There is a great open mic in Portland, that is anything goes, you can get up on the stage and do anything you want, as long as you do it within your allotted 15 minutes. The organiser keeps everything tightly within that time. As usual it is a mixed bag, some great performers, some mediocre, and some terrible. I don't mind it except for when the egos get up there...and they think they're wonderful, but then are utter crap. I find at these things that the larger the ego, the crappier their talent/skill.

The worst open mic I have been to was last summer on a First Friday Art Walk in Vancouver, Washington. The people who ran the place were talking loudly when people were trying to read their poetry (including me), and then expected everyone to watch them in awe as they danced and chanted some thing on stage....because they're artists you know....and so everything they do is beautiful...Me and the organiser were so pissed off we left, went off in search of drinks and good music, and never went back to that place.