First open mike...ever!

[Staramouche]

After playing for a few months I finally got the gumtion to go try it at an open-mike night. Wow, what heebie jeebies crawled over me as I tried to play the chords I thought I knew! A microphone really distorts a not-so-good voice into a HORRIBLE one, right? I didn't think I could screw up Van Morrisson's "Oh the Water" but, yep, I did! What a supportive crowd, though, and some new mates I'll see at the next one! It was a lot of fun, and I can see this getting addicting.

Felt kinda like my first post...

~~~~~~~~Joe

[John Flynn]

Congratulations. My guess, based on my own experience, is that you did not mess up nearly as bad as you think you did. It will get even more fun the more you do it. Enjoy.

[Michael H Geimer]

"What a supportive crowd, though, and some new mates I'll see at the next one!"

Yep. For the record, they don't actually 'eat you alive' at those events. But they might 'eat it up' if you show up again with more songs for them to taste!

[jim_n_virginia]

I go to 3 open mic nights in my area when I have time. One is in a coffee house, another in a Restaurant and the other in a bar and I always have fun in them.

It is great practice and more you do the easier it gets. I now try new songs out and original material and it's a good place to try out talking with the audience and even trying out a few jokes to see which ones work or not.

AND... I have met some really nice people at them!

[pklima]

Congratulations on having the guts to go through with it. Future ones should only get better.

[Bluegrass Boy]

I just played an open mic a couple of days ago. I have played several now and done occasional full performances. This one was just me on the mando playing some fiddles tunes that I'm just learning. I thought I had them down pretty well. When I go up on the mic it turned out I didn't have them down so well. Forgot parts, my fingers didn't want to move quite right. Oh well, I got through it and didn't really suffer much trauma. I guess I've developed enough as a musician where I feel pretty comfortable performing, and even screwing up, in front of people. It's all about having fun and sharing music.

[ira]

congrats. it is a really fun experience. and as stated above you prob. did better than you thought. most people appreciate the fact that someone is willing to get up and play at all. keep on goin!

ira

ps- i thinkd that the van song is called "it stoned me"

[doanepoole]

Good deal! It takes some real cajones to get up there solo, especially on a melody instrument like the mandolin. I get the heebie-jeebies without the support of other musicians.

I guess its kinda like swimming. You'll never learn how until you jump in the pool.

[garyblanchard]

I add my congratulations. It can be daunting to get up in front of strangers, especially if you are "out of the mainstream. I have been playing for years and would go to an open mike at the coffeehouse near me when I had an upcoming gig there. It was interesting and fun to come to the mike in the midst of a bunch of Dave Matthews wannabes and play some old-time or country music on something other than guitar. (I didn't even have to make the funny Dave Matthews faces while I played. # ) Keep it up and you'll feel and do even better. I agree that you probably did far better than you think. We tend to be our own worst critic.