Reimer’s is a candy store. In addition to chocolates and other sweets, they also serve ice cream, fountain drinks, and more goodies that would satisfy the sweetest of teeth you may have. But in addition to all that, in one corner of the store they also have open mic, hosted by the same gentleman, Steve, who does another open mic on Tuesdays in Oakhurst at Queen’s Inn. This venue is very similar to Steve’s other room. Talent gets three songs or 15 minutes. It’s very informal. No signup sheet. Steve picks talent relatively close to the order they showed up to perform. In as much as there can be a lot of children present, of course you are asked to be clean. Where open mic takes place they offer about 14 seats. The business has its own parking lot. Steve sets up two mics. There is no stage, but as intimate as the room is, none is necessary. Because it’s mostly musicians, they sit and perform, and even when I went up, I elected to sit and do my set. I think you connect with the audience better when you sit, makes it more intimate, as small as the audience was. I arrived at 5:20pm, believing open mic started at 6pm. I was wrong. As it turns out, in the summer it’s from 6pm to 7:30. In the winter, it’s 5pm to 6:30. All talent is welcome, but like the other venue in Oakhurst, it’s mostly music they attract. Occasionally a poet or comedian will perform. The night I was there I was the only comedian. In addition to Steve, I recognized two other performers from Steve’s other venue, but there were additional people performing and watching who I had never seen before. When I arrived there were 11 people either sitting or standing and watching. I was told that was a big turnout, considering it was winter. They draw more people in the summer. By 5:40pm the audience had increased to 13. On a good night they get 20 attending. In the summer attendance is higher, and they hold open mic outside. Steve was performing when I arrived. He was finishing his time on stage then brought up two other regulars. A singer followed who performed a cappella. Then I went up. Between that time, attendance had dwindled. I had an audience of five. This was at 6pm. Though the audience was small, they were attentive. Three of them already knew me, so I felt compelled to do mostly new material. I prefaced my set by saying it’s okay if you’re too self-conscious to laugh, given the small audience, but nodding approval when you hear something funny works for me. Surprisingly, I got plenty of laughs. I credit that to the communal spirit in the room. Everyone knew everyone, so why not laugh out loud. “You’re among friends” was the spirit I felt. Guys, I recommend doing comedy here. But two things: first, come during the summer when attendance is higher; second, maybe come on the last Saturday of the month because there is another venue in Oakhurst – it just started – and they hold it on the last Friday of the month. (But that could change with time.) If you have a lot of material you want to test or practice or perfect, you can make a weekend out of it, performing two nights in Oakhurst. And since Oakhurst is right next door to Yosemite, you’ll have plenty to do during the day.
Reimer’s is a candy store. In addition to chocolates and other sweets, they also serve ice cream, fountain drinks, and more goodies that would satisfy the sweetest of teeth you may have. But in addition to all that, in one corner of the store they also have open mic, hosted by the same gentleman, Steve, who does another open mic on Tuesdays in Oakhurst at Queen’s Inn.
ReplyDeleteThis venue is very similar to Steve’s other room. Talent gets three songs or 15 minutes. It’s very informal. No signup sheet. Steve picks talent relatively close to the order they showed up to perform. In as much as there can be a lot of children present, of course you are asked to be clean.
Where open mic takes place they offer about 14 seats. The business has its own parking lot. Steve sets up two mics. There is no stage, but as intimate as the room is, none is necessary. Because it’s mostly musicians, they sit and perform, and even when I went up, I elected to sit and do my set. I think you connect with the audience better when you sit, makes it more intimate, as small as the audience was.
I arrived at 5:20pm, believing open mic started at 6pm. I was wrong. As it turns out, in the summer it’s from 6pm to 7:30. In the winter, it’s 5pm to 6:30. All talent is welcome, but like the other venue in Oakhurst, it’s mostly music they attract. Occasionally a poet or comedian will perform. The night I was there I was the only comedian. In addition to Steve, I recognized two other performers from Steve’s other venue, but there were additional people performing and watching who I had never seen before.
When I arrived there were 11 people either sitting or standing and watching. I was told that was a big turnout, considering it was winter. They draw more people in the summer. By 5:40pm the audience had increased to 13. On a good night they get 20 attending. In the summer attendance is higher, and they hold open mic outside.
Steve was performing when I arrived. He was finishing his time on stage then brought up two other regulars. A singer followed who performed a cappella. Then I went up. Between that time, attendance had dwindled. I had an audience of five. This was at 6pm. Though the audience was small, they were attentive. Three of them already knew me, so I felt compelled to do mostly new material. I prefaced my set by saying it’s okay if you’re too self-conscious to laugh, given the small audience, but nodding approval when you hear something funny works for me. Surprisingly, I got plenty of laughs. I credit that to the communal spirit in the room. Everyone knew everyone, so why not laugh out loud. “You’re among friends” was the spirit I felt.
Guys, I recommend doing comedy here. But two things: first, come during the summer when attendance is higher; second, maybe come on the last Saturday of the month because there is another venue in Oakhurst – it just started – and they hold it on the last Friday of the month. (But that could change with time.) If you have a lot of material you want to test or practice or perfect, you can make a weekend out of it, performing two nights in Oakhurst. And since Oakhurst is right next door to Yosemite, you’ll have plenty to do during the day.