30 Comics in One Night: Inside the Magic of Open Mic Comedy
Open mic nights are where comedians test new jokes, trade tags with friends, and grow their craft week after week. Step inside the comedy scene and see the community that helps great material come to life.
I love going to open mic! Cheap entertainment and in one night you might see thirty different comics take the stage with a variety of skill level. Some comics are brand new, some are working through jokes they’ve been polishing for months. It’s like a live laboratory for comedy.
You start to recognize faces. A joke you heard last week suddenly lands harder this week. Someone tries a totally new premise. Another comic finally cracks the rhythm of a bit they’ve been wrestling with. Watching that progress in real time is part of the magic.
It’s also how you discover what you actually like. Maybe you realize you gravitate toward dry storytelling, absurd one-liners, or sharp observational comedy. Open mics are where you figure out whose voice resonates with you. Hitting an open mic once a week for 2 months straight will teach you so much about crafting a joke.
And once you find those comics you connect with, that’s when the fun continues. You start following them to shows where they get longer sets. Where those small open-mic ideas grow into fully realized performances.
Open mics are the starting line. The place where you meet the comedians before everyone else does. Every sold out arena show started with 3 min on a small stage in a neighborhood club.
If you get the chance, take a peek at the back row. The comics leaning against the wall, swapping tags and punching up each other’s jokes. Sometimes a friend tosses out a one-liner that completely changes a bit. That kind of collaboration, networking, and camaraderie is one of the most special parts of the comedy scene.
*If you’re a comedian looking for professional stage photos or headshots for your next show, I’d love to work together. Tayler Berard Creative specializes in comedy photography across the Pacific Northwest.
Venue: Club Comedy Seattle
Full Gallery: Gallery For Comics
Lineup: (Host) JR Berard, Ronak Sharma, Ricci Armani, Erin Salle, Adam Quinn Fitzgerald, Kevin Shiuan, Phil Burton, Rob Mawn, DeAunte Anderson Collin Comeaux, Chavisa Woods, Ben S, Cody Clemens, Rick Taylor, Jeremy McDonald, Justine Ventura, Andy Harter, Jesse Bee, Gunnar Israel, Kadar, Riley Urbano, Olia, David Gross, Tom Speer, Metin Celik, Ben Whittle
Home for the weekend
Some weekends in comedy feel like coming home. A three-night stretch at Tacoma Comedy Club brought great crowds, touring comedians, and the kind of rhythm that makes live stand-up unforgettable.
Some weekends just feel like coming home.
Not in the literal sense, but in that deeper way where the people, the energy, and the environment all feel familiar. Comfortable. Like family. That’s what a weekend at Tacoma Comedy Club feels like.
The comedy scene can be fast-paced and unpredictable. Performers are constantly traveling from city to city, stepping into different rooms, reading new crowds, and adapting to whatever energy walks through the door that night. But spending a three-night stretch at the same club brings a welcome sense of comfort.
Mike Coletta | Comedian
Mike Coletta | Comedian
When a strong headliner is in town, they bring a crowd that came specifically to see them. Even though it’s technically a different group of people every show, the vibe tends to be surprisingly consistent. That predictability becomes a gift for the comics. They can start to feel out the rhythm of the room, find the pockets where jokes land best, and know how to navigate the space before the doors even open.
And every once in a while you get a weekend where everything just clicks. The room feels right, the crowd feels familiar, and you’re reminded how much of this world is built on relationships. It starts to feel less like a revolving door of strangers and more like a small community that just keeps showing up night after night.
A big part of that feeling comes from the people behind the scenes who keep the venue running. The manager at 6th and Proctor is an absolute powerhouse. She runs a tight ship, keeps everything moving smoothly, and somehow still manages to be one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
Mike Coletta | Comedian
When she’s running the room, you know everything is handled. Performers are taken care of, staff knows exactly what they’re doing, and the guests feel it too. She and the rest of the staff create an environment where comics can relax a little, focus on their set, and trust that the rest of the night is going to run the way it should.
Rooms don’t feel that good by accident. It takes someone who understands how all the moving pieces fit together and knows how to keep them moving without anyone even noticing the work happening behind the scenes.
Mike Coletta | Comedian
I really enjoyed getting to know Joe Machi a bit behind the scenes. We had the chance to chat about travel, day-to-day life on the road, where he calls home, and how the crowd was shaping up that evening. Joe opted not to have his photo taken, which is totally fine, I genuinely just enjoy hearing people’s stories. Those real, human conversations are often the best part of the night, getting to know someone as a person rather than just the persona that comes with a recognizable name.
