It classes things up a bit. With its old-mansiony looks, the adorable bartenders, and the general ambiance of homey warmth, it's a little impossible to not love this bar. In fact, I favorited it on Friday when I drank way too much Luksasowa vodka with a bunch of work pals and mentally committed myself to coming to the show last night to check out what the place would be like with a bunch of comics lounging around.
Surprise, surprise: loved it.
Alright, fine. By this point, we all know that I pretty much love everything, but I think out of all the open mics that I've been to, this one has something to offer in a way that is unique and different and I can really behind that.
You know, I appreciate the fact that I don't get the general paranoia that I have felt at some other bars of "Hmm, I probably shouldn't come here alone." As a female, its something to take into consideration. I generally am lackluster in the field of caring about my own self-preservation, so it's not a huge thing but I think it goes back to the thought that, as an audience member and a new comic, this show lacks the intimidation factor.
It doesn't just lack the intimidation factor, it completely shuns it altogether.
Emcee Jordan Doll is the quintessential nice guy. Also, ragingly hilarious. But his general humility and demeanor set the tone for a stage that, for a newbie or a long-time comic, is all-encompassing and not terrifying in the least. I had initially gone to observe and drink a bit in celebration of my three-day birthday wkend. (26 is the pits, man.) I turned Doll down initially when he asked if I wanted a spot, but after watching the first few comics, I jumped ship and decided to go up without a plan.
And it was really fun. In the past, my nerves have taken me to a point where it isn't, and I'm sure alot of people have felt that before. Not so much a new deal. But I'd been in a room that was mostly comics before (as was this) and it felt a little menacing. The whole "prove youself" thing is a little difficult when you're just trying to make it through a few minutes, let alone attempting to get a smidge of the laugh factor. That wasn't the case in this room.
You could feel that in the comics. The lack of nerves. The general laid-back tone set by Jordan Doll. The willingness of the crowd to laugh without judgment or silly competitiveness.
Simply put, it set up the stage to give everyone the opportunity to step outside of the typical bullshit and be themselves. It was natural. Which led to it being very funny and also obviously productive. Which should be the point of an open mic anyway.
Some comics I'd seen a bunch took the opportunity to try out some new stuff. Prakash Hosalli was wildly hilarious as usual and broke from his typical set in a way that proved his obvious genius. Rob Gleeson worked some new stuff in, as did Elliot Woolsey. I'd never seen Kyle Bufkin really in his element, but last night, he definitely hit his stride and was a stand-out in the group. An audience member mentioned him as a personal favorite, which I think is worth qualifying to the rest of you. Nice job, Bufkin.
My favorite part of the night happened at the closing when, instead of the typical headliner, Doll called all the comedians back to the stage for multiple rounds of "half-assed jokes". Between the ten or so comics still hanging around, a half-circle was formed, the mic was passed from comic to comic, and short jokes were told on the fly. It was a great opp to be able to play off other people, to say things that really were half-assed and have that premise make the situation funny. It closed down the night in a way that I haven't seen yet, and the crowd responded.
The crowd was def not a huge one. But more people had come in throughout the night, saw what was going on, and stayed for the fun. Afterwards, I heard many people approaching comics and saying that they had a great time and that they were excited to come back and watch again. For some of them, it was their first taste of Denver comedy. And it was a good one, at that.
Kingas, thanks for the great kick off to my 26th year. I'll be back.
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