Best Open Mic Comedy Nights In LA

In Los Angeles, most people are working to make it big in show business. In fact, our bars, restaurants and street corners are filled with performers hoping for their big break. Our great city is also the home to iconic clubs that have often times launched someone into stardom and open mic comedy shows are available any night of the week for guests to sit back and enjoy. If you are a comedian or just need a few laughs, get to one of these open mic comedy nights featured throughout the city and promise to entertain!

iO West Theater
6366 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 962-7560
www.ioimprov.com/west/

iO West, formerly known as the "Improv Olympic West", is the Los Angeles branch of the iO in Chicago. In addition to nightly shows, iO West offers improv training along with open mic night every Monday to ease your "case of the Mondays." Hosted by Joe Canale, each performer has five minutes and, unlike, other open mics, where people may judge comedians, these comics encourage and support one another. Along with stand up comedy, enjoy the daily happy hour specials that are available from 5-8 pm, Monday through Friday. On Mondays, there are $3 well drinks and Thursdays include $5 bourbons and Belgian beers.

Echoes Under Sunset
1310 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 446-5466
www.echoesundersunset.com

Family owned and operated, Echoes Under Sunset is an art venue located in Echo Park that showcases comedy along with music and art. There is open mic every night of the week with different hosts including Jay Weingarten and Jenny Yang and also "Uncle Lou's Safe Place Comedy Show" along with "Hell in a Bucket Open Mic." Every show has a one-drink minimum to get the laughs rolling.

The 1160 Bar & Lounge at the Hollywood Hotel
1160 N Vermont Ave
Hollywood, CA 90029
(323) 315-1800
www.hollywoodhotel.net

The ultramodern Hollywood Hotel is decorated with luxuriant European designs and is centrally located to all of the sight seeing that Hollywood has to offer. Open mic comedy nights are Thursday-Saturday at 7 pm with no cover charge and entertainers have a one drink minimum. At this open mic, famous comedians are known to perform and also be part of the audience.

Comedy Store
8433 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(323) 650-6268
www.thecomedystore.com

Opened in 1972 by Sammy Shore and Rudy Deluca, The Comedy Store is a Hollywood legend. After Sammy Shore's divorce from his wife Mitzi, she took over the venue and became the backbone of the business it is today. With locations in Hollywood and La Jolla, Mitzi recognized that female comedians rarely performed with male comedians and opened up The Belly Room in the Hollywood location, which only featured female comedians at the time. When business took off, Mitzi became known as one of Hollywood's most important comedy brokers and often helped TV networks cast their sitcoms. Now, run by her kids and housing the biggest comedy names in the business, they have open mic nights on late night Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in the Belly Room and Wednesdays and Thursdays during happy hour. So, as they say at The Comedy Store, "You have to show up to get up."

Improv
8162 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 651-2583
www.improv.com

Improv, a comedy showcase and restaurant, has had a who's who of American comedy grace its stage. Created in 1963 in New York City by Broadway producer Budd Friedman, it was an intimate place where Broadway performers could meet after their shows, get some food and, most importantly, sing. The Improv quickly gained attention as the spot where young Broadway artists would hold sing-alongs into the wee hours. A year in, the Improv had its first comedian and it was a hit. Soon, comedians dominated the rotation, as singers were phased-out of the nightly line-up. In 1975, the Improv headed west with a trademark piano and the iconic brick wall. Now in 24 locations including Las Vegas, Reno, London and San Diego, they host a free open mic on Fridays

Fanatic Salon Theater
3815 Sawtelle Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 622-2046
www.fanaticsalonla.com

If working on your material is your main goal, then get to Fanatic Salon on Thursday nights. Hosted by Lydia Robinson and Thomas Mitchell, you can hone your material and get some honest feedback. Performers are charged only $5 for seven minutes followed by an optional feedback session from the audience and organizers at Fanatic Salon. Sign ups begin at 7 pm and the show begins at 7:30 pm. It's free for the audience to attend and it's BYOB, with coffee provided.

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
5919 Franklin Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 908-8702
losangeles.ucbtheatre.com

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre has affordable comedy shows seven nights a week including improv, sketch, and standup. They also run the first nationally accredited improv and sketch comedy school in the country. In addition to their weekly shows, their free, monthly open mic has ten performance slots. Up to thirty minutes before, sign up is done by writing your name on a slip of paper and throwing it in a bucket. Once the show begins, 10 names are drawn and those 10 can sign up for spots 1-10, with the right of choice going to the order picked. You get five minutes and you better make then count because at four minutes, you get the light, and then the music will kick you off at five. The hosts change each month, but the show is always at 5:30 pm.

The Laugh Factory
8001 W Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 656-1336
www.laughfactory.com

With big names like Jim Carey, the Wayans Brothers and Jamie Foxx all performing, The Laugh Factory has been in business since 1979 and has helped many world-renowned comedians receive their stardom. Now, with another location in Long Beach, this venue has open mic night on Tuesday at 6:30 pm with sign-ups at 5 pm a week before. With one of the most popular open mics in the city, comics line up hours before, although only, the first 15 get to perform. There are also some strict rules including: you're allowed 2-3 minutes, you're G-rated, and no notes allowed.

The Lexington Bar
129 E 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 291-5723
www.thelexingtonbar.com

This divey, straightforward bar/theatre promises live music, comedy, and cheap drinks seven days of the week. In addition to being able to show your artistic talents on the chalkboard walls, you can grab deals like receiving a shot with any drink order before 10 pm and a free drink with a yelp review. As for comedy open mics, your best bet is their Tuesday late night open mic, hosted by Buck Ball, their Thursdays, "Just For Fun" open mic hosted by Tony Bartelone and on Saturdays it's Sex on Saturday open mic with Jenny Young and Kasey Koop.

Flappers
102 E Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 845-9721
www.flapperscomedy.com

Flappers Comedy LLC was Created in 2008 for the purpose of creating a comedy club venue that would provide comedy and food along with comedy workshops, Flappers Comedy. After producing comedy events at numerous Los Angeles venues including Ha Ha Café, The Toluca Lake Tennis Club, The Improv, The Comedy Store, The Chi Chi Club, and The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, it was time for their own venue. Now, in Burbank, they have Bar for Happy Hour Open Mic on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm and Tuesday-Thursday at 11:30 pm, which has comedians performing 3-5 minutes of their best stand up, improv or sketch comedy. They also have a late night mic in the YooHoo room every Friday and Saturday at 11:30 pm. Just seconds before walking onstage, comics get a brand new, never before seen "set list" of topics and they walk onstage and perform it as if it were their own. As described by Flappers, "Comics are put in hot water, and make a delicious tea for the audience." If the tea isn't what you wanted, stick around for the half price drinks and appetizers.

Whitney Lader is the founder of hoopLA, a lifestyle blog covering events, food, art, beauty, fashion and deals in Los Angeles. She is also a freelance writer and a graphic designer.
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