I often get asked, “Should I do Open Mics” That\u2019s a good question because stand up comedy open mics can be scary and intimidating.<\/p>\n
My suggestion is to go!<\/p>\n
You cannot let fear win. We get better at what we practice. If you practice avoiding fear, then you just get better at avoiding fear. But if you practice facing fear, then you get better at facing fear. Either way, you\u2019ll end up mentally scarred, so get something out of it.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what I did when I first began going to open mics at the Holy City Zoo in San Francisco and later at the Comedy Store in Hollywood. \u00a0I\u2019d get so nervous in my stomach for two days before an open mic it was difficult to think about anything else.<\/p>\n
So I made a deal with myself: \u201cI\u2019m going to go to this open mic, but I\u2019m\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0going to perform. I\u2019m just going to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n When I got there and watched a couple of comics, I realized, \u201cI\u2019m funnier than almost all these people.\u201d I\u2019d get mad at myself, sign up and I\u2019d do those three minutes.<\/p>\n This was the deal I had to make with myself in order to just show up. After a few of them, I was still scared, but I was no longer intimidated as I understood the reality of the situation. Find your way to show up.<\/p>\n To prepare yourself to go to an open mic, have some material. At least have a minute or two. It\u2019s better to be able to go up with something to talk about. It\u2019s even better if you have some jokes.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve gotten yourself to the stand up comedy open mic, Sign up and find out if you get to perform that night. Next, evaluate. Take some time to check out the dynamics of the circumstances. Ask yourself,<\/p>\n \u201cIs anyone paying attention to the stand up comedians?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it possible to get a read on my material?\u201d<\/p>\n If the answer is \u201cYES,\u201d then by all means try out your material.<\/p>\n If the answer is \u201cNO,\u201d then this means all the stand up comedians are sitting in the back of the room and working on their material. Once in a while when one of them likes a joke he\u2019ll blurt out, \u201cHA!\u201d In this environment, you\u2019re not going to get a read on your material. So don\u2019t do your material as you\u2019ll get very discouraged. You\u2019ve worked hard on the material so why try to make a non-audience laugh. You might as well perform for a room full of chairs. They may be out there, but they\u2019ll never laugh.<\/p>\n Also, beginners often take this non-communication from a non-audience to heart and get down on themselves, \u201cMaybe I\u2019m no good. Maybe the jokes aren\u2019t funny. I wonder if I can get some pity sex?\u201d And you might get some pity sex, but you\u2019re not going to get a read on your material.<\/p>\n Open Mics Alternative<\/strong><\/p>\n Set the material aside for another time. Get on stage with the lights in your eyes and the mic in your hand and rant. Be brutally honest about what\u2019s bothered you that day. Complain about what\u2019s in the news. Trash everyone and everything, except the club as you\u2019ll want to perform there in the future.<\/p>\n The idea is to practice saying what you really feel and think. Every stand up comedian out there is striving to discover that pure honesty with a sense of humor. Practice letting that voice in the back of your head, come out of your mouth without evaluating or editing.<\/p>\n Stand up there for the three to five minutes and just go off on whatever comes to mind. Enjoy the cathartic freedom to say what you\u2019ve always been too afraid to say.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter if they don\u2019t laugh.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter if they don\u2019t listen.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter if they\u2019re even there.<\/p>\n Only your honesty matters.<\/p>\n But I\u2019ve got to tell you if there\u2019s a chance for those comics sitting in the dark to listen to you, it\u2019s brutal honesty.<\/p>\n When you don\u2019t care is when you\u2019re going to be your most authentic self. To go through that gateless gate that you\u2019ve allowed to hold you back. Fear is the gate. Honesty is the freedom. Practice telling your truth.<\/p>\n I hear your internal voice, \u201cBut what if I offend someone?\u201d You will offend someone and it\u2019s none of your business. You\u2019re not there to take care of their feelings. Besides, they\u2019re stand up comedians, they have no feelings.<\/p>\n Next, something will happen you won\u2019t expect: When you say some terrible, awful, cruel, vicious, sadistic truth. You\u2019ll think people will dislike you for it, but instead what you\u2019ll discover are\u00a0peers<\/em><\/strong>. Comics and audience members will say to you, \u201cI thought that same thing, but I\u2019ve always been too afraid to say it.\u201d<\/p>\n Stand Up Comedians say the unsay-able. They become the voice for all the things that everyone thinks but are too scared to admit it to themselves, let alone say it publicly.<\/p>\n So remember to first evaluate. If it\u2019s a supportive room, then try to get a read on your material. If it\u2019s a room full of chairs and lost comic souls \u2026 rant.<\/p>\n The more you perform at the stand up comedy open mics, the more you\u2019ll get comfortable in a very uncomfortable circumstance. Performing at open mics is a phase you will need to go through.<\/p>\n And you really should come to our online stand up comedy open mics. We host three a week. You can register here.<\/a><\/p>\n