Open mic at Misfits is called “The Real Comedy Spot” and has been going on for 10 years, so it’s definitely a staple in Portland. The room seats 39 who can see the stage well. The stage itself is a platform stage and it is well lit. Know that they have a limited parking lot. Most people will have to park on the streets unless you get there very early, like I did. The room is for standup only and there are no language restrictions. Some comics in the past have used “hate humor” on stage and they were told to stop. I thought Portland was a PC kind of town, but the woman who co-runs the room told me often they must remind talent to not make fun of other people in a negative way. The room is produced by Dirty Angel Entertainment, which is a married couple, Tyrone, aka Hyjinx, and Courtenay. A third person, Chris, who was present told me he sometimes hosts the room, but mostly it’s Tyrone, while is wife acts as DJ, playing music while talent comes on and off the stage. Signup starts at 9:45. You drop your name in a bucket and they decide what the order of talent is; it’s not first come first choice. The business is a full bar, and they serve comfort food like chicken strips and French fries. Beers runs $6 and change a pint. The room started early, 9:49pm. I counted 20 people in the room. Talent gets 5 minutes, sometimes 7. The night I was there, the room was doing something atypical of their weekly mic. The evening started off with standup, Hyjinx bringing up the talent after opening with a few minutes of comedy. There were only 4 signups, and after they performed their sets, they were called back up to do a rap standoff, where in pairs, they had to compete with each other, performing rap for 30 seconds, and they had to only say positive things about their competitor. The winners of the pairings then moved on to round two, and a final showdown took place. I counted 22 people in the room at 10:15pm. The rap portion of the evening started 10:32pm. On a regular night, Chris told me there is anywhere from 13 to 17 signups. Guys, this is a good room to do. I met Hyjinx and Courtenay years ago on a previous trip. They run more than this room, so involved in comedy are they. A bucket was passed around, and everything that went into it was earmarked to feed the homeless. Yes, I was there during a special event, but how the room is run – stage time, how the lineup is done, etc. – is still applicable towards their weekly, regular mic. With the music between talent, as late in the evening as this room begins, the energy was remarkably high. Worth doing, whether you’re a local or visiting from out of state.
Open mic at Misfits is called “The Real Comedy Spot” and has been going on for 10 years, so it’s definitely a staple in Portland. The room seats 39 who can see the stage well. The stage itself is a platform stage and it is well lit. Know that they have a limited parking lot. Most people will have to park on the streets unless you get there very early, like I did. The room is for standup only and there are no language restrictions. Some comics in the past have used “hate humor” on stage and they were told to stop. I thought Portland was a PC kind of town, but the woman who co-runs the room told me often they must remind talent to not make fun of other people in a negative way.
ReplyDeleteThe room is produced by Dirty Angel Entertainment, which is a married couple, Tyrone, aka Hyjinx, and Courtenay. A third person, Chris, who was present told me he sometimes hosts the room, but mostly it’s Tyrone, while is wife acts as DJ, playing music while talent comes on and off the stage. Signup starts at 9:45. You drop your name in a bucket and they decide what the order of talent is; it’s not first come first choice.
The business is a full bar, and they serve comfort food like chicken strips and French fries. Beers runs $6 and change a pint.
The room started early, 9:49pm. I counted 20 people in the room. Talent gets 5 minutes, sometimes 7. The night I was there, the room was doing something atypical of their weekly mic. The evening started off with standup, Hyjinx bringing up the talent after opening with a few minutes of comedy. There were only 4 signups, and after they performed their sets, they were called back up to do a rap standoff, where in pairs, they had to compete with each other, performing rap for 30 seconds, and they had to only say positive things about their competitor. The winners of the pairings then moved on to round two, and a final showdown took place. I counted 22 people in the room at 10:15pm. The rap portion of the evening started 10:32pm. On a regular night, Chris told me there is anywhere from 13 to 17 signups.
Guys, this is a good room to do. I met Hyjinx and Courtenay years ago on a previous trip. They run more than this room, so involved in comedy are they. A bucket was passed around, and everything that went into it was earmarked to feed the homeless. Yes, I was there during a special event, but how the room is run – stage time, how the lineup is done, etc. – is still applicable towards their weekly, regular mic. With the music between talent, as late in the evening as this room begins, the energy was remarkably high. Worth doing, whether you’re a local or visiting from out of state.