Well folks, there seems to be a widening, mack-truck sized hole with which to park that open mic or showcase you've been dreaming about starting.
Taglines open mic which I believe only started a couple of weeks ago, is a victim of the closing of it's host restaurant, the Fire Rock Grill. The Bistro Europa has also closed, leading to the cancellation of the long-running Sunday open mic headed by Lance Smith.
We here at DCC4N have been doing our best to compile a list of possible show locations if you are contemplating the jump to producer. If you have any suggestions for places in the District that would be great for hosting shows, please let us know in the comments or drop us some gmail.
Why produce your next show in the District and not on the outskirts?
(read on to find out why!!)
More shows in the District will help aide the cohesiveness of the comedy scene. Chicago doesn’t have a thriving comedy community because of all of the great shows in Aurora the same way New York isn’t a destination because of the industry in Westchester. When people come to visit DC and want to check out what our fair city has in the way of comedy, they shouldn’t have to go to Woodbridge or Shirlington or other places that people have made up in an effort to fool me into thinking that there are shows that I am missing out on there.
At this point, not only do a majority of the area's comedy shows happen outside of the city, but I can only think of 4 currently running that actually happen inside of it. And that's bad news for any comic without a vehicle because that makes it pretty damn hard to fill your calendar. This is a town where you certainly don't need a car and the result is a city full of people who rely on metro on their nights out. Producing in the city will aide in your ability to secure quality comics and quality audience.
Maybe I'm over-analyzing it, but I think a more centralized scene would go a long way to change the national perception of the DC comedy scene. If you look at the facts, there are small rural areas that produce more local comedy than DC, a city of 600,000 people. If there is one thing I can say for absolutely sure is that DC is filled to brim with ridiculously talented comedians that are ready to plucked into stardom, we just need to make the "AVAILABLE" sign a little bigger and a little brighter.
10 comments:
I respectfully disagree. Nothing wrong with opening rooms in DC, but nothing wrong with going outside, either ... I think comedians in general overestimate the market for comedy, and what would be the point of having a Manhattan-like setup, with tons of open mics that only comedians go to? People in Northern Virginia might want to see comedy, but they also prefer hanging out in NoVa because it can be a pain getting to the city. Go where the audiences are ...
Besides, stand-up comedy scenes aren't really meant to be "cohesive," because everyone is essentially competing against each other. Friendly, sure. But cohesive is, I think, a myth ... in the long run in just squeezes out people with non-trendy styles of comedy.
Chris, I certainly don't see anyone overestimating the market for comedy. I think if they were doing that, then more shows would be popping up. But they aren't.
Most people who aren't directly involved in comedy here don't even realize that there is a comedy scene here.
And Manhattan is far from a land of only open mics inhabited by only comedians. There are a dozen fantastic showcases every night of the week. Some of them don't have huge audiences and some of them have audiences spilling out of the door. But something has been built and around that are thousands of people willing to go out every week and experience live comedy produced locally. We can do that too. Obviously on a smaller scale, but we are in no shortage of fucking brilliant people that I would love to show off to more people in DC.
We can not look at comedy in the city as a competition. Outside of a few breaks that a select few have gotten in the past few years, there really isn't a "prize" TO compete for. What the focus should be on is supporting a scene that can grow and that this city can grow interest in. The more people that know about the scene, the more shows . The more shows, the more stage time and the more we can grow as performers and prepare for when that elusive opportunity that we are all searching for arrives.
We just need to get up as much as possible and no, ultimately it doesn't have to be in the district. But if it's not in the district, it's not a DC comedy scene that we are building.
Obviously this is my personal opinion but I don't think we should be discouraging people from creating rooms that you and I or any of our friends could perform in.
I'm not discouraging anyone from opening a room, but by your logic, isn't The Awesome Room a bad idea? Isn't the Hyatt a bad idea?
DC has a very small population by itself, and the way the city has developed, many people head to mini-downtowns for a good time (especially on weekdays) -- Clarendon, Bethesda, Silver Spring. Plus within DC there's a very limited number of "hot" neighborhoods that have the evening traffic to sustain a regular comedy show. Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I don't think there's a "District only" music scene, or a "District only" art scene ... we have a lot of other options within a short distance, so why not take them?
Plus, how could comedy not be seen as competitive? There are far more people interested in slots than there are actual slots. Considering that many people do not travel for work, there are far, far more people hungting for paid work than there is actual paid work. Stand-up is, at the end of the day, a solitary pursuit; you can make friends in the business and help people out but you're ultimately marketing yourself as a unique product to an audience. More than one person can succeed but people aren't in this because it's a charity.
Part of the reason there's a limited "scene" is because we're a feeder market ... many of the people who develop followings go to New York or L.A. (to compete for work) so things keep turning over. Crowd favorites disappear every few years. Nothing wrong with that, it's just the way it is. Maybe the rules are different for improv/sketch but stand-up is definitely competitive.
