Open mic at Sabor has been going on for years, but the most recent producer of the show was making her debut the night I performed. Parking is on the street and costs $1 an hour and meters go to 8pm. The room goes till 9pm. Admission to perform is the purchase of one item. The place serves sandwiches, both meat and vegetarian, and salads. To drink, they mostly offer coffees, teas and some juices, sodas and bottled water. Open mic takes place in a quasi-corner of the room, and about 53 seats can see the talent performing if they choose to. Mostly, though, an area of the room, sort of apart from the counter where business transactions take place and farthest from the entrance, are where people intent on going up or supporting sat. People sitting near the entrance and the counter were not interested in watching the show. There is no stage, just an area devoted to a mic and stand and chair and some wiggle room if you want to move around some. Signup is first come first choice. There are no language restrictions. Talent gets four or five minutes. There is a featured spot that was supposed to go at the end, but was put up second and did ten minutes. I arrived at 6:40, and there were already four signups on the sheet. The room goes to 9pm, and everyone who signs up goes up. The mic is called “Easy Does It” and it is for comedy only. Elizabeth and Kristy run the room, taking turns introducing the next talent. We started a little late, because the sound system was missing a part that Elizabeth went to go buy. Kristy held down the fort, answering comedian’s questions, since this was a new room. As it turned out, we had no functioning mic that night when we finally started at 7:11pm with Elizabeth welcoming everyone and explaining the late start. Twelve people were definitely watching the mic while others were not. Even without the use of a mic, you could hear the talent fine. I played to 14 people when I went up at 7:48pm. I had the fifth spot. Two people left after my set. Total, we had eight signups. The last signup made his debut in standup at Sabor, which was a treat. A final, late arrival came at 8:18 and did about five minutes. When Elizabeth thanked everyone for coming out she did about 15 minutes herself, quite entertaining, then brought up a “special drop-in” who also did 15 minutes. That bothered me a little, because that late arrival wasn’t there to support those who went up before her, and then she did 15 instead of only five. I felt trapped, like I couldn’t leave till she was done, as that would have been so obvious to do in the room, and I didn’t want to detract from her performance. When that was over, Elizabeth announced yet another special guest, but I was smart enough to stand and excuse myself. So did most of the room. I think the final comedian played to two fellow comics and our two hosts. Guys, this is a very good room to do. Except for the far-too-long-stage-time given the final talents, the room went swimmingly. That Elizabeth did 15 was okay with me. It’s her room; she can do what she wants. That other talent felt they could do 15 was asking too much of us after an evening of standup. Hell, it wasn’t even asked of us, it was sprung on us. Separate from that, Elizabeth and Kristy are two wonderful women. I was glad I did the room. Your fellow comedians supported one another mostly to the end. That the sound system did not work did not take away from the performers. I can just picture how much stronger talent will be if they had a working mic, and how many more people in the room might turn to see the performer if that talent could be heard and had strong material. I fervently wish Elizabeth and Kristy and permanent producers of open mic at Sabor Y Cultura for many, many years.
Open mic at Sabor has been going on for years, but the most recent producer of the show was making her debut the night I performed.
ReplyDeleteParking is on the street and costs $1 an hour and meters go to 8pm. The room goes till 9pm. Admission to perform is the purchase of one item. The place serves sandwiches, both meat and vegetarian, and salads. To drink, they mostly offer coffees, teas and some juices, sodas and bottled water. Open mic takes place in a quasi-corner of the room, and about 53 seats can see the talent performing if they choose to. Mostly, though, an area of the room, sort of apart from the counter where business transactions take place and farthest from the entrance, are where people intent on going up or supporting sat. People sitting near the entrance and the counter were not interested in watching the show. There is no stage, just an area devoted to a mic and stand and chair and some wiggle room if you want to move around some.
Signup is first come first choice. There are no language restrictions. Talent gets four or five minutes. There is a featured spot that was supposed to go at the end, but was put up second and did ten minutes. I arrived at 6:40, and there were already four signups on the sheet. The room goes to 9pm, and everyone who signs up goes up. The mic is called “Easy Does It” and it is for comedy only.
Elizabeth and Kristy run the room, taking turns introducing the next talent. We started a little late, because the sound system was missing a part that Elizabeth went to go buy. Kristy held down the fort, answering comedian’s questions, since this was a new room. As it turned out, we had no functioning mic that night when we finally started at 7:11pm with Elizabeth welcoming everyone and explaining the late start. Twelve people were definitely watching the mic while others were not. Even without the use of a mic, you could hear the talent fine.
I played to 14 people when I went up at 7:48pm. I had the fifth spot. Two people left after my set. Total, we had eight signups. The last signup made his debut in standup at Sabor, which was a treat. A final, late arrival came at 8:18 and did about five minutes. When Elizabeth thanked everyone for coming out she did about 15 minutes herself, quite entertaining, then brought up a “special drop-in” who also did 15 minutes. That bothered me a little, because that late arrival wasn’t there to support those who went up before her, and then she did 15 instead of only five. I felt trapped, like I couldn’t leave till she was done, as that would have been so obvious to do in the room, and I didn’t want to detract from her performance. When that was over, Elizabeth announced yet another special guest, but I was smart enough to stand and excuse myself. So did most of the room. I think the final comedian played to two fellow comics and our two hosts.
Guys, this is a very good room to do. Except for the far-too-long-stage-time given the final talents, the room went swimmingly. That Elizabeth did 15 was okay with me. It’s her room; she can do what she wants. That other talent felt they could do 15 was asking too much of us after an evening of standup. Hell, it wasn’t even asked of us, it was sprung on us.
Separate from that, Elizabeth and Kristy are two wonderful women. I was glad I did the room. Your fellow comedians supported one another mostly to the end. That the sound system did not work did not take away from the performers. I can just picture how much stronger talent will be if they had a working mic, and how many more people in the room might turn to see the performer if that talent could be heard and had strong material.
I fervently wish Elizabeth and Kristy and permanent producers of open mic at Sabor Y Cultura for many, many years.