my favorite show
I am on the road right now in my hometown of Atlanta. I had a great weekend of shows at Laughing Skull Lounge, but I was most looking forward to Monday night. Every Monday night for the last 10 years or so, at a little dive bar in Atlanta’s “bohemian” neighborhood, little 5 points; there is a comedy show at a rundown drinkin’ hole named Star Bar. This was where I performed my first set, and continued to perform for every monday that I was in town until I moved to New York. I cannot overstate what the show means to me, and how much of a role it has played in my development as a comedian. So many aspects of the show combine to make it an Atlanta comedy institution. Huge names have gone out of their way to stay beyond the weekend and do the show. If I didn’t do it every week for years, I don’t know where I’d be as a performer. There are Star Bar comedy fans that don’t go anywhere else, and are more familiar with Star Bar regulars than the most famous comics you could name. That pressure to perform every week at the same place… knowing I had to switch up my set or do new material made me progress exponentially. Here are just a few of the reasons why Star Bar is great.
The Host: Star Bar is hosted by a punk rock singer named Rotknee. He pretty much only performs at Star Bar, and he is somewhat of a local celebrity. He starts off the show by laying down the rules to the crowd. Rule number one is “shut the fuck up.” Rule 2 is “set your fucking phone where no one can hear it.” Rule 3 is “these comics are working for one shitty beer that I buy them and the applause you give them; so make some fucking noise.” And yes, every comic that goes up gets a PBR on Rotknee. Rotknee has a horrible memory, so if you are funny enough for him to remember you, that’s almost a credit. He has no problem intro'ing a comic as “some mother fucker I dunno” and adding a caveat like, “this dude could be terrible for all I know.” Earning a good intro from rotknee is like a milestone in Atlanta comedy. It makes people pay more attention up front.
The Crowd: A lot of comics will say their favorite rooms and they really mean what room has a cake audience who laughs hard at setups etc. Star Bar is not an “easy” crowd by any standard. They are also not a bad crowd. They respond the most to genuinely good material. They sniff out disingenuous comics real quick and don’t like being pandered to. Sometimes comics assume that because it’s a dive bar, they will only go for blue or more edgy material. In reality, they just like quality shit. I have done completely clean sets and no one notices the difference. You know you are killing at Star Bar, not because of how hard they are laughing, but how quiet it is when you are setting up the joke. To command the attention of a dive bar that normally has some sort of constant chatter is a real accomplishment. There are only so many chairs, and about 30-40 people have to be into the show enough to stand for it.
The Comics: This place is like a breeding ground for a lot of the best comics in Atlanta, which is arguably one of the best secondary city scenes (scenes other than NY and LA) in the country. It is an accomplishment in Atlanta Comedy to be put on as a regular. Normally, you have to call a number within a 2 minute window on Thursday night and leave a message to possibly get a spot for Monday. Being a regular means that Rotknee recognizes that you are working hard at the craft and has decided that you deserve a spot every week for several months without having to call. I had the honor of earning a permanent spot, which was passed down to my friend Mike Kaiser when I moved.
Also, many comics go to Star Bar even if they aren’t on the show. It is always fun to see which comics have earned the respect of their peers enough to where everyone makes it a point to watch their set. Sometimes comics get miffed when they see a bunch of people walk outside to smoke during their set, especially since you can smoke inside. No one is being an asshole though, that’s just how it goes. If you’re upset, get better.
Closing Spot: There is a closing spot at the end of this 3 hour semi-open mic which is about 15-20 minutes and pays 50 bucks. The money is a nice gesture from Rotknee who doesn’t have to do that, but much better than that is the honor. You don’t get to ask to close. Rotknee asks you to close, and he is pretty picky. Closing Star Bar is not always the easiest thing either. It is a challenge to sustain interest and laughter for 20 minutes after 2 and a half hours of comedians. It definitely makes you better.
The Mindset: There’s something about Star Bar that puts a magnifying glass on the quality of the material you are putting out. You can’t go up with some ol’ bullshit. Comics are judged by their attitude and what they are doing on stage. It doesn’t matter if you think the crowd is hot and you want to avoid trying your new stuff. You are so motivated by the other comics who are dead set on progressing that copping out would make you feel like a huge pussy.
In my personal opinion, if you are a comic in Atlanta and you don’t even try to do Star Bar, then you ain’t really doin’ it.
