Open Mics

[Tucci]

I am not sure what to think about Open Mics at coffehouses and such. Last night I sang four tunes at an open mic in a coffeehouse. It was sort of an impromptu thing - I had to borrow a guitar and ended up breaking two strings while playing (It was old). I thought it would be good practice for me to perform solo in front of a (small)strange audience - something I don't have a whole lot of experience doing.

The guy in front of me played forever and ever and ever and he wasn't too good(he thought he was though...kept shaking his head of hair and closing his eyes just like they do on TV), so I thought - even if I screw up a lot I can't look too bad following him.

So I did my four tunes and people seemed to like it - no big reaction though. The sound man invited me to come back again and he said "I mean that." Then a fellow followed me and did three original tunes that were exactly the same and he sort of had the same problem as the first guy, closed his eyes way too much and was just a little too serious.

But anyway I guess my questions are:

How do you judge whether your stuff went over well? Most people are polite and will aplaud even if you're bad.(I did for that other fellow). A friend of mine who was there said he heard someone making positive comments on my voice, so that's a plus I guess.

Is it worth playing Open mics very much just to get practice?

So what experiences have you seasoned performers had with Open Mics?

Tucci

[lazyboy]

Seems to me that open mics have, at once, a more attentive audience, and among the worst performances. If I have an itch to play in front of people (to try out new songs, or just plunk out a few covers) I'll go.

A friend of mine regularly hosts an open mic. I applaud him for his patience and committment to offering the shy and timid a low-stress opportunity to get out and play, but I usually find them to be insufferably painful or boring.

I end up looking like a real egotist when I split right after I play. oh well...

[Tucci]

Yeah, that is sort of what I found - mediocre music.

Tucci

[dragonworks]

You may find also that whoever is hosting the open mic usually has his or her favorites come up and get most of the
time playing, and they being a "regular", knowing alot of people in the audience; and the audience not being musicians like you, may clap or show enthusiam for the people they know, rather than for a better performance from a musician they dont know, you are usually on someone elses
"turf" and will probably be looked on with some bias of one type or another. You being a musician you will normally show another musician, whether they be good or bad the common curtesy we all deserve.

[Tucci]

Good point dragonworks.

Maybe that is why people were cheering for the guy who was so darn awful but who probably plays the open mic there every single Thursday night.

Tucci

[Dougie Johnson]

Hey Tucci:
It's not so often that an artist gets "discovered playing at a coffeehouse. This is neither good nor bad. I believe for someone such as yourself, it's a good way to get comfortable playing in front of an audience, receptive or not.
My suggestion: Keep playing open mic nights, but tape yourself each time. You can get a good idea of where you are at when you play it back, but don't play the tape back until the next morning when you are feeling a little more objective...
Also-Do you have any MP3's posted? That's an excellent way to get response to your music, and I would like to hear what you are doing as well.
Go Tucci!
DJ

[Charlie Mosbrook]

I have been host of open mics for some 11 years. I personally love fresh blood.
I believe the audiance is there for a few reasons:
1. Spontinaity
2. Support freinds
3. Socialize
4. The regulars are good
Musicians are there for:
1. Networking and promotion
2. Nobody else will have them and they love to play
3. Socialize
4. Work on the act

Some Hosts are self promoters, and some host do it well.
The host job is to make sure the whole show runs well.
If Bon Jovi got special treatment, that is to bad.
Come Cleveland and check out one of my Open Mics

[Charlie Mosbrook]

I find when peaple can remember a song well enough to ask you about it, it touched them some how.

[foo]

If you don't have much experience playing live, there is no better way (short of getting a paying gig) of getting the experience.

Try different things - talk to the audience, you'll find that people are generally are really responsive, change the way you do things, play more complicated arrangements of your tunes, simplify them, try everything.

... and remember how people you don't know react to the things you do. It will give you major pointers for what works and what doesn't.

... and mostly, have fun!

foo

[Tucci]

Thanks everyone for the pointers.

Dougie -

I have three songs posted in MP3 form

idrive.com

visit "tucci"

the songs are: Wait and See, Mister Chamelion,

So You Think I'm Weird


They are older songs and I believe I am a little better now. I haven't posted any MP3s in quite a while due to computer complications but I hope to be able to post some in a month or two. Thanks a lot for your interest - I would love to hear your comments.

Tucci