I agree with Chris on this. DC has a population of 600,000. Fairfax County has over a million. The entire DC Metro Area has several million. It's not about "the city" here the way it is in NYC or Chicago. New York Comedy is basically a brand name, just like New York Pizza, or Chicago Sketch/Improv. People in those cities view the idea of supporting the local art scene as essential. That mentality is also held by many of the tourists who visit those cities. Most of it is bullshit hype, but it's the reason many of the clubs in Manhattan are filled with tourists and foreigners who barely even speak English. With a few notable exceptions, DC has never been a city that supports local art, and before you can target the tourists or the "national perception," you have to first win over the actual city.
Part of that is putting out a consistent product. There was a definite boom in DC comedy starting around 2003. But, the prevailing mentality of the new comics then was that open-mic's were not for the crowd, and as such, crowds shouldn't attend them with any expectations. I think that mentality is still prevalent today and I've never agreed with it. It gave the comics an excuse to be bad. I've always felt that if you approach an open-mic the same way you approach a real show, the crowd will be more likely to return. It's not enough to just congratulate yourself for being talented. If someone walks into a show because he heard about all the amazing, awesome, incredible talent in town, then guess what, he has expectations. But, what he'll wind up seeing is a bunch of "talented" open-micers shuffling through tattered notebooks, mumbling half-baked premises, and riffing on the curtains for ten minutes. Sure, he might laugh a few times, but he won't remember a word of it later, he won't be able to quote a single bit to his friends, and he'll never return. It's comedic junk food.
Over the years, that mentality has risen from open-mic's into the booked showcases, and even to opening sets at the DC Improv. It's not uncommon at all to see a host or even feature at the Improv checking a setlist every two minutes, or going on tagents to nowhere. DC's residents won't be serious about comedy until DC's comedians stop treating it like a giant support group and get a little bit competitive with one another. Competition doesn't only have a negative connotation.
Also, DC has always been a commuter city. The public transportation system doesn't run all night, so pretty much everybody has a car. The longest running open-mic in the are is Wiseacres in Tysons Corner. Dr. Dremo's also had a nice run in Arlington, and Takoma Station has been going on and off for years. If you don't have a car, someone you know is probably driving his car to those rooms. Besides, how can you ever expect to get work anywhere if you don't have a car? Even in NYC, many comics can't wait to get out of the city and work on the road.
Both The Awesome room and the Hyatt are a stone's throw from the border and are both easily metro accessible. I'm not saying don't start a room outside of DC. All I'm saying is that if you're thinking of starting a room, why not choose DC?
The truth is, I don't see you guys out a whole lot. Neither of us can talk about the community we are currently a part of because they're different communities. I'm really just talking to the comedians that aren't able to feature at the Improv and don't have road gigs to consider. I'm just trying to be optimistic about our possibilities.
There is an audience. They do come to shows. Start a room. What's the worst that can happen? It lasts a little while? I don't understand why either one of you would feel compelled to reach back and spray pessimism on positive efforts to grow a community of talented comedians.
I wish you wouldn't tell people that comedians "overestimate the market for comedy." I think that's irresponsible. Shows are hard to run, but that shouldn't stop anyone from trying.
And Andy, your current view of the comedians populating DC's booked shows and hosting slots is pretty insulting. I wholeheartedly disagree with you that comedians around here are so inept as to not be able to memorize their sets or write punch lines.
Stop dropping a boot on everyone and let some shit happen.
(also, this kind of controversy is exactly what this blog needed! We should compile all of these responses into a book called, "The Least Interesting Book Ever.")
Andy, as a beginning comic, I would like to know how to approach an open mic like a showcase...being as I have not been on many showcases before.
And like-wise, I am still building up my material. So how do I go out there, with my half baked ideas, and seem polished enough for people to want to repeat the joke to their friends? Shouldn't I want to find something for myself, that I can build off and make the joke stronger for next time?
I feel like you are skipping over the essential process of "shuffling through tattered notebooks, mumbling half-baked premises, and riffing on the curtains for ten minutes" for new comics. I rather watch a new comic feel comfortable onstage, talking about the curtains, then him barrel through his jokes like a machine because he feels like he needs to bring a "showcase" mentality.
Also, does a open mic need to have one-comic-after-another? Or can there be characters, audience participation segements, etc? That can add to the enjoyment of the audience without sacrificing the need for new comics to work things out.
And to speak about the topic at hand, i do agree that DC is mostly a commuter town and therefore alot of NOVA and MD feeds into it. But what about the DC Audience? You know, those that live/work/play inside the city? Are they not deserving of quality shows in their neighborhoods?
Two Cents, GO!!!
