My adventures at open Mics

[StephenM]

Last night I got to play for over 30 minutes.  There were only a few acts so I played with my HB PRS electric and used the Trio and had about 8 songs planned.  I find it is better to have a plan, and stick to it because your head will mess with you if you don't. 
I really wanted to see peoples reaction to "I'm A Kangaroo"... which went over great and I played that first.  I think in time people will sing with me on that.  Lyrics are really important and many people listen for lyrics so I really try and make the vocals hearable. 
with open mics sometimes the mix between the guitar and voice don't work well but... I figured out a while back that when I am singing I have to control the guitar volume and that is possible easy enough.  So I work to make sure that the vocal highlights are solid. 
Some lead playing works, with the trio I get drums and bass so it is like a 3 piece and some songs I have some rhy guitar loop so that sounds like a full band... I don't want to play this way every time but when i can play a bit longer it gives me time to solo some..
Usually if the artist is really into the songs they do so will the people be...

[Blooby]

Kudos for getting out there. I have this community to thank for playing out again after years of being musically reclusive.

Blooby

[Zoltan]

I live to hear about these kinds of adventures! I think the places you're playing are probably quite fine and sweet? Perhaps try playing a some real dive sometime? Just for the experience... (But don't blame me if you do ).

Fun fact. I was thinking about that trio pedal about 1-2 days ago (Been a bit of a rush so days are a blur!) and if you're still using it. Turns out you do.

[StephenM]

Last night I suggested to Ian and Spencer that they perform "Knights in White Satin."
They absolutely nailed it.  I didn't have to ask twice.  Ian loves this kind of song, and he sings it well.  Spencer was great on backing vocals and electric guitar.  Also John was playing his cajon, or whatever that box is.  There was a pickup in it (piezo) and he had a cymbal.  I was sitting about half way back in the pub and those drums sounded legit. 
They have a Bose tower system in there.  It has a sub and that tall array.  It sounds pretty good and can crank.  You could hear the drums in the PA...
the whole night there on Wednesday had alot of talent and I stayed yet again until around 1 am, pretty much listening to everyone, because some of the "acts" I really like.
I played 3 songs with the lads (I'm A Kangaroo, Richard Was a Dick, and a cover of "I Just Got Paid")...
then I stepped out and watched the magic unfurl. 
Knights in White Satin.... you gotta be good to do that...
later in the night two really young guys showed up and did some great covers (Here Comes The Rooster, and a Skynard cover they smoked it ("I Need You")....
But I never have to hang my head in shame because there ain't no one at any of these places that sound anything like me!  lol... I don't have the talent to sound like everyone else.  I just want to be me!  That has to be enough... so I am working at relaxing and letting that happen!  All while I try and support encourage all the others as well....
open mics are fun... if you get a chance to go, even to listen, go... it's really good...and you can be surprised with great acts/artists.
 

[StephenM]

the last month and a half I have been going to open mic pretty much every wednesday night.  Mostly now I am going for one reason (other than to play 4 songs or so).  That reason is to listen to Ian (Lord Thunderbuns on SC). 
There is quite a bit of talent at many of the open mics.  The level ranges fairly widely.  When Ian gets up to play all the heads turn.  The dude gets pulls up Rocket Man and plays the incredible electric guitar while singing it masterfully.  I just sit grinning the whole time... His voice contains sounds that are so wonderful...He also did "Knights in White Satin" and "Behind Blue Eyes"... and a few others. 
I have been getting to record Ian here at the house some... hopefully, when i get my act together mixing the song (a Coldplay cover) Ian will post it.

So I took my digitech trio and was going to use it on some songs for drums and bass... in the end I had some issues getting it connected... mostly I notice when I get up to play, if I can't be at the mic singing and playing within a minute my brain starts taking me into some very negative places... So after realizing that I had forgot to plug in the Trio (ha, duh)... I was already connected with the guitar processor and my pawn shop strat... so away I went... and all was fine with the world...
these days, good, bad, or ugly I am giving it all I got every song because I start to think what if this were the last time I ever got to play live, I want to make sure I gave all...and really get into it. 
I noticed that (even if you ain't that good) if a person really gets into the songs, then the people will also... it is like they get caught up in the passion...
I played Pat Benatar's Rated X, Locomotive Breath from Jethro Tull, Maybelline and My Dingaling from Chuck Berry, I'm a Kangaroo (from Spawns of Stephen), Feel Like Making Love from Bad Company (I don't know if it was any good but I felt like I owned that one), and closed it with a looped short electric rhythm and played an epic solo over it... the Jay Turser Strat sounds great...

and then there is Ian, they pay attention because he is just that damn good... wow.

