The Pocket

"The phrase "in the pocket" is used to describe something or someone playing in such a way that the groove is very solid and with a great feel. When a drummer keeps a good metronomic pulse, often referred to as keeping time, and makes the groove feel really good, and maintains this feel for an extended period of time, never wavering, this is often referred to as a deep pocket."[http://www.drummercafe.com/education/articles/in-the-pocket.html]
The pocket in a musical sense is similar to an athlete being in the zone. This concept of being in the moment while influencing the audience is something I am actively trying to pursue in my comedy. My talent level comedicly is not nearly good enough to achieve this skill well. But I'm making strides to actively write in MY voice, and to be more aware of how I come across on stage. It's tough to do, but very important to watch/listen to your own sets and try to objectively look at the flaws. I have spent a lot of time reading about comedic theory, watching guys on my level through the podcast Kill Tony, and writing with my personality in mind. This attention to detail coupled with doing more open mic performances is helping me become a better performer.
The one concept I think is helping the most is this idea of getting in the pocket. For me the pocket is when I perform the jokes while still reading the audience, and not getting caught up fighting for the laughs. I want to just flow on stage and let the material speak for itself without unnecessary bells and whistles. As a comic that had been doing stand up for less than a year I know my comedic tool set is not very deep, however I think through both conceptualization and the actual practice of performing I can make strides a little faster and make my "artistic" pursuit a little easier for myself.