Robert Berry has been running open mic on Thursdays for 2 years. Before, it was on another night. The layout of the open mic is unique, to say the least. Patrons watch the show from the bar while the mic is set up at a lower, second level, 3 steps down. Wherever you sit at the bar, you can see the talent, and for the shorter comedians, you can at least see their heads. By the time I arrived at 8:15pm, 5 names were already on the signup sheet, which came out at 8pm. Show starts 8:30 and goes till 10pm, and there are 14 slots for comedy only at 5 minutes each, the light by Robert at 4. The bar seats about 20, and they have a parking lot in the front. There are no language restrictions. When the open mic started at 8:35, two guys were playing pool – there are two tables – and one of two TVs had the volume up a bit. It made it very difficult to enjoy Robert start the show and do a few minutes. People at the bar were also quite loud. There were 13 of us in attendance when the show began, not counting the emcee or bartender. However, by the time the first signup went up, pool had ended and the lights over the tables had been turned off, the one TV was silenced like its sister TV, and people started to pay attention by the second comedian. This is a popular spot. The lineup was filled by 8:50pm and others showed up just to be told it was too late. The show has to end at 10pm because they have karaoke afterwards. By 9pm 25 were in the bar, but that changed quickly when several comedians left after their set and others stepped out for a smoke. When I went up at 9:07pm I was playing to an audience of 12. Yet the audience increased to 20 by 9:30pm; 22 peeps by 9:50pm. Then I remembered: karaoke. People were coming towards the end of the show for karaoke. The show ended just after 10pm, and, sure enough, minutes later, the first song was being sung. Guys, this was a fun room. There is definite repeat talent at this venue. I was first under the belief signup was 8:30 and the show started at 9. Had I arrived on time I would have gotten an earlier spot and performed for a fuller room. But I get comedians want to bounce after their set. I see it all the time in Los Angeles. That the attendance increased after decreasing tells me that almost anytime you go up you’ll have about as big an audience as you’re likely to get. People will get up and leave to smoke a cigarette and it may very well happen during your set. But those who do stay and watch, they support. We’re trying out new material, and when a joke resonated with the audience I got a laugh. This reaction from a room full of comedians. Not bad for a good comedy room.
Robert Berry has been running open mic on Thursdays for 2 years. Before, it was on another night. The layout of the open mic is unique, to say the least. Patrons watch the show from the bar while the mic is set up at a lower, second level, 3 steps down. Wherever you sit at the bar, you can see the talent, and for the shorter comedians, you can at least see their heads.
ReplyDeleteBy the time I arrived at 8:15pm, 5 names were already on the signup sheet, which came out at 8pm. Show starts 8:30 and goes till 10pm, and there are 14 slots for comedy only at 5 minutes each, the light by Robert at 4. The bar seats about 20, and they have a parking lot in the front. There are no language restrictions.
When the open mic started at 8:35, two guys were playing pool – there are two tables – and one of two TVs had the volume up a bit. It made it very difficult to enjoy Robert start the show and do a few minutes. People at the bar were also quite loud. There were 13 of us in attendance when the show began, not counting the emcee or bartender. However, by the time the first signup went up, pool had ended and the lights over the tables had been turned off, the one TV was silenced like its sister TV, and people started to pay attention by the second comedian.
This is a popular spot. The lineup was filled by 8:50pm and others showed up just to be told it was too late. The show has to end at 10pm because they have karaoke afterwards. By 9pm 25 were in the bar, but that changed quickly when several comedians left after their set and others stepped out for a smoke. When I went up at 9:07pm I was playing to an audience of 12. Yet the audience increased to 20 by 9:30pm; 22 peeps by 9:50pm. Then I remembered: karaoke. People were coming towards the end of the show for karaoke. The show ended just after 10pm, and, sure enough, minutes later, the first song was being sung.
Guys, this was a fun room. There is definite repeat talent at this venue. I was first under the belief signup was 8:30 and the show started at 9. Had I arrived on time I would have gotten an earlier spot and performed for a fuller room. But I get comedians want to bounce after their set. I see it all the time in Los Angeles. That the attendance increased after decreasing tells me that almost anytime you go up you’ll have about as big an audience as you’re likely to get. People will get up and leave to smoke a cigarette and it may very well happen during your set. But those who do stay and watch, they support. We’re trying out new material, and when a joke resonated with the audience I got a laugh. This reaction from a room full of comedians.
Not bad for a good comedy room.