Sunday, October 2, 2016

Sunday Mic at Saddle Bar

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1 comment:

  1. Saddle Bar is just that, a bar. But that’s okay, because it shares a parking lot with a tavern/grill, so if you’re hungry before a performance. . . .
    The place seats about 45. There are 5 muted TVs, and they stay on during open mic. There are eleven spots at 15 minutes a spot, and the show goes from 9:15pm to midnight. The venue has been going on for 3 years. There are no language restrictions. Signup is first come first choice. The guest host arrived at 9pm with the sheet. Jeremy Miller normally runs the weekly mic.
    There were two signups by 9:20pm. I had taken the second spot. Though the show was supposed to have started at 9:15, our guest host, Andrew, ran late, setting up speakers and one mic, this after moving the tables and chairs to accommodate “the stage”. Some nights they have big turnouts, I was told. Other nights, like the night I came, not so much. To keep the room lively, the host plays music between acts. Sometimes it takes a minute or two for talent to prep.
    That night I learned a couple things. I asked the guest host if it was cool that I do comedy. (They are used to music.) He said to ask the manager of the bar. I learned from the manager that they had a comedian some months back, and it was an absolute fiasco. I was the first comedian to perform there since, and it was conditional: first, I was only to get 5 minutes; second, I had to go first. My take? Their bar, their rules. I said yes.
    There were 15 people in the bar when I went up at 9:45pm (when the show started). It went much better than anyone could have imagined. The audience took to me. Got a number of laughs. Never got the light, but I cut myself off somewhere between 5 and 6 minutes. I asked the manager afterwards, and he said he liked my material. I asked him what should I tell my comedic friends. He gave me an answer.
    Guys, don’t make a point of purposefully coming here to do standup. This is primarily a music venue. However, if you’re passing through, say, after performing in San Diego, and you’re coming home, consider stopping in. They’ll put you up at the beginning, and you can do a quick set around 9:15 in plenty good time to get back to L.A. for more open mic or home.

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