Quote:
Originally Posted by thethethe
I can imagine open mics in LA being pretty interesting. Some genuinely super talented people, and then a ton of people who will do literally anything to get on a stage, and show their face.
Very true. The spectrum of people that go to open mics are anything from the pros at one end, to regular joes just looking for an opportunity to tell some jokes on a stage or improve their public speaking skills. They're open mics, not booked shows, so they're not exclusive at all. You show up, sign up, and maybe have to purchase a drink or pay a couple bucks and you get your 3-5 minutes. That's why it's so bewildering to hear rbk say that it's hard to get stage time and that it's full of just people hoping to get discovered. It's literally the opposite.
You don't get discovered at open mics. You do 1000s of mics, and through the other comics you meet, you start to do booked shows at bars, coffee shops, and comedy clubs. Then over time, you build up those connections to try to get people to take you on the road with them, or you get passed at a club which means that you become a regular in their rotation of comics. You can also submit for comedy festivals and things like that.
rbk if you want to find some mics, check out thecomedybureau.com and badslava.com. They have daily listings of mics going on in LA with all pertinent info.