Dust Yourself Off and Try Again
So in my last blog post (https://mustard-tetra-g7jb.squarespace.com/blog/learn-from-it) I talked about what I learned from doing an open mic at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. I decided the following week to go back and try again. Waiting in line was interesting to say the least. Some people are there just to perform at the famous Laugh Factory. One guy, while telling everyone he was kicked out last week for being too drunk, offered me a drink from a full bottle of wine he was carrying. I said no thanks as I looked down and noticed he had a reusable shopping bag with another bottle poking out. Some are there like me, because this is our dream, and this mic is one step up the ladder of success. We were reviewing our set lists, practicing our jokes, timing ourselves, and getting our minds in the right headspace to perform at our peaks.
Finally, they open the door and let us inside. I take a seat in the back as they go over the rules: you get 2 minutes, you will get a light when you have 30 seconds left, and a flashing light when you have gone over your time. It is a clean mic so no swearing or graphic sex stuff. Be supportive of the other comics as we are both the performers and the audience. And then we wait for the mic to begin. I am getting nervous but feeling that adrenaline running through me. I am ready for this. I practiced a solid 2 minute clean set that is on one topic.
I hear the guy before me get called to the stage and I am next. I stand up, adjust my shirt and move closer to the side of the stage so that when it is my turn I am ready to go. Many of the comics waited until their name was called and then spent 20-30 seconds making their way up to the stage which took away from their stage time. I didn’t want to do this. I wanted to show I was a professional.
I had a good set. Making a room of comics laugh isn’t the easiest and I felt I did a good job. I sat back down and watched the rest of the show. I kept telling myself, even if your name does not get called, you should be proud. You did what you came to do. And then I heard it. At the end of the show they said there are two callbacks and I heard my name. I was ecstatic. My heart was beating so fast. I took my own advice and it worked. What does a callback mean? It means you return to do a longer set and if that goes well you will be invited to do a showcase. If that goes well, you can be added to other shows or help fill extra spots when available. It leads to opportunity and stage time, and where it leads, I will go.
Some takeaways from the experience:
1) Be professional - One guy spent half his set making fun of some of the comics and then ended it with jokes about how old the host was and the host was not happy about that. He did not get a callback.
2) Follow the rules - Even though we were explicitly told it was a clean mic, many comics chose to do dirty material. They were not asked for a callback. A few people ran the light so long, the host had to kick them off the stage. They also did not get a callback.
3) Put the work in - Take notes, practice, review your set, rewrite/edit, prepare for your set. It will show. The bookers don’t just look at your set, they look at all the sets you’ve done there. So if they see improvement and they see the work, that will be noticed.
Wish me luck y’all!
