First Mic

Ira Cross
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Comedy Interviews
  • Updated Weekly

A show where comics talk about their first time on stage.

  1. 20h ago

    The Heckler Had a Microphone Too | Andrew Rudick

    Andrew Rudick knows how to deal with hecklers because he used to be one — he heckled his own best friend at his first open mic. Andrew's first mic was a music-and-comedy open mic at Baba Budan's, a long-gone divey bar on the University of Cincinnati campus. He went up, thought he killed, bombed. The second time, the friend he'd heckled threw a banana at his face on stage as payback — biggest laugh of the set. Fifteen years and a touring career later, his honest answer on hecklers: appear calm even when you aren't ("we're both actors"), win the room before you try to shut anyone down, and remember that you have a microphone and they don't. Then Andrew tells the story where all three rules collapsed — a Cincinnati Police Department "Real Men Wear Pink" benefit at a casino, where the drunk MC heckled him through his own DJ mic and had to be separated from him by other cops. He still had 15 clean minutes left to do. Plus: why Cincinnati is the most central city in America to tour from, what Geoff Tate taught him, Pat McGann on crowd work, how Maria Bamford pays her openers out of pocket, and the established comic whose only advice to a brand-new Andrew was "Quit" — then came back ten years later asking Andrew for advice. Filmed at Rehab Tavern in Franklinton, Columbus, Ohio. Comics: what's the worst gig you ever said yes to? Tell us in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Andrew Rudick: Instagram: @andrewjrudick Website: andrewrudick.com 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective 📅 Catch Andrew live: Aug 21–22 — headlining Comedy Plex (Oak Park, IL / Chicago) Aug 28 — headlining Commonwealth Comedy Club, Cincinnati (two shows) Aug 29 — headlining the Columbus Comedy Festival, 9:15 PM at Seventh Son Sept 17–20 — Asheville, NC Sept 25–26 — headlining Comedy Corner Underground, Minneapolis

    The Heckler Had a Microphone Too | Andrew Rudick

  2. Jul 23

    Embrace The Suck | Ty Moore

    Ty Moore's first open mic ended with a headliner running on stage and taking the mic out of his hands three minutes in — and honestly? He was relieved. Twelve years later, he hosts Bobo's, the Monday-night comedy open mic at Cafe Bourbon Street, one of the most beloved stand-up rooms in Columbus, Ohio. On this episode of the First Mic podcast, Ty tells Ira Cross the whole origin story: getting cut from Ohio State's Fishbowl Improv thirty minutes after the audition, signing up late at the Scarlet & Grey Cafe (now Threes) and going up after midnight on $3 Miller Lite drafts, and the May 27, 2014 set that finally made comedy stick. If you're wondering what to expect at your first open mic, this is the honest version: the list fills early, you might not go up until 12:10 AM, and it's fine to suck. Ty's rule for every new comedian — "Embrace the suck. Learn from the suck." — might be the best advice this show has aired. And his real answer to how to deal with hecklers: match their energy, keep the crowd on your side, and aim the roast back at yourself before you aim it at them — illustrated by a country-club gig and a heckler named Princess. Filmed at Rehab Tavern in Columbus. Comics: what time did you finally go up at YOUR first mic? Tell us in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Ty Moore: Instagram: @tysnotfunny X/Twitter: @tysnotfunny Catch him hosting the open mic Mondays at Cafe Bourbon Street, and Tuesdays at The Attic Comedy Club for Two for Tuesday. 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective

    Embrace The Suck | Ty Moore

  3. Jul 16

    Comedy Ruined My Life | Zach Harley

    A fight broke out at Zach Harley's first open mic — and the bartender brought out a wooden bat. The Columbus comic tells the whole story on First Mic. Zach spent over a decade behind microphones before he ever tried a joke on stage: high school play-by-play in Parma, country radio in Akron, then producing morning news in Columbus — including associate-producing his college's Boston Marathon coverage on the day of the bombing, as a freshman. When they offered him the biggest paycheck he'd ever seen to run a whole station, he said no. He'd rather tell jokes about his lazy eye to 10 people. His words. Instead: a couple years as a teacher's aide (until a joke got him fired), then a first open mic at the Shrunken Head that ended with bartender Trish pulling a wooden bat on a heckler while Ty Moore muscled the guy out the door. Almost five years later, Zach manages Hashtag Comedy Club's free Friday open mic in the Short North (10:45 PM) and burns brand-new material every week at Ty's Café Bourbon Street mic. Wondering what to expect at your first open mic? This episode is the honest version: Columbus mics are free (New York often isn't), you'll feel great on stage and cringe about it five years later — and Zach's advice for new comics is simple: pick who you want to listen to, and don't listen to anybody else. What happened at YOUR first open mic — or the wildest one you've ever watched? Tell us in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Zach Harley: Instagram: @zachharley 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective

