by Anna Weaver | Nov 26, 2023 | tips for open mic hosts, tips for open mic performers
Somehow, since the invention of the modern open mic (whenever that was), the known universe has produced exactly one book titled How to Run an Open Mic. Published in 2017 by one Mr. John Locke and available only on a megalithic capitalist website to which I refuse, on...
by Anna Weaver | Mar 31, 2023 | All Posts, tips for open mic hosts
Every open mic host has her gifts. Mine include a cheerleader’s spirit, a voice that can reach the back of any average-sized room without a mic, and a ready and rowdy laugh. The weaknesses that ride shotgun? That same loud voice when amplified (sorry, front-row...
by Anna Weaver | Jan 1, 2023 | tips for open mic hosts
So I hit this open mic in Rhode Island at a live music venue called The Parlour. It was terrific in so many ways — space, structure, talent, vibe. That night, I met one of their regulars: a guitar player who also happened to be the most enthusiastic attendee I’ve met...
by Anna Weaver | May 18, 2022 | All Posts, tips for open mic hosts
Let’s start with the obvious: A great open mic needs a skilled host. It needs more than that, of course—a venue that understands and loves open mic for what it is, a co-organizer or two to help promote and manage the show, and (of course) performers. But the host is...
by Anna Weaver | Aug 14, 2021 | tips for open mic hosts
Oh, the motley glory of open mic venues! If you’ve been to one, you’ve been to…one. With the notable exception of Busboys and Poets (a handful of DC-based restaurants and political bookstores, each with a stage purpose-built for weekly poetry events), open mics are a...
by Anna Weaver | May 16, 2021 | All Posts, tips for open mic hosts, tips for open mic performers
This is the third in a series that explores what makes an open mic worth doing—as in organizing, hosting, attending, performing at, or becoming a regular. Not just because it’s entertaining and inspiring, not just because it’s a great way to improve your craft, but...
