Going on 2 months, this is one informal room. A gentleman named Frank put the mic together, but once he welcomes everyone, he asks the talent once they are done performing to bring up the next talent, reading the name off the signup sheet. Signup is first come, first choice. The room mostly draws comedians and musicians, but poetry is welcome as well. There are no restrictions, and talent gets 2 songs or 5 to 7 minutes of stage time. There is no light. Frank trusts talent will know if they’ve done 5 to 7. The business mostly serves a plethora of beer, but other drinks can also be found. A pint ran me $6 and change; they don’t accept cash. The venue takes place outside under a giant canopy with tables and benches that can fit a 100 people. The stage is a platform stage with two mics spaced about 10 feet apart. Parking is on the street. The flyer promoting the room says it goes from 6pm to 8pm, but Frank told me with each passing week, talent seems to arrive later and later, so the room has been starting later and later. When my friend and I arrived at 5:50pm, the signup sheet was already out, and we were the first to signup. By the time the evening started, there were five signups: 3 comics and 2 musicians. Frank started setting up at 6:13pm, and the room started at 6:39pm with 33 peeps in attendance. Know that not everyone there was for the mic. After all the talent has had their turn, if there is available time still, they may go back up on stage and perform again. I’d say of the people present, maybe a third of them were watching the stage. Frank introduced the first talent who played 2 songs, but with Frank’s encouragement, played a third song then brought me up. I did my set, watching to see if I could get more people to turn towards me. Bit by bit I could see people, even at the faraway tables, glance up at me when they heard something funny. Even for such a large, open space, you could hear when a person laughed. I did what I thought was about six minutes then cut myself off curtly and brought up the next talent. My friend who went up fourth did over 8 minutes then brought up the final act, the second musician, who also did 3 songs. We left after that, so if talent went up again, we did not see it. Guys, this is a fine room to do. Admittedly, quite a few people were there just to have a drink and sit outside and enjoy the company of family and friends. When you hear music, you can still enjoy it while also talking. For a comedian, the challenge is being funny enough, interesting enough, to win over the audience. And they are a respectful audience. No one heckled; people at tables did not talk loudly. A couple of times one or two small children ran to the front of the stage and started playing, even walking on stage during the second comic’s set. She did a good job of addressing that in a humorous way, till a parent came and collected the kids. What’s best about this room, as early as the room starts, it can be the first of potentially three rooms to do on a Friday night in Seattle. I say, go for it.
Going on 2 months, this is one informal room. A gentleman named Frank put the mic together, but once he welcomes everyone, he asks the talent once they are done performing to bring up the next talent, reading the name off the signup sheet. Signup is first come, first choice. The room mostly draws comedians and musicians, but poetry is welcome as well. There are no restrictions, and talent gets 2 songs or 5 to 7 minutes of stage time. There is no light. Frank trusts talent will know if they’ve done 5 to 7.
ReplyDeleteThe business mostly serves a plethora of beer, but other drinks can also be found. A pint ran me $6 and change; they don’t accept cash. The venue takes place outside under a giant canopy with tables and benches that can fit a 100 people. The stage is a platform stage with two mics spaced about 10 feet apart. Parking is on the street. The flyer promoting the room says it goes from 6pm to 8pm, but Frank told me with each passing week, talent seems to arrive later and later, so the room has been starting later and later.
When my friend and I arrived at 5:50pm, the signup sheet was already out, and we were the first to signup. By the time the evening started, there were five signups: 3 comics and 2 musicians. Frank started setting up at 6:13pm, and the room started at 6:39pm with 33 peeps in attendance. Know that not everyone there was for the mic. After all the talent has had their turn, if there is available time still, they may go back up on stage and perform again. I’d say of the people present, maybe a third of them were watching the stage.
Frank introduced the first talent who played 2 songs, but with Frank’s encouragement, played a third song then brought me up. I did my set, watching to see if I could get more people to turn towards me. Bit by bit I could see people, even at the faraway tables, glance up at me when they heard something funny. Even for such a large, open space, you could hear when a person laughed. I did what I thought was about six minutes then cut myself off curtly and brought up the next talent. My friend who went up fourth did over 8 minutes then brought up the final act, the second musician, who also did 3 songs. We left after that, so if talent went up again, we did not see it.
Guys, this is a fine room to do. Admittedly, quite a few people were there just to have a drink and sit outside and enjoy the company of family and friends. When you hear music, you can still enjoy it while also talking. For a comedian, the challenge is being funny enough, interesting enough, to win over the audience. And they are a respectful audience. No one heckled; people at tables did not talk loudly. A couple of times one or two small children ran to the front of the stage and started playing, even walking on stage during the second comic’s set. She did a good job of addressing that in a humorous way, till a parent came and collected the kids.
What’s best about this room, as early as the room starts, it can be the first of potentially three rooms to do on a Friday night in Seattle. I say, go for it.