Best Open Mics of 2016
Hey, I'm Marty Wurst and I review open mics on my Instagram. Comedy seems to come second.
It's fun to tell my family where I go to open mics.
I get to say I do comedy in gay bars, sports bars, dive bars, rock bars, at the Scientology Celebrity Center, in front of a green screen, at a bagel shop, Chinese restaurants, book stores, art galleries, backyards, record stores, wine bars, a comic book shop, a wine cellar, a grocery store, a bowling alley, a garage IN AN ALLEY, hotels, outside a hot dog joint, inside a hot dog joint, a thrift store, a barbershop, some pizzerias, in a number of coffee shops, comedy clubs, and black box theaters...on a boat, in a cheese shop, and at an AA meeting. Just think about how crazy that sounds. I can't wait to see where I end up this year.
Laundromat, butchershop, nursing home? 101 Freeway mic. Sex shop mic has to happen. How about a D-list celebrity's home? Hang on to the side of a plane on takeoff like Tom Cruise and everyone in the plane can hear you do comedy! Tasty riffs about dying, comedians love that shit!
There were 50 new mics that popped up this year, but I think I made a pretty good dent. ONWARDS!
WINNERS OF 2016
Alright, let me just say up front, I didn't know how to consistently separate these mics into the appropriate categories, whether to include mics that had folded, or write out every single mic into every category- it was too much to wrap my head around. Plus I screwed up a question where you couldn't write in your own answer- the "Best Bucket" mic was limited to 4 answers only, so I apologize. I corrected it, but it probably cost certain mics the winning votes...I'm a dick.
This is just for fun. We all have our favorite mics and we're loyal to them. I just thought it'd be cool to show you what mics are out there and maybe you'll consider checking one out some day. Or maybe you'll snub me next time you see me.
"Hey asshole, saw the results. Thanks for leaving my mic off the list ya DOUCHEWURST!"
I hit a lot of these mics only ONCE, so YOUR VOTES will also help me decide whether I should return.
I really want to give all the solid open mics props, I really do. Anyway, I won't muck it up next time. If it makes you feel better, The Joke Gym never gets props.
ON TO THE WINNERS!
BEST FEEDBACK MIC
Comedian's Choice Flappers Burbank
Open Mic Reviews Fanatic Salon
No pictures in this category, sorry!
BEST BUCKET MIC
Comedian's Choice "Mouthypants" at The Other Door
Open Mic Reviews Grounded Cafe
Honorable Mentions BAPS Hollywood Hotel mic TIED with Sabor y Cultura
And now...it's time for a very special presentation of
THE JARED LEVIN AWARDS!
Jared Levin is a comedian in Los Angeles. He's humped over a thousand stools on various stages across the mid-west. You may know Jared as the comic who cleverly uses the mic stand as a semi-automatic weapon, his way of paying tribute to Jeff Carrisalez. That makes him over-qualified to give out awards.
BEST OPEN MIC FOR DEPLORABLE BEHAVIOR
Comedian's Choice Marty's
Open Mic Reviews Blacklight District Lounge (trust me)
Honorable Mention Liquid Zoo
BEST MIC TO DO YOUR FIRST SET
Comedian's Choice Tribal
Open Mic Reviews Marty's
Honorable Mentions Sal's Comedy Hole, Rockpaper Coffee
BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT OPEN MIC
Comedian's Choice The Palace
Open Mic Reviews The Palace
BEST MIC THAT FOLDED TOO SOON
Comedian's Choice Days Inn
Open Mic Reviews Los Globos
Honorable Mentions Blackbull Chophouse
BEST B-LINE PAST THE COMEDIAN TO GO TO THE BATHROOM
Comedian's Choice Karma Lounge (beads!!)
Open Mic Reviews Scallywags
LOUDEST OPEN MIC
Comedian's Choice Big Wang's
Honorable Mention Wine Bar (Long Beach)
Open Mic Reviews Dog Haus
Honorable Mention Wine Bar (Long Beach)
BEST SAFE SPACE MIC
Comedian's Choice Tao Comedy Studio
Open Mic Reviews Tao Comedy Studio
Honorable Mentions Irvine Improv, The Clown House
I also got a voicemail from a great comic/friend, Jeanne Whitney. Here's her take on safe space mics.
