Support your open mic nights

So I've been missing out on something for a while now. I used to go to one of the local bars in the little college town I live in for open mic night every Sunday. The host would get up and do his thing, playing a set of music and then letting the other people on the list come up and play. For some reason, I stopped going.

Well about a month ago, before all of the snow we've been getting, I ended up going to an open mic night that a friend of mine was hosting to play a few songs. It was the first time he had put on an open mic at this particular bar. It ended up going pretty slowly with only a handful of people actually playing, but it was fun and it was a no pressure environment.

So why would you want to see a musician play in a no pressure environment where they're unconcerned about whether or not you hear their screw ups? Wouldn't that make it a much less enjoyable experience? Well to back up my point of view I'll have to tell you about a certain musician from a classic rock band that I know. I was watching him play at an open mic night at Altos Club right outside of Shepherdstown, WV. He was playing Red House with a friend of mine and I've never seen this particular guitar player shred as I did that night. After he was done playing I went up and complimented him on his abilities and asked him why he never did anything that crazy while playing in his band. His reply was that he wanted the band to sound good and balanced but didn't want to over shadow anyone and that when just jamming out, he could really let loose.

So as fate would have it, my cushy government job gave me off president's day, which is a Monday, which in turn allowed me to go out and enjoy an open mic night at the same bar I used to go to every Sunday. I spent a good majority of the night sitting around at the bar, chatting with friends, and enjoying the music.

Did I play? No. Does it make it any less awesome? Not when you get to see a group of performers that get to play in a relaxed environment where there's no pressure of having set lists or practiced songs. Not when you get to see musicians up there doing their thing with members of local bands crossing boundary lines and playing with members of other bands that you'd never thought you see playing together. Especially not when you get to see drunk Droo stripping behind the bar.

Well, maybe that took it a bit too far...

The point is, open mic night is quite unlike the dreaded karaoke night that so many have come to fear and loathe; it's a night where you can see real talent having fun when not under pressure and where you may just hear something you would have never heard from a musician that's under pressure to perform perfectly.