I don’t like putting a room down, unless there is a good reason to. That said, while I was waiting for the room to begin, another comedian, who had done the room before, said no one does well on the open mic here. I took that as a challenge. I failed. (And that’s not a reason to put a room down.) Parking is on the street. Signup is first come first choice. I arrived at 8:18pm, and there were already 11 signups. Comedians arrived even towards the end of the mic, and the host put them up, although they got less stage time than talent who had been there all or most of the evening. Talent gets four minutes, the host’s cell light at three. There are no language restrictions. The business is a full bar, but they also serve comfort food like sandwiches, and even main dishes like steak or salmon. I had dinner at a room I did before this one, but it’s definitely a step up, offering more healthy choice in addition to comfort food. Pints of beer run $7. The room seats about 53 who can see the stage. The stage is a platform set up against the center of one wall, the backdrop being a large, abstract painting. There is a mic and stand only, and the lighting is fine for performers to be seen. There was a large screen TV on but muted to one side of the room, and a couple smaller TVs also on, closer to the bar, also muted. The host, Brent, started the room at 8:36pm. I counted 26 in the room, only 14 of whom I saw watching the stage. Brent addressed one table with five people talking and got them to stop talking and pay attention. However, that did not last long, and they went back to conversing among themselves. Turns out, none of them were there to perform. The host brought up the first talent from the stage, and all future talent was announced from a second mic that Brent used off to one side. He was good about telling talent who was on deck. As the evening went on, attendance increased; I counted 23 at 9:08pm, almost all comedians, and 20 watching at 9:28pm. When it came my turn I played to 14 at 9:45pm, nine of whom were watching me. There was only one person there who was not a comic, and he stayed the whole evening. Attendance was smallest towards the end of the night, with 12 watching at 10:13pm. The room ended at 10:25pm. Guys, I’m not sure what to think of this room. At one time I asked the host a question about “the talent” and he said matter-of-factly, “No one on stage has talent.” I know that was a joke, but remembering what a comedian told me earlier, that no one does well in this room, I couldn’t help but think there is an undercurrent theme going on. It was almost as if comedians knew they were not going to do well, however committed they were to their material. At times, comedians did get a positive response, eliciting the occasional laughter from one or two peeps. Even I got that response. But mostly, no one did especially well. Pretty much all the talent knew one another, save for the visiting comedians, which I think I was the only one. I suppose when you are playing for your fellow comedians, people you see all the time at other mics all week long, this is a room you came for to socialize and go on stage just to do time and nothing more. I took it as a challenge, but this was the 16th day on my trip, and many of the people in the room had already seen my act a number of times. It really came down to trying to make the one man in the room who was not a comic laugh. As an example of the difficulty of this room, I did an earlier room the same night and killed it. In this room, with the same material, hardly a response. I think if this had been my first time performing during my trip to Portland, I might have done better. I recommend this room if you are performing, having just arrived. So, let me be clear: this is a room to do, but only if you’ve just arrived at Portland and no one has seen your act. Your odds of having a good set will have dramatically improved.
I don’t like putting a room down, unless there is a good reason to. That said, while I was waiting for the room to begin, another comedian, who had done the room before, said no one does well on the open mic here. I took that as a challenge. I failed. (And that’s not a reason to put a room down.)
ReplyDeleteParking is on the street. Signup is first come first choice. I arrived at 8:18pm, and there were already 11 signups. Comedians arrived even towards the end of the mic, and the host put them up, although they got less stage time than talent who had been there all or most of the evening. Talent gets four minutes, the host’s cell light at three. There are no language restrictions.
The business is a full bar, but they also serve comfort food like sandwiches, and even main dishes like steak or salmon. I had dinner at a room I did before this one, but it’s definitely a step up, offering more healthy choice in addition to comfort food. Pints of beer run $7. The room seats about 53 who can see the stage. The stage is a platform set up against the center of one wall, the backdrop being a large, abstract painting. There is a mic and stand only, and the lighting is fine for performers to be seen. There was a large screen TV on but muted to one side of the room, and a couple smaller TVs also on, closer to the bar, also muted.
The host, Brent, started the room at 8:36pm. I counted 26 in the room, only 14 of whom I saw watching the stage. Brent addressed one table with five people talking and got them to stop talking and pay attention. However, that did not last long, and they went back to conversing among themselves. Turns out, none of them were there to perform. The host brought up the first talent from the stage, and all future talent was announced from a second mic that Brent used off to one side. He was good about telling talent who was on deck.
As the evening went on, attendance increased; I counted 23 at 9:08pm, almost all comedians, and 20 watching at 9:28pm. When it came my turn I played to 14 at 9:45pm, nine of whom were watching me. There was only one person there who was not a comic, and he stayed the whole evening. Attendance was smallest towards the end of the night, with 12 watching at 10:13pm. The room ended at 10:25pm.
Guys, I’m not sure what to think of this room. At one time I asked the host a question about “the talent” and he said matter-of-factly, “No one on stage has talent.” I know that was a joke, but remembering what a comedian told me earlier, that no one does well in this room, I couldn’t help but think there is an undercurrent theme going on. It was almost as if comedians knew they were not going to do well, however committed they were to their material. At times, comedians did get a positive response, eliciting the occasional laughter from one or two peeps. Even I got that response. But mostly, no one did especially well.
Pretty much all the talent knew one another, save for the visiting comedians, which I think I was the only one. I suppose when you are playing for your fellow comedians, people you see all the time at other mics all week long, this is a room you came for to socialize and go on stage just to do time and nothing more.
I took it as a challenge, but this was the 16th day on my trip, and many of the people in the room had already seen my act a number of times. It really came down to trying to make the one man in the room who was not a comic laugh. As an example of the difficulty of this room, I did an earlier room the same night and killed it. In this room, with the same material, hardly a response.
I think if this had been my first time performing during my trip to Portland, I might have done better. I recommend this room if you are performing, having just arrived.
So, let me be clear: this is a room to do, but only if you’ve just arrived at Portland and no one has seen your act. Your odds of having a good set will have dramatically improved.