Going to your first comedy open mic? Welcome to the jungle, baby! In this episode we offer up 11 song titles that perfectly describe a comedy open mic night. Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t all bad. But man, you do see a common thread unravelling if you attend a dozen or so.
An open mic, by default, becomes a place to try out new material. Rarely is anyone getting paid. So comics might also use this night to practice crowd work, or even help them memorize their material better. I like to think of an open mic as a place somewhere between a laboratory and a gym. Maybe it’s even more like a test kitchen. It’s a place where experimentation can be both rewarding and frustrating.
Whatever the case, you’ll need to spend some time hitting the open mic scene before trying to get work at a comedy club. Many song titles came to mind while preparing for this episode. Some that didn’t make the cut include “You dropped a bomb on me”, “Tracks of my Tears”, “Help”, and “Twilight Zone”. What song titles come to mind for you? Send them to us, schooloflaughs@gmail.com and we will add a list to he show notes and mention them in a future podcast.
In this episode we talk about,
- What to expect at your first open mic
- How to work with a difficult situation
- When to “cut bait” and move on
- Why you shouldn’t dress like a comic
- The importance of sticking to your time
- How to remove some of the pressure to be great
- When it might be time to quit comedy
- and much, much more!
Without giving it away, here are some of the groups that made the cut: Pink Floyd, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Carpenters, The Clash, The Animals, Guns and Roses, Lynard Skynard, Gloria Gaynor, and Nirvana.
You can contact us anytime in regards to these announcements at mailto:SchoolOfLaughs@gmail.com
- Guest Blog Posts
If you are blogging about your comedy journey or have written articles about your experience we’d love to share them. Send a link to the post and any other info you would like us to know and I’ll consider posting it and promoting from our site.
- Sponsor An Episode
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- Fix a Joke
We want to help as many comics as possible. If you have a short joke (100 words or less) that you would like some feedback on please send it in! You can email the joke written out or send us an audio clip, or even a link to a YouTube video. We will get it on the show and get feedback for you, give out your web site and / or twitter handle to help you get your name out there. Our show is PG so please take that into consideration when selecting a joke.
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This podcast is a production of the Rik Roberts School Of Laughs. If you want to learn about becoming a stand-up comedian, or just become a better one – visit the wwwSchoolOfLaughs.com web site.
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