    Comedy Ruined My Life | Zach Harley

  4. Jul 9

    She Broke the Funny Bone Open Mic's #1 Rule. Now She Runs It | Nickey Winkelman

    Evergreen query targeted: "what to expect at your first open mic" — answered directly in paragraph two. Nickey Winkelman has done stand-up for 20 years and never left Columbus, Ohio — on purpose. Her first open mic? Eight minutes at a UCSB variety show at 19. That's over the line at most mics. At her first Columbus mic — the 2006 Funny Bone contest where Kenny Mock also did his first Columbus set — she went over her time again and got THE talk from Rick Tempesta, the famously tough comic who ran that mic for years. He put her through anyway, with a warning she never forgot. Twenty years later, Nickey co-runs that same Funny Bone open mic with Jesse Pimpinella, and this episode doubles as the etiquette class every new comic needs. If you're wondering what to expect at your first open mic: stick to your time, watch for the light, respect the staff, and be a good audience member — Nickey breaks down the unwritten rules she once broke herself. Ira and Nickey also get into dropping out of theater school in Santa Barbara, getting sober back home in Clintonville, booking Shadowbox Live's Up Front Stage with Jimmy Mak ("Tuesdays with Mak and Winks"), her Go Bananas headlining debut in Cincinnati, and why "Is this enough?" might be the healthiest question in comedy. Catch Nickey at the Columbus Comedy Festival, Aug 27–30, on the FemaleAF showcase with Amber Falter — schedule at columbuscomedyfest.com. 🗨️ Nickey needs your help: what was the video rental store on Indianola in Clintonville called? Drop it in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Nickey Winkelman: Instagram: @NickeyWink  🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective

    She Broke the Funny Bone Open Mic's #1 Rule. Now She Runs It | Nickey Winkelman

  5. Jul 2

    He Flew to New York for a Girl. He Came Back a Comedian | Murph Henderson

    Murph Henderson flew to New York to do his first stand-up set — and to see a girl. She said no, he never got on stage, and Columbus comedy won. Back home, his actual first open mic happened at Shrunken Head, right before the legendary Columbus venue closed for good. The first laugh hit like a drug he didn't know he needed — and the self-described nervous guy who takes his shoes off to feel grounded found the one room where the feeling that everyone is watching you is finally accurate. Ira Cross sits down with the barefoot, 5'4", voice-of-God comedian to talk the shoeless brand (it's not the bit you think), running the Savor Pint open mic where a wave of young Columbus comics got their start, choosing this career over every relationship he's ever had, and why Richard Pryor is the tree modern stand-up grew from. And if you've ever wondered how to deal with hecklers at a comedy show, Murph's answer is a keeper: put them down softly enough that the room stays with you, let them feel like part of the show for a beat, then pull the attention back to yourself — and never get dragged into a back-and-forth. First Mic is the podcast where comedians tell the story of their first time on stage, filmed at Rehab Tavern in Columbus, Ohio. Comics: where was YOUR first open mic — and is the venue still standing? Tell us in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Murph Henderson: Instagram: @unklemurph Facebook: Murph Henderson (he says "Murf Henderson" on camera at ~48:00 — confirm the profile's exact spelling before publish; see Flags #2) 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective

    He Flew to New York for a Girl. He Came Back a Comedian | Murph Henderson

  6. Jun 25

    I Was 17 and Had to Bring My Mom to Do Stand-Up | Henry Allen

    Henry Allen brought his mom to his first open mic — because at 17, he wasn't old enough to get into the club. It did not go smoothly. Sixteen years later, Henry sits down with Ira Cross at Rehab Tavern to tell the whole story: the Bo Burnham special that convinced him to start at 17, the bottle of Smartwater that turned his mom into a tornado at the host stand, and the legendary opening line he completely froze on — "Hi, my name's Henry." He digs into why he thinks the secret to comedy isn't years, it's reps ("your third joke is from 13 years ago"), the accidental 2.5-hour set he once pulled off, and how to shut a heckler down before they can swing back. Then he closes the whole thing by crying on command over the dumbest possible thing. One of our funniest sit-downs yet — equal parts origin story and full-contact roast. (Sorry, Jesse.) 🎙️ Follow Henry Allen: [IG handle — confirm with Henry; he said he runs everything through Instagram] 🔗 Follow First Mic: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective | IG @indiecomedycollective 📍 Recorded at Rehab Tavern, Columbus OH 💬 What's the most nervous you've ever been before doing something for the first time? Drop it below.

