Blank Slate can be the last of three mics on a Thursday night in Portland you can do to have a satisfying evening of standup. Run by two gentleman with beards, the mic is called “Dueling Beardos”. Parking is on the street, and it is free. The room has been going on since December of 2018. It is comedy only. There are no language restrictions. Talent gets four minutes. Signup is online by clicking the form on pdxstandup.com, but walk-ins are fine, you’re just at the end, which is what happened to me. The business is a full bar, but they also offer bites like deviled eggs and oysters on a half shell and full dinner courses, too. The room seats over 30, and anywhere you sit, you can see the stage area. There is no stage, just two mics set up to one corner of the room. A red curtain is put up as a backdrop, so street traffic is not a distraction. The lighting is very good, too, if you remember to stand back near the curtain. Those comedians eager to connect with the audience, leaning in to the room were not as well lit. The room started at 10:06pm with 18 people in the room plus the bartender and two hosts, Bjorn and Todd, who opened with a few minutes together, then alternated bringing up talent. Knowing I was going to go up late, if not last, I settled myself behind a table and drank a $6 beer, supporting the business and the room. Todd recognized me because he used to live in Los Angeles and went to both my workshop and open mic I have following a booked show. Unfortunately, I did not remember him. ‘Course, he didn’t have a beard then. One after the other comedians went up and gave it their all. Having seen a number of them at the two previous mics to do before this room, it was of interest to note the dynamics of each room, how their sets were received differently to the audience who had not seen their sets before. Attendance increased as the evening went on with 22 people by 11:15pm. That would decrease to 12 by the time I went up at 11:30pm. The energy in the room was not as much, because of the low attendance, and I could tell people were ready to go home. Two more comics followed me, then we ended the night at 11:45pm. Guys, this is a good room to do. I strongly recommend signing up online rather than walking in to write your name. The room was focused on the performers throughout the night, but as attendance went down, so did the enthusiasm. Not that those who stayed to the end weren’t supportive. You just felt that the evening was winding down and so was the energy. Still, it’s a good room and Bjorn and Todd are good hosts, smart, too, putting up the curtain to avoid distractions. The lights and sound system, along with the red curtain backdrop made the stage area look somewhat like a professional venue. Both the men know that presentation matters, and they do a good job about keeping the focus on the talent.
Blank Slate can be the last of three mics on a Thursday night in Portland you can do to have a satisfying evening of standup. Run by two gentleman with beards, the mic is called “Dueling Beardos”. Parking is on the street, and it is free. The room has been going on since December of 2018. It is comedy only. There are no language restrictions. Talent gets four minutes. Signup is online by clicking the form on pdxstandup.com, but walk-ins are fine, you’re just at the end, which is what happened to me.
ReplyDeleteThe business is a full bar, but they also offer bites like deviled eggs and oysters on a half shell and full dinner courses, too. The room seats over 30, and anywhere you sit, you can see the stage area. There is no stage, just two mics set up to one corner of the room. A red curtain is put up as a backdrop, so street traffic is not a distraction. The lighting is very good, too, if you remember to stand back near the curtain. Those comedians eager to connect with the audience, leaning in to the room were not as well lit.
The room started at 10:06pm with 18 people in the room plus the bartender and two hosts, Bjorn and Todd, who opened with a few minutes together, then alternated bringing up talent.
Knowing I was going to go up late, if not last, I settled myself behind a table and drank a $6 beer, supporting the business and the room. Todd recognized me because he used to live in Los Angeles and went to both my workshop and open mic I have following a booked show. Unfortunately, I did not remember him. ‘Course, he didn’t have a beard then.
One after the other comedians went up and gave it their all. Having seen a number of them at the two previous mics to do before this room, it was of interest to note the dynamics of each room, how their sets were received differently to the audience who had not seen their sets before. Attendance increased as the evening went on with 22 people by 11:15pm. That would decrease to 12 by the time I went up at 11:30pm. The energy in the room was not as much, because of the low attendance, and I could tell people were ready to go home. Two more comics followed me, then we ended the night at 11:45pm.
Guys, this is a good room to do. I strongly recommend signing up online rather than walking in to write your name. The room was focused on the performers throughout the night, but as attendance went down, so did the enthusiasm. Not that those who stayed to the end weren’t supportive. You just felt that the evening was winding down and so was the energy.
Still, it’s a good room and Bjorn and Todd are good hosts, smart, too, putting up the curtain to avoid distractions. The lights and sound system, along with the red curtain backdrop made the stage area look somewhat like a professional venue. Both the men know that presentation matters, and they do a good job about keeping the focus on the talent.