Open Mike Reviews


Los Angeles, CA review by Chris Strait

The Happy Clam
179 N. Harbor Dr.
Redondo Beach
310-318-0484

THE HAPPY CLAM  ---  This restaurant has been named many things, including Moose McGillicuddy's, but it is back to its original name/ownership as The Happy Clam.  There is a weekly comedy contest at this venue on Thursday nights. Comedians get 7-9 minutes, and winners are determined by an applause-off at the end. The winner receives $50. This show used to precede karaoke, but now has the whole night to itself in the upstairs lounge.  Some of the karaoke crowd still persists though, and may be unconsciously disrespectful during the show.  This is because the bar is in the back, and they have no idea that the whole comedy crowd up front can hear them talking.  

The stage overlooks the Redondo Beach Pier, with picture windows behind the performer.  It is also a bit warm on stage, so de-jacket beforehand.  The crowd is usually receptive, but not generous...meaning: you have to bring it, but if you do, they will laugh.  The local comedians who frequent this room don't pay any mind to the fact that it is a contest, and neither should you. Consider it a good workout room, where you are not required to bring people.  That's right....this show is not a bringer!  However, if you are going to bring people, this is
the room in which to do so.... as it is routinely a contest of who has the most friends
in the audience, and not anything to do with who is funnier. Hence the reason for the
locals disregarding the contest. Side note: Be thick-skinned for the audience applause. There is no rhyme or reason to who they clap for. You may kill and get polite, dismissive clapping, while someone who bombed with get a warmer reception out of pity.  The only thing you can count on, is the one with the most people in the crowd wins.. period.

Parking is in the outdoor Redondo Beach Pier Plaza parking lot (when you see restaurants like Ruby's and Chillers, you're in the right place... even if it is quiet during the week).  Parking is $1.25 with validation, which they will give you downstairs in the restaurant. Comedians also get one free drink for performing.

The major plusses: Not a bringer;  Not in Hollywood, which means all involved are more
appreciative and approachable;  A chance to actually make some money doing this, which always helps psychologically for beginning comics; A chance to network with other comedians; It is free for your guests, but most will drink anyway.  

The major minuses:  Too much talking at the bar, which is disruptive; Not many of
us like being measured by audience applause in our early stages;  If you are coming
from Hollywood, the Valleys, or the Westside, it can be a trek, as the South Bay is
not freeway friendly.  

Overall, on a scale of 1-5, The Happy Clam gets a 3 1/2.  
Every Thursday night, 8:30pm.  179 N. Harbor Dr. Redondo Beach.  
For booking info, call Monte Whaley (310) 318-0484.
 

New York review by Jonathan Randall

Club Neva
28 7th Avenue South at Leroy Street
New York, NY

The I-Need-Gin show at Club Neva, from 7pm to 9pm every Thursday night. The show is hosted by John Aynedjian and his slew of  wacky personalities. Tonight Rabbi Chhhh blessed the stage and all the comedians before the show began. (Thanks to it I feel that I performed better than at my bar mitzvah.) The show is totally free! for both performers and audience, so bring your friends.  Sign up is first-come, first-serve, and there is no slotting. Comics get anywhere from five to ten minutes, depending on how many people show up. There are usually seven to twelve comics. There is not much when it comes to an audience, but John, the other comics, and the bar staff are very supportive. Usually in the audience you will find Uncle Bob, an elderly gentleman who always enjoys both hearing the comics and buying them drinks. The stage is translucent red, and though the mural on the back wall would give Freddie nightmares, its great to riff on. Thursday's at Club Neva is a great place for any comedic performer, weather you do stand up regularly or it's your first time.

Club Neva
28 7th Avenue South at Leroy Street
(Between Bleecker Street and Houston Street)
Greenwich Village, NYC

Take the 1,2 train to Houston Street, then walk uptown (McDonald's is Uptown, Manhattan Mini Storage is Downtown) two blocks on 7th Ave/Varick Str. first going past Clarkson Street/Carmine Street, then find Neva on your left just past the Leroy Street/St. Luke's Place intersection.
 

Oak Lawn, Illinois review by
Pete La Faucia

Barrel of Laughs
708-499-2969

Hosted by Bill Brady, this is, in his words, not an open mic, but a "New Talent Night." You get worked in among the emcee, feature, and headliner. To get a spot here you have to show a general competency of standup. Brady discourages people who feel they want to jump right into comedy. He wants people who have been on stage several times and are looking for stage time. Your first time, you'll get 9 minutes. After you've proven that you can do it, you can negotiate for more stage time. Barrel of Laughs has a big crowd for this size of room. And the best thing about it is that they have a home video system that is wired into both yor mic and the audience. This is by far the best quality tape you can get at an open mic. AND Bill does nto charge you to use it. Just bring a tape along with you.
 

Seattle review by Mike Siscoe

Giggles Comedy Nite Club
5220 Roosevelt Way, Seattle, WA
(206) 526-5653

Giggles Comedy Nite Club is Seattle's A room. They have a constant line up of the nation's biggest comedians. Owner, Terry Taylor, does not book features. Instead he draws from local talent that is developed at Giggles' two open mic nights, Thursday and Sunday.  Both shows are free and begin at 9:00pm. Comics should arrive at least half an hour ahead of time. There aren't that many comedians in Seattle but plenty of stage time. The only requirement for getting up on Giggles' open mic is to be there and no F-bombs. Comics are given anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes depending on number of comics, skill, and number of audience members. Since there is no actual sign up, and no actual order, the line up is often arbitrary and random. But, there is a 99% guarantee that if you show up, you will go on stage. The owner will watch for those looking to showcase, but since he doesn't book features, it's best to make yourself visible in his club. Plus, it's a great club with a lot of great comedians.
 

