Open mic
Open mics are focused on performance arts such as comedy (whether it be sketch or stand-up), music (often acoustic singer-songwriters), poetry, and spoken word.
[citation needed] Open mic events are most commonly held in the middle of the week or at the very end of the weekend when footfall through venues is low.
They rarely occur on the hallowed Friday and Saturday night time slots, when venues are busy with weekend customers and any live performances are professionals who have been booked.
Since the songs chosen need to be simple enough so that a band of musicians who have not played together can perform them without practice, blues standards are used.
[3] Stand-up comedy open mic 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, or at a bookstore, college campus, rock club, or coffeehouse.
[9][10] Comedy clubs may be the only open mic establishments that have a green room, a backstage area for performers waiting to go on stage where no audience members are present.
[11] Open mic nights give emerging comedians the opportunity to practice their stand-up routine, which they cannot do without a live audience.
[27] More experienced comedians may use open mics as an unpaid opportunity to work out newer material or a new character.
Stand-ups also use open mics for networking to find both paid and unpaid work opportunities, for making friends, or as a form of therapy.
"[62] The host introduces each act by reciting the name that was placed on the sign-up list and asks the audience to give the performer an introductory round of applause.
[68] In 2011, writer Rob Durham said that an open mic night should be no longer than 90 minutes and consist of no more than 15 acts.
[77][78] In modern times, this is done with the flashlight from a cell phone so as not to distract the audience with a larger or brighter light.
Bringer shows are presented in a showcase format, with each performer being required to bring 5–15 people with them (with a cover charge and a two-drink minimum per person) in order to secure stage time, but this is widely seen as exploitative.
Sometimes open mic nights have featured readers, or are part of a writing workshop, but generally a sign-up sheet is available for anyone interested in participating.
[83] Poetry/spoken word open mics range from laid back, serene settings to lively sessions where readers and/or performers compete for audience applause.
A decrease in the cost of consumer video technology combined with the powerful editing capabilities of modern PCs has caused an increase in the popularity of DJing and amateur filmmaking, but these types of events are still very rare.
