Other Bar Presents ALL JOKES ON ME COMEDY OPEN MIC Review--No Frills, All Jokes - No cover every Tuesday night in New Orleans
There is something about production value that just draws people in. Many shows depend on that production value and other frills to keep the crowd's attention, build the energy in the room, and create a more immersive experience. This most assuredly includes comedy shows. Comedians approach the stage accompanied by music like professional wrestlers who are about to open up a whole can of funny on you. They are lit like rock stars doing a secret show.
None of these things apply to the All Jokes on Me Comedy Open Mic and that is the thing that may make it even more rock star than a lead guitarist casually tossing a television from a hotel balcony.
The Other Bar Welcomes Everyone
We scan the room and see the smiling, attentive faces of everyone from college students from nearby Tulane University, to service industry workers, to young urban professionals who were surprised with entertainment when they stopped to decompress with a drink before heading home. There is a level of comfort that may not have been noticed at first. Then you realize that that comfort feel is actually what enticed and guided you past the crowd of smokers. They are having deep philosophical conversations sprinkled with laughter about topics we didn’t know to broach. Would it be feasible for an MMA tournament to decide the presidency? What IS the psychological impact of potholes on the community?
The Other Bar (and yes, that is absolutely the actual name of the venue) welcomes and accommodates them all. They sit on what was formerly a park picnic table, and on mismatched reclaimed vintage dining room chairs in front of a makeshift table made from a door, or on a bench that people urge you not to ask about its history.
The stage is made of two pallets and an old area rug. The crowd is full of mirth and receptive to anyone who is bold enough to step onto that stage. That may be because the people who take the mic, in this writer’s view, bring on the funny as if they are recording a special for a cable network.
It begins with the charismatic host, comedian and college student Marcus Bond. He is touted as one of the shiniest young diamonds in the rough of the New Orleans comedy scene. Originally from Wisconsin, he takes the stage with the same ease with which we imagine he caught his first set of Mardi Gras beads. Setting a tone of irreverence, he adeptly navigates the funny of current events and his personal life observations.
After a few minutes of energy building comedic bits, Bond jumps straight into his list often populated by New Orleans comedy scene regulars, out of town visiting comics, and people just giving it a shot. On this night, and one guesses most, the latter are oftentimes as entertaining as the professionals, although admittedly for entirely different reasons. It’s a friendly crowd. Brave souls on that stage receive appreciation just for the effort of overcoming what keeps any other person off of any stage for the majority, if not all, of their lives.
In this writer’s view, the most offbeat thing about this conglomeration of lowbrow awesome is that it all takes place at 10pm on a Tuesday night when some should be concerned with work or school. Instead they are basking in the glow of comedic magic--like rock stars.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
When:
Tuesdays 10 PM
Where:
The Other Bar
5039 Freret St
New Orleans, LA
Tickets:
No cover
For more information about ALL JOKES ON ME COMEDY OPEN MIC call The Other Bar at (504) 460-6414 or visit The Other Bar Facebook page
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OTHER BAR, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED
Dante Hale is a stand-up comedian, Host, and Producer of The Harsh Words with Friends Podcast, a practitioner of the ridiculous, burgeoning nihilist, motivational speaker, old school nerdling, & Navy Vet. When he isn't touring, you can find him in New Orleans following his passion for nachos. For more information on Dante's upcoming gigs visit the Dante Hale Comedy Facebook page.