[StephenM]

I have had a few ask me about possibly posting video's from some open mics... I admit that the whole idea is terrifying to me.... after all I might watch it and quit playing...lol...

I actually found a link on line to the one last wednesday night and I admit that I see alot of room for improvement... as in "calm the F down dude".... I get so hyped up... and my right hand is playing guitar like there is fire in it... but I do like acoustic really strummed to death... no wonder I broke a string (d no less on the Les Paul, and they were new too) a couple weeks ago...

there were alot of people in the house and it was loud in the background... I would prefer a little less audience ambience in the recording but that is not anything I control...

The other thing that I actually am pretty proud of is I finally got the gumption to play Day Tripper ... I have messed around with that for years and never really got it... and still don't really but it is a legit cover and I thought the guitar playing was pretty good... and I can sing all these songs with no words..

so I am going to work on rocking out with out it looking so dang painful, although I probably never will attain that... this is hard...at least for me... and my countenance shows it... likely this is just how I am however.

https://www.facebook.com/tonya.wood.music/videos/928806554855892/

[Zoltan]

I should be sleeping, but as soon as i saw this i had to check it out. I'm just a few minutes into it... But damn Steve! You're intense, you're an entertainer and you're really doing what you should be doing!

Fuck yeah!

[des0free]

Hey, I dig that video.  You did a good job and I admire you a lot for putting yourself out there like that - just a man and his guitar. I also admire how you can play songs all the way through without mistakes, (or at least with covering any up well and  just keeping steadily on with it).  I mostly can't do that, but had started to practice trying to do that a bit on some songs, so it is a goal. 

The background noise was bothering me because I truly just wanted to hear you play, of course I understand it is a Bar so what can you do?  But if I was there in person, which would've been really cool, I would probably feel the same way, because I always want to hear live music played and pay attention to it.  So I guess a realistic scenario would be something like this - I am sitting at the bar, listening, getting annoyed at the background noise, and then two Beautiful women come up to me, blocking my view and loudly saying "can we buy you a drink?" That pushes me over the edge, and I yell "Pipe down for god sakes I just want to listen to this guy play!"

[StephenM]

Hey, I dig that video.  You did a good job and I admire you a lot for putting yourself out there like that - just a man and his guitar. I also admire how you can play songs all the way through without mistakes, (or at least with covering any up well and  just keeping steadily on with it).  I mostly can't do that, but had started to practice trying to do that a bit on some songs, so it is a goal. 

The background noise was bothering me because I truly just wanted to hear you play, of course I understand it is a Bar so what can you do?  But if I was there in person, which would've been really cool, I would probably feel the same way, because I always want to hear live music played and pay attention to it.  So I guess a realistic scenario would be something like this - I am sitting at the bar, listening, getting annoyed at the background noise, and then two Beautiful women come up to me, blocking my view and loudly saying "can we buy you a drink?" That pushes me over the edge, and I yell "Pipe down for god sakes I just want to listen to this guy play!"

It's really an interesting thing.  The host can set up the FB feed volumes music vs bkgd sound so that is somewhat conscious.  It was a bit different that night as a number of people were there for someone's birthday party so about an hour later it started to change out a bit... you never know with folks.  I played for 2.5 hours for 5 people once... a week later I played for 50 to 80 so the practice with the 5 pays off... but yes, mostly I can't stand being back ground music and generally people who come to open mic want to hear the live music...  I have to admit this is the first time I ever heard the FB feed... I could never find it before..

[Ted]

https://www.facebook.com/tonya.wood.music/videos/928806554855892/

That was fun to watch! I didn't watch all of it, but I watch your part. You seem a little intense, in a good way.