    I Was 17 and Had to Bring My Mom to Do Stand-Up | Henry Allen

  7. Jun 18

    Why & How Comics should use AI | Barak Lesner

    Barak Lesner moved to Columbus with three outfits in a garbage bag. Today he co-runs The Attic Comedy Club, has five kids and a mortgage, and a blunt message for anyone starting out: you suck — and that's exactly the point. In this episode of First Mic, Barak takes Ira back to his real first set in 2013 — a two-minute open mic in Gainesville, Florida, on his 25th birthday, the same night Ray Allen hit that shot for the Heat. He talks growing up poor in a Spanish-speaking household in NYC, the culture shock of Milwaukee, and how a dare from Terrance "the God Show" ("show up or I'm telling everyone you're a p***y") finally pushed him onto a Columbus stage. From there it's the real stuff: why the version of you five years from now should look back and cringe, the unglamorous power of running the same joke 89 times, his genuinely unpopular take on using AI as a creative partner, and the Michael Jackson impersonator who changed how he thinks about talent vs. opportunity. Plus: how he and Neff Johnson rebuilt the Wednesday open mic at The Attic, the right way to handle a heckler, and why he's still mad at Threads. 💬 What's the best — or worst — advice you ever got when you were starting something new? Drop it below. 🎙️ Follow Barak Lesner: Instagram: @barackfromtheblock (he said "Barack From The Block" — verify exact handle) The Attic Comedy Club: theatticcomedy.com 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective 📍 Filmed at Rehab Tavern, Columbus OH

    Why & How Comics should use AI | Barak Lesner

  8. Jun 11

    Heckled by 10 Comedians at Her First Open Mic — She Didn't Quit | Caitlin Menosky

    Caitlin Menosky's first Columbus open mic went about as badly as it can go — only woman on the lineup, put up last, and heckled through her whole set by a room full of comedians she'd never met. One comic's apology afterward is the reason she didn't quit. Now she's headlining 45 minutes and building toward an hour.   Caitlin sits down with Ira Cross at Rehab Tavern to talk about memorizing Jim Gaffigan specials as a kid, bombing in front of parents' weekend at a Catholic university, why "polite but firm" beats coming out swinging on hecklers, doing a show at a literal rest stop, and why it takes less than two hours to find out if comedy is for you.   First Mic is the show where comics tell the story of their first time on stage. New episodes weekly.   FOLLOW CAITLIN Instagram: https://instagram.com/caitlintwois TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@caitlin.comedy YouTube: @CaitlinMenosky Facebook: Caitlin Menosky   CATCH HER LIVE Hot Girl Summer at Hashtag Comedy — Saturday, June 13   FOLLOW FIRST MIC / INDIE COMEDY COLLECTIVE YouTube: https://youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: https://instagram.com/indiecomedycollective   Recorded at Rehab Tavern, Franklinton — Columbus, OH   CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open 00:37 Caitlin with two i's (read the poster, people) 01:17 Why comedy? A kid who memorized Gaffigan specials 02:18 Everybody used to suck at walking 04:44 Why Columbus? 06:37 Hocking County → Chicago improv → the gap between open mics and Gaffigan 08:04 Advertising into the void: Columbus comedy nobody knows about 09:27 First time on stage: parents' weekend at a Catholic university 11:21 The post-bomb reality check every comic needs 12:02 If you're a megalomaniac and you just started, you're trash 13:24 Advice: sub two hours to try out a dream 16:18 Her first Columbus mic: heckled by the whole lineup (the Ty Moore story) 18:23 How to handle hecklers: polite but firm 21:12 "No, thank you." 21:43 Teacher talk & catch a bubble 23:33 Rapid fire: favorite Columbus comic 24:39 Patton Oswalt and the height dilemma 25:51 Favorite open mic: Hashtag on Fridays 26:43 Could you do an hour? 27:34 Weirdest gig: a rest stop in Western PA 29:17 Social media takes & where to find Caitlin 30:41 Hot Girl Summer at Hashtag — June 13

    Heckled by 10 Comedians at Her First Open Mic — She Didn't Quit | Caitlin Menosky
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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

A show where comics talk about their first time on stage.

Information

  • Creator
    Ira Cross
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    First Mic