A platform for anyone

Hoover comic Beth Bloomfield, the co-founder of Birmingham’s newest comedy group, Grown Up Comedy, said the idea for a new open mic night was born in May 2018 as she stood outside a downtown venue on a weeknight with co-creator Junior Cook. 

Even though the show was supposed to start at 8 p.m., it was already 9 p.m. They both knew it was going to be a late night. 

“We looked at each other and said, ‘Boy, this just doesn’t work for us. It’s too far and too late,’ and we are commiserating about it, and I said, ‘We should start our own show,’ and he said, ‘I would love that,’” Bloomfield said.

There are not a lot of open mic opportunities in the Hoover area, Cook said, since the Stardome isn’t currently offering its open mic program. Both Bloomfield and Cook wanted to start a show closer to where they lived, in addition to scheduling it at a reasonable hour so they could rely on it starting and stopping at around the same time, for people who aren’t night owls.

“It was really our response to building something that worked better for us, and the timing worked out beautifully,” Bloomfield said.

Plus, both of them had in mind the same venue in Hoover: Barrister’s Tavern. After Cook talked to the manager that same night and scheduled a meeting, he agreed that it was a great idea. Two weeks later, Bloomfield and Cook rounded up a group of close comic friends to host the open mics every Tuesday from 7-8 p.m. The group had its first show in June. 

Grown Up Comedy events, designed for adults ages 21 and older, include comedy showcases, educational events, writers groups for local comedians and the new open mic night at Barrister’s Tavern. Since the show is right after work hours for many people, Bloomfield said it’s the perfect opportunity for audiences or comics to stop by on their way home from work, grab a beer and laugh at some jokes for an hour. Although Barrister’s Tavern doesn’t have a kitchen, she said, they allow people to bring in food for dinner during the show. 

“We are trying to create opportunities for people to come out and see comedy everywhere,” Cook said. “It’s a friendly environment. We have a lot of fun, we cut up a lot, and sometimes we have different types of musical comedy, as well. We’ve done roasts.”

Cook, who has been a standup comedian for about two years, said even bigger acts will come through occasionally and try out new material. Since he started comedy two years ago, he said he’s made a lot of friends in the community and that everyone in comedy “just kind of fits together,” especially at open mics.

“Open mics are really good for trying out new material. People will come in and test out 5 to 10 minutes of work to see how it sounds,” Cook said.

An hour fits about 10 comics, Bloomfield said, and so far they’ve had anywhere from only a few people to more than 40 come by to sign up for the open mic. If there’s too many people, they do a drawing to see who will perform, she added. 

Grown Up Comedy allows comics who live at least an hour away to sign up in advance, she said, which a lot of open mics don’t offer. 

“That’s a long way to go if you don’t know for sure you’ll get to perform,” she said. “As far as I know, we are the only ones that can do that.”

When they first put together the group, Bloomfield and Cook said they wanted to make sure it would be an environment of mutual support for the comics, instead of the usual competitive feel. They always make sure to talk to first-time comics about keeping it a collegial community and not gossiping about each other. They also occasionally offer the opportunity for comics to do longer sets if they need to work on particular material. 

“We really want to help foster each other’s success,” she said. “We also love how much Barrister’s is supportive of our set. They’re very good at promoting our show on their Facebook and the bartender, Tori, is a huge fan of ours. We can always hear her laughter over at the bar.”

They even give all the comics free drink tickets, she said, which is kind and something she has never seen at other places around Birmingham. 

“Standup comedy is unique in that it is one of the only art forms where you can see the artist at work. Open mics are a great way to see that,” Bloomfield said. “Not only is the artist the comic, they are the writer, they are the performer, they are the director, they are the costume designer, they are everything all in one, and you as an audience member get to watch this unfold. It’s quite an adventure and it’s a very challenging art form and I love it.” 

Bloomfield said the show is free and doesn’t require a minimum drink purchase, which is also rare for comedy show. On other days of the week, Barrister’s Tavern is a karaoke bar, so the sound system is great.

“We’ve all been at open mics which have very old, janky PA systems, with the mics cutting off in the middle of your set, throwing off your timing, and this is the dream sound system,” Bloomfield said.

To perform at the Grown Up Comedy open mic, simply show up before the weekly show to put your name on the list, and if you are an out-of-towner, email Bloomfield at grownupcomedy@gmail.com to request a spot. 

Check out their Facebook page @GrownUpComedy for events or more about the local writers group that meets at the Hoover Public Library. Upcoming events in 2019 include an all-female comedy showcase and a comedy festival.