Open mic at Backfire is very new to Seattle, having only started in April 2024. All genres of talent are welcome, but they predominantly attract musicians. Signup is first come first choice. There are no language restrictions. Comedians get five minutes, while musicians get up to three songs. I imagine poets or spoken word artists get time closer to what a comedian gets. Parking is on the street, and it is free, but get there in good time to find a spot. When we arrived at 7:20pm, no one had signed up yet. I got the second spot, and my friend took the third. The mic takes place in a back room and seats 24, all seats facing an elevated platform stage that is well lit. On stage was a mic, stand, a stool off to the side, as well as a complete drum set and a keyboard. Margot is the host of the room, along with her husband, Randy, who opened the mic at 7:33pm with a set of standup. He wore a wig and a tie that was put on backwards and riffed with the audience for a few minutes before getting himself off. Margot then announced from the side (and not in a mic) who is up next. The room is intimate enough that she did not need a mic to be heard. The business mostly sells beer, but they had limited wine and cider as well. I ordered a pint of beer for $8 and got a few gulps in before my name was called. We had ten people in the room when I went up. Attendance increased to 11 by 7:50pm and that was the peak in terms of attendance. By 8:10pm we had ten in the room. I looked at the signup sheet and saw there were seven signups total. Musicians came in after the room had started and wrote down their names. After the last of the signups went up, Margot then did two songs herself before the night ended about 9pm. The room stayed consistently at ten people watching when the room came to a close. Guys, this is a very new room. I hope they find an audience in terms of comedians finding this mic. My friend and I were the only comedians that night. Yes, the host tried out some standup, but Margot told me that was his first time trying something like that. The bonus of doing this room for a comedian is you are not playing for a roomful of fellow comics. Musicians and poets mean a “general” audience, which is good. The best way to gauge your material is performing for non-comics. After this review is posted, I hope more comedians decide to do this room. Yes, it’s not downtown where most of the comedy action takes place, but that can work in your favor in that parking may not be as difficult, and at this room, again, it’s free.
Open mic at Backfire is very new to Seattle, having only started in April 2024. All genres of talent are welcome, but they predominantly attract musicians. Signup is first come first choice. There are no language restrictions. Comedians get five minutes, while musicians get up to three songs. I imagine poets or spoken word artists get time closer to what a comedian gets. Parking is on the street, and it is free, but get there in good time to find a spot.
ReplyDeleteWhen we arrived at 7:20pm, no one had signed up yet. I got the second spot, and my friend took the third. The mic takes place in a back room and seats 24, all seats facing an elevated platform stage that is well lit. On stage was a mic, stand, a stool off to the side, as well as a complete drum set and a keyboard. Margot is the host of the room, along with her husband, Randy, who opened the mic at 7:33pm with a set of standup. He wore a wig and a tie that was put on backwards and riffed with the audience for a few minutes before getting himself off. Margot then announced from the side (and not in a mic) who is up next. The room is intimate enough that she did not need a mic to be heard.
The business mostly sells beer, but they had limited wine and cider as well. I ordered a pint of beer for $8 and got a few gulps in before my name was called. We had ten people in the room when I went up. Attendance increased to 11 by 7:50pm and that was the peak in terms of attendance. By 8:10pm we had ten in the room. I looked at the signup sheet and saw there were seven signups total. Musicians came in after the room had started and wrote down their names. After the last of the signups went up, Margot then did two songs herself before the night ended about 9pm. The room stayed consistently at ten people watching when the room came to a close.
Guys, this is a very new room. I hope they find an audience in terms of comedians finding this mic. My friend and I were the only comedians that night. Yes, the host tried out some standup, but Margot told me that was his first time trying something like that. The bonus of doing this room for a comedian is you are not playing for a roomful of fellow comics. Musicians and poets mean a “general” audience, which is good. The best way to gauge your material is performing for non-comics. After this review is posted, I hope more comedians decide to do this room. Yes, it’s not downtown where most of the comedy action takes place, but that can work in your favor in that parking may not be as difficult, and at this room, again, it’s free.