Meet Mike Bridenstine of Eagle Rock

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Bridenstine.

Hi Mike , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started a comedy show called Microdose at the Fable back in 2022. I’d been booking a show in my friend’s backyard in Eagle Rock right after the lockdown ended. But he got sick of having 80 people in his bathroom once a month. So he suggested we move the show to his friend bar just around the corner.

That friend was Thom Sigsby, who co-owns the Fable with his wife, Monica. And Thom suggested that we use one of his door guys as the host of the show. I wasn’t sold on the idea until I met that door guy, Danny Ledsinger, at the first show. Danny is one of the most energetic and charismatic people I’ve ever met. We clicked right away, and we’ve built the show around his unique personality. The team also includes Kevin Silva, our announcer and DJ, David Clayton Jackson, our videographer and also a stand-up, and Damu Malik, our photographer.

Microdose Comedy has taken place every Wednesday (give or take a few holidays) since April 2022. We’ve had big comedy names like Bill Burr, Maria Bamford, Eric Andre, and Rory Scovel. Plus a lot of up-and-coming names that we think will be widely known in the near future. The show has grown week by week, with a faithful crew of regulars.

About four years in, people started to take notice. We were asked to be included in the 2026 Netflix is a Joke Festival. The Los Angeles Times just named us one of the city’s top under-the-radar comedy nights, saying “it’s hard to imagine a more supportive environment to see comedy” and that the show would “leave you buzzing on the ride home.” Comedy Central also called us “a show that’s a fully formed scene,” as well as “one of LA’s best.” And The Comedy Bureau called us “a party of a show.”

There is a documentary on the show currently in the works, as well as stand-up series being pitched to streamers, which will begin shooting soon. Come check out the show.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The hardest part about starting a comedy show is convincing good comics it’s worth their time to show up. There are also a lot of inherent problems with doing a show in a non-comedy venue. Especially in a bar. We’re also competing with multiple stand-up shows in the area on that night. So standing out, being taken seriously, getting people to buy in, and finding the right fits for the show have been the puzzle pieces to figure out.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think–or I’d like to think–Microdose is known for being one of the best stand-up shows in the country. And most fun stand-up shows in the country. And both of those things should be impossible since we’re Wednesday a bar show in Eagle Rock. I think the thing that sets us apart is the community aspect of the show. We have regulars. People come every week. So it’s a big family. We get to know the audience. We include them in the show. There are calls-and-responses that they can participate in. And they keep coming back. Plus, the booking is really good. The comics are top tier. There’s high quality video and photos every week. And Danny is the best host in all of comedy.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
If you see something working, in whatever field you’re in, ask the people involved what made it work. They will usually tell you some good stuff. Copy the things that can work for you. Ignore what doesn’t. So much of what I do at Microdose has been inspired by old shows in Chicago, like the Lincoln Lodge (which is now a venue), as well as long-running shows in the LA area, like the Chatterbox in Covina. Take stuff. Make it your own. If it works, double down on it.

Pricing:

• The show is free.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikebridenstine/

Image Credits
Damu Malik