What do you do while waiting to go on?

[neasmt]

I have a few questions, but first off, I've read a lot of great info on here. I've written a lot, and I'm really nervous about doing my first open mic, which I'm looking for places at the moment, but I was wondering, after you sign up and you make the list, what do you do while you wait to get on stage, especially when you first started out?

Do you sit anywhere in the audience like the other people who just came to watch, until they call you up? Or do some places tell all the open micers to gather in one place so you don't take up space where the regular customers usually sit at? Or do some of you go outside or not watch if you know you're not going to go up soon, because watching too many open micers, especially when you're first starting out, might make you more nervous or influence you to do your set in a way you didn't plan on doing it?

I don't want to seem like a snob, and I do want to support other open micers by giving them attention when they're doing their set, but at the same time, because I'm new to this, I'm nervous and scared that too many distractions might make me forget what I'm supposed to say when it's my turn to go up.

Would appreciate your input.

[Bronan]

Relax.

EDIT: This sounds douchey, so I'm going to clarify. Breathe - in through the nose, out through the mouth. Try not to freak out. I freak out every time.

[SeanX3]

Yeah. It's scary but, in retrospect, it's not that big a deal. The open mics I've been to, 99% of the other open micers are also not hitting it out of the park. If you've put any effort in at all, you'll be in the top 50% just because you're not a talentless moron.

There is rarely a real audience at an open mic. Usually it's just other comics waiting to try material —*and they're usually spread out as far from each other as possible, which means the energy in the room is really shit.

So just relax and try to enjoy it — and good luck!

[NoahOdabashian]

Sit in the back and masturbate egregiously.

For the nerves.

[funkyrhino]

I went outside, went inside, went outside, looked over my notes, went inside..as my name was closer up the list my nerves got worse. Finally the person before me went up and I sat there nervous and then finally went up. After 1 minute I got comfortable but I also rushed my set.

I really think the hardest part is transitions ie going on to that next joke when that last joke failed to get any laugh. I gave off a nervous laughter when that happened and had poor transitions. It was like "oh wow you all didn't find that funny?"

After I got off stage I wanted to get up again! That's how it is.

[mikemayberry]

It doesn't matter.

[nixonjames]

Depends on my mood but usually it entails a lot of pacing, rehearsing my list. I can't just hang out because I don't drink before I go up and I find that if I hang out and watch I get distracted and caught off guard when it's my turn up. So typically I will time it so that I smoke a butt outside about 30min before I'm due up, and then again 2 comics before me. (depending on if I know they're both there and i won't miss my call up).

While I smoke I will often rehearse my set. It takes me 5' on the dot. Put it on TV. So I will run thru in my head the order, timing, etc... mix that in with a couple of floating couplets and typically have an either/or longer bit that I do when the audience is hot for penultimate. I overthink it. It's part of who I am.

But this is only the first couple of times I do a bit or more than half of a set new. Now as I'm getting slightly more focused I'm much more calm.

When I first started I was a nervous wreck before my sets but would seldom show it. Early on I didn't really know any better. And a huge part of successful comedy is confidence in what you're doing. In ample supply coupled with a desire to really improve your writing, I think it's a pretty necessary cocktail.

It took me about 6 months or prolly 70-80 open mic sets before I started treating it as practice or creative. And neither of those things determine the quality of the material, and I started to get more relaxed. I was lucky enough to be in a pretty supportive community here.

Hopefully you won't become too aware of your shortcomings too soon. I listened to a tape via a friend of me almost a year ago... All I could think... 'There are NO jokes here. none. what the hell... why did i act out fucking my english teacher until jesus walked in... dear god.' But it got me hooked. And that either happens or it doesn't. You'll find what you're line of putting up with not being funny is, or hopefully will find a happy start more easily.

I have had a couple of atrocious bombs, the ones that seep to your marrow. Where some part of you is sobbing and flailingly fleeing but instead you tell the joke about wyatt earp to awkward people avoiding eye contact. It's been a while since I've had anything like that, but over time I think you're perspective on bombing changes, and if not of bombing then at least of doing well.

Early on I prayed for there not to be total silence.
A single table of chuckles at 1 joke was a success. Someone laughed! Count it!
As I worked I wanted half of my jokes to hit. Every other person will not hate me yay!
Now I'm 18 months and iono how many shows deep (2-3/wk?) and I feel like I just recently wrote my first well put together and executed joke. I could elaborate on why I felt that way specifically but I need to reel it in, 1 pg is enough.

And I've yet to even feature. ._ .
Although I have gotten paid. $10 for gas for a show an hour outside of town. XD

[Cameron]

Recently I've been playing Tiny Wings.

[suavepebble]

Delve into the occult

[pg13]

I was wondering, after you sign up and you make the list, what do you do while you wait to get on stage, especially when you first started out?

Do you sit anywhere in the audience like the other people who just came to watch, until they call you up? Or do some places tell all the open micers to gather in one place so you don't take up space where the regular customers usually sit at? Or do some of you go outside or not watch if you know you're not going to go up soon, because watching too many open micers, especially when you're first starting out, might make you more nervous or influence you to do your set in a way you didn't plan on doing it?

First thing you should do, even before you sign up and make the list, is to go to the open mic and watch...and see how its done there. Many of your questions will answer themselves.

Second thing you should do, either before you sign up and make the list or immediately after doing so, is to ASK. What are the ground rules? Comedy shows are creatures of convention--they have specific ways of doing things...but HOW they do those specific things may differ from place to place...what might be the process and the rules for one open mic may not be how they do things at another. Learning and respecting those ways of doing things is a key element in entering the comedy community.

