Open mic at Tony V’s is run by 3 hosts who alternate MC duties each week. The night I went up, Blake ran the room. However, the other two hosts were also present to perform. Signup is 7:30 to 8pm. I arrived at 7:30, introduced myself to Blake who was having dinner, and he took out the signup sheet, and I signed myself and my friend up, taking slots 3 and 4. Later, I would find out that the host changes the lineup, and we went up third and sixth. Interestingly enough, some open micers were given additional time – 7 minutes – while others received 5, the light at 4. There are no language restrictions. Parking is on the street. Open mic takes place away from the bar, so there are no distractions like TVs being on (there were, you just don’t see them), and they turn off the music in the room before the show begins. The stage is an elevated platform, and I mean elevated. One tall comedian performed with the top half of his face in shadow. Be aware of that and make sure you’re being seen. The room where the open mic takes place seats about 44. Tony V’s is a full bar, but they have a limited selection of comfort food like wings, burgers and fries. Beers are reasonably priced. For entertainment, the bar has 2 pool tables and some pinball machines. The motif of the room is that of a garage, hence the name. There were 13 people in the room by 8pm, a couple of them there to see the show and not perform. The evening started at 8:12pm, probably because the host was waiting for more talent to sign up. By 8:45pm, we had 21 people in the room. Blake opened with a set, and I could see the camaraderie right away between the comedians in the audience and the host. Even though my friend and I were outsiders, we felt very welcomed and appreciated. There is joviality in the room you don’t always find at open mics, even though this room is for standup only. Comedians paid attention, did not immerse themselves in their phones or their own routine, mentally practicing, waiting for their turn. They watched and supported each other and laughed when they heard something funny. That, coupled with the few general audience people there, this room felt more like a showroom than an open mic, and that is good. Blake and his co-hosts are smart in that they end the evening with a veteran comic to close the show. This has a two-pronged effect: first, it guarantees that even if all the signups tank with their new material, putting a practiced comedian on stage pretty much guarantees there’s going to be one solid act, giving the general audience a reason to stay till the end and come back again for future shows; two, for the new comedians, they should be watching standup as much as performing to learn from the more learned talent. Certainly, I saw the difference when the final comedian went up. We were fortunate enough to see one comedian make his debut doing standup, and as supportive as the room was, I know he had a good experience and will come back. The whole evening ended about 9:45pm, and only a couple of people left before the mic ended. Guys, this is a room to do. Yes, Everett is a bit on the outskirts of the Seattle area, but so what? Some rooms are worth the drive and, located by the water, there are things to see in Everett during the day before settling down to perform and get your fix in that night. Blake keeps the room positive and moving along. He pays attention to the talent, often having a joke about a comic and their set before bringing up the next talent. The fact that all the comedians knew each other – save for the out-of-state peeps – tells me this room has been going on a while and shows no indication of stopping. If you are a seasoned comedian and tell the host, you’re more likely to get additional stage time. But be honest. If you haven’t been doing standup long, do the 5 minutes and stay to watch and support the rest of the talent. Certainly, they will do the same for you. This room is more than an open mic. It’s an event.
Open mic at Tony V’s is run by 3 hosts who alternate MC duties each week. The night I went up, Blake ran the room. However, the other two hosts were also present to perform.
ReplyDeleteSignup is 7:30 to 8pm. I arrived at 7:30, introduced myself to Blake who was having dinner, and he took out the signup sheet, and I signed myself and my friend up, taking slots 3 and 4. Later, I would find out that the host changes the lineup, and we went up third and sixth. Interestingly enough, some open micers were given additional time – 7 minutes – while others received 5, the light at 4. There are no language restrictions. Parking is on the street.
Open mic takes place away from the bar, so there are no distractions like TVs being on (there were, you just don’t see them), and they turn off the music in the room before the show begins. The stage is an elevated platform, and I mean elevated. One tall comedian performed with the top half of his face in shadow. Be aware of that and make sure you’re being seen. The room where the open mic takes place seats about 44.
Tony V’s is a full bar, but they have a limited selection of comfort food like wings, burgers and fries. Beers are reasonably priced. For entertainment, the bar has 2 pool tables and some pinball machines. The motif of the room is that of a garage, hence the name.
There were 13 people in the room by 8pm, a couple of them there to see the show and not perform. The evening started at 8:12pm, probably because the host was waiting for more talent to sign up. By 8:45pm, we had 21 people in the room.
Blake opened with a set, and I could see the camaraderie right away between the comedians in the audience and the host. Even though my friend and I were outsiders, we felt very welcomed and appreciated. There is joviality in the room you don’t always find at open mics, even though this room is for standup only. Comedians paid attention, did not immerse themselves in their phones or their own routine, mentally practicing, waiting for their turn. They watched and supported each other and laughed when they heard something funny. That, coupled with the few general audience people there, this room felt more like a showroom than an open mic, and that is good. Blake and his co-hosts are smart in that they end the evening with a veteran comic to close the show. This has a two-pronged effect: first, it guarantees that even if all the signups tank with their new material, putting a practiced comedian on stage pretty much guarantees there’s going to be one solid act, giving the general audience a reason to stay till the end and come back again for future shows; two, for the new comedians, they should be watching standup as much as performing to learn from the more learned talent. Certainly, I saw the difference when the final comedian went up.
We were fortunate enough to see one comedian make his debut doing standup, and as supportive as the room was, I know he had a good experience and will come back. The whole evening ended about 9:45pm, and only a couple of people left before the mic ended.
Guys, this is a room to do. Yes, Everett is a bit on the outskirts of the Seattle area, but so what? Some rooms are worth the drive and, located by the water, there are things to see in Everett during the day before settling down to perform and get your fix in that night. Blake keeps the room positive and moving along. He pays attention to the talent, often having a joke about a comic and their set before bringing up the next talent. The fact that all the comedians knew each other – save for the out-of-state peeps – tells me this room has been going on a while and shows no indication of stopping.
If you are a seasoned comedian and tell the host, you’re more likely to get additional stage time. But be honest. If you haven’t been doing standup long, do the 5 minutes and stay to watch and support the rest of the talent. Certainly, they will do the same for you. This room is more than an open mic. It’s an event.