Most comics get their start the same way. Someone tells them, “you’re funny. You should do stand up.”
Cool, but where do you start?
You can spend hours writing material, and practicing it, and even performing it in front of your more kind and patient friends. But at some point, if you want to truly find out if you’ve got what it takes to be a comic, you have to get out there in front of a real crowd.
Most comics perform for the first time at an open mic night.
Comedy hotspots like New York and L.A. have tons of clubs, one-nighters and bars with microphones with nightly spots available for new and experienced comics working their way through the ranks.
For those of us who live in the rest of country, if you’re in a medium-sized city, chances are, you’ve got a comedy club, and most comedy clubs run an open mic to foster up-and-coming talent.
Not meaning to toot my own horn –
HONK.
OK, I just did, but I run Open Mic Night at the Harrisburg Comedy Zone.
Every Thursday night at 8, new comics, and some old pros, come in and try out their new stuff. It’s hard to believe, but Harrisburg actually has a bit of a comedy scene. We get sometimes as many as 20 comics, and most of them are pretty darn funny.
We’ve got a pretty good thing going at our open mic. If you’re looking for a fun Thursday night, check it out sometime. And the price is right – it’s free. There’s no cover charge, and the bar often runs drink specials.
I was surprised the first time I went there at how many good comics there were. Of course there was a small share of hacks but the vast majority were a bunch of guys sincerely attempting to cultivate a talent! You have a good thing going there. I hope to get out more than once every other week. Hopefully in the upcoming weeks I’ll be able to start getting there on a weekly basis.