When someone tells me they’re thinking about trying stand up comedy I recommend they go to a few open mics as an audience member. When I was getting ready to go up for the first time it took a lot of the pressure off, seeing people at all different skill levels working on their comedy. Previously I’d only seen the best of the best, national headliners, and the established comedians who are hired to open, and feature for national headliners.
What a difference to attend an open mic. Not only will you see comics at all different levels of skill and experience, but you’ll also see material as it’s being developed. I love watching a comic do a bit for the first time and then watching over the next few weeks and months as the bit grows and evolves and becomes a polished masterpiece. Most people only ever get to see the finished product, unless they come out to the open mics.
When I teach a stand up class we finish with a graduation show. The graduation shows are a blast. There is a nice full audience made up of friends of the new comedians, everyone knows they’re seeing new comics and they bring their support and patience. I apologize to my students for giving them such a false idea about what a life in stand up comedy is going to be like. They go from this lovely experience to the open mic scene, which can be absolutely brutal.
Here’s an analogy for you. When I was in my thirties my nephew took up skateboarding, and I decided to pull out my old board and skate with him. I hadn’t skated in over ten years. I didn’t want to buy good shoes, and a new board until I was sure I was really back into it. A few months later I was definitely back into it. My birthday came and my wife and her sisters bought me some nice shoes and a new skateboard. Those months of working out with crummy shoes and a beat up old board meant that suddenly I was better than I realized I was. Now that I had decent equipment skating was easier.
Slug away at them open mics. Every time you get up on that stage has value whether you kill, merely survive, or bomb. Hell, them nights you bomb might be some of the most valuable. Even when it’s an audience of mostly other comics, an audience who is burnt and tired by the time you get them, and there are nights when there isn’t much of an audience to speak of, you’re still learning to get comfortable standing on stage, holding a microphone, being under the bright lights. Put in your time and you’ll start to relax as it becomes a common experience and this will improve your mental state and your focus dramatically
And don’t get me wrong, occasionally it will be great, there are really fun nights to be had at the mics, but there are also a lot of nights when you’ll feel like you’re working. When you finally get booked at a showcase you’re gonna be amazed at how much easier comedy actually is than it originally seemed. When you’re in front a fresh crowd who are excited to be there, and they assume you’re good because you’re booked on the show, you start out with the ball on the tee, all ready for you knock it out of the park.
Check back tomorrow for How an Open Mic Works.