Open Mic Nights
Every Friday night in the East Village, there is a place that welcomes any and all to try out their very own comedy routine. Brew in the East Village allows for Open Mic night starting around 10:30 to about Midnight. Those who are interested in going up, sign up with the "host" of the night. The nice thing about going to Brew for open mic night was free to get in and watch as well as free to perform. He only thing that cost anything was to by food or a drink other than water. In total I have gone to three different Friday nights and every night people bring new comedic acts to the table. Every performance was extremely fun and entertaining to watch, due to each performers dynamic being so varied from person to person. Some people were more shy, while some were not afraid to shout and swear like no tomorrow. There were plenty of things that keyed in the success of the night(s) including the host knew how to make sure it ran smoothly, and quickly while still throwing something to make the audience laugh. As well as that there were plenty of comedians who came up to perform and knew what to do, whether it was knowing what to say and/or knowing what would make people laugh and what topics not to discuss as well as knowing how an audience would react to there bits. Some of the lows were that there were comedians who did not know what to do, mentioned sensitive topics and/or made audience kind of uncomfortable, did not know how to create a punchline, or were not experienced enough to know/read the audience.
Before going into an open mic night the first time, I was not sure what to feel about it, especially since I had not been to one until this semester. I was not sure of what to expect, but I had an idea of people trying out their bits to a bunch of strangers while most everyone drank. Open Mic Nights seemed like there where people who did not have much going on, wanted to make people laugh, and try to make more friends.By the end of the third show, I noticed that there were some performers who seemed like they had no audience, As if nobody they knew came to watch them perform. I watched and noticed that those people ended up making friends with some of the other comedians. The end of the third show was nice because at the end I ended up feeling more comfortable with the environment, the people, the "jokes" were easier to understanded compared to when I first went to the Open Mic Nights at Brew. Overall, the comedians who performed did great in their own way. Some knew what they were doing and knew what to get the audience to laugh. Some had an idea of what to do but were nervous or were bit completely sure on how to make the audience laugh, but at the same time it was obvious that they were wanting to get practice in a small venue.
The audience seemed to be more of people who want to go out have something to drink ( or even more than one drink), wanted to hang out with a friend or two, and have a laugh. At the same time, people were not afraid to talk with random people. The Audience was accepting of the performers and other audience members. The Performers seemed to be really welcoming of new audience members and even first time comedians or first time performing at Brewed. The Open Mic Nights that I have gone to have been fascinating to attend and listen to those who like to perform what they enjoy. Open Mic nights the are interesting to go and watch because you get to see how different people take the word "comedy" to fit their personality/ life. Open Mic Nights at Brewed have been a super fascinating experience because there are a ton of people from plenty of different backgrounds/stories while hearing how they take what they are given in life and add a humorous twist to those stories.
