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u/Lonely-Assumption970 2h ago
Wait, you have to pay to perform at an open mic?
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u/Summer_Chronicle8184 38m ago
In NY/LA yes
Haven't seen any precedent for it elsewhere
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u/Lonely-Assumption970 37m ago
That is ridiculous. Buying a drink I get but pay to play is obscene.
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u/Summer_Chronicle8184 32m ago
It is what it is
There is not a lot of stage time, rent is expensive, and the prices are cheap enough that people in those cities can afford $5 for 5 minutes of guaranteed stage time
If you were there you'd do it too cuz what else are you gonna do? Not do any comedy?
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u/Lonely-Assumption970 28m ago
I fully agree as I would have no choice but it shouldn't be a thing.
You are providing the entertainment that brings the audience that buys the drinks so you should be getting the $5. But they know they can rip off people wanting to perform. It's predatory and shouldnt happen.
I'm from England. In London they have bringers and stayers. Where you have to bring someone and stay for the night. Two things I kinda agree with. But to be forced to do it is wrong.
You are providing the entertainment, the value for the audience.
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u/Summer_Chronicle8184 18m ago
It's an open mic, you are not guaranteed to be providing the entertainment. It's NY or LA like any given night I'm sure there are a million better things to be doing than going to a shitty open mic
Maybe the mics where you're from are different but the audiences I'm around are mostly made up of fellow comics. Paying to perform ultimately makes sense cuz who actually wants to go out to see inconsistent amateurs hammer out material?
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u/Lonely-Assumption970 16m ago
So you are paying to perform to other comics? It's getting worse. The opens are exactly the same here. But it's usually dead on a mid week night so the chance you'll get 10/12 peiat an open and maybe 1 or 2 normal people.
Paying to perform to other open mic comedians is atrocious.
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u/Summer_Chronicle8184 3m ago
Well yeah cuz open mics aren't entertaining for the general populace. I can only assume cuz I'm not from LA or NY but that's the reality of those cities. I view it as comics paying for convenience and certainty of going up (not relying on a bucket or having to wait through 30 comics) and the house having a small amount of guaranteed income not relying on inconsistent food/drink sales.
I'm glad we don't have them in my city but I understand why the practice exists. I think it's the sort of thing that can only proliferate in certain places where the competition is extremely stiff. Like, I'm sure if somewhere tried a true paid mic here it would fail cuz people just wouldn't sign up. But the culture is normalized there thus it sustains.
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u/Lonely-Assumption970 0m ago
Which is a shame. Arguably we love an openic here. People come to see how bad it usually is. They know what the night is and fully expect it to be. Rough.
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u/EsMuchoFunnyProd00 3h ago
Only free ones I know are Freddy’s in Brooklyn, Monday and Wednesday. One is online sign up bucket, the other is show up sign up. Although buy something at the bar. 40 comedians showing up, not spending a dime doesn’t give the bar incentive to keep having an open mic.