Let me start off by saying even though The Clubhouse shares a large parking lot with other businesses, parking may still be difficult, as the lot was almost filled to capacity. I felt lucky to get a spot when I did. This room is relatively new, only four weeks old the day I performed, but it found an audience quickly. There were already 11 people signed up when I arrived at 2:50pm. Signup is first come first choice, and the sheet comes out at 2:30pm. Talent gets five minutes, the light at four. There are no language restrictions. The room emphasizes standup, but it also encourages sketch comedy and improv as well. Music and poetry, unless it’s part of the act to be funny, is discouraged. The business is unique. From the outside, The Clubhouse does not appear on the billboard above the building. Instead, its name appears on the glass door that is the entrance. Look for it, as the business signs above the building advertise something else. But inside there is a high-ceiling lobby and a theater where the open mic takes place. As with all theaters, all the chairs face the stage, the stage is well lit, and they have a nice sound system. Their A/C was on, and it felt pleasant to have in L.A.’s afternoon heat. The stage was big, and the theater seats over 50. The producer and host is Kat. She started the room on time and opened with a few minutes herself. On stage with her was a mic and stand but no stool. She announces the first talent and then the talent “on deck”, and did this the whole afternoon. Fifteen people were in the room when we started, including the host. That increased to 20 after the second talent was up. The host plays music before and after talent goes up. About one hour into the mic, the host went up and did a bit of a solo sketch, working on a character she has. After that deviation, it was back to open mic with signups doing standup. At one point, however, later in the second hour, two people went up and did improv, which was another pleasant deviation from standup. The same amount of stage time is given to any act. The room goes till 5pm. Of course, as the show went on, the numbers in the audience dropped. We had 14 people by 3:50pm, and 11 people by 4:10pm, and that went down even more the rest of the day. There were 18 signups overall, which I can understand, as there is no admission fee to do this room, just a white bucket with a “Suggested Donation” written on the side. I left at 4:50pm, just as the last talent was going up. I had a single in my wallet and gave it to Kat. Guys, this is a good room to do. It can be the first of several that day, and being in a theater, you get that comedy room feel. That the mic is free is a plus, but on your own, I do recommend dropping a dollar. Even if it’s every other week. Kat runs a tight room, though one comedian went way over their time, and all Kat could do was shine the light again and wave it around. Personally, I thought she should have played the comedian off with music. But do this room, simply because it’s geared towards comedy, but especially standup, in a room that looks like a comedy club, and it’s free and starts early in the day, so you have plenty of time to hit other mics in the evening.
Let me start off by saying even though The Clubhouse shares a large parking lot with other businesses, parking may still be difficult, as the lot was almost filled to capacity. I felt lucky to get a spot when I did.
ReplyDeleteThis room is relatively new, only four weeks old the day I performed, but it found an audience quickly. There were already 11 people signed up when I arrived at 2:50pm. Signup is first come first choice, and the sheet comes out at 2:30pm. Talent gets five minutes, the light at four. There are no language restrictions. The room emphasizes standup, but it also encourages sketch comedy and improv as well. Music and poetry, unless it’s part of the act to be funny, is discouraged.
The business is unique. From the outside, The Clubhouse does not appear on the billboard above the building. Instead, its name appears on the glass door that is the entrance. Look for it, as the business signs above the building advertise something else. But inside there is a high-ceiling lobby and a theater where the open mic takes place. As with all theaters, all the chairs face the stage, the stage is well lit, and they have a nice sound system. Their A/C was on, and it felt pleasant to have in L.A.’s afternoon heat. The stage was big, and the theater seats over 50.
The producer and host is Kat. She started the room on time and opened with a few minutes herself. On stage with her was a mic and stand but no stool. She announces the first talent and then the talent “on deck”, and did this the whole afternoon. Fifteen people were in the room when we started, including the host. That increased to 20 after the second talent was up. The host plays music before and after talent goes up.
About one hour into the mic, the host went up and did a bit of a solo sketch, working on a character she has. After that deviation, it was back to open mic with signups doing standup. At one point, however, later in the second hour, two people went up and did improv, which was another pleasant deviation from standup. The same amount of stage time is given to any act.
The room goes till 5pm. Of course, as the show went on, the numbers in the audience dropped. We had 14 people by 3:50pm, and 11 people by 4:10pm, and that went down even more the rest of the day.
There were 18 signups overall, which I can understand, as there is no admission fee to do this room, just a white bucket with a “Suggested Donation” written on the side. I left at 4:50pm, just as the last talent was going up. I had a single in my wallet and gave it to Kat.
Guys, this is a good room to do. It can be the first of several that day, and being in a theater, you get that comedy room feel. That the mic is free is a plus, but on your own, I do recommend dropping a dollar. Even if it’s every other week. Kat runs a tight room, though one comedian went way over their time, and all Kat could do was shine the light again and wave it around. Personally, I thought she should have played the comedian off with music.
But do this room, simply because it’s geared towards comedy, but especially standup, in a room that looks like a comedy club, and it’s free and starts early in the day, so you have plenty of time to hit other mics in the evening.