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July 24, 2008
Get on the Mic: A Review of Gutbucket
By: Dan Wilbur
Gutbucket is the monthly open mic show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York. I dropped in for a set back in April, and shared the bill with several teenagers, one of whom began his set with: "No, it's not past my bedtime." The beauty of the open mic is that you never know who'll show up.
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Gutbucket's audience, however, was one of the most supportive open mic crowds I've ever seen, and a follow-up trip three months later proved this wasn't a fluke. At the July show, comics in their early 20s replaced the teenagers, and local comic Matt McCarthy had subbed in for regular host Pete Holmes. Chicago-comedy transplants Holmes and TJ Miller were originally tapped as Gutbucket co-hosts.
The UCB's Friday-at-midnight slot has always drawn an eclectic crowd. While the mood is casual and patrons often relax by slumping in their seats, the vibe isn't mean-spirited, and they are generous with laughter, especially for those comics who perform a little closer to the edge. Standup comedy that starts at midnight on a Friday can offer safer harbor for those with a smattering of stagetime hours. But this opportunity to experiment would be pretty meaningless if not for one factor: People show up to Gutbucket. As Mo Diggs wrote for The Apiary a year ago: "Gutbucket may be the only open mic in which the audience consistently outnumbers comedians." Nice to see things haven't changed.
The next Gutbucket is Aug. 15, 2008 @ Midnight. Sign-up is from 11-11:35PM. FREE.
--Dan Wilbur is a stand-up comic. He produces comedy shows and works at Comix comedy nightclub.
Posted by keithhuang at July 24, 2008 12:15 PM
Comments
Sounds like a cool show. How long does each comedian perform, how many performers are there per show, and how long does the show last? Just curious.
There are few open mics out there where audience members outnumber performers. For a while in 2004-2006 or so, it was like that at the Teabag open mic in Chinatown.
Posted by: soce at July 24, 2008 12:49 PM
Thanks for the tip! I will definitely check this one out. (Check out = become a celebrated regular, re-name it, change the theme to scrapbooking).
Posted by: Abbi Crutchfield at July 24, 2008 2:17 PM
I love being quoted. Today The Apiary, tomorrow Bartlett's!
Posted by: Mo Diggs at July 24, 2008 5:45 PM