Open mic at Growler has been going on only eight months. It is a monthly mic and is run by a woman named Dorothy. Talent gets three minutes, but a couple of talent got to do six, because they had some upcoming performances and needed to rehearse. There are no language restrictions. Signup is done on FB and starts at 9am the day of the mic. Sign up early, as the lineup fills quickly. At the end of the night, if you’re still there, the audience votes on who they thought was the best comic. That comic gets a $10 gift certificate to Growler, as well as a featured, paid spot in the next month’s open mic. The two comics who did six minutes did not participate in the contest. The featured talent gets ten minutes, I think. They might have gotten the light earlier, I didn’t time it. The list of signups goes to 25, but I think we had 26 that night. There is no stage. A mic is set up to one corner of the room to the right of the entrance, visible to anyone inside. For a backdrop, they have a mural of Portland. The lighting on the talent is not the best, but good enough that you can see the comic’s face and eyes, and that matters. The place seats about 42. Parking is on the street, but it is free. There are three muted TVs playing, but the TV above the stage area is turned off before the mic begins. The business emphasizes beer. Lots of it. But they also offer a couple wine choices and a few nonalcoholic drinks. I bought a pint of beer for $7. To eat, they offer small bites like tator tots, spinach dip and hummus plate. Larger choices include sandwiches, hot dogs, cheese pizza and wings. Talent is asked to check in with Dorothy when they arrive. Dorothy composes the list, and you can see where you are in the lineup when the time comes. When the room started at 8:04pm, we had 26 people in the audience. The whole room became quiet when Dorothy opened with a few minutes of material. Everyone was there for the mic and nothing else. By 9:15pm we had 30 people in the room, not counting Dorothy or the staff. Comic after comic did their set, getting the light from Dorothy at two minutes. I originally had the 22nd spot, but ended up going up third when Dorothy learned I would not be eligible to do the contest, as I would not be here to perform the featured spot had I won, so she put me up early. By 10pm, the last talent had gone up, and it was time for the audience to vote. The whole night ended at 10:11pm. Guys, I can see why the list fills up fast. I submitted my request at 9:12am Saturday morning and got a message I made the list at 10:43am. This room is very supportive. The audience is very much paying attention to all the talent because they know they are going to vote on a winner. Everyone was good about respecting the talent by not talking too much or too loud. When I was performing, I could see peeps looking at me and not their phones or even the TVs necessarily. That you may be rewarded for your comedy by being voted a winner is more for the local talent than visitors, as out-of-towners are not likely to have their friends there to support. But that’s okay. I had a good time regardless. You will, too.
Open mic at Growler has been going on only eight months. It is a monthly mic and is run by a woman named Dorothy. Talent gets three minutes, but a couple of talent got to do six, because they had some upcoming performances and needed to rehearse. There are no language restrictions. Signup is done on FB and starts at 9am the day of the mic. Sign up early, as the lineup fills quickly. At the end of the night, if you’re still there, the audience votes on who they thought was the best comic. That comic gets a $10 gift certificate to Growler, as well as a featured, paid spot in the next month’s open mic. The two comics who did six minutes did not participate in the contest. The featured talent gets ten minutes, I think. They might have gotten the light earlier, I didn’t time it. The list of signups goes to 25, but I think we had 26 that night.
ReplyDeleteThere is no stage. A mic is set up to one corner of the room to the right of the entrance, visible to anyone inside. For a backdrop, they have a mural of Portland. The lighting on the talent is not the best, but good enough that you can see the comic’s face and eyes, and that matters. The place seats about 42. Parking is on the street, but it is free. There are three muted TVs playing, but the TV above the stage area is turned off before the mic begins. The business emphasizes beer. Lots of it. But they also offer a couple wine choices and a few nonalcoholic drinks. I bought a pint of beer for $7. To eat, they offer small bites like tator tots, spinach dip and hummus plate. Larger choices include sandwiches, hot dogs, cheese pizza and wings.
Talent is asked to check in with Dorothy when they arrive. Dorothy composes the list, and you can see where you are in the lineup when the time comes. When the room started at 8:04pm, we had 26 people in the audience. The whole room became quiet when Dorothy opened with a few minutes of material. Everyone was there for the mic and nothing else. By 9:15pm we had 30 people in the room, not counting Dorothy or the staff.
Comic after comic did their set, getting the light from Dorothy at two minutes. I originally had the 22nd spot, but ended up going up third when Dorothy learned I would not be eligible to do the contest, as I would not be here to perform the featured spot had I won, so she put me up early. By 10pm, the last talent had gone up, and it was time for the audience to vote. The whole night ended at 10:11pm.
Guys, I can see why the list fills up fast. I submitted my request at 9:12am Saturday morning and got a message I made the list at 10:43am. This room is very supportive. The audience is very much paying attention to all the talent because they know they are going to vote on a winner. Everyone was good about respecting the talent by not talking too much or too loud. When I was performing, I could see peeps looking at me and not their phones or even the TVs necessarily. That you may be rewarded for your comedy by being voted a winner is more for the local talent than visitors, as out-of-towners are not likely to have their friends there to support. But that’s okay. I had a good time regardless. You will, too.