Open mic at Tao on Sundays at 5pm has been going on since January of 2018 and is run by Bobbie Oliver. Other rooms Bobbie runs have been going on longer. Parking is on the street. The room seats 29, all chairs facing a wooden platform stage that holds a mic, a stand and a stool, all the tools a comedian needs. A red curtain serves as a backdrop, separating the room from the entrance to the outside patio in the back. The business had just gotten A/C, and it was on. Bobbie, who owns the business and hosts the mic, modified the amount of light on the stage, as the heat from the bulb was noticeable in a room nobly fighting to stay cool. Eventually, we got the right tone where we could see the talent just fine. Admission to perform is $5. In addition to getting five minutes on stage, you also get either one drink or one food item. Drinks included sodas, tea, bottled water, wine, beer and cold coffees. To eat, chips and candy bars. Any “purchases” after that is donation only at your discretion. Signup is first come first choice, and Bobbie was clear about being honorable about who came first and letting them have first signup privilege. The comedians respected her. There are no language restrictions, but the one subject matter that is taboo is this room is rape jokes. Not funny and forbidden at Tao. The signup sheet came out 4:30pm, but the room already had six people waiting when I showed up at 4:06pm. A couple names were already on the list. That was because they were Bobbie’s students from a class she teaches, and they receive priority. But it was only a couple of people, so not a big deal. Two people attended just to see the show and not perform, so we had a mix of talent and general audience. The room goes till as late as 7pm. Bobbie started the room on time. We had nine signups by 4:55pm, and a couple more signups after the mic began. Bobbie welcomed everyone, then went over the rules. Talent gets a red light at four minutes. She announced the first comedian and the next comedian “on deck”, then all future talent was announced from a mic at the entrance of the studio where Bobbie sat to receive all people and monitor the show. Only one comedian did not respect the light. We started with seven people in the room, more people trickling in, becoming ten at 5:10pm, 12 people by 5:20, and at its peak, 13 people by 5:45pm. I took the sixth spot, and after me, our host went up and did a few, then brought up the rest of the signups. And that is open mic at Tao Comedy Studio. Guys, this is a good room. I’m pleased Bobbie offers an item to eat or drink in addition to the stage time. So many mics have an admission fee to perform, and some of them offer nothing other than stage time. Both the comedians and general audience laughed when they heard something funny. There was support in the room. Yes, a couple comedians bolted right after their set, but for the most part, people stayed, which was pleasant. For comedians visiting Los Angeles, Bobbie Oliver is a name in the L.A. community. She has been immersed in the business for decades, has taught and continues to teach standup comedy, and runs a number of rooms during the week. She is a professional and runs her room professionally. You’ll feel that, I am confident, no matter which of her nights you do.
Open mic at Tao on Sundays at 5pm has been going on since January of 2018 and is run by Bobbie Oliver. Other rooms Bobbie runs have been going on longer.
ReplyDeleteParking is on the street. The room seats 29, all chairs facing a wooden platform stage that holds a mic, a stand and a stool, all the tools a comedian needs. A red curtain serves as a backdrop, separating the room from the entrance to the outside patio in the back. The business had just gotten A/C, and it was on. Bobbie, who owns the business and hosts the mic, modified the amount of light on the stage, as the heat from the bulb was noticeable in a room nobly fighting to stay cool. Eventually, we got the right tone where we could see the talent just fine.
Admission to perform is $5. In addition to getting five minutes on stage, you also get either one drink or one food item. Drinks included sodas, tea, bottled water, wine, beer and cold coffees. To eat, chips and candy bars. Any “purchases” after that is donation only at your discretion. Signup is first come first choice, and Bobbie was clear about being honorable about who came first and letting them have first signup privilege. The comedians respected her. There are no language restrictions, but the one subject matter that is taboo is this room is rape jokes. Not funny and forbidden at Tao.
The signup sheet came out 4:30pm, but the room already had six people waiting when I showed up at 4:06pm. A couple names were already on the list. That was because they were Bobbie’s students from a class she teaches, and they receive priority. But it was only a couple of people, so not a big deal. Two people attended just to see the show and not perform, so we had a mix of talent and general audience. The room goes till as late as 7pm.
Bobbie started the room on time. We had nine signups by 4:55pm, and a couple more signups after the mic began. Bobbie welcomed everyone, then went over the rules. Talent gets a red light at four minutes. She announced the first comedian and the next comedian “on deck”, then all future talent was announced from a mic at the entrance of the studio where Bobbie sat to receive all people and monitor the show. Only one comedian did not respect the light.
We started with seven people in the room, more people trickling in, becoming ten at 5:10pm, 12 people by 5:20, and at its peak, 13 people by 5:45pm. I took the sixth spot, and after me, our host went up and did a few, then brought up the rest of the signups. And that is open mic at Tao Comedy Studio.
Guys, this is a good room. I’m pleased Bobbie offers an item to eat or drink in addition to the stage time. So many mics have an admission fee to perform, and some of them offer nothing other than stage time. Both the comedians and general audience laughed when they heard something funny. There was support in the room. Yes, a couple comedians bolted right after their set, but for the most part, people stayed, which was pleasant.
For comedians visiting Los Angeles, Bobbie Oliver is a name in the L.A. community. She has been immersed in the business for decades, has taught and continues to teach standup comedy, and runs a number of rooms during the week. She is a professional and runs her room professionally. You’ll feel that, I am confident, no matter which of her nights you do.