Why do you go to open mics? Why does anyone want to go to an open mic?
Tell me why in a comment.
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Why do you go to an open mic?
JerseyMic.com
Covering All New Jersey Open Mics
Why do you go to open mics? Why does anyone want to go to an open mic?
Tell me why in a comment.
Related posts:
#1 by JerseyMic on October 30, 2009 - 7:48 am
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I just got a comment through email:
“WELL FOR ONE THING, IT GIVES BAR OWNERS A CHANCE TO MAKE SOME CASH. ALTHOUGH THE PERSON PLAYING WILL MAKE NO MONEY. ITS NOT THE MONEY, ITS A CHANCE TO PLAY YOUR ORIGINALS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE TO SEE THERE REACTION..ALSO I LIKE LOOKING AT OTHER MUSICANS GET UPSET BY TRYING TO PLAY DRUMS LIKE ME”
Keep ‘em coming!
#2 by working musician on October 30, 2009 - 8:35 am
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I like going to see the rock hacks at 40 with no musical career other than the local bar freebies. I then look to my high pay private band and see that I am both smart and blessed to have made the effort to gain the skill and drive to play great parties for $700 plus a gig. (as a band leader). Going to open mikes for me is like slumming it. Are there talented musicians that play them, of course. Most though, are classic rock hacks that just don’t have it….. Especially the drummers. Man the drummer are the worst….. I know. These guy for the most part have no sense of what the band is playing, or even try to lock in with the bass player. They just swing their arm and hit the drums as hard as they can playing the same fill every bar and a half. Their idiots. At least some of the guitar payers can shred some. The drummers……………….SUCK that’s why they are there.
#3 by JerseyMic on October 30, 2009 - 2:46 pm
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Vicious, but juicy! Do you find anything good about open mics?
Keep it coming!
#4 by Bob on October 30, 2009 - 3:23 pm
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A good opportunity to play and meet potential bandmates when you’re in between bands.
#5 by JerseyMic on October 30, 2009 - 3:24 pm
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Bob: I agree! I’ve met some pretty impressive players at a couple of the ones I’ve been to. Have you met anyone?
#6 by Bill R on October 30, 2009 - 3:52 pm
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Man! “working musician” lighten up. For what ever the reasons (and there’s a long list) not all people have thy skills. They just love music, and the only way they may get to play is at open jams. Good or bad, whatever.
Please let us know where the nearest shrine is at which we can pay homage to thy greatness. Why slum it, don’t you have a gig? (this public service announcement has been brought to you by all the drummers that suck)
#7 by Bob on October 30, 2009 - 3:53 pm
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Yeah…Some….It’s not always the musicians graveyard, slum that Mr. Working Musician professes .There are a lot of good amatures that play pretty well and enjoy it. I think that’s the point of it an Open Mic anyway…isn’t it. It’s not intended to be a showcase of awesome talent. BTW, I’m a drummer.
#8 by Bob on October 30, 2009 - 4:00 pm
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You said it Bill R. … Nice post.
#9 by JerseyMic on October 30, 2009 - 4:03 pm
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Bill and Bob, I definitely agree. I don’t think there has to be such a harsh view on open mics. But I can also see the other side.
It looks like working musician left to be anonymous, but maybe he’ll come back out and defend his position!
#10 by Tina on October 30, 2009 - 5:01 pm
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When I had a band, and we were working on a set list, you get bored being in the studio rehearsing all the time. So I would set up open mic nights just for us to get out and play. We had a blast. Open mic nights are also great for when you want to get a booking at the place that is holding it. It is a live audition, and most of the time we got a booking out of it. It is great. It is suppose to be fun and spontaneous.
#11 by JerseyMic on October 30, 2009 - 5:06 pm
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Tina: Agreed! It SHOULD be spontaneous. That’s the fun part!
#12 by the anointed one on October 31, 2009 - 8:51 pm
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Ok Fellow tools. The worse part of open mike IS the drummers. I thirst to hear a guy/gal that kicks ass and inspires me. For me, seeing a player move me with their talent is what it’s all about. It doesn’t matter what kind of music.