And now...another installment of the JARED LEVIN AWARDS!
BEST DIVE BAR MIC
Comedian's Choice Liquid Zoo
Honorable Mentions Lexington, M-Bar
Open Mic Reviews M-Bar
Honorable Mentions Lexington, The Blvd
BEST NEW OPEN MIC
Comedian's Choice Cask & Hammer, Arlyn Pillay Gallery TIED with Scientology Celebrity Center (haha) and Molly Bloom's
Honorable Mention Delicious Vinyl TIED with Meea's Hot Dogs
Open Mic Reviews Free Wifi, Meea's Hot Dogs, The Whisperer
Honorable Mention The Blvd
BEST HECKLERS
Comedian's Choice Liquid Zoo
Honorable Mention Anchor Bar
Open Mic Reviews Anchor Bar
Honorable Mention The Cork Lounge
BEST OPEN MIC WITHIN A 2-BLOCK RADIUS
Comedian's Choice Venice Grind
Open Mic Reviews Venice Grind
BEST OPEN MIC THAT ENDED IN 2016
Comedian's Choice Echoes Under Sunset, Scallywags, "Mouthypants" at The Other Door
Honorable Mention Main St. Bar and Cabaret
Open Mic Reviews Murder Room, Main St. Bar and Cabaret, Echoes Under Sunset
Honorable Mention Days Inn
BEST MIXED MIC
Comedian's Choice Tribal Cafe
Honorable Mention Venice Grind
Open Mic Reviews Slip Bar and Eatery
Honorable Mention The Lost Bean
BEST DIY MIC
Comedian's Choice Garage Behind Food 4 Less
Honorable Mention Workout Room in Hollywood
Open Mic Reviews Meea's Hot Dogs
Honorable Mention Holy Grounds and Coffee (love that stage!)
This shit ain't over...another winner takes it all in the JARED LEVIN AWARDS!
BEST MIC TO GET BAKED
Comedian's Choice Garage Behind Food 4 Less
Honorable Mention Sunday BOMB Open Mic Brunch
Open Mic Reviews Boat Mic
Honorable Mention Rafa's Lounge
BEST COFFEE SHOP MIC
Comedian's Choice Sabor Y Cultura
Honorable Mentions The Library, Solar de Cahuenga
Open Mic Reviews Grounded Cafe
Honorable Mentions Coffee+Food, The Library
BEST FOOD
Comedian's Choice Karma Lounge
Open Mic Reviews Karma Lounge
Honorable Mention Tribal Cafe (over 100 items on their menu! Great grub.)
BEST LATE NIGHT OPTION
Comedian's Choice Flappers Bar
Honorable Mention Mel's Drive-In
Open Mic Reviews Flappers (Claremont)
Honorable Mention Hooters
BEST ALL-COMIC AUDIENCE
Comedian's Choice The Clubhouse
Honorable Mentions Max Bloom's TIED with Murder Room, Hyperion Tavern TIED with Pig N' Whistle
Open Mic Reviews Grounded Cafe
Honorable Mentions Murder Room, T&L Pollo's
Who will win next in the JARED LEVIN AWARDS?
BEST CROWD
Comedian's Choice Anchor Bar
Honorable Mention Irvine Improv
Open Mic Reviews Anchor Bar
Honorable Mention Hooters
This is the best way to show you what the Anchor Bar experience is like. A picture won't capture it. Take a look at Duke Fightmaster's fantastic ongoing series and tell me you don't want to be a part of it! Even when it's really late, there's usually a few die-hard comedy fans that stick it out.
