The open mic I allways used to had serious issues. It was well run by a friend of mine (who I play bass for as a side project), but the problem (as I alluded to earlier in this thread) was the croud. Basicly, as soon as their one or two buddies were finished with their hatchet job* on "Roll Away" or "Touch of Grey" 80% of the people who were in the bar were gone. If you happened to be up before the law students up, you couldn't get anybody to dance, participate anything (though many times I could see when some of them kinda joned out a bit they'de nod their head in time, tap their foot, or drum on the table, so clearly they were enjoying the music). But the fact is, the feedback from the audience sucked, and the only people interested in the music were us musicians who came in every week for free and played our balls off.

Well, last week I found a new open mic. It's in the area's seediest bar, most the people there are only interested in getting wasted before they have to go home and go to bed for work the next morning, but these people don't hesitate to shout out and holler if they hear something they like. I have to say the more I play around the more I think the people who are barely eeking by are the ones who know how to have a good time.



*Let me put it this way, one of these law students (I'll call him "Mitch") asked me and the drummer from my side project band to back him up. We said "Ok, and immediately began a discussion on how to mess with his head when he went off to steal a beer or something because this guy has pissed us all off on many an occaision and it isn't often that he askes non-students to play with him. Well, it turns out it didn't take much to confuse the hell out of this guy. I brought out my five string (to keep me entertained) and by the second time I tossed in a low D I got a "what the hell was that?" look. I think he figured it out later, but not until after I had introduced him to my low b, bass chords and some lightning bass fills. I don't recall Mitch ever talking to me again...