I'm FOR new rooms in DC, but Metro-Accesible is basically just as good.
SIDE NOTE:
indie rooms vs. regular clubs
Both have strengths and weaknesses.
I believe that one is on the decline and the other has a better chance of survival in the current climate
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER THREAD.
As one of the least experienced people around here - there's not much I can add or debate that hasn't already been said or argued, but simply put - we gotta promote ourselves with all of our energy.
Honestly, I've loved each Chief Ike's open mic that I've been at, and I think it'd be a great idea if everyone's set was just taped and posted - people who hadn't been there would get a feel for the show, and the people who did perform would get something new to pass around.
We gotta let people know what they're missing.
And then we start breaking thumbs.
Nick, I'm not saying comics are too inept to memorize their sets, I'm saying they choose not to. That's a different thing.
I've always felt that the simplest answer is usually the best one. If the DC Scene isn't picking up, maybe it's because the shows aren't good enough, or there's something wrong with them. All I'm saying is, the bar might need to be raised. All this time, you've been saying you want a more cohesive scene in the city, but you also said there's nothing to be competitive about since there's no "prize." Well, having a thriving scene in the city IS your prize.
Not memorizing sets, etc. leads to an overall informality in the shows. The comics in the back might love it, but to the crowd, it feels like the performers are unprepared or disinterested. I think there's a ton of talent in DC, but sometimes it gets obscured by the ton of pretense that accompanies it.
To me, random tangents, notes, etc. are a construct designed to assuage nervousness. When you do those things, you've effectively eliminated crushing and bombing from the equation. If you bomb, you can say "well, I wasn't trying anyway," and it stings less. You probably won't destroy, because you kill your momentum with those constructs. You find a happy medium and avoid any real risks.
Everybody has their own constructs. Some comics take a sip of beer after every punchilne. Some people say "you know" constantly. Some people mutter "what else, what else" after every bit. Some say "2008, shit's crazy." Some defer to their sock puppet. The prolonged look down at the notes is no different. It fills that space between punchline and laugh, which is the most nerve wracking part of being on stage. But it kills some of the laugh in the process. That moment is supposed to be uncomfortable. You shouldn't try to hide in it. You should try to grow from it.
Clearly, I come from a different era. When I came up, taking notes on stage would invite ridicule from the other comics. The feeling was, "this is a show, so act like it." Even at an open-mic.
Jason, I'm not trying to skip over the early stages. But, my development never required the tangents, riffing, and notes. Approaching an open-mic like a showcase means thinking about the set like it's a real paid spot. Figuring out what would be a good opener and closer, and how the bits segue together, memorizing it, etc. Within that, you can obviously take some liberties, but I think there needs to be a foundation. The skills you're learning are definitely important, but so is momentum. Destroying for fifteen (or fifty) minutes is pretty difficult. You have to ride the wave of the crowd, your timing has to be precise, and you have to sustain the proper energy throughout. It requires you to be "in the moment" every bit as much as riffing on the lighting or whatever. Even when you're doing rehearsed material. For me, the object is always to crush (not in a hacky way, obviously). That has been the goal since day one. That's what my favorite comedians do, and theirs are the voices I hear in my head when I'm writing and performing. For me, a tight comedian who takes a couple risks that don't work is much better than a loose comedian who plays it safe and gets medium laughs.
Obviously, you should find your own voice and your own comfort zone. Just make sure the things you do in an effort to "fly without a net" don't wind up becoming their own safety net. Characters, unpredictable shows, etc. are great, but they also should be done with a certain level of professionalism/preparation.
Anyway, a quick word on the original topic. NYC, because of its tradition of live entertainment, has a ton of bars with extra back rooms that already have stages and sound systems. In DC, it's hard to find an ideal venue like that. NYC has one every two blocks. That's always a problem. I'd target the college crowds in the city. There are four or five colleges in a very small radius, filled with 20-year-olds who could use a laugh.
You guys are being a bit oversensitive on this -- I don't think Andy (or me) is saying that there shouldn't be shows in DC. But it just doesn't make sense to limit it to that.
What's more, I'd hardly say I'm "spraying pessimism" on people's efforts. Anyone who wants to open a room in the DC metro area, it's just fine with me. I firmly believe that with the right marketing, smart booking and a cooperative venue you can make comedy work almost anywhere. It's a lot of work to run these things and (sometimes) a lot of hassle for not a lot of thanks, so a big pat on the back for anyone who does it.
But I don't really understand this stuff about "growing a community" of talented comedians. Maybe I'm cyncial, but I don't think people are altruistically organizing things with the good of the city or its cultural health in mind ... people are organizing shows because they want a place to perform, so they can get more exposure, so they can have more shows, so they can move on to do comedy often in places other than DC.
I of course have far more thoughts on this and every other subject, but I think I'll just zip it for now.
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