Open Mics 101
The first rule of a successful Open Mic appearance is to get there early. Nine out of ten times, if the show begins at 7:00pm, the sign-up sheet will begin circulating at least 30 minutes before. Arrive early, bring a few friends, meet the host and the baristas working that night, order something, find a good seat, notice if there's a music stand, if you'll be sitting on a chair, a stool, or standing (you brought your strap, right?), and...
Tune Your Guitar. Now! Not on the stool after they call your name and not while someone else is performing. And use a clip-on tuner that will allow you to tune up quietly. You'll have little chance winning fans from the audience if you get on stage, plug in, and then tune up an amplified instrument.
Stick Around After. If you sign yourself up for the first or second slot, plan on hanging out for a while afterwards. There's nothing worse than someone new who shows up, plays 3 songs, and then packs it up and leaves while the next performer is doing his or her thing. Aside from simply being rude to someone who likely just listened (and applauded) to your material, you're robbing yourself of possible connections, musical and otherwise, and the chance to see a variety of acts, some of which you might enjoy, or possibly learn from. Plan ahead on staying for no less than one hour of music. You'll benefit more than you can imagine.
Set Advice. Always start with an upbeat tune. Put your best foot forward and you'll have their ears for the rest of your set. Coffee Houses are social environments - even on Open Mic night. You want to get (and hold) their attention for a few minutes. Starting with a ballad is ill-advised. The louder talkers in the audience will see it as an opportunity to keep right on talking. Remember, you're in their domain (not the other way around) and you need to win their attention. Blenders and espresso machines can also be the kiss of death to a performer beginning their set with a mediocre version of Paul McCartney's "Yesterday". Give yourself a break and save that James Taylor song for after your more upbeat number.
Introduce yourself. Speak clearly, look out at your audience, smile, and introduce your songs. Think ahead about what you should (and shouldn't) say into the microphone. Know your songs (and the order you'll be playing them) ahead of time. Be as professional as you can. Your audience understands you have a day job... they'll forgive any and all mistakes you may make. They'll encourage you - they have likely stood where you're standing now (or have at least thought about it). The audience is yours to lose! Don't mumble, stare at your fretboard for three songs, and don't talk too much... unless you have it from multiple sources that you are indeed a really funny and entertaining speaker, then give it a try - it might be part of your "thing".
Dynamics! All good songs have some sort of dynamic element. Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney are masters at building a song to the chorus and then taking it even further in the bridge (or "middle eight", for you Europeans). Don't get up and strum hard for three minutes while singing that Neil Young tune you love so much. Go back and listen to the record and you'll find that Neil uses lots of subtile nuances to bring his message home - his songs build and crescendo (usually with his guitar solo)... If you're by yourself up there perhaps Free Bird isn't the song for you - even if you have a rhythm guitar player next to you you'll need to be quite an extraordinary performer to pull off the build up. Ditto for Stairway to Heaven... there's a reason the original is not an "unplugged" acoustic tune.
Collaborations. Why aren't there more collaborative efforts on stage? If I had it in the budget (if I had a budget) I'd reward all Open Mic acts with more than one performer! It gets a little repetitive seeing singer/guitarist after singer/guitarist grace the stage. I'll never forget the first time I saw the guitar & harmonica playing vocalist doo wah ditty through a New Orleans folk song while accompanied by his friend on Cello, or the banjo plus guitar plus 2 vocals act who graced our stage a few summers ago. Nothing is cooler than harmony. Even simple harmony will stop conversations and turn heads. Make a connection at the next Open Mic you perform at. Find someone with stylistic similarities or complementary talents and see if they would like to work something out for an upcoming show. You'd be surprised how many bands have started that way.
Defy the Norm. There are far too many guys with guitars at Open Mics. I'm always the most impressed with things that are a little different; the rapping Reverend, the woman who sang along to the accompanying music on her iPod connected to the café's soundsystem, the classical bassist who stunned us all into silence performing three solo pieces on his upright concert bass... and recently when a couple performed a touching duet for a friend who recently left us, with candlelight and the unique crunchy sounds of an electric guitar through an old Pignose amp. Shaker eggs, tambourines, woodwinds, brass, washboards, spoons, ukuleles, mandolins, etc., all bring new sound textures to a performance. Remember, it ain't worth doing if you don't give it y'er all!
Repertoire is Everything. Perform a new song every time you get in front of a mic. The Open Mic I host is monthly and I perform at least one new song every month. Assess your material. Is it in a good key for you? ( If not, there's no shame in buying a capo... in fact, it can be very liberating) Does your material lend itself to your instrument, your vocals, the room, the audience? These are all important questions. After many years of honing my skills I come up with one rule of thumb to guide you in your cover song selection process:
Get Out Of Your Head! You will need to possess some exceptional talent to pull off the drums, bass, guitar, synth, and screaming vocals of The Who's Baba O'Riley (Teenage Wasteland for the less-informed) with a Yamaha acoustic and an 80 watt PA. DON'T EVEN TRY! Seriously. And don't fool yourself that you're pulling it off; you're not! I guarantee that what you think you're hearing is actually only 15% you. The rest is being supplied by 20 years of memories of listening to that brilliant recording. If you don't believe me, make a recording the next time you perform it and listen back (by yourself - believe me, it's embarrassing). Still don't believe me? Secretly videotape the audience during your next performance. Are they basking in your glory... or are they watching a train wreck? Odds are, the later. The problem is, you're in your head and not really hearing what you're putting out there for the world to hear. No worries though, identifying the problem is half the solution. Perhaps you bit off a bit more than you can chew. Instead, try an easier selection. One that hits it's mark without all the arena-rock anthem fanfare. Recently I heard a friend of mine play The Kinks' Celluloid Heroes, a fantastic choice that translates well for an acoustic guitar and male vocal in a coffee house setting but is still a powerful statement from classic rock's glory years.
I do have more experiences, stories, and lessons I could share but maybe some of the fun is learning things on your own, and I wouldn't want to take that away from you, so I'll close with just one more tip:
If you're from The United States it's best to steer clear from the really British pop songs... you know, the ones where the accent is part of the song's signature. There is a reason the music of Jethro Tull didn't originate from the same geographical region as Sweet Home Alabama... Don't even try it! Ditto for songs like Wonderwall, anything by The Smiths, Blur, etc. It takes lots of practice to deliver these songs without sharpening your Ts. Leave those songs for your British friends to tackle.
I'm not trying to scare you away... I'm just trying to help you perform to your potential, with your skills, in hopes that you will have a good experience (and treat your audience to the same) and come back for more! Music is magical. Make some music, and you'll be part of that magic.
-Thomas Cray is a musician and graphic designer who hosts the First Saturdays Open Mic at The Brothers K Coffee House in Evanston, IL on (yep, you guessed it) the first Saturday of every month, from 6-8:00 PM.