There's absolutely no shame in going to whoever is running the open mic and asking them, "Hey, this is my first time here and I'm a little nervous...is there anything I should know? Where do the comics who are 'on deck' stand? Where's the light and when does it come on? Are there any restrictions I should be aware of?"

Obviously, asking these questions when they're not super busy getting the show up and running is a good strategy and probably didn't need to be said... Use common sense!

In Seattle, at the Comedy Underground's Monday open mic, there IS a specific place where the comedians who are about to go on stage stand...and there is a specific path that the comedians take to the stage. Occasionally, you'll see a comedian ignore this and just sit in the audience until his/her name is called and then they struggle to find their way to the stage--but usually a comedian only does that once...either because they see how everyone else does it or they're "one and done" and never seen or heard from again.

In general, the comedians sit towards the back of the room during the show, unless there's really no non-comic crowd...and then the comedians are encouraged to move closer to the stage. You'll find that comedians about to go up themselves make for some of the worst audience members.

I think it is important for new comics to watch as much of the show as they can stand to... Not only do you see HOW other comics do things, but you start to get a sense for WHAT is being done. If you spend all of your pre-performance time outside, you may miss that the Charlie Sheen joke you just wrote and think is so funny was already done by a comic who went up three people before you...or you might miss the girl in the front row that a previous comic has pissed off with some ill-advised attempt at crowd work...or a million other variables happening in that room on that night...

I tend to hover around towards the back of the room--keeping tabs on what's happening but ramping up both my personal energy and concentration level.

Walking around or pacing is how some people deal with nerves...others need to bliss themselves out or distract themselves...it's all rather personal and you'll instinctively do what you need to do.

pg--And always remember to check that the safety latch is secure and to keep your hands inside the car...as it's a pretty wild ride.--seattle

[crowbar]

I usually eat a bowl of weaties and jack off in the womens restroom.

[ThomasJ]

I like to show up to the mic about half an hour early and walk around a bit (if it's in a safe neighborhood). I'll go over my set and think of anything new I want to add that night, and it's good for me because I've already got the butterflies at that point, and rehearsing in that mental mode taps the performance energy. It's also when I've written some of my best stuff.

Once I've signed up and the other comics filter in though, I tend to write my set down on some index cards (not to use on stage, I just find that writing them solidifies the order in my brain) and hang out. I'll chat with the comics before the show if possible. Networking is important, blah, blah and all that, but it's also nice to wind down into the friendly conversational mode that I find works best for me onstage.

If I have a personal guest in the audience I might sit with them for a bit, but I'm usually too wired at that point. I'm a pacer and will pace the backstage, bar or whatever. I do try to watch as many comics before me as I can, but depending on the length of the show, I might not be able to, especially if it's folks I've seen many times before and don't particularly care for. It's polite to support other comics, and their bits might inspire you to do a bit of your own (not stealing. Stealing is bad. But watching someone land a bizzare or risky bit of their own might inspire you to push your own boundaries a bit) But if you're nervous , I can get behind focusing on just yourself your first few times. If you wrote the same hack Charlie Sheen joke as everyone else, whatever, at this point it's about getting on stage and doing it well instead of psyching yourself out.

And I like to have one drink before my set. Maybe two.

[Just Brett]

I like to write my set down before I go on stage... help's me remember my stuff and keeps my mind focused. I'll get there early and go over things in my head. This is also a good time to meet other people. After a few months of doing it, this sort of thing won't even phase you. Just stay confident and trust your material, and know that you're gonna do a good job.

[JustinTee]

Go behind the building and fire up a J.

Okay, that does happen sometimes, but I am usually just trying to memorize the order of my jokes at this point.

[nixonjames]

lol i did a few open mics blazed. never a rewarding experience. even when it went well i just couldn't organize my thoughts on stage well enough.

i'm torn about having friends. b/c part of me just wants to chat with the other comics but the other part feels obligated to hang out with folks who came to see me.

[Vercetti]

What I try to do is get into a relaxed state while still maintaining my focus. Hanging out and joking around with comics pre-set usually gets me into that mindset.

[sneezix]

I sit in the audience and alternate from, "Man, this guy's good, I hope I don't suck in comparison," to, "Man, this guy sucks, I hope there's stills some energy left it the room for when I go on."

[ErikNielsen]

At an open mic? You should watch the other comics. They're watching you -- it's only fair. And if you're expecting an audience of non-comics at an open mic, you're likely to be disappointed.

(Though not as disappointed as any non-comics who find themselves in the middle of the average open mic.)

[NoahOdabashian]

I agree with ErikNielsen, sit and watch. And dont leave after your set if at all possible.

That shit is rude. And infuriating.

I was at an open mic, it seemed like there was a highschool after school program going on there. I was one of about 4 other guys who could legally drink. Easily 8 underage kids. They would go an come in just to watch their friends or perform, then bounce out the room, making so much noise in the process. I wanted to strangle each and every one of them.

Flip answer aside, I hope you went and got up and saw it really isn't as tall a mountain as it seemed in your mind. In fact, waiting for your spot at an open mic is a good time to perfect your Cats Cradle.

[Travesty.]

That shit is rude. And infuriating.

Well, I normally leave right afterwords, because I have to be up early in the morning for work. it's nothing personal, I just need my sleep, cause right now, that's whats paying the bills. So it's kind of a priority.

But anyways, I normally sit and watch the comedians. It helps to see what the audience is reacting to, so I can adjust my tone to what vibe the audience is diggin. Doesn't work all the time, but I think it helps. I also go over the jokes in my head, as well. That's about it.....