Last week I stopped by Sal's on a Tues. night after doing a set at NYCC. I wanted to get another set in that night before making the long drive home. It was the weekly open mic...Laugh off. I haven't been able to get to this show for a while because I try to not go out more than 2 nights in a row during the week. The warden ( Mr. wonderful) gets lonely. I also wanted to see some of my friends. I saw Sal from my car and pull up in front. He tells me the place is packed and he is putting up about 50 ...they started around 8ish. It was past 11 when I got there. I was going to just go home but I found a parking space a block away and figured Id just pop my head in and say hi. I look at the bar and there is no one I know. I go down to the show room and it pretty full. Then as I look around..................I recognized only one comic. I go over and say hi and ask..."who are these people?" They were all new to me.
I find it really scary how many people keep jumping in to give Standup a try. I am one of them so this isn't to say they shouldn't be there, rather it is shocking how many new faces in just six weeks showed up. On the other side where were all the comics I do know? Hopefully and factually many have moved up and out of the open mic scene and are getting stage time with paying audiences. .
I really love going to Sal's open mic. Sometimes we would actually get an audience and that made it a lot of fun. Also when you have a club or a mic that is your home base there is a comradery that is really fun. Some people see it as clicky.... I cant say that I have found it to be like that. Sure the first time you go to any new room if you don't know anyone it is rare anyone will jump off the stage to shake your hand. But if you go to a mic regularly you will find that people are really receptive especially if they see you are serious about what you are trying to do comedy wise. I was very scared the first show I did at the Morrison Motel. The room felt like everyone knew every one else. John the mench extrodinare that he is welcomed me warmly as I checked in. After the show he came over to me and told me that he like what I did. I loved going there and still do.
Many comics get angry about open mic's. They say things like...... how can you tell if a joke is good if your telling it to a bunch of comics just waiting to go on...or for a prize at the end of the night??? Many complain that they cant do the same set week after week when all the comics have heard it before. I agree somewhat....so I would try to have at least 2 new bits or even jokes or premises to work out. It made me write.....which made me better. One night early on Bill Burr was in the room this was almost 30 months ago. How do you perform in front of a bunch of other comics waiting to go on who aren't paying attention??? I learned from Bill that night.. you do it by waking them up with lots of laughter. He did a bunch of stuff that 2 years later he did on his HBO special...... If its good enough for Bill its good enough for me.
I started at the Stress Factory in NJs open mic. We often had 25 or more real audienc members it was great. But the best part for me was the feedback I would get from the other comics. Jullian would give me tons of feedback from the bar. John Bander and Greg Concodora and Jarret Kruse.....we all would help one and other....it was wonderful and made us all get stronger,
I like all of us don't want to languish at open mic's for ever.... I look to perform in front of a real audience when and wherever I can. However that said.... There is something great about the freedom of an open mic that cant be had anywhere else..................I can relax......I can reinvent.......I can ad lib...........I can try a different style...... and if it works great if it doesn't no foul. Now for the argument you cant tell if a joke is really good until you do it before a real audience. I don't know about you guys but my very BEST jokes I have known were good since the minute they were on paper...sometimes sooner. Sure Id run them by a friend or my husband. But after about a year of this I could judge pretty well if a joke was a laugh out louder or only a smile joke or a dud. Yes its great to go into a real room and find out a joke is great....on the other end it really sucks to find out that the joke is on you because it just bombed in front of 100 people. One of the things that I think I have developed is the ability to be able to self assess what is working and what is not. At open mic's I will take a joke that isn't working that I believe in and rework it and rework it until I think I have the correct wording, delivery and timing down pat. I do it for me................ not the room. Would I rather go to just real shows and do all this..... not really.
Hosting has let me do a bit more of this. Between comics I have thrown out a new line or 2 and some fly and others hover. I would much rather test run them at an open mic where a few good friends are. Best of all I respect the feedback theses friends give me. I love doing a new joke and late deconstructing it with Larry Baily or Guy or Sebastian or Raquel,Emily, Jill, Adrienne or Katy. We all help each other get better. I owe so much to so many people who like me endured open mic's with.. 1000 of dick jokes, thrown stools........ and boredom to the 100th degree. ALL because we want to get better at this. Remember this..........."Winners are willing to do what the losers wont."
