A Comedy Store Tradition: Open Mic
Every Sunday and Monday, the first hour of Potluck is dedicated to an open mic. More than 40 aspiring comedians show up an hour before the show to sign up for the lottery, hoping to get rpicked for one of the 15 available spots. Some come diligently for weeks and months without lucking into one of the coveted 3-minute sets. Those who do, often find themselves telling jokes to a room full of only other open mic comedians as the real audience slowly starts trickling in. Some of them bomb and face the heckles and commentary of the hosts, other comedians and even the audience, who are usually invited to get more interactive during the open mic portion than we usually encourage. Others shine and crush to a warm crowd and a large audience of their peers.
Open mikers watching other open mikers
The Open Mic is the critical first step in development at The Comedy Store. Employees and those on the Friends & Family list are culled from the cream of the open mic crop.
The Open Mic is also home to more than a few crazy characters - Boon-shok-a-laka, GT, and Mugzilla the Terrible Monster may make you wonder if they should be getting psychiatric treatment instead of open mic spots, but they definitely break up the hour of earnest, often scared young comics.
Boon shok-a-laka
The open mic is hosted by a rotating group of Paid Regulars and Friends & Family, there to guide the sometimes bewildered audience through the 15 newbies and into the later hours of potluck. These guys and gals do the unenviable job of keeping the room together and the energy flowing when they often have literally no idea what to expect from the next comedian coming to the stage.
Open Mic is every Sunday & Monday from 7-8 pm as part of Potluck. Admission is free before 9 and the Potluck show runs until 2 am.
