This might just sound like a lack of self will, but I'm really thinking that if I had friends that also did stand up comedy, I would be more willing to get myself to go to open mics. I have probably performed at about 24 or so open mics over 3 years. I really wish I would perform more, and I think if I had some kind of support system I would perform more. I'm curious if anyone here does have what they might call a "comedy support system. "
I do but I think someone unplugged it.
I found that comics at open mikes will get to know you by being out all the time, but you have to be out a lot. Put 6 months in goin out 3-5x each week and you'll have plenty of friends that do standup comedy.
Do you not talk to people at the open mics? It's pretty easy to say "Who wants to go get a burger after this?"
Yeah that's my issue. Very often at open mics the only time I find myself talking at all is when I'm on stage. I need to improve my social skills.
One shot, two shot, three shot: talk.Originally Posted by crowbar
Almost everything that's been said is correct. That said, I do definitely feel for you and have had the same thoughts. I moved to Chicago in September and although I have a solid handful of close friends who all do comedy, they're almost entirely improvisers, and NONE of them do stand-up. I've been going up around 2-3 nights a week since I got here and I'm juuuuust kinda starting to feel a part of things and like people know my name. I wouldn't call many of them 'friends' yet perse, but I do have a handful of hands to shake and words to say at the majority of mics I go to, which is a lot better than it was. It can definitely feel rocky and lonesome those nights ya hit a mic, nurse a beer for 2 hours wordlessly, bomb, and then go home feeling like the biggest dick in the world.
And it is a kinda tough to meet folks at an open-mic if just for the fact that the entire event hinges on the room's (as best as possible) undivided attention toward the stage. So either ya gotta get there early, hope this bar has another sequestered off room, smoke, or wait til the end. None of them are suuuuper ideal, and often the population of comics from each (besides maybe the second) is going to be totally different from the others.
The bottom line though, is again, everybody here is right. Comics aren't hard to meet you just have to be one to say "Hey dude, I thought your set was funny; I'm Zack..." and that's really all there is to it. AND you don't have to meet everybody; start with the folks you DO think are funny and go from there.
(But always say your name is Zack. It's the coolest name.)
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