Open mics for all

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author: samara stearnscontributor

Stand up can be scary, but some stages make it accessible. | Photo credit Bragg’s Untrained Eye via Flickr

Local comic sells the case for the much-feared open mic night

Open mic nights at the Artful Dodger are a good opportunity to practice showcasing your talents in front of a group of creative individuals in a unique environment. On any Monday evening at 9:00 p.m., you can expect an experience that consists of music, singing, dancing, rapping, spoken word poetry, stand-up comedy, and anything else that may be considered a talent. I strongly recommend going at least once while living in Regina. This is a great way to see and support the hidden talents within the city firsthand.

On most nights, you can expect to find the regular crowd who are there either for practice for bigger gigs, to showcase their talent, or for the entertainment and relaxing environment. Some even go to experiment new material that they may be unsure about. You will also find some newcomers or oldcomers returning to present new material. Whatever the case may be, the crowd is there to support whoever is on stage.

My experience of attending open mic nights regularly in the summer helped me scrape up the courage to try out stand-up comedy. Soon after, I found a passion for writing and telling jokes in front of a group of talented performers. I have found that going to the open mic nights has allowed me to network within the small stand-up comedy scene that is in Regina. This experience has helped me to grow as a comedian. Some nights my jokes don’t land, and some nights they do. Either way, it has given me the opportunity to go home and rework my comedy set to maximize on laughs. I have also found that my onstage confidence has developed exponentially.

After stepping off the stage, people are generally greeted with appraisals or feedback from the crowd. There are rumours that some lucky people even get numbers from beautiful audience members.

The open mic night takes place at the Artful Dodger on 11th Avenue. When you are watching the performances, you can sip on a variety of beverages, eat some delicious food, or get drunk if you really want to. There are a lot of separate rooms in the building that allow you to practice your set or song privately before putting it all out on stage. There is a room where you can bring your friends to lounge on some comfy couches while you tinker around on a piano. In the back of the building, there is a tiny library where you can sit and calm down from pre-show jitters. The environment is relaxing, aesthetically pleasing, and hip.

The open mic nights at the Artful Dodger are every Monday night, except for the first Monday of the month, because that night is salsa night!

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