Entry 12

On Wednesday night I attended a second open mic in Escondido at a Pub called O'Sullivans. It ran from 9:30 until past eleven.

Since it was in a bar, there were more people there than at the last open mic, but these people were less attentive, for the most part. The crowd was mixed: it appeared that some people were there to go out and eat, others to grab a drink and catch up, and then there was a pair of what looked to be businessmen, who all dressed up ate their meals and left. Throughout the night there was a constant trickle who were not there for the open mic, but other than that the crowd consisted of those who were performing or where there to support the performers.

The performers played on a stage in a corner that was decked out with a chair and a mic. The only instrument used that night was the steel string guitar (with the exception of my 'sound guy' interlocutor playing a banjo) , and every act was a solo act. The music played was predominantly folk (meaning that there is no other way to describe it, you can't say it was pop, or rock. It was folk), with the exception of a much older man who played some blues. Each musician played for about ten to fifteen minutes, and there was a mix of original and cover songs. It seems like the crowd was more drawn to the cover songs, most likely because they recognized them.

A couple of posts ago I wrote about Kettle, I described that I did not see much of a community, but when compared to this open mic, I now believe differently. Kettle's open mic, although smaller have a more attentive audience. People did not go to the cafe to get coffee of pastries, but rather they went for the open mic. Or course cafes don't necessarily attract a lot of people at night, whereas pubs do, but still there was a difference. The pub featured only guitars and more folk music "whatever this means", while the cafe featured different acts with a variety of ages and instruments.

Comparing the two different open mics, it is clear that they harbor a place for anyone to sign up and play. What is played though is not the same, and this can depend on a number of factors. For example, for legal reasons, Kettle doesn't allow covers, unless they pay a monthly fee. The pub on the other hand does allow covers, quickly garbing the attention of costumers who maybe didn't go for the music. Taking these things into account it seems that the audience at Kettle was solely there to hear original music by the everyday person, if not to hear then to play. This is not to say that O'sullivans had no community. It was just dispersed within the crowd. The performers and those there for the open mic were very supportive, but those just there for the pub were mere bystanders.

Although I only attended two open mics, it is safe to say that no two are alike and this depends heavily on the location and how it is run. Either way they open an outlet for the everyday person to perform. As for they type of music played, I can't say there is a set way to know, but to be sure folk IS played, but again this is heavily dependent on what one considers folk.