I've been playing some open mics recently. There are some great places with great crowds. Here some of the ones I've played at and would recommend to everybody.
The Space - Tuesday Nights 7pm - Hamden, CT - Great venue, excellent crowd, great sound system.
Cubbyhole Coffeehouse - Tuesday Nights 7:00 pm - Poughkeepsie, NY - Small place right near the Vassar campus. Good sized crowd.
Mocha Coffeehouse - Sundays 5pm - Sandy Hook, CT - Small place, nice vibe, good audience.
I've also discovered a great resource for finding Open Mics at
openmikes.org