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themusicboxproductionstudio.com (Musicians Network)
/// MUSIC BOX Productions \\\ (2010-01-05 20:50:59)

••• ALL MUSICIANS/ SINGERS/ SONGWRITERS WANTED!!! ••• (General Discussion)
/// MUSIC BOX Productions \\\ (2010-01-05 20:49:58)

Working South Jersey Cover Band Seeks Bassist Immediately (Cover Bands)
Kevin (2009-12-30 10:36:15)

help! (General Discussion)
travis (2009-12-28 18:41:22)

The User Profiles page has been made searchable and will now display 50 profiles per page; this should make the list much more usable. The search field will search user names, hometowns, and instruments played.
--Tim
 

The ultimate form of ballsy-ness for any aspiring musician is the local open mic. Almost every place has got one, and it's a good springboard for any aspiring young buck with a six-string and a dream to hone their chops, ditch their stage fright, and leap headlong from their living room into the public eye. A good place to test out new tunes in front of an honest and fluid crowd, and a good place to work on your ever-important stage image...not just the way you look, but the way you come across in front of an audience...

So I decided it was high time to rate some of these beauties... Just about every night of the week has its collection of empty stages and signup lists, so I hopped over to a bunch of 'em and picked a few choice words on just a few. (Sorry if I came to your open mic and you didn't get included here...there are SO many and I only have so much paper in my notebook...) So here goes...I'll break it down for ya, day-by-day...

Monday nights draw moderate-sized open mikers at a few assorted places. There's an "I'm here to be seen" open mic at the Grape in Manayunk, which is worth the trip solely based on the sound system you'll be playing through, as well as a few so-so efforts from venues in West Chester and Media and a few coffee houses. But I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout to the crew at Fergie's Pub at 12th and Sansom for their excellent rotation of regulars. Casey Parker has developed quite a mini-scene there, performing with his house band "The Second Floor". (Aptly named, since the performance area is on the second floor of the stained-glass brewhaus...) He manages to attract a good mix of acoustic rock, solo folkies, eclectic funk, and even a little jazz and blues for his rapt crowd of regulars. Casey's constantly tweaking their PA, so it sounds better with every trip.

Two days later, across the street at Finn MacCool's, his girlfriend Mary runs her own version of an open stage. (Yes, I know I skipped Tuesday...with good reason) This is more of a party atmosphere...based partly on the fact that their sound system sucks. You'd think that with so many people showing up for events, they'd put some fundage behind a decent used set of speakers and a powered mixer...but somehow it manages to attract some of the same crowd as Fergie's on Mondays, plus some other talented performers. There's a cool creation vibe going between these two gigs, as performers will randomly step out onto the streetcorner to arrange an impromptu performance together... Finn's crowd also reflects more of an urban feel, with more R&B and soul elements coming up to the spotlight. (Which is dim as hell...again, lo-tech madness)

Of other note on Wednesdays is The Rusty Nail's audition night. Rather than sending Chris your demo tapes, he'll give anyone a Wednesday bill...if you don't suck outright and you draw a few people, you can start looking at gigs. This attracts more full bands than anything else, and more often than naught they're in a very similar hard-modern-rock vein...Y100 and YSP galore. More of a traditional open mic can be found at Manayunk at the Dawson St Pub, renowned for their stage-that-isn't...it kinda spills directly into the bar, so you could be standing between musicians while ordering a brewski. Just don't spill any on the floor monitors, or that big dude with the guitar will kick your ass. Seriously, though, they draw a quite diverse crowd down at the ass-end of Manayunk at Dawson and Cresson, right along the train tracks. I've seen acoustic roosty acts fit in just as cleanly as I have angry reggae-ish rap-rock. Kinda reminds you of what a modern city SHOULD be like...eclectic, diverse, and devoid of cultural barriers. ("Imagine all the people, living for today...")

Thursdays through Sundays are less known for their open mics, as most places will book full bands for their stages. There are a few exceptions, like Friday Open Expression at Soulstice in Delaware, the open circle at the Mermaid in Chestnut Hill on 1st and 3rd Thursdays, and The Coffee Connection's Thursday open mic.

Now we get to the meaty part... Since Tuesday nights are notoriously the slowest nights for Americans to do much of ANYTHING, more places hold their open mics to attract a crowd on Tuesdays than any other night. The first one that has to be mentioned is The Point's open mic, run by Andy Kimbel, which some hold to be the premier open mic in the area. I personally hate the atmosphere there on Tuesday nights, which is a shame because I normally love the venue. But as it warns at AndyKimbel.com, "Andy Kimbel programs the evening. It is not first come first serve." And you only get one song. And you may be sitting there all night waiting even though you signed up days before, while a walk-on who knows someone may get to go on whenever he chooses. And the entire night reeks of cliques... But all that aside, The Point does attract its fair share of the open mic talent, with some of the best amateurs showcasing their sound in what has to be one of the best listening rooms for hundreds of miles around.

An honorable mention has to go out to PhillyMusic's own Joe and his brand-spankin'-new Tuesday open mic at La Tazza on Chestnut between 1st and 2nd. I've always liked the vibe of this place, and there are usually as many people just hanging out and chilling in the tables as there are performers looking to play. He's really open and cool about the evening's programming, and lets artists take as much time as they need, even playing up to a full set if they choose. When/if the list runs out, performers often take turns filling in for a while at will till a newcomer comes along to plug in and take a spell. Quite laid-back and relaxed all around, with a receptive audience and minimal pressure.

Open mics to avoid... Well, I'd hafta say Pontiac Grille on South Street. You get a lot of full garage bands showing up to showcase how loud they can be, which takes the punch out of any good performance by quieter acts. The bar staff also knew very little about any open mic that may or may not be going on there, and were less than helpful all-around. Plus, nobody stayed for subsequent performances...they played and took their crew and split. So unless you're going first, expect lots of people to walk out during your performance, and generally not give a shit what you're doing onstage.

Overall not a bad scene if you know what to look for, but just about every place I went to had major things to improve... If you have an open mic you'd like to have reviewed, feel free to contact me through the PhillyMusic.com contact page... Der Folkmeister out...