Open Mic at Turn has been going on two years, and it is for standup only. Parking is on the street. A person named Logan typically hosts, but the day I went up, they had a guest host, Sabrina. There are no language restrictions, except no hate speech. Signup is on-line or in person. The place seats about 42, and where the mic takes place, you can see the talent easily. Talent gets 4 minutes. They have a sizable stage just to the left of the entrance. A single mic and stand are set up, as well as a stool. The backdrop of the stage is a window revealing street traffic. Lighting pretty much relied exclusively on the brightness of the outside illuminating the room. The business is a full bar, as well as some nonalcoholic drinks and even comfort food, including bowls of rice with beans and assorted vegetables, a couple salad choice, nachos and various sides. Also, it’s called Turn, Turn, Turn because you can buy vinyl records too. Sabrina arrived 4:50pm. There were 8 pre-signups and 4 floaters, (comics who showed up in person to sign-up). I was told the room goes till 6:30 or 7pm, depending on the number of signups, so there is a cut-off. They had trouble setting up the sound system, but eventually it was resolved, and the room started at 5:11pm. I counted 15 in the room, including the worker behind the counter. Sabrina was good about telling talent when they were “on deck”. I’ll admit since arriving Monday in Portland four days before, this room I did not do well. My material got tepid laughs when on previous nights I did much better. I wouldn’t be surprised if the host gave me the light a fraction early. Just a feeling. But I don’t blame the room for my not resonating with the audience. Guys, what’s good about this room is that it begins at 5pm, enough to get a second mic in easily later that night. My friend and I left just after 6pm, not so much to rush to the next mic, as the comic after me thought it would be funny to insult me because I did not have a good set, and we were put off by that. For a room that says no hate speech, I don’t understand that insulting a person on stage is acceptable. For what it’s worth, the insults did not get a laugh either. The host and the insulting comic knew each other, so I don’t think the host was going to stop the performer because they were comedic buds. I run my own room in Los Angeles. I do not allow comics to insult one another. We try new material to see what works and what doesn’t. Obviously, not every joke is a winner, and sometimes, no new material works. That other talent feel licensed to ridicule a comic for that is unacceptable to me. I don’t mean to personalize this review. If someone else had bombed and was given a hard time for it, I would be writing this same thing. Open mics should be welcoming, receptive. A comic should be made to feel welcomed to come back. That this room permits insults makes it a hostile environment, and I can easily see a comedian not wanting to do that room again.
Open Mic at Turn has been going on two years, and it is for standup only. Parking is on the street. A person named Logan typically hosts, but the day I went up, they had a guest host, Sabrina. There are no language restrictions, except no hate speech. Signup is on-line or in person. The place seats about 42, and where the mic takes place, you can see the talent easily. Talent gets 4 minutes. They have a sizable stage just to the left of the entrance. A single mic and stand are set up, as well as a stool. The backdrop of the stage is a window revealing street traffic. Lighting pretty much relied exclusively on the brightness of the outside illuminating the room.
ReplyDeleteThe business is a full bar, as well as some nonalcoholic drinks and even comfort food, including bowls of rice with beans and assorted vegetables, a couple salad choice, nachos and various sides. Also, it’s called Turn, Turn, Turn because you can buy vinyl records too.
Sabrina arrived 4:50pm. There were 8 pre-signups and 4 floaters, (comics who showed up in person to sign-up). I was told the room goes till 6:30 or 7pm, depending on the number of signups, so there is a cut-off.
They had trouble setting up the sound system, but eventually it was resolved, and the room started at 5:11pm. I counted 15 in the room, including the worker behind the counter. Sabrina was good about telling talent when they were “on deck”.
I’ll admit since arriving Monday in Portland four days before, this room I did not do well. My material got tepid laughs when on previous nights I did much better. I wouldn’t be surprised if the host gave me the light a fraction early. Just a feeling. But I don’t blame the room for my not resonating with the audience.
Guys, what’s good about this room is that it begins at 5pm, enough to get a second mic in easily later that night. My friend and I left just after 6pm, not so much to rush to the next mic, as the comic after me thought it would be funny to insult me because I did not have a good set, and we were put off by that. For a room that says no hate speech, I don’t understand that insulting a person on stage is acceptable. For what it’s worth, the insults did not get a laugh either. The host and the insulting comic knew each other, so I don’t think the host was going to stop the performer because they were comedic buds.
I run my own room in Los Angeles. I do not allow comics to insult one another. We try new material to see what works and what doesn’t. Obviously, not every joke is a winner, and sometimes, no new material works. That other talent feel licensed to ridicule a comic for that is unacceptable to me.
I don’t mean to personalize this review. If someone else had bombed and was given a hard time for it, I would be writing this same thing. Open mics should be welcoming, receptive. A comic should be made to feel welcomed to come back. That this room permits insults makes it a hostile environment, and I can easily see a comedian not wanting to do that room again.