Open Mic at Grogg’s is run by Steven The Bruce, a Scottish name that he is very proud of. While Steven has only been running the room for a few weeks, this room has been going on for 2 years. Primarily for comedians – certainly the night I was there it was all standup – but Steven is open to all forms of talent. Performers get 5 minutes, 7 if attendance is small. Steven lights you at one minute. Parking is no problem; there is a big lot. There are no language restrictions. Signup is first come first choice. On a good night 12 or so people will show up. The stage is a 6-inch square platform with a mic located at the far corner of the room. The lighting is good enough that you can see the talent well. Open mic takes place in a second, smaller room which seats about 24. The business itself is an Irish pub. They offer no food, just drinks. On the plus side, if you perform you get a comped drink. That was a welcomed surprise. The evening started about 8:44pm. By 9:05pm, 11 people were in attendance. I was the first talent to arrive and took the third spot. Before the evening began I sat with Steven and a couple other comedians and we talked about standup. A very lax environment. During the course of the evening I saw one person make their debut to comedy ever, as well as a comedian who was introduced as someone who is becoming a regular. Other talent was weekly drop-ins. Steven himself is a comedian and opened the show with a few minutes. I had a good set. If the room heard a joke they liked, I heard a laugh. The comedian who went up after me rhetorically asked if anyone dared him to chug the beer he was holding. Sure enough, he did and, while that did not get a laugh, when he obliviously threw up less than a minute later that, too, did not get a laugh. Comedians sitting close by were repelled to the point of getting up and moving to the back of the room. Someone even stood up, held their hand to their mouth, then briskly walked to the bathroom on the opposite side of the room. The comedian finished his set and had to be instructed to clean up his mess. For the rest of the night, no one performed on the stage. When I left that I night, I actually felt very good. I liked this room very much. If you’ve heard the expression “feel the love,” in a way, that night we did. Talent was not jaded. They supported each other by laughing when they heard something funny. They stayed to see and support the rest of the talent. The person who made their debut had a very good first-time experience with all the support of the room; and even at the end of the night, people were asking about the inebriated comedian if he was okay, that he wasn’t driving. There was concern for his well-being. It made me feel good. Steven ran the room smoothly, even with the rough patches. There was a kind of nobility in his efforts. Don’t get me wrong. This is not a dive bar. It’s not like Steven is used to handling drunks in the room. I think this was an isolated incident. The comedian who got sick is a regular, and I was told he has never behaved like that before. Guys, give this room a shot. If you’re a bit jaded, performing in the big cities where at most you get a smile or nod of approval, Grogg’s will have you experiencing otherwise. There is a kinship with the comedians in Clovis and the surrounding communities.
Open Mic at Grogg’s is run by Steven The Bruce, a Scottish name that he is very proud of. While Steven has only been running the room for a few weeks, this room has been going on for 2 years. Primarily for comedians – certainly the night I was there it was all standup – but Steven is open to all forms of talent.
ReplyDeletePerformers get 5 minutes, 7 if attendance is small. Steven lights you at one minute. Parking is no problem; there is a big lot. There are no language restrictions. Signup is first come first choice. On a good night 12 or so people will show up. The stage is a 6-inch square platform with a mic located at the far corner of the room. The lighting is good enough that you can see the talent well. Open mic takes place in a second, smaller room which seats about 24. The business itself is an Irish pub. They offer no food, just drinks. On the plus side, if you perform you get a comped drink. That was a welcomed surprise.
The evening started about 8:44pm. By 9:05pm, 11 people were in attendance. I was the first talent to arrive and took the third spot. Before the evening began I sat with Steven and a couple other comedians and we talked about standup. A very lax environment. During the course of the evening I saw one person make their debut to comedy ever, as well as a comedian who was introduced as someone who is becoming a regular. Other talent was weekly drop-ins. Steven himself is a comedian and opened the show with a few minutes.
I had a good set. If the room heard a joke they liked, I heard a laugh. The comedian who went up after me rhetorically asked if anyone dared him to chug the beer he was holding. Sure enough, he did and, while that did not get a laugh, when he obliviously threw up less than a minute later that, too, did not get a laugh. Comedians sitting close by were repelled to the point of getting up and moving to the back of the room. Someone even stood up, held their hand to their mouth, then briskly walked to the bathroom on the opposite side of the room. The comedian finished his set and had to be instructed to clean up his mess. For the rest of the night, no one performed on the stage.
When I left that I night, I actually felt very good. I liked this room very much. If you’ve heard the expression “feel the love,” in a way, that night we did. Talent was not jaded. They supported each other by laughing when they heard something funny. They stayed to see and support the rest of the talent. The person who made their debut had a very good first-time experience with all the support of the room; and even at the end of the night, people were asking about the inebriated comedian if he was okay, that he wasn’t driving. There was concern for his well-being. It made me feel good. Steven ran the room smoothly, even with the rough patches. There was a kind of nobility in his efforts. Don’t get me wrong. This is not a dive bar. It’s not like Steven is used to handling drunks in the room. I think this was an isolated incident. The comedian who got sick is a regular, and I was told he has never behaved like that before.
Guys, give this room a shot. If you’re a bit jaded, performing in the big cities where at most you get a smile or nod of approval, Grogg’s will have you experiencing otherwise. There is a kinship with the comedians in Clovis and the surrounding communities.