Open mic at E-string takes place in a separate room from the bar. No distractions from TVs or patrons not interested in the open mic. Even people who smoked were good to go outside. Anyone in the room was there to perform or watch. The business has a large parking lot. The room where open mic takes place offers a nice stage and it seats over 70. I arrived early enough that I could have taken advantage of their pizzeria, I was told, but once the show starts, the kitchen is closed. The bar half of the business is a full bar minus a blender. They have $4 beers during happy hour. I got happy while waiting. While the room has been going on for over three years, the current producer of the show, Vincent, has been running the room for just under two months. The signup sheet came out at 8:30. Five comics before me wrote their names down. I took the third spot. It’s first come first choice. There are no language restrictions. Talent gets five to seven minutes. Comedy only. On stage, a mic and a chair. The evening started at 9:15pm. Fifteen people were scattered on every side of the room, but mostly in the back. Vincent opened with a solid seven or so – his energy was good – then the first performer went up. I have to say the lighting in the room is not good. Unless you make a conscious choice to set the stand at a certain place to guarantee being seen, often as a comedian moved around, they were in the dark. I don’t mean black, I mean they’re poorly lit, and being able to see a comedian, certainly their eyes, matters. It was discovered early that a few of the patrons were civilians watching open mic, and that seemed to excite the room. I guess that’s not a common thing, non-comics watching the show. After the second comedian, when I thought I was going up next, Vincent brings on another talent. Though I was third on the signup sheet, I actually didn’t go up till sixth. Make of that what you will. I’d prefer any host to honor the list when I have honored the rules, but I’m shrugging this one off. I was going to stay the whole evening, so going up a little later was fine by me. Guys, this is a good room. Sure, the numbers dwindled a little towards the end of the evening, but Vincent was good about keeping the energy high. This room happens on a night when there’s no other open mic in Las Vegas, so if you’re visiting over the weekend, and you’re passionate about staying sharp, always seeking opportunities to hone your craft, then stop in and do a set. The room itself is ideal for open mic, and as an outsider, I felt invited. That matters. One observation I would like to make. The first couple comedians were heckled in a friendly way from talent in the audience. I could see those heckling knew the talent on stage and that they were only goofing around, sometimes peeps in the audience "helping" the talent, sometimes taking energy away from their performance. Admittedly, it was all in good fun. I got that. But I can’t help wondering, with an audience that included people just there for the mic, if the best thing to do wasn’t to let the talent try out their new material unencumbered. You had the best people to judge: a civilian audience, people not there to go up themselves. They just wanted to receive comedy. I can’t help but think this was a missed opportunity for the talent, one that doesn’t come often. If the person on stage had started the riffing, okay. But comedians should not get so comfortable with each other that the purpose of open mic is lost. Let the person on stage do their bit, and if they want to gauge the audience. . . . Just an idea.
Open mic at E-string takes place in a separate room from the bar. No distractions from TVs or patrons not interested in the open mic. Even people who smoked were good to go outside. Anyone in the room was there to perform or watch.
ReplyDeleteThe business has a large parking lot. The room where open mic takes place offers a nice stage and it seats over 70. I arrived early enough that I could have taken advantage of their pizzeria, I was told, but once the show starts, the kitchen is closed. The bar half of the business is a full bar minus a blender. They have $4 beers during happy hour. I got happy while waiting.
While the room has been going on for over three years, the current producer of the show, Vincent, has been running the room for just under two months. The signup sheet came out at 8:30. Five comics before me wrote their names down. I took the third spot. It’s first come first choice. There are no language restrictions. Talent gets five to seven minutes. Comedy only. On stage, a mic and a chair.
The evening started at 9:15pm. Fifteen people were scattered on every side of the room, but mostly in the back. Vincent opened with a solid seven or so – his energy was good – then the first performer went up. I have to say the lighting in the room is not good. Unless you make a conscious choice to set the stand at a certain place to guarantee being seen, often as a comedian moved around, they were in the dark. I don’t mean black, I mean they’re poorly lit, and being able to see a comedian, certainly their eyes, matters.
It was discovered early that a few of the patrons were civilians watching open mic, and that seemed to excite the room. I guess that’s not a common thing, non-comics watching the show. After the second comedian, when I thought I was going up next, Vincent brings on another talent. Though I was third on the signup sheet, I actually didn’t go up till sixth. Make of that what you will. I’d prefer any host to honor the list when I have honored the rules, but I’m shrugging this one off. I was going to stay the whole evening, so going up a little later was fine by me.
Guys, this is a good room. Sure, the numbers dwindled a little towards the end of the evening, but Vincent was good about keeping the energy high. This room happens on a night when there’s no other open mic in Las Vegas, so if you’re visiting over the weekend, and you’re passionate about staying sharp, always seeking opportunities to hone your craft, then stop in and do a set. The room itself is ideal for open mic, and as an outsider, I felt invited. That matters.
One observation I would like to make. The first couple comedians were heckled in a friendly way from talent in the audience. I could see those heckling knew the talent on stage and that they were only goofing around, sometimes peeps in the audience "helping" the talent, sometimes taking energy away from their performance. Admittedly, it was all in good fun. I got that. But I can’t help wondering, with an audience that included people just there for the mic, if the best thing to do wasn’t to let the talent try out their new material unencumbered. You had the best people to judge: a civilian audience, people not there to go up themselves. They just wanted to receive comedy. I can’t help but think this was a missed opportunity for the talent, one that doesn’t come often. If the person on stage had started the riffing, okay. But comedians should not get so comfortable with each other that the purpose of open mic is lost. Let the person on stage do their bit, and if they want to gauge the audience. . . .
Just an idea.