Open mike

"Open mike" also refers to Open Mike with Mike Bullard, a Canadian comedy series, or an open mic gaffe

An open mike or open mic is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies. These events can be focused on poetry and the spoken word, music, comedy, and the open format of open stage nights. Notable examples of open mics are at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the lower east side of Manhattan, and the massive Open Mic UK contest in England.

Name

Either spelling, "open mike" or "open mic", is correct. Although "Mike" is used as a shortened version of "Microphone" which can cause some confusion. "Open mike" is also often used to refer to events that could more properly be named "open stage" where there is no amplification.

Poetry/spoken word

Poet performs at the Little Grill open mic in Harrisonburg, Virginia June 12, 2008

Poetry/spoken word open mikes feature a host, who is normally a poet or spoken word artist, poets and spoken word artists, and audience members. Shows are generally one and a half to two hours in length.^{[citation needed]} A sign-up is done before the show begins, so that the host has a list of names to call from. Poetry/spoken word open mikes are laid back, serene, and contain lively conversation in between readers and/or performers. They are usually held in libraries, coffee houses, cafes, and book stores or bars. Each poet or spoken word artist is often asked to keep their performances to a minimum/specified time slot, giving each performer enough time to share some of their work. The longest running US open mike is still going on at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the lower east side of Manhattan.^{[citation needed]}

Comedy

Comedy open mike nights can be held at established comedy clubs, but are more commonly held at other venues with or without a stage, often the upstairs or back room of a pub or bar. Such nights give newer acts an opportunity to practice and improve, with a view to getting paid work. More experienced acts get an opportunity to work out newer material where the audience is not paying in anticipation of seeing their normal act. In a typical open mike night, newer acts will get five or maybe ten minutes of stage time, but more experienced acts may get ten or more minutes.^{[citation needed]}

Open mic comedy nights are most widespread in larger English-speaking cities with a well-established stand-up comedy scene, especially London and New York. In these cities, with a plethora of aspiring comedians, the greatest challenge may be in attracting a worthwhile audience.^{[citation needed]}

Music

Musician performs Open Mic at No Name Bar in Sausalito, CA
July 2, 2008.

These shows provide an opportunity for musicians to gain experience performing to a live audience without having to go through the process of getting normal music gigs, which is very difficult to do without experience of live performance.^{[citation needed]}

Open mikes have been gaining in popularity in recent times, providing a much-needed outlet for singer-songwriters. Prior to their popularity, the only outlet generally were folk clubs, which were not always friendly towards creators of new music, preferring traditional music. They also suggested that music performed by acoustic musicians or solo artists in this manner would necessarily be folk music, a misconception that still commonly exists today. Some organizers have chosen the title "acoustic night" or "acoustic club" in an attempt to indicate an event run broadly on the lines of a folk club, but with a much wider range of musical styles.^{[citation needed]}

In the United Kingdom, the largest ongoing Open Mic-styled music contest is Open Mic UK, which regularly attracts 10,000 participants of all genres. The grand prize for the contest is an investment up to £30,000. The size of the event has necessitated that all participants sign up for performance slots beforehand, instead of simply walking onstage.^[1][2]

Open stage

Further information: open stage night

Open stages are all inclusive evenings which welcome performers of all kinds from all different genres (see open stage night). Some of these events employ the use of a resident band or a group of musicians. They will play along to the attendee, often without knowing the particular song, they will quickly improvise along to whatever the person plays creating a full live sound, as if the volunteer is just another member of the band. These type of events are similar to a free and easy session, which is the predecessor to karaoke. The quality of musician needs to be very high to achieve this.

One of the most famous of these events^{[citation needed]} is the "Jam afternoon @ Ruscadors" held every Sunday in the Kingston upon Hull pub Ruscadors. This event has been long running and has given the start to many professional musicians, in their live performance career. It is still running to this day every Sunday between the hours of 3.00 pm and 6.00 pm. These sort of events are becoming less common due to the popularity of karaoke.

References

1. ^ "2010 Winners". Open Mic UK. http://www.openmicuk.co.uk/national_vote. Retrieved 2011-05-12. 
2. ^ Almroth-Wright, Indy (December 6, 2008). "Twleve year-old 'Birdy' wins UK talent contest". BBC (Hampshire). http://www.bbc.co.uk/hampshire/content/articles/2008/12/06/birdy_ukidol_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2011-04-15. 

External links

• OpenMikes.org
• OpenMic.us
• Mike, Dammit - Essay on the "mike" vs. "mic" debate
• Aldredge, Marcus. "Negotiating and Practicing Performance: An Ethnographic Study of a Musical Open Mic in Brooklyn, New York."