NYC Open Mics
Spoiler: You Have to
“Pay to Play”
by: Marissa Gamliel
Every comedian ruminates on the idea of
doing comedy in New York City, and for good reason:
New York is a comedy Mecca for comedians seeking to challenge themselves in a more competitive scene, and that makes it an exciting (and terrifying) place to attempt to do comedy.
New York also happens to be my hometown, and on a recent return to the motherland
I decided to take a chance on the New York open mic scene.
This is not a tale of success. Reading this article will not give you a comprehensive list of long-term, free, or even fun open mics to hit in NYC. What you will read below is my attempts to FIND the elusive, no-fee mics in the big apple and the biggest mistakes I made along the way that you might avoid. That’s right; It’s a cautionary tale that plays out across two cities on opposite coasts.
PAY TO PLAY:
One of the most essential things to know about doing comedy in New York City ( or any major comedy locus) is that many clubs have a pay-to-play system. This means that there are fees you will be required to pay before getting on an open-mic list.
Many clubs will require you to sign up for the open mic through their website, which will then charge you a fee to complete the process. Fees can range anywhere from $2 (Tiny cupboard) to $30 (West Side Comedy- this includes a reel).
The question you have to ask yourself is, do you feel lucky?
Are you a masochist- because sure- you could kill, but if you don’t, are you financially stable enough to eat that cost? I wasn’t, and if you’re wondering, YES, I bombed, and YES, I also cried after- for 40 minutes while I waited for a subway to ferry me to my hostel.
Really though: New York IS EXPENSIVE! Don’t believe me? The average price for cocktails is $17. The price for a meal? You’re looking at $30.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FREE OPEN MICS?
Although not impossible, free open mics can be difficult to nail down when visiting New York City for several reasons. While there are lots of comedians, there are also lots of mics, and lots of venues, and lots of shifting focus/investment in keeping a mic going.
Consistently active open mics can be much harder to find and there are few resources outside of social media outlets to learn about or check on a mic’s status when visiting. I implore you to message hosts of mics you are interested in well in advance of your trip. It took some hosts 1-2 weeks to respond to my inquiries about mics which, at that point was well into my return to Portland.
BOTTOM LINE:
If, after reading this article, you should find yourself disuaded from doing comedy- DONT. Doing comedy in New York City is always worth it; it’s a test, a reflection of the resonance of our jokes, and a milestone for comedians looking to break out. Even if you don’t have a successful set- there’s always something to learn.
What you need to decide is: Can you afford to bomb?
Overall, doing comedy in New York City helped me understand the gem that Portland presents as its own comedy Mecca. New York might have a reputation, but the Portland comedy scene is rife with opportunity for comedians to practice and hone their sets. Portland is a small city as compared to New York, but it has a mighty scene of comics who sustain work and maintain comedy careers with gusto. Long-standing open mics and shows are available virtually every night of the week to feed your comedy hunger pangs and while New York City is inundated with comics of varying degrees, I would argue that our local comedy scene has a thruline of consistently funny people to help you pee your pants before you hit the head.
RESOURCES:
Planning a trip to New York City and hoping to try your luck at the open mic comedy scene can be tricky, but here are a few resources and spots that gave me some semblance of hope!
Pay-to-Play Comedy Clubs:
Tiny Cupboard:
FULL DISCLOSURE: I did not actually have a chance to attend this open mic, but out of ALL the pay-to-play open mics hosted by actual comedy clubs in NYC, this one by far has the best deal for someone looking to go up. Not only that, but they have a very robust schedule of available mics. Fees to perform on 2$ with the expectation of their 5:30 pm Friday mic, which is $3. There is not drink minimum, and they have an incredibly well trafficked and promoted Instagram page that’s worth being on. They have an informative page with rules that give an open mic-er (especially a new to NY one) everything they might need to know, including a schedule.
Alligator Lounge: 7 pm | You get a free pizza with your beer!
Signups start at 6:45 and I’ve heard the show doesn’t really start until around 7:30. You buy a beer which includes a ticket and write your name on it. It goes in a bucket and the lineup is a random pick. (This seems to be a common thing here, with a much higher volume of comics it sorta makes sense).
Beer includes a free slice of Mama Celest pizza!
Space is fun, the comedy happens in a back room, which has an intimate feel- so you’re not competing against pool or general bar chatter.
The Alligator Lounge is also famous for being the site of Nathan Fielder’s infamous first episode of The Rehearsal on HBO - There’s even a drink special dedicated to him.
I remember coming to this bar in college, and weirdly it feels smaller now. Even though i can remember it being simply packed with people, all waiting for beer or pizza or both, shoulder to shoulder. The Alligator Lounge is a proper NYC dive bar, complete with year round Christmas decorations and gator kitch.
BONUSES: Pool table, ski ball, and free pizza.
The Comedy Mob:
Another open mic with a healthy following and a drink minimum for performing comics, but no performance fee. Comedy Mob has multiple locations with multiple mics, and is another mic I havent been to. They offer two weekday open mics and two weekend open mics that you can sign up for through their website.
West Side Comedy Club:
West Side Comedy Club has seen many famous comedians on its stage from Michelle Buteau, Aparna Nancherla, Nikki Glaser, Ophira Isenberg, Todd Barry, Gary Gulman, to name a few. They too have a fee to signup, but is another popular option with a robust open mic schedule. Signup fees hover around $5 and their website will indicate how many folks have signed up and the amount of remaining open spots. The mic is also a clean mic, boasts 1-2 minutes of feedback time (toughen up that skin, babies!) and requires you to stay for the entire mic.
Sometimes up-to-date resource page:
Badslava.com: This website does a decent job of chronicling open mics across the city (In fact, they have a list several states and even international open mics in major cities across canada and europe). However, i found that it was not always up to date around venues, hosts, or even wether mics were running any longer. This can be a challenge to keep track of as sometimes mics can end suddenly.
This is another example of why it’s important to give yourself lots of lead-time to connect with hosts directly when you’re on a budget!
By: Marissa Gamliel
Marissa Gamliel is a NY writer, artist, and educator infesting Portland with her opinions about what can and frankly cant be called a“ bagel”. When she isn’t arguing with people about this exact thing, it’s because she’s eating. Oh, and she hates writing bios. Find her at the mics if you want to know more!