I performed my sixth open mic last night. I tried an entirely new set that gets a touch political, but keeps it friendly since it’s mainly about Peggy. Re-watching the video reminded me to slow down. The four-minute time limit is there for a reason, but I always feel like I need to cram in as much as possible in those precious 240 seconds.
I was happy to see familiar faces, and Caitlin was back too. It’s more fun to have a comedy comrade with you. Last week, I went to the open mic alone.
Confession time. It’s getting frustrating being chosen last. I arrive early to the open mics, I’m always signed up around the first ten spots, and I’m always selected to perform at the end of the night.
I don’t mind sticking around. Watching and learning from the pros and newbies is a good thing. Staying to the end also shows my support for the show and the host.
It’s the host’s job to not lose the audience, so selecting the better comics sooner makes sense to me. I also understand the politics of bumping friends up the list or to mix it up to make the lineup more diverse. Let’s face it, this industry is dominated by people who look like me.
What sucks most is not knowing how good my material or delivery is without an audience. The later I hit the stage, the fewer people remain. It’s tough to measure laughs per minute without many people left to laugh. The room’s energy is often pretty deflated by the end of the night.
I’m not about to give up. I’m not complaining - I get it.
I would love to learn how the pros overcame this conundrum, though. How can we test material if we’re always the last to go up?