Open Mic, Essential Entrails
Article written by Aaron Shay Back to Cover
Over 65 million years ago, give ________
or take, a Pachycephalosaurus and a Corythosaurus decided to host the first arts ceremony in Earth’s history, allowing all dinosaurs of all species to come together and present their works, be it a newly written mating call or a roar of protest regarding Tyrannosaurus Rex’s recent foreign policy decisions. The ceremony was a success until a pack of Utahraptors turned the event into a potluck.
And so, the first open mic was born. __
For
those artists of untested mettle, this is a popular training ground to
cut your teeth on, and yes, it is as unpleasant as “cutting your
teeth” sounds. It
has proven as the starting gate for many great musicians and the meeting
place for many great bands, competing in popularity with “I met
my band in high school” and “we were in jail together.” They
can take place in __
bars, cafes, grocery stores, malls, and generally wherever there are artists who want to perform but don’t know if they’re terrible yet.
There is an art to conveying to the audience the idea that you are not terrible as much as there is in a regular stage show. Just cut a standard gig to ten or fifteen minutes (two or three songs) and you’ve got what it’s like to be at an open mic. At a good spot, you’ll have a large variety of acts in varying stages of unlistenability, from balladeers to rappers to political speakers to comedians to classical musicians to blues players to people who don’t know that grunge has died yet. Believe it or not, there are even some good bands and artists that play, though they are often outnumbered by the mediocre and the horrendous. It is important to have a good excuse to go outside, such as smoking or an anxiety disorder.
Basically, what I’m saying is that an open mic is integral to any local music scene. As a performer, I’ve learned so much about my art from this world _
in the few years I’ve played. And the rule is always, “Stand out.” There are many ways to do this.
The first important step to a good impression at an open mic is, of course, appearance. I know, you’re scoffing at the notion that fashion might have anything to do with popularity. It’s the content that defines the music, correct? But in a day and age when recorded music is becoming less important compared to personality and performance, you have to acknowledge that how you look affects your audience. Bob Dylan chose not to dress in fatigues for a purpose. GWAR, though they are talented, is not liked specifically for their sweep picking. Music has been about fashion ever since the recording industry began.
Then there’s content. You have to be able to convey your style in a handful of songs. You may talk big about how you mix duwop, post-minimalism, punk and gypsy styles, but unless you can showcase a song or two with all of ___
those, you can’t walk the walk. Don’t pull a politician, stick to your guns.
Covers are tenuous territory. Sure, Springsteen is great and fun to sing. But then you think, “How many other people have done ‘Born to Run’ at this open mic?” And the answer is always, “Too many.” Until you know what covers or styles of covers are overdone, you can’t know how to stand out. You might have an equivalent of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” on your hands, or you might have a “Miss American Pie” by Madonna. You won’t know until you go.
It may seem like a lot of work for something so pointless. But let me ask you this! Suppose there was a bigwig from a major recording company in the audience, smoking a cigar rolled out of the first draft of the Constitution and wearing a suit made out of crushed diamonds. Don’t you want to impress him so that he’ll offer you a contract, thereby giving you an opportunity to deny him and thus enforcing your street cred as a respected musician? Of course you do. That’s what the musician’s dream is all about.
Now excuse me was I polish my infinite collection of Grammy’s.
Aaron Shay
MEET THE WRITER - AARON SHAY
"Aaron J. Shay is a student at Western Washington University who
has been playing open mics since 2006. His primary instrument is his
voice, followed by his skills in guitar, banjo, djembe, piano and kazoo."