Comments are below
point and counter point
Posted on 10/26/2005 at 06:05 PM by Josh Homer
Well I agree with most of what you said, however that all can be done at regular shows. When I bark, I talk with the other comics about bits ect like you described. I do relax on stage an dtake chances there, I play games with it, try differnt voices on stage etc. Just I don't feel that loving feeling at open mics. I did Stress Factory for months, no one offered me anything help or otherwise. I even got heckled by one of the people from SF, one of the guys from the back table.
your right about SF....
Posted on 10/26/2005 at 06:13 PM by Robin Fox
I started going to SF.. almost over 3 years ago. We eventually lost most of our real audience due to having been bumped by Jim Brewer for months on end. And you are right the group changed... I even felt like an odd man, or woman out in that situation. As for the love.... It is nice when it is there. I have barked for hours at clubs and done a set and it was if It never happened ...sometimes it didnt ...they ran out of show. Not one comic says hi.... I feel like I am seen as less than. I had a Killer set at one show I barked at for over 3 hours. I went on and just did great. To tell you the truth maybe cause Im old as shit.... I was too exhausted to enjoy it. It took me 10 months of hard work at all kinds of stage time some booked some barked some interned for...some open to finally be asked back for a spot without doing anything but bringing the funny. That was great. As for Heckeling at an open mic..... I have said on stage to someone who did that to me....Geee why dont you go fight someone with CP after this...ass hole. There is no room for it...At an open mic. Its great that you feel comfortable doing the things you do at barked shows... I do them there too. But for me.... and the situation I have created for myself, there is something really nice about having a home base open mic to go to. Lastly at the SF I always made it a point to go up to someone new and say hi....that place can be really scary the first time.
class act
Posted on 10/26/2005 at 06:26 PM by Josh Homer
I have seen you perform a few times (including the open mic at SF) and you seem like a really nice down to earth person. Hopefully I will work with you soon.
Well put Robin..
Posted on 10/27/2005 at 10:08 AM by Larry Bailey
I cant believe that I'm actually defending open mics as much as I hate them at times. But you hit the nail on the head. Sure there are a lot of negatives to the whole scene, but I've come to appeciate the little positives that do exist. In this business I've learned to take whatever positives you can get.
Best of all
Posted on 10/27/2005 at 12:24 PM by Robin Fox
Larry is the people you come to respect and enjoy. That is why I was so sad to go to Sals and see no one I know there but one comic. Your right they are unbearable at times. I have to leave the room often for a break. I miss some of those days when all we did was open mics and it was new...because I saw all of you at least 3 times a week. I dont feel like a fit in as much as this new crop of comics come up. But then there is the stage...and that is my classroom, no matter where it is I can learn something.
love your attitude
Posted on 10/28/2005 at 02:53 AM by Ray Rivera
i need to have your attitude, its really refreshing and professional, much success. i'm going to bed now.
from you Ray
Posted on 10/28/2005 at 02:59 AM by Robin Fox
Thats a rave. I feel the same way about you. Your always working writing and growing ...that all I can do to make this happen. There are very few if any short cuts. Great running into you tonight.
it's so true...
Posted on 08/28/2006 at 03:44 PM by Emily Epstein
You have a knack for putting things in perspective, ms. robin. open mics can be long and oppressive and frustrating. and for some of us that have been doing comedy for a while now, it's especially tough when we're not sure where we fit in--maybe ready to graduate from the mic circuit, but not sure that we can get enough stagetime to get up at least 5 times a week or more. But i agree, with our schedules and directions changing i miss seeing as many of the familiar faces. i haven't run into you in forever, but i'm so glad you're doing well! and i'm actually doing seymour's room this weekend and not sure what to expect myself. but i agree, it's all about challenging yourself and forcing yourself to go out of your element. it's the only way to grow.
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