Kind of thing · 5 ideas
Live comedy & music
Live performance works because it can go wrong. A comic bombing or a band finding its groove is more interesting than anything on a screen, and you leave with something to talk about. Small rooms are better than arenas for this.
- Typical price
- Open mics are free or $5. Comedy club showcases $15–30 plus a two-drink minimum. Small-venue concerts $10–25.
- How long
- Ninety minutes to two hours. Open mics run longer; leave whenever.
How to do it cheaper
- Open mics on weeknights are free and sometimes better than the weekend showcase.
- Early shows at comedy clubs are cheaper than the 10 pm set.
- Cities run free summer concert series in parks; check the parks department calendar.
- Most small venues sell cheaper tickets at the door on slow nights.
- Sit at the bar instead of a table to dodge the minimum at some clubs.
Works for
The ideas
Free
2 h
Live comedy & music
Open-mic comedy
Fifteen people doing five minutes each. Two will be good. One will be a story you tell for years.
- Cost
- Free or $5
- Best when
- Weeknights, 8 pm
- Cheaper
- It's free. Buy one drink; the room survives on the bar.
- Skip it if
- You sit in the front row. You will become material.
- Bring
- A friend with a loud laugh, which helps everyone.
$15–30
1.5–2 h
Live comedy & music
A comedy club showcase
Four comics who know what they're doing, a dark room, and ninety minutes where it's rude to look at your phone.
- Cost
- $15–30 plus a two-drink minimum
- Best when
- The early show, Thursday to Saturday
- Cheaper
- Early shows are cheaper than the late set. Order the minimum as soda water and it's $8.
- Skip it if
- You get picked on easily. Sit in the back.
- Bring
- A reservation. Good rooms sell out on weekends.
$10–25
3 h
Live comedy & music
A band you've never heard of, in a small room
Two hundred people, a $15 ticket, a bar in the back, and a band playing like it matters.
- Best when
- Any night the listing looks interesting
- Cheaper
- Door price on a weeknight is often less than the weekend advance price.
- Skip it if
- You need to sit down. Small venues are standing rooms.
- Bring
- Earplugs. Seriously.
$8–15
2 h
Live comedy & music
A private karaoke room
Your own room, your own playlist, a buzzer for drinks, and nobody outside the door can hear you.
- Cost
- $8–15 per person per hour
- Best when
- Friday or Saturday, book ahead
- Cheaper
- Weeknights are often half the weekend room rate.
- Skip it if
- The group is two people. Rooms want four or more.
- Bring
- A playlist drafted in advance. The first ten minutes are always wasted scrolling.
Free
2–3 h
Live comedy & music
A free concert in a park
Summer evenings, a lawn, a band the city paid for, and a picnic you packed.
- Best when
- June through August, check the parks department
- Cheaper
- It's free. Bring your own food and drink where the rules allow.
- Skip it if
- You want a particular band. You get whoever's playing.
- Bring
- A blanket, a low chair, bug spray, something cold.