Artist The Big Deuce Open Mic

The Big Deuce Open Mic—conveniently named for its $2 cover charges, and thankfully not for poop jokes—corrals walk-in newcomers and a rotating cast of Madison stand-up comedy regulars into orderly five-minute slots, making it the best way to get a first taste of the local stand-up scene. As with any open mic, part of the charm is watching newbies, crazies, and drunks get up there and bomb. Then again, some of those people end up improving after repeat tries, and already-reliable locals like Sean Moore, JoAnne Poniatowski, Adam Waldron, Mike Schmidt, and Dave Labedz are always on hand to keep up the consistency factor. 

Updated 10/07/2010