Make Sure You Have all the Gear You Need in Working Order.
If you’re a guitar player, make sure you have a fresh battery in your acoustic guitar, all six strings, guitar pick, guitar strap, and a 1/4″ patch cord. If you are an acoustic player – do what you can to bring a guitar (that you’ve played before arrival!) that has a pick up and fresh battery in it. It’s hard to mic an acoustic guitar on the fly in any situation. If you’re a drummer – bring drum sticks! And have brushes and hot rods handy.
Know What Songs You Plan to Perform Before Signing Up on the List
And have them in order of priority. Some open mics allow for more songs than others. Drummers – have some way of describing the types of grooves and/or music you enjoy playing rather than saying, “I play everything!” Say something like “I can play rock and anything that swings. Latin beats might be tricky.”
Greet the Organizer and Person Running Sound Upon Arrival
Have a very short conversation about where to put your gear, how long it might be before you perform, and what your sound needs are. Make the conversation as brief as possible since open mics can get busy, and those two people (who are sometimes the same person) have a lot to manage with other acts coming in.
Looking for an Open Mic to Perform At?
Donahue’s in Madison, Connecticut runs their open mic every Wednesday beginning at 8:30 pm. I MC the first two of each month, so come on down, bring your ax, and keep up your chops! The sign up list goes out at 7:30 p.m.