Los Angeles reviews by Dana Snow

The Ice House
24 N Mentor, Pasadena
(near Colorado & Lake;
#180 & 181 bus gones near it)
626.577.1894

On the 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month at 4 in the afternoon, Dave McNary has auditions for Sunday night shows at least a month in the future.  Whether accepted or rejected, you're allowed to come back as often as you like and use it as 5 minutes of stage-time. Despite it being for other comedians, for some reason, they are usually (unless the weather is bad) in a good mood to laugh at comedy.  If you are chosen for the show, you MAY get paid $1 for every person who attends who says they are there to see YOU.  Dave asks who wants or needs to go up early and takes them first and then the rest usually ends up based on where you're sitting.


The Novel Cafe
212 Pier Ave (off Main Street)
Santa Monica
310.396.8566
7:30ish signup.  7-8 minutes.  

Because the food staff seems hostile to comedy (they sometimes don't turn off the
music), it is a very difficult room with a difficult vibe. Management has asked that there be no four-letter words and this makes the comics further uptight.  The food is decent, most of the baked goods are from Mani's.  Has other kind of open mike on Tuesdays. You perform in NEARLY the order you sign up; prebooked acts are inserted at the MC's discretion.


Unurban Coffee House
3301 Pico Bl
(just South of the freeway, near
McCabes)
Santa Monica
310.315.0056.  

Changed back to Thursday for comedy.  Has other kinds of open mikes on other nights.  When co-owner Pam hosts, instead of a flashlight to signal wrapping up, she dances.  I personally find the mood gloomy and feel very few acts get the laughs they deserve, but I like the performers, many of whom are part of the clique the epicenter of which is Vance.


Sanders (See Westwood Brewing Company.)


Westwood Brewing Co.
1097 Glendon at Kinross (behind Ahhs)
Westwood Village
7:45 signup, 8pm show

Names are drawn from a hat or bowl and those people get first choice of when they may sign up for the 20 or so spots.  Those people get 7 minutes.  Then there are other spots at the bottom of the page where you get 3 minutes at various times in the night and sometimes that's the better deal. The MC is Vance Sanders who creates an interestingly odd mood, albeit one that sometimes emphasizes inside jokes about show biz and the comics who appear there regularly.  People who happen not to get drawn three weeks in a row always say it is fixed.  It IS cliquish, but after performing 3 weeks, you will start to be part of that clique.  This show has traveled from Creativity Bookstore to the Novel to Pettersons to the Gypsy Cafe and now here.  There is now an ongoing tradition of the SCOOMES --- an Oscar parody done within a week after the Oscar broadcast; Scoome stands for the Southern California Organization of Open Mikers.


Hallenbeck's Main Street
5510 Cahuenga Blvd
(1/2 block S of Burbank Blvd)
N Hollywood
818.985.5916 

MC Bruce Teitel creates a great mood for this mostly-singers venue that may yet be spoiled by an influx of comedians looking for a venue to replace their old Sonoma Blue habit now that that's closed.  Unfortunately these comics tend to leave right after their sets rather than stay so late signups may have hardly any audience.  There used to be a Wednesday night comedy show but no one was buying anything and it was virtually driving customers away.


Glaxa
3707 Sunset Blvd (at Lucille, 1 mile W of Vermont,
a block East of where Sunset &a nbsp;Santa Monica Blvd cross)
323.663.5295

Sunday's are fun with very off-beat MC David Begoyne.  Feeding frenzy when the list goes out a bit after 7:30pm.  5 minutes of anything --- there are usually some singers and poets in the mix. Strongly recommended to stay 'til the end or as late as you can. Some good acts.  It's a coffeehouse with two theatres.  I wish they used the smaller theatre for this more because the accoustics there are great and comedy tends to get funnier.  The big theatre has garage style acoustics and you'd better put your recorder close and talk loudly to study the tape later. ... Tuesday also has an open mike, but somehow it's not fun.  I can't pinpoint anything the current MC is doing wrong, but somehow it seems gloomy and dead.


Sacred Fools
Heliotrope (1 door South of Melrose).  

The last Monday of the month has a general open mike on whatever set is in use for the current play.  7 minutes of stage time.  Free to perform, $3 to just watch. Pleasantly strange, it also includes several interludes of excerpts from upcoming shows at the theatre.


Taix Restaurant
1911 Sunset Blvd (1 block East of Alvarado)
Silverlake

Wednsday night - Late signup (9pm) and later show (9:30).  It felt when I as there that the stage was more darkly lit than the rest of the room.  VERY tough, but tough like a bar and sometimes it helps to be "toughened up" in that way.  "A material" works fairly well; painful deafening silence at anything else. Heckling does occur.  Mediocre music there too.  Used to give 10 minutes.

GONE: The Basement Coffeehouse, Sonoma Blue, Kindness of Strangers, L.A. Cabaret,Gypsy