Robin Williams did 40 minutes right before him, and Dana Carvey warned the room it was about to get brutal.
That's not an exaggeration. In the early '80s, San Francisco was a comedy mecca, and the Thursday night mic at Cobb's Pub was hosted by a local guy named Dana Carvey. Mike signed up, got the last slot, and then the biggest star in the world walked in and did forty minutes past closing. The bar was closed. People were standing up to leave. Mike went up anyway, and he bombed — while his buddy Bob held hands with the woman Mike had brought along to watch.
Forty years later he's an Emmy- and Writers Guild-nominated TV writer with credits on Real Time with Bill Maher, The Drew Carey Show, Ellen and Grace Under Fire, and he's still doing mics in Columbus.
So what should you expect at your first open mic? Mike's answer is blunt, and better than the encouragement you usually get: you are going to suck, and that's fine, because walking on stage is the whole achievement. He also breaks down how to get into a TV writers room without an Ivy League degree, why he only goes on stage with a plan, why there's no Juilliard for comedy, and what Columbus comedy is still missing.
Ira Cross hosts. Recorded at Rehab Tavern in Columbus, Ohio.
What's the worst spot you've ever been given on a lineup? Tell us in the comments.
🎙️ Follow Mike Larsen: Instagram: @writemikelarsen Website: writemikelarsen.com
🔗 First Mic is one of the shows under the Indie Comedy Collective banner: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective
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