She Showed Up for a Speed Date — It Was an Open Mic | Jessi Sisson

Jessi Sisson didn't plan to do comedy. She signed up for a speed dating event in Columbus, never saw the email saying it was canceled, and walked in to find an open mic instead. Five years of jokes had been sitting in her phone since one improv class back in Philly — so she went up last, read them off the screen, then ran straight to her car. That was the fall of 2022.   Since then she's bought an amp to start her own mic in the corner of a German Village garage, made the finals of Funniest Person in Columbus a few months in, lost her corporate job, and turned a severance and eight months of unemployment into doing comedy every single day.   In this one, Jessi and Ira get into falling into comedy completely by accident, why Columbus might be the most underrated launchpad in the Midwest, the lifelong trauma of being serenaded with "Country Roads" in every Irish pub on Earth, the time she had to convince a guy from Seattle that West Virginia is in fact a state, and how she keeps accidentally going viral on Threads talking about Bad Bunny and gay hockey instead of, you know, comedy.   Recorded at Rehab Tavern in Franklinton. 456 West Town Street — come hang.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Take a shot every time you hear "West Virginia" 00:43 The speed date that turned into an open mic 03:09 Buy an amp, start your own mic in the corner 03:50 Laid off, a two-month bender, and going all in 05:08 Ask forgiveness, not permission 06:50 A new city every year of her 20s 07:20 What actually brought her to Columbus 10:34 The "aggressive friendliness" of the Midwest 13:33 Why Columbus is geographically perfect 15:43 Appalachian roads: the earth is trying to kill you 18:02 "Country Roads," and is West Virginia even a state? 21:43 Advice for new comics: just do it, one thing at a time 25:39 Favorite Columbus comic: Dan Sebree (in a minion costume) 28:18 Best open mic in the city 29:49 How to handle a heckler 31:03 TikTok, Threads, and going viral by accident 35:00 Where to find Jessi 36:12 Rehab Tavern + outro   FOLLOW JESSI Instagram: @jessisisson Threads: @jessisisson TikTok: @jessisisson6   ABOUT FIRST MIC We talk to comics about their first time on stage. Hosted by Ira Cross. Recorded at Rehab Tavern, Columbus, OH. New episodes weekly.   #FirstMic #ColumbusComedy #StandUpComedy #OpenMic #ComedyPodcast #WestVirginia #ColumbusOhio