A couple of weeks ago I went to an open mike in Woodbury. The first 3 bands were head banging heavy metal. They ripped the shit out of it. My ear plugs failed……lol but man those kids had TALENT. Then,………….the dreaded old fat guys blues bar hacks get up there. BORING I left after the first 3 minutes. Imagine a whole night of that crap….southern rock Tom Petty, Brown Eye Girl…..snore
One time I brought my band to an open mike. We kicked the shit out of it. What did I get….? the crap kicked out of me on CL by all the hacks that were there. I guess we didn’t fit the little “click” of regulars. We weren’t there to show anyone up…we were trying to land an off season gig as advertised by the venue. Instead we landed a bunch of criticism on CL for the next 2 weeks.
conclusion; open mikes are only fun if talented people are playing. Weather a single guitarist doing his originals or a full band doing Santana. If you suck then you are boring. You don’t have to be a pro to have talent.
#13 by Paul-Drums on November 2, 2009 - 11:10 am
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I go to open mic’s for a few reasons.
1) To shop my band @ new venues.
2) To support friends that are singer songwriters.
3) To support friends that aren’t confident enough to play in a band, but love playing music.
4) Because I’ll take any excuse to crawl behind a drumkit.
I used to be the house drummer for the Rock n’ Roll cafe’ & we had some really good players come in & jam out & it was great! However, we also had some hack-opottomus’ come in as well. But that’s why they come to open mic’s… To play, have fun & maybe get some advise from those of us that know what we’re doing.
#14 by JerseyMic on November 2, 2009 - 2:54 pm
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Great answers guys. Paul, those are all great reasons. Advice is also another reason to go, along with hanging out with friends.
#15 by Bill R on November 3, 2009 - 1:48 pm
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Hey lets face it. There aren’t a heck of a lot of folks at open jams that aren’t waiting to get their turn onstage. Think about it. You’re playing to the most critical crowd ever! Some people get up there knowing this and it shatters their nerves. At the same time, some are just getting their feet wet and could use some advise from those with experience. (if they want to hear it) Of course there are those that suck and believe they’re the shiznit and are probably the most critical of the bunch.
All of Paul’s points hit the mark for sure and I would like to add: to get and give advice amongst a community of like minded individuals.
Let me ask, when your stint is done, and you come off and your fellow muscians give you a “Nice job”, how good does that feel?
#16 by Dan Dreher on November 3, 2009 - 3:28 pm
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I enjoy going to open mics to support local talent and make new friends. It’s also nice to do open-mics to see if your material is good enough.
#17 by Dustin Miller on November 4, 2009 - 10:39 pm
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There are some pretty arrogant people in this post. Ironically, the ones calling people idiots have poor grammar and spelling skills. Good thing they make $700 playing private shows…
#18 by Bill R on November 5, 2009 - 9:06 am
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Ya know what I like BEST about open jams? How was it said? “the dreaded old fat guys blues bar hacks”
It’s in Am…on 4…hit it!
#19 by JerseyMic on November 6, 2009 - 9:07 am
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Bill R: Agreed! I think it’s a rush and definitely enjoy the feedback.
Dan: that’s how I met you!
#20 by Yonnie on November 8, 2009 - 11:13 am
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is the the list of open mics updated?
#21 by OmegChrist on November 14, 2009 - 6:56 pm
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Hmm, I wanted to use it for the didtribution of cutting edge information that I feel should be sent into the community. In the old days messages wee left written on trees at crossroads. I thought an open mic would allow the opportunity to spread information that might get quashed in the mainstream. Not all information can be strung to music or streamed through rap, or spun into poetry. Some information has to come face to face and then based on its strength be passed from person to person basically setting off a type of alarm within the consciousness of the society. That’s what I want to do with an open mic.
#22 by Click Track on November 21, 2009 - 11:30 am
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I go to support the Musicians that want to play, yes they may be “HACKS” to some of the Egodics that are more wrapped up with sizing them up then seeing the interpretation of the music they come up with. They seem to forget what it took them to get to there level. Music is shared from the heart, and it takes a real musician to appreciate that.