to get going. I wait about 5 minutes to start.

I’m noticing the “captive audience” is good to warm up with. People in line are bored and open to talk. So are people waiting for drinks. Just can’t stay at the bar long because girls seem to just start flirting for drinks.

Anything/ideas to piggyback on that?

First 2 sets that I have bomb. Can’t even transition. Less than 2 minutes long. Start to get AA and head to the bathroom. Try to remember the stuff in the lessons and push through the discomfort.

I come back out and try to force the 3 second rule and punk out. It’s easier said than done. I have to work with that. Order another Redbull and girl opens me with some form of dance move to slide in and get to the bar. I tell her, “That was nice. Did you practice that?” teasingly. She says, “maybe” and smiles. I know I should’ve stacked forward, but I couldn’t think of what to say next and eject.

The opinion openers seem to BOMB the whole night. Not sure if it’s the dance floor environment, the “urban” environment, my delivery, limiting beliefs, etc. But it wasn’t cutting it. Opening on the dance floor was also No Man’s Land. Between the bar and dance floor seemed to be best.


It felt like (the vibe I was getting) was that the indirect openers appeared really phony and disingenuous. I wasn’t even given the time to root them. Like they felt I was too weak to admit why I was really there. I don’t feel like I’m indicating too much interest (Smile. Opener. Step back). Anywho, to compensate for this I just used the, “You seemed cool…” semi-direct opener and stacked forward to the other openers.
Noticed I was checking my phone a little bit too much. Forced myself not to lap except maybe 3 times total the whole night.


Some of the sets I can remember:

Actually this may have been the “first” set. Only lasted a minute. A group of the girls I was next to in line outside. “So you decided not to beat him up (Some guy she had an argument with outside)?” She was very enthusiastic about the argument. Try to transition, but she and the group are still stuck on the altercation. Friends take her to the restroom or dance floor (can’t remember) to calm down.


Open another 3set with “Seemed cool”. Come in to the side where I’m only approaching one. Transition to “Break up through text”. Listens to whole transition and story, but appears to get mad calling the “friend” I have shady. I think she thinks I’m the “friend” and goes to dance somewhere else.


I think I’m going to cut this story out of the routine. 3 bad reactions through the night with it. Going to try “Who lies more?” with some form of connecting story. The “deleter-type” story seems to work best. It’s an off-shoot of your “Jealous Girlfriend” story, but it actually happened to me…

Also noticing that sarging alone doesn’t make a difference.

It’s actually better because I HAVE to sarge. No one notices you’re by yourself or asks where your friends are.

Any ideas on how to stay in set or keep it moving forward?

No one notices or cares if you’re rejected either. I can honestly say that all responses got better as the night progressed. Maybe I was just getting comfortable.
Saw a 5set taking pictures and reminded me of your camera opener. Aced like I was going to take their picture and then took mine ;) After that, I took theirs. I didn’t try to continue for no reason that I can think of (20/20 hindsight). I was near the bar at the time. After taking the pictures a guy asks me to get his beers for him. Don’t think he was old enough to drink, but “Don’t ask, don’t tell”.


While getting the beers, I ask a 2set how long the bartender is taking. One of the girls jokingly misinterprets and says, “Oh no…you don’t have to buy me a drink.” I respond, “Sweetheart, I don’t even know your name.” She introduces immediately. I laugh and tell her “maybe next time”. I bring the guys their drinks and lap around.

I see another 2set I was in line with. I stand close next to one. “Oh my God. I feel like I’m right back outside.” Laughing and positive reactions, but I leave looking for the bar girl. The plan was to come back to them.


Head back to the bar to look for the cute girl that was trying to get me to buy a drink. One of the girls that I took a picture of opens me. We talk about her being tired and her shoes hurting, etc. I’m not attracted to her though. We joke, but she’s the “big’’ friend I see the girl I was looking for. “Did you get a guy to get that drink yet?”


She pokes her lip out. “No. Can you believe it?” I baby her and give her a hug. “Aw, you’re a cute girl. I’m sure ‘someone’ will end up buying you one.” Conversation ensues. She tells me she’s not drinking tonight because she the DD. I tell her that it’s cool that she takes care of her friends. Her friends were headed somewhere. She asks me to catch up with her later. I say okay, but we don’t.


Back to the bar again. I see the “big” friend coming to re-open. I figure it’ll kill time, so what the hell. Before she can get there a taller-than-me, dark-skinned, long-haired, and tattooed (my ideal type) girl comes up to me and starts dancing on me 3 or 4 songs…hard. I can tell she’s been drinking, but not drunk at all. She was very capable of moving how she (and I) wanted.

Fourth song ends, she stops, takes her heels off (now exactly my height…5’10), winks at me and walks away with her friends. WTF…I don’t know what to say about that. I wasn’t ready I guess ;)

Look at my watch and it’s 1am. I have to get up early in the morning so I leave.
1 hooked set and zero numbers.


Should you throw the TB out there if you can’t hook the set? Also, how early can you sexualize the conversation? Right after hooking or in isolation? 3 second motivation? Ideas on how to keep sets moving?

I felt like I had to plow a lot. Should I just accept that as it is starting out?