Open mic at Holiday Club takes place in a room separate from the main bar, which is good. In the main bar and is a pool table and TVs playing, and it would be a big distraction to have a mic there. Where the mic does take place, it seats close to 50, and it has its own bar from which to order drinks. There is a platform stage that is well lit, but I recommend not wearing a hat. The backdrop is a large screen showing the Holiday mic logo. On stage is a mic, stand and stool. The business is a full bar, but they also offer quite the selection of comfort food like burgers and chicken sandwiches. Moscow mules run $10. Not bad. The signup sheet came out at 9:36pm. On the sheet are 15 spots. It’s first come first choice. We had six signups right away. The room started at 10:07. Interestingly, the host did not introduce herself nor did she say how much stage time talent gets or where to expect the light. I timed my friend, and she did five minute, so figure the light at four, and it comes from the host who sits close to the stage. You can’t miss it. I counted 11 in the room when we began. By 10:36pm we had eight signups. I sat next to the host and asked her name. Turns out it’s Ashley. I counted 12 in the room at 10:46pm, and the evening ended at 10:54pm. Guys, this isn’t a bad room to do, but here’s the problem. The seating at the bar are stools without a backrest. Most everyone sat to either side on cushions that ran the length of the room. They had backrests, which people wanted. However, to see the stage you had to turn slightly, which after a while, might be uncomfortable. My friend experienced back pains and switched seats to one without a backrest so she cold face the stage more head-on. I sat turned to see the stage, and yes, after a while, you feel it. We stayed till the end, though. I’m sure if attendance had been higher, the energy would have been higher. I saw people on their phone while talent performed on stage, like they weren’t interested in supporting the room. That was a little sad. My experience up till that night had been that comedians support and pay attention to one another, and this was my twelfth day in Chicago. If there are other rooms to do at this time on a Thursday, I can see why comedians might commit to those rooms as opposed to this one. However, to do this room might be good just for the challenge. Can you win over an audience not necessarily there to see the mic? For the more seasoned comedian, you may want to try winning the room over.
Open mic at Holiday Club takes place in a room separate from the main bar, which is good. In the main bar and is a pool table and TVs playing, and it would be a big distraction to have a mic there. Where the mic does take place, it seats close to 50, and it has its own bar from which to order drinks. There is a platform stage that is well lit, but I recommend not wearing a hat. The backdrop is a large screen showing the Holiday mic logo. On stage is a mic, stand and stool.
ReplyDeleteThe business is a full bar, but they also offer quite the selection of comfort food like burgers and chicken sandwiches. Moscow mules run $10. Not bad.
The signup sheet came out at 9:36pm. On the sheet are 15 spots. It’s first come first choice. We had six signups right away. The room started at 10:07. Interestingly, the host did not introduce herself nor did she say how much stage time talent gets or where to expect the light. I timed my friend, and she did five minute, so figure the light at four, and it comes from the host who sits close to the stage. You can’t miss it. I counted 11 in the room when we began. By 10:36pm we had eight signups.
I sat next to the host and asked her name. Turns out it’s Ashley. I counted 12 in the room at 10:46pm, and the evening ended at 10:54pm.
Guys, this isn’t a bad room to do, but here’s the problem. The seating at the bar are stools without a backrest. Most everyone sat to either side on cushions that ran the length of the room. They had backrests, which people wanted. However, to see the stage you had to turn slightly, which after a while, might be uncomfortable. My friend experienced back pains and switched seats to one without a backrest so she cold face the stage more head-on. I sat turned to see the stage, and yes, after a while, you feel it. We stayed till the end, though.
I’m sure if attendance had been higher, the energy would have been higher. I saw people on their phone while talent performed on stage, like they weren’t interested in supporting the room. That was a little sad. My experience up till that night had been that comedians support and pay attention to one another, and this was my twelfth day in Chicago.
If there are other rooms to do at this time on a Thursday, I can see why comedians might commit to those rooms as opposed to this one. However, to do this room might be good just for the challenge. Can you win over an audience not necessarily there to see the mic? For the more seasoned comedian, you may want to try winning the room over.