I was a bit misinformed about open mic at Eastside, believing signup was 8:30 and the room started at 9pm. As it turned out, the room starts at 9:30pm. Hijinx is the producer and emcee, a gentleman I met last year at another mic he used to run but doesn’t exist anymore. Overall, Hijinx runs two booked rooms and two mics in the Portland area, a very busy guy immersed in comedy. The business has limited parking. A large foot high stage holds a mic and stand and stool. The lighting on stage is not the best, blue and reddish, so be sure to stand where the audience can see you. I suggest not wearing a hat. Far enough away from the bar and the three muted TVs that were on, where the mic takes place it seats about 60 who can see the stage well. A pool table and video games are also on the premise, but no one was playing during the mic. The mic is for standup only. Talent gets 7 minutes, and there are no language restrictions. However, if you say something offensive, you must be prepared to defend that after your set. The room has been going on about six months. Hijinx arrived at 8:45pm and at 9pm he went around the room, acknowledging those who arrived first and asked for people’s names, then he wrote it down and that became the lineup. As it would happen, I was scheduled to go second. Hijinx lets you know ahead of time when you’re up. There were 13 in the room, not counting our host, his wife who doubled as DJ -- playing talent on and off stage -- and the bartender. By 10:15, we had 22 people overall in the room, which was its peak. At 11pm we had 20. When I went up second I must have been playing to 15 people. I left a little after 11pm, tired from my early flight to Portland and a little hungry, but not wanting fried foods, which is what the place offered. Guys, this is a good room to do. Yes, you’re mostly playing to a room full of comics, but I must say they were very good about staying and supporting other talent, and, yes, if you were funny, you got laughs. Big laughs. I was surprised by that in as much as in Los Angeles, playing for a room filled with comics usually gets a smile or a head nod at most. Hijinx is very good to let the room know this is not a place to heckle and give the talent shit, but to be quiet and pay attention. Anyone not following the rules would be bumped from the signup sheet. I liked that. This was the second of two mics I did that night, and you can do the same on a Tuesday in Portland, as this night has a number of mics. Be sure to squeeze this room in your schedule when visiting Portland. For locals, this should be a room to do over and over.
I was a bit misinformed about open mic at Eastside, believing signup was 8:30 and the room started at 9pm. As it turned out, the room starts at 9:30pm.
ReplyDeleteHijinx is the producer and emcee, a gentleman I met last year at another mic he used to run but doesn’t exist anymore. Overall, Hijinx runs two booked rooms and two mics in the Portland area, a very busy guy immersed in comedy.
The business has limited parking. A large foot high stage holds a mic and stand and stool. The lighting on stage is not the best, blue and reddish, so be sure to stand where the audience can see you. I suggest not wearing a hat. Far enough away from the bar and the three muted TVs that were on, where the mic takes place it seats about 60 who can see the stage well. A pool table and video games are also on the premise, but no one was playing during the mic.
The mic is for standup only. Talent gets 7 minutes, and there are no language restrictions. However, if you say something offensive, you must be prepared to defend that after your set. The room has been going on about six months. Hijinx arrived at 8:45pm and at 9pm he went around the room, acknowledging those who arrived first and asked for people’s names, then he wrote it down and that became the lineup. As it would happen, I was scheduled to go second. Hijinx lets you know ahead of time when you’re up.
There were 13 in the room, not counting our host, his wife who doubled as DJ -- playing talent on and off stage -- and the bartender. By 10:15, we had 22 people overall in the room, which was its peak. At 11pm we had 20. When I went up second I must have been playing to 15 people. I left a little after 11pm, tired from my early flight to Portland and a little hungry, but not wanting fried foods, which is what the place offered.
Guys, this is a good room to do. Yes, you’re mostly playing to a room full of comics, but I must say they were very good about staying and supporting other talent, and, yes, if you were funny, you got laughs. Big laughs. I was surprised by that in as much as in Los Angeles, playing for a room filled with comics usually gets a smile or a head nod at most.
Hijinx is very good to let the room know this is not a place to heckle and give the talent shit, but to be quiet and pay attention. Anyone not following the rules would be bumped from the signup sheet. I liked that.
This was the second of two mics I did that night, and you can do the same on a Tuesday in Portland, as this night has a number of mics. Be sure to squeeze this room in your schedule when visiting Portland. For locals, this should be a room to do over and over.