“I would never persuade someone to choose one mic over another. I think they are all great in their own ways.,” Milwaukee comedian Carly Malison insists. “However, if you want more than comedy at your open mic, then, yes, come to the Objective open mic.”
Objective is the city's rare comedy open mic where more than comics are welcome to perform. Singers, poets, spoken-word artists and others who use their voice to entertain are all encouraged to sign up at Objective on the third Saturday of each month, including this Saturday, May 18. Sign in is at 7 p.m. for shows that run from 7:30 to 9:30 at Var Gallery, 643 S. Second St.
When I suggest to Malison that the event she has been hosting for about three years is like a modern iteration of a television variety show or vaudeville stage revue, she beams, “That's exactly right!” Its nature doesn't allow for her to curate Objective, but she does organize it in order for the audience to experience what she hopes will be a balanced show. As she explains, “The artist writes their name and what category they’ll be performing—music, comedy, poetry, etc. Then, I will rearrange the list to make it flow better. For example, if there are two musical acts back to back, I might move one further down the list just to keep the night flowing smoothly.”
Without knowing what to expect during any given Objective, the night's hostess, who avails herself of the opportunity to perform her own work as well, stays prepared for times when that flow may be disrupted. “I think the most frustrating part about hosting is you never know what you’re going to get with certain acts. I have to be on my toes at all times listening to people’s sets. If someone has an awful set, which happens sometimes, I have to be able to bring back the energy in the room, which can get frustrating.”
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Good as Malison may be at increasing the energy when someone dies on stage, there's one firm rule she maintains for Objective that she's unafraid to enforce. “I’ve had to ban people from the mic because some of their jokes came off racist or sexist,” she says. Anyone else wanting to ply hate speech from Var's stage while Malison is in charge should excise it from their act if they want to be welcomed back. And if you want to sign up to perform every month, Malison won't stop you, “They are allowed to perform once during the show, but other than that, we have no limitation on how many times you can come and perform on Objective.” Neither are there any restrictions keeping professionals from mingling with fledglings. “It can be your first time or your millionth time; we want to see it all!" she says.
There have been many moments at Objective keeping her engaged. “The most gratifying parts of hosting Objective is seeing newer comics coming out with family and friends that maybe can’t come to a mic during the week nights, and treating it like a professional show,” she says. “I love watching non-comedy related acts perform as well. I’m always in awe of other artists’ talents and I love watching it come to life. To be able to provide a space where they can is very gratifying.”
Prospective Objective performers should be glad to know that no audition is necessary to sign up for it, Prospective attendees won't have to spring for admission either, because there is no charge to enter. All of them may check out a bit of Malison's saucy shtick below:
