For those of you who don’t know (and its absolutely okay if you don’t!), Open Mics are a performing space where Musicians, Poets, Comedians and other performance artists display their art in a judgement-free zone. It’s a trial ground. Some things are bound to work while others might not. And that’s perfectly fine! Performance art isn’t about perfection, otherwise none of us would ever be good enough.
Comedians at Open Mics
While musicians, poets and rappers might perform for other artists and be satisfied with the feedback, comedians might not be. This is because, at some level, your sense of humor is altered when you start doing comedy. You have a higher daily intake of jokes and this might result in your receptivity to jokes being extremely different from other folks. This might mean you are “normalized” to hilarious jokes and will not find them extremely funny or you might even appreciate extremely dry content because you understand an artist’s struggle. Basically, you become an art zombie! This isn’t an ideal audience for any comedian to try out material in front of.
It’s important to note that comedy itself is very passive in nature. A comedian might seem in control on stage but he strongly depends on the audience to validate his/her material. There are obvious exceptions to this, if a comedian is too intoxicated with self righteousness or, you know, intoxications.
What’s the solution then? Head out to your nearest open mic and give local comics a shot! Open mic line ups might be 7-10 people (or maybe more) lasting a couple hours. Maybe there are only a couple people who are good. Maybe none of them are. It’s certainly a gamble. But that’s why they’re usually free.
And there’s no greater joy than watching a good comedian at an open mic and see them go on to have a successful career. If you think your local comedy scene isn’t good, that gives you more of a reason to back the scene. If they see your disapproval (hopefully not expressed in heckles), they will try to be better. Comedians are attention seekers. We need you.
Are open mics worth trying your potential at? Most certainly so. If you’ve ever even had the thought of performing on stage, I strongly urge you to. It’s an empowering yet humbling experience everyone with a genuine interest should try at least once. Even after 3 years of performing on stage I can assure you, there isn’t quite a feeling like performing on stage.
Whatever category you belong to, search for open mics in your city online. Check out their registration details, each venue has a different system. It’s not just a matter of supporting local artists. It’s an art experience so hauntingly personal in spectation that you might be left wondering, Is this even art?
A Dummy's Guide to Comedy 