Winston’s is a bar, a full bar, and nothing but a bar. It doesn’t serve food, but it does offer bags of chips and peanuts. The place seats about 65. You have to be 21 or over to come in. They have a bouncer to check IDs. They have 5 TVs going but all were muted. The stage is enormous with 4 mics set up and a very nice sound system. Jefferson Jay runs the room, has been doing so for 4 and a half years. The room is geared for music. Jefferson makes no bones about that. But he will make exceptions based entirely on a case by case showing, as Jefferson decides whether talent goes up upon meeting you. First impressions, you know. Also, he is hardest on letting comedians go up since Winston’s has an open mic on Fridays exclusive to comedy. He said he’d let me go up for 5 minutes because he said, “I already know you’re going to be funny.” Jefferson arrived about 6:08pm. The signup sheet had two names already on it. I asked for the third spot. One other talent was there to sign up after me. When the show started, about 9 people were in the room. A musician started playing about 6pm and kept going till almost 6:45pm. I later learned he opens the show every week with a lengthy set, then Jefferson refers to the lineup. By 6:45pm there were 12 people overall in the room. The open mic goes till 9pm. I asked Jefferson about language restrictions, to which he hesitated then said there are no language restrictions but that he has come to regret that decision at times. Well, he didn’t regret putting me up. I started and it wasn’t long before I had the room. Jefferson left me alone to do over five. I even interrupted my set and asked how much more time, to which Jefferson responded, “I’m just gonna leave you alone.” I did a few more minutes then thanked a very receptive audience. Intimate, yes, but receptive nonetheless. Another comedian went up after me and did 5. So if Jefferson is most stern with comedians when allowing stage time, it looks like he’s softening a little. When I thanked him before I left – I stayed for another hour or so – he said I could come back any time. I encourage comedians to give this room a shot. You’ll have to earn your wings. Both with Jefferson and the audience. But it’s a room you can do before one or two other venues, so in the motif of getting as much stage time as possible, start your evening with Winston’s.
Winston’s is a bar, a full bar, and nothing but a bar. It doesn’t serve food, but it does offer bags of chips and peanuts. The place seats about 65. You have to be 21 or over to come in. They have a bouncer to check IDs. They have 5 TVs going but all were muted. The stage is enormous with 4 mics set up and a very nice sound system.
ReplyDeleteJefferson Jay runs the room, has been doing so for 4 and a half years. The room is geared for music. Jefferson makes no bones about that. But he will make exceptions based entirely on a case by case showing, as Jefferson decides whether talent goes up upon meeting you. First impressions, you know. Also, he is hardest on letting comedians go up since Winston’s has an open mic on Fridays exclusive to comedy. He said he’d let me go up for 5 minutes because he said, “I already know you’re going to be funny.”
Jefferson arrived about 6:08pm. The signup sheet had two names already on it. I asked for the third spot. One other talent was there to sign up after me. When the show started, about 9 people were in the room. A musician started playing about 6pm and kept going till almost 6:45pm. I later learned he opens the show every week with a lengthy set, then Jefferson refers to the lineup. By 6:45pm there were 12 people overall in the room. The open mic goes till 9pm.
I asked Jefferson about language restrictions, to which he hesitated then said there are no language restrictions but that he has come to regret that decision at times.
Well, he didn’t regret putting me up. I started and it wasn’t long before I had the room. Jefferson left me alone to do over five. I even interrupted my set and asked how much more time, to which Jefferson responded, “I’m just gonna leave you alone.” I did a few more minutes then thanked a very receptive audience. Intimate, yes, but receptive nonetheless.
Another comedian went up after me and did 5. So if Jefferson is most stern with comedians when allowing stage time, it looks like he’s softening a little. When I thanked him before I left – I stayed for another hour or so – he said I could come back any time.
I encourage comedians to give this room a shot. You’ll have to earn your wings. Both with Jefferson and the audience. But it’s a room you can do before one or two other venues, so in the motif of getting as much stage time as possible, start your evening with Winston’s.