Jai Thai has open mic on three days of the week: one on the 2nd and 4th Friday, one on Sundays and one on Tuesdays. I have reviewed the Sunday mic, but thought it good to review their Friday mic to note the dynamics of a mic that takes place when the weekend is starting and not ending. (I should also review their Tuesday mic, since that is a weekday mic and can potentially be quite different than their weekend mics.) If you haven’t read my other review, parking is on the street. Give yourself just a little time to find a reasonable spot within walking distance to Jai. The place seats about 60, seating both at their full bar as well as tables. Of course, they specialize in Thai food, which I took advantage of their lemongrass chicken, and, wow!, was there a lot of food on my plate. Pints of beer run $5.50. They have a very nice stage, two steps to get up to it. Plenty of room for a single mic and stand. Behind the stage, a mural of two dragons serves as a backdrop. The lighting is very good as well. Everyone in the room can see the talent easily and clearly. Talent gets three minutes, the light at two from the host who sits to one side and announces the next talent from a second mic. There are no language restrictions. Signup is done by lottery. You drop your name in a jar, and the draw is done at 8:30pm. As the host reads a name, that person goes up to write where in the lineup they want to perform. This repeats till the 25 slots are filled. Printed on the jar is a note that asks for a $5 to $10 donation. Two muted TVs are located behind the full bar, but they are not a distraction as they are turned off just before the mic starts. Vanessa was our host that night. She is one of several producers who run this room. The mic has been going on for years. We got a fraction of a late start, doing the draw at 8:35pm and the room beginning at 9:02pm. We had 22 signups total when Vanessa started the room by doing a few minutes of her own material. After that, it was comic after comic respecting the light and doing their three minutes. Some talent even did less than three. At such short intervals, the evening went by swiftly. Guys, their every other Friday night mic might be the best of the three. The room was packed. I mean every seat was taken with a few more people standing in the back and watching. Comics got a lot of support from a very excited and enthusiastic room. Sure, a couple comics did not have strong material and did not do well, but overall, when the room heard something witty, the comic heard a laugh. Some talent even got an applause break here and there. This room had such energy. You could charge your phone just by waving it in the air, the current was so strong. This is a terrific way to spend a Friday night: enjoying a terrific meal and then seeing and performing yourself in a room meant for standup.
Jai Thai has open mic on three days of the week: one on the 2nd and 4th Friday, one on Sundays and one on Tuesdays. I have reviewed the Sunday mic, but thought it good to review their Friday mic to note the dynamics of a mic that takes place when the weekend is starting and not ending. (I should also review their Tuesday mic, since that is a weekday mic and can potentially be quite different than their weekend mics.)
ReplyDeleteIf you haven’t read my other review, parking is on the street. Give yourself just a little time to find a reasonable spot within walking distance to Jai. The place seats about 60, seating both at their full bar as well as tables. Of course, they specialize in Thai food, which I took advantage of their lemongrass chicken, and, wow!, was there a lot of food on my plate. Pints of beer run $5.50.
They have a very nice stage, two steps to get up to it. Plenty of room for a single mic and stand. Behind the stage, a mural of two dragons serves as a backdrop. The lighting is very good as well. Everyone in the room can see the talent easily and clearly.
Talent gets three minutes, the light at two from the host who sits to one side and announces the next talent from a second mic. There are no language restrictions. Signup is done by lottery. You drop your name in a jar, and the draw is done at 8:30pm. As the host reads a name, that person goes up to write where in the lineup they want to perform. This repeats till the 25 slots are filled. Printed on the jar is a note that asks for a $5 to $10 donation.
Two muted TVs are located behind the full bar, but they are not a distraction as they are turned off just before the mic starts.
Vanessa was our host that night. She is one of several producers who run this room. The mic has been going on for years. We got a fraction of a late start, doing the draw at 8:35pm and the room beginning at 9:02pm. We had 22 signups total when Vanessa started the room by doing a few minutes of her own material. After that, it was comic after comic respecting the light and doing their three minutes. Some talent even did less than three. At such short intervals, the evening went by swiftly.
Guys, their every other Friday night mic might be the best of the three. The room was packed. I mean every seat was taken with a few more people standing in the back and watching. Comics got a lot of support from a very excited and enthusiastic room. Sure, a couple comics did not have strong material and did not do well, but overall, when the room heard something witty, the comic heard a laugh. Some talent even got an applause break here and there.
This room had such energy. You could charge your phone just by waving it in the air, the current was so strong. This is a terrific way to spend a Friday night: enjoying a terrific meal and then seeing and performing yourself in a room meant for standup.
Venue is closed until further notice.
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