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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Gabriel Diani, left, and Cole Stratton practice their routine before the open-mic show at Rooster T. Feathers begins.
But seriously, folks
Would-be stars take their best shots in Sunnyvale's comedy spotlight
By Sam Scott
Midway through John Conner's stand-up comedy act, an unexpected clap of thunder booms overhead, startling everyone.
"Excuse me," Conner says, fanning the air with his hand. The crowd at Rooster T. Feather's cracks up, giving Conner perhaps the biggest laugh of his comedy club debut. Flatulence jokes score again.
Comedic stars like Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey and Steve Allen have performed at the Sunnyvale comedy club, the only one of it's type in the South Bay. However, on this rainy Tuesday evening, performers nearer to the other end of the celebrity spectrum get to take the mic. It's cabaret night, and performers are staging a mix of musical, sketch, improv and standup acts. Some participants are experienced; Some clearly are not.
The open-mic format is a departure for Roosters. The club, located on El Camino Real near Mathilda Avenue, usually books established acts.
"We're trying new shows to offer the public something new to do on a Monday and Tuesday," club co-owner Jessicah Jenkins says. It's also a long-shot opportunity for a club owner to discover a big talent. "You never know who's going to be the next Eddie Murphy or Jim Carrey," Jenkins says.
Leery of an endless stream of beginner comics numbing the audience, Jenkins opted for the Vaudeville-like cabaret format. The style mixes rookie performers with veteran comics and musicians.
Dave Williams, a stand up comic, drove in lashing rain from Burlingame on Feb. 22 to try out some
new material, only to find acts had to have signed up further in advance. Williams was philosophical about the rejection.
Conner, however, didn't miss his chance. Jenkins called him only because he has been lobbying to go on, he said, and this was the chance for him to do so. A previous open-mic performance in a pub full of people ignoring him had been the height of his past experience.
"I've been trying to get here for about a year," Conner, a Sunnyvale resident, says after the set. "It was a blast. I just stopped shaking."
The greener standup comics, raw and nervous, contrast with the more seasoned performers who anchor the show. Nobody seems to mind the unevenness. The short and varied acts move from Irish music, to standup, to a "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" improv-style act. The jokes that hit get belly laughs. The jokes that clunk get appreciative chuckles from a friendly crowd.
"I always have admiration for anyone who can step up there," Williams says. "Once you take that first step, you can always get better."
The high ratio of friends to performers undoubtedly has something to do with the good cheer. Jenkins tells new acts the more people they bring, the more time they get before the red light signals the end of their set. Conner's contingent of supporters numbers about 20.
Some audience members seem to like the cabaret more than the club's regular three-act comedy show. "This is the best I've seen so far," says John Bischoff, a monthly patron of the club. "There's such a wide variety here."
Club experiences are rarely as nice for comics just starting out.
"Open mics can be nightmares," Williams says. Joe Klocek, Rooster T's host and a full-time standup, says, wincing, "Some open mics are brutal, just brutal."
It's a brutal business for people with thick skins. Jenkins says the hardest part of the job is denying people. "I've actually turned out the light and turned off the mic to get people off stage," she says.
There's no such drama tonight. A couple of acts don't see Klocek flashing the small red light that means cut it, but most everything else runs smoothly.
"I'm surprised it came together as nicely as it did," Klocek says. "Everyone did pretty well."
Jenkins says plans to review and evaluate the cabaret shows go to decide whether the club will continue the format. "If it works we'll do it."
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
