comedy.openmikes.org

The Muse's Open Mic Policy:

The Muse is fortunate enough to serve as the first open mic for many new talents. Understandably, some may not be well versed in open mic etiquette. Seasoned veterans would do well to review the P's and Q's as well.

Acoustic music open mic.

This is our mainstay and will continue to be so. However, we welcome you to feature poetry/spoken word, rock bands, short stories, beat-boxing, electronic looping, a cappella, sing-alongs, and even irrational freak-outs. It is true, we welcome everyone and no one is turned away—whatever you want to try out—barring a grievous breach of etiquette. Simply, we are willing to let you try most anything once. If it's not acceptable, we'll be sure to let you know.

Sign-up only on Thursday Night In-person at 7:30pm

Names will only be accepted on Thursday. Please do not call-in or email your request on any other day as it will not be recorded. It is preferred that you sign-in in person with your own hand. So long as you arrive before 7:30 PM, you are assured to be on the list. You should only call-in or email if you think you will be arriving late. Calling ahead or emailing is a courtesy that should not be abused. Once you have arrived please verify your name is on the list.

No Reservations

The list is randomized to keep the attendance balanced throughout the night and to give everyone a fair crack at playing "prime time" (when the room is most full). Just arrive before 7:30 PM sign in and wait your turn. If you have extenuating circumstances, you can make a request to be "earlier" or "later". The dividing line between "earlier" and "later" is generally around 9:30 PM.

Listen for your name

Names are called at random, three at a time, every third performer. Stay attentive so that you can hear your name/group being announced. The room is very busy and there are many folks after you that are eager to play. We are not going to wait around if you are not ready. If you are not making your way to the stage when it's your turn to play, you will be bumped to the end of the list and you forfeit your position.

Be in tune

You have the whole evening to fiddle with your guitar. To insure efficiency please tune your instrument before your turn on stage. If you decide to play "the tuning song" upon reaching the stage it will be counted as your first song. Retuning between songs, however, is perfectly acceptable. (Just be quick about it.)

Two Songs or Ten Minutes

Whichever comes first. If you have three "really short songs", pick your best two. If you have one really long song, the next one better be really short.

Keep it Simple

The more gear you have to pack up on stage, the longer it takes to plug it in and sound check it all. You need to be set up and performing your first song in under a minute, if you cannot set up that quickly you forfeit your second song. Throw down, plug in, and go. It's an open mic; we’re all here to have fun.

No Sticks

We do allow drum kits on the explicit condition that you use either brushes or Hot Rods. You're playing a coffee house, not a rock arena. Be assured that everybody will be able to hear the drums without sticks.

Play to the Room

This simply means you need to be aware of your audience. If you insist on being so loud that it damages peoples' hearing, we are not the venue for you. If you pride yourself on being "over the top" or highly offensive you would do well to remember that we are a tolerant, all ages venue that prefers to build people up rather than cut them down.

Stick Around

The Muse’s open mic is a success because it is a community experience that is built around mutual encouragement and support. Please don't be the type that is only looking for an ego trip and just waiting for his turn to play. Stay and listen to what other people are doing. Showing up only for your own set and then leaving the open mic once you've played is considered to be extremely tacky.

All that being said, we’ve all committed one or more of these trespasses at one point or another, so know that we don't hold it against you if you're learning the ropes. These guidelines are what make The Muse such a special place to so many musicians and music lovers alike. Thank you again for your time and patience! We hope to see you soon!

Sign up at 6:30pm