By David Gavri

Open mic comedy plays an essential role in the daily grind of the stand up comedian. But simply showing up doesn’t mean you’re making progress. Believe it or not, there is a proper way to go about it. Although stand up comedy is treated with reckless abandon, there is still a level of respect that should be practiced. Afterall, you might be pissing off alotta people without even knowing it.

Comedy Scene in Houston went around the city and asked our fellow comedians about their thoughts on open mic etiquette. Here is what they had to say.



“When you go up on stage, have a purpose. Don’t get up there and waste other peoples’ time.” -Andy Huggins

“Be quiet in the showroom. Don’t talk while other comics are on stage.” -John Wessling

“Prepare more material than you think you need.” -Kristen Lindner

“Perform with the same amount of enthusiasm, whether there are 5 people or 100 people in the audience.” -Slade Ham

“It’s more entertaining to watch someone who’s having fun on stage. So, have fun.” -Chase Durousseau

“This goes for the Host / MC—do your set, and then bring up the next comic. There’s no need to do five more minutes of jokes every time you bring up a new comic.” -Rob Mungle

“Dont blame the audience if you had a bad set. A good comic can turn any crowd into a good crowd.” -Ryan Thauburn

“Stage Etiquette—when you take the mic out of the stand, move the stand away so it’s not directly in front of you.” -Owen Dunn

“Be different and original. Watch the other comics. No matter how good or bad they are, you just might learn something.” -Danny Rios

“Dont go over your time.” -Tim Mathis

“Quit bragging about how you “Killed It”. It’s just an open mic!” -Steven Padilla

“Yaa…get me a drink!” -David Gavri

Feel free to add things that should be added to the list under comments.

For more information about open mic comedy in the city of Houston, click on our Open Mic List

Interviewed by Steven Padilla

Twitter: @StevenPadilla78

E-mail: StevenPadilla78@gmail.com

Written by David Gavri

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DaveGMoney