JR Berard | Comedian
I also got to work with the wonderful Mike Coletta. He’s one of my husband’s best friends, so having them both on the same show made the night even more fun. It’s always special when work and community overlap like that, and getting to capture those moments while everyone is doing what they love is a pretty great place to be.
From a photography perspective, comedy is one of the most fun environments to document. Expressions are animated, gestures are big, and every laugh break creates a new moment to capture. No two shows are the same, which means every night tells a slightly different story.
JR Berard | Comedian
And when the room is full and the crowd is fully locked in, the energy is something you can actually feel.
Weekends like this are a reminder of why I love documenting the comedy scene. It’s creative, unpredictable, and full of fleeting moments that only exist for a few seconds before the next joke lands and the room erupts again.
But more than anything, it’s about the people: the performers, the staff, the audience, and the small community that forms around a stage for a few hours each night.
And weekends like this one?
They feel a lot like coming home. 🎤
Host: JR Berard
Feature: Mike Coletta
Headliner: Joe Machi
Everett Comedy Royalty:
A night of stand-up comedy featuring some of the most recognizable names in Everett’s comedy community and the energy that makes live comedy special.
Brad Upton, Cory Michaelis & Gabey Lucas Burn the Room Down
On valentines day we were blessed to witness the master class of PNW’s own Brad Upton. It’s always a treat to work at the newly remodeled Everett Historic Theater and in 2026, I’m excited to partner with Cory Michaelis & Everett Comedy to shed light on the amazing comedians he’s bringing to the Everett Community. A community that has limited comedy opportunities and not a formal comedy club in site. Tonight’s lineup featured Cory opening the show followed by Gabey Lucas and of course, our headliner, Brad Upton.
Cory Michaelis
Cory Michaelis making fun of the crowd at the Everett Historic Theater - and they loved it!
Attending any show involving Cory is such a treat. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m so impressed with the community he has built over the years. From a little restaurant on Silver Lake that was packed every month and now filling a theater with over 800 seats, his ability to consistently produce high quality shows is truly impressive.
You can feel it before the first joke. His fans show up simply because he told them to, and they trust him to produce. That buy-in changes the room. When an audience is ready to laugh from the jump, every set plays bigger and the energy becomes contagious.
Cory Michaelis making fun of the crowd at The Everett Historic Theater - and they loved it!
Cory Michaelis making fun of the crowd at the Everett Historic Theater - and they loved it!
Cory Michaelis walking off stage feeling electric
Gabey Lucas
Gabey Lucas cheering on the audience
Gabey Lucas cheering on the audience
I’d seen Gabey before from behind a producer brain, but this was the first time I really got to watch her work. She stepped out, played the room, and had us locked in with rounds of mock applause before the first joke. That level of control is fearless and wildly fun to photograph.
I was lucky enough to catch a quick chat with her backstage, fresh off stage, about her technique. It’s always fascinating talking shop about stand-up. Every comic has their own rhythm, flow, and little tricks that make their set uniquely theirs. And I love workshopping ideas and hearing how different comics approach the craft.
Gabey Lucas enjoying every moment on stage with a fun crowd
Brad Upton
Brad Upton closed out the night like the veteran he is. Effortless command, perfectly timed callbacks, and that signature storytelling that feels both polished and completely in the moment. He doesn’t just tell jokes, he conducts the room.
Cory & Gabey Watching Brad Upton on the monitor behind the scenes
Brad Upton waiting in the wings before crushing on stage while Gabey Lucas & Julie Upton watch the monitor
Everett Comedy already has a loyal built-in crowd, but pairing that with Brad’s die-hard fans created an energy that was electric from the start. Behind the scenes we were glued to the monitor, watching a master at work and studying every beat as the room erupted again and again.
Brad Upton series of images miming a watergun
Brad Upton series of images miming a watergun
Brad Upton series of images miming a watergun
After the show, it felt like everyone had a Brad story, and hearing fans share those moments with him was a reminder of just how far his wingspan stretches and how many people he’s made laugh along the way.
Gabey Lucas, Bad Upton and Cory Michaelis in front of the new digital Everett Comedy sign
From a live comedy photography standpoint, this was one of those dream nights. A packed house, huge laugh breaks, animated gestures, and comics fully in their element. The kind of show where every frame tells a story.
The PNW comedy scene is thriving, and nights like this at the Everett Historic Theatre are exactly why.
If you were in the crowd and had your photo taken, you can check out the gallery here to purchase digital downloads and of course reserve your tickets to future shows here on Eventbrite
Producer: Cory Michaelis & Everett Comedy
Venue: Everett Theater
Host: Cory Michaelis
Feature: Gabey Lucas
Headliner: Brad Upton