BEST MIC FOR LONGER SETS
Comedian's Choice Paladino's (8 minutes)
Honorable Mention M-Bar (7-8 minutes)
Open Mic Reviews Doll Hut (10 minutes)
Honorable Mention The Nectar Lounge (8 minutes)
BEST MIC TO PERFORM 3 MINUTES
Comedian's Choice The Lab at The Hollywood Improv
Honorable Mention Comedy Store Potluck
Open Mic Reviews Anchor Bar
Honorable Mention Westside Comedy Theater
BEST COMEDY CLUB OPEN MIC
Comedian's Choice The Lab at The Improv
Open Mic Reviews Comedy Store Potluck
BEST OUTDOOR MIC
Comedian's Choice Workout Room in Hollywood
Honorable MentionSunday BOMB Open Mic Brunch
Open Mic Reviews Yardwork Mic
Honorable MentionMeea's Hot Dogs
BEST HOST TO HANDLE HECKLERS
Comedian's Choice Evan Cassidy
Honorable Mention Erik Marino
Open Mic Reviews Evan Cassidy
Honorable Mention Vanessa Gritton (just saw her post)
BEST $5 MIC
Comedian's Choice Marty's
Honorable Mention Tao Comedy Studio
Open Mic Reviews El Cid
Honorable Mention Pig N' Whistle
Before the big winners, we have the final, highly coveted, JARED LEVIN AWARD!
BEST OVERALL OPEN MIC
Comedian's Choice Anchor Bar, The Other Door, Comedy Store Potluck
Honorable Mention Brix
Open Mic Reviews Brix, Anchor Bar, Yardwork
Honorable Mention Doll Hut
BEST OPEN MIC HOST
Comedian's Choice Evan Cassidy (Anchor Bar), John Silver (Brix), Ryan Talmo(Liquid Zoo)
Honorable Mention Vanessa Gritton and Kevin Anderson (The Other Door)
Open Mic Reviews Brian Biancardi (Murder Room), Evan Cassidy (Anchor Bar) The Martin Duprass (Sabor y Cultura)
Honorable Mention Kristal "The Pistol" at The Short Stop. She hosted half of the mic, but she cranked it up to 11. Force to reckon with.
OKAY, that's pretty much it, but I have one more guest contributor, who was kind enough to leave me a voicemail.
Thanks Bro.
Special shout out to Nolan at Dromebox Labs, which is also a fantastic mic that everyone should check out. Just a great creative atmosphere to be around.
I know this post is long enough, but I'd like to include some of the generous responses I got from a handful of great comedians I reached out to. Here are some of their favorite mics:
Ali Macofsky- Sabor y Cultura, Anchor Bar, Grounded (R.I.P.)
Anne Flagg- The Hideaway Cafe, Cask & Hammer
Seth Woodward- T&L Pollo's, Max Bloom's, Arlyn Pillay Gallery
Charles Mockler- Meea's Hot Dogs, Tribal Cafe, Free Wifi at Union House
Rachel Mac- The Good Nite, Chatterbox, Lyric Hyperion Theater SAT 3pm.
Jonathan Green- Marty's, Comedy Store Potluck, Big Wangs, The Next Stage, "Trapped With Comics" at The Lexington SUN Sign up at 5pm.
Chris Dunham- Anchor Bar, Robin Hood British Pub, Fourth Wall (favorite all-comic audience), Hooters (best crowd)
Spencer Kalendar- Pig N' Whistle, Cahuenga General Store (great food too)
Courtney Banks- Sunday Bomb Open Mic Brunch at 1pm, TUES at the Improv, Solar de Cahuenga (most supportive) Lexington "Trapped w/ Comics"
Mr. Goodnight- "I'd give Grandview Market Best Open Mic in a Grocery Store!"
Sorry if your mic didn't get a mention. It doesn't mean it sucks, there are so many damn mics! There are a ton of mics that are run well, but maybe they don't necessarily stick out yet. I'm not putting out a worst-of-list. I think we know which ones suck. I'd rather not talk about those. Besides, someone else might like it, why dump on it?
Oh all right. Good riddance to THIS MIC!
Big thanks to Jake Kroeger of The Comedy Bureau. Always on top of his shit every freakin day and providing us with the essential open mic/show guide. Drop him a donation!
Matt Cole for his awesome OC open mic list!
Openmikes.org, Badslava, and anyone who has ever told me about a random mic, or had nice things to say about "open mic reviews," it means a lot to know you're checking it out. If I was a better comedian, my reviews would really hold weight!
Shout out to all the awesome people that run open mics outside of California!
Thank you for all your votes and indulging me on this, now back to actual work.
Thank you Jared Levin, Jeanne Whitney, and Tom Allen for your guest contributions!
To see all the results from the poll yourself, click here
You can read my open mic reviews for individual open mics here
Okay, it's almost 7am. I lost enough sleep over this.