Open Mics (all about)

My new hobby is performing stand up comedy! 
(warning lot of random advice and feelings about open mikes and stand up comedy below written in various stages through a few months, enjoy!)

I wanted to share a little bit of my experiences for preparing and performing as a bit of self-reflection and kind of an amateur view into the comedy world at this level.

My credentials are small, but I am climbing up the comedy ladder becoming my own confident performer to entertain people. One key thing I noticed is that when I kill (do well) I have fun. When I bomb (do bad), I set myself up for disaster.

But always, always, be happy and proud to go up. I am very smug and pompous about my comedy and every day I continue to do this, I grow.


I have only performed at Open Mikes. I will be performing at one show tomorrow as of this posting and I am excited about it but it is still a show. Only thing different is that my material will be very prepped and timed to a T.


Performing material in front of an audience (entertaining) in one way or another has been an issue for me as it is for many (shy, stage fright, unsure of material). I overcome and build upon my performance every time I go up (just like a muscle). Benefits of doing this is that I find myself more relaxed in social settings and most importantly in control of myself (I know who I am basically). Below is just a small list of things to know about what goes on in my head during the whole skew of performing (offstage, onstage, after):


The Fear


The fear, it won't go away (not instantly). Surprise!
Actually, the fear which I call pressure (to do better, to entertain) gets stronger every time. Kind of like a football player going out on the field to support the team. It only gets harder to do better. But I think that is a good thing. The feelings I get are shaky, sweaty, negative, and positive. Kind of crazy but they tell me I am in the right spot and to truck on.


1. The fear might never go away (worst case) 
2. Your reputation as a human being is destroyed (plausible) 
3. You feel different about stage fright and various other things (nominal). 


The fear can actually get quite annoying and you will start to question why you feel scared at all. You have to realize there is more to the fear than just the blank uncomfortable feeling first experienced. 


TIPTIP*Try practicing in small spurts: In front of friends, in the mirror, in the shower, in your car, with strangers, or create a fake open mic. Work yourself up to the open mic!!! They are truly fun if you are there to have fun, entertain, and enjoy yourself.


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The rest of this post is kind of a guide on doing your own open mic. So I will add a little bit of my mindset on stage here (as I have written this off and on and really need to finish this post).


1. I practice prior but when I go up onstage I find it best to read the audience.
2. Reading the audience is kind of hard to explain. Pay attention to yourself and to the crowd as you say your material. Be slow and patient to get the best reactions (until your more confident).
3. When people laugh I ease up and flow better with my words. Most times I improv material I practiced prior but change it up on stage to get a real rhythm. 
4. I get stuck at times and still need to learn to keep going, that is important. The show must go on. You have the mike and the power. But I do get stuck.
5. After I feel I have said enough or I run out of time I end my set. I feel better when done and kind of like a video game I gain experience for next time.
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Warm-up


Creating a warm-up ritual is common among performers to get ready for the show. Just like finals for class make sure to be ready for the open mic. I like to do various things:


- Go for a walk
- Shower
- Talk to some friends
- Try something new or different
- Practice prior (Go over the lines)
- Do a little vocal warm up (Ding, read, etc.)
- Drink water
- Look in the mirror (Vain!)
- Meditate
- Nap
- Eat an upper or Scooby snack (Coffee is an upper, fruit loops is an awesome snack)
- Go to the bathroom prior (IMPORTANT -> DON'T PEE PANTS!)


I find that I do all of these things prior in succession, some more than others. It is up to you, but warming up really does help. The more you put into it, the better. You'll know what is right as you will be relaxed and 'in control.'


Goal


Having some kind of goal is helpful. For me, I keep it simple, my goal is initially to get over my fear and have a story to tell that entertains. The "I finally did it" story works: Go up and say "my first open mic, I finally did it!" Also, other small goals that are common with public speaking and performing never change. I always think of a skew of things I need to work on after each performance. You can start by noting things you do when talking with people or in social settings you want to change. Entertain, speak louder, and more comfortably perhaps?


Common goals: Making eye contact with the whole room, slowing down, removing placeholder um/sigh/yes etc., relaxing onstage, performing your bit a specific way. The list goes on and on. It is all up to you.


**The first goal should be to just do it.
*We can all work on our communication.


Support


Make sure to tell others, especially people close to you. Some might even be really supportive and others could care less. Be proud of everything you do especially when it is a self-improvement goal. Having friends in the crowd is a big help along with my warm up of talking to a friend about my open mic prior and after. It just keeps my head focused.


Plan


Do you have a plan? Do you know exactly what to do and what the worst situation is? Do you even know the place your going to do the open mic in? Break it all down and your fear will turn into an assassination of the mind. Try to plan it out like a magician might do with his performance. Everything is set in stone, even bombing and improv. 


**Usually, you know when your material or audience is not feeling right.


Track


Track your progress, even if it is one time. Jerry Seinfeld is meticulous for recording all of his stand up performances to have for review later! This is key to getting over your fear and having a successful open mic. Record yourself, take notes, make an event out of it. 


*Key thing to remember from this whole article: Plan to do many open mics, not just one. How can you fail at one open mic when you have another to do the next day?


It should feel difficult, it should be difficult, and it will all work out. Trust in yourself this once, this always!