A Booker's Plea

[reprinted from my blog at http://humormecomedy.blogspot.com/]

Dear Comedian,

I perform comedy, but I've also put together several shows by now. I'm by no means an expert, but I know this: there are a few things a comedian should have handy that really help me out in my role as a comedy booker.

[Editor's note: as of 7/23/10, and per the event's organizer, Nate Lewis, the Open Mike at The Blackwater Cafe is on hold until further notice. - T.B.]

Nate Lewis's Open Mike Night at the Blackwater Café in Stockton is everything an open mike should be: it's free (as in free speech), cheap (as in cheap beer) and has the hazy, bohemian feel that somebody in this place is working on their next creative piece, and making some headway. Or buying weed. It's just something in the air.

[Editor's note: at this time, the Open Mike Night at Hero's is discontinued/mutated to another venue. Contact Isaac Ames for more information and how you can get in on his new improvisational venture at the Guru - T.B.]

Open mike nights come in all shapes and sizes.  They occur at wildly diverse venues, including: dedicated comedy clubs, bowling alleys, laundromats, cafes, restaurants and bars.  Sometimes you get a stage and a sound system, and hey, sometimes you don't. 

With that in mind, the patrons of Hero's Lounge & Pizza Company have got it pretty plush: a roomy, raised stage, a dedicated sound system (often piloted by a skilled DJ), a full service bar and a big open room.  This could be open mike heaven.