Open Mic Nights - How To?

ugh...i have never been to an open mic session that wasn't a big "ego stroke" for the few running it, and around here, they almost always turn into a "flame the drummer/bassist" fest...they are almost always blues based, and it is a room full of SRV wannabe's (in the worst way)..it is always a bunch of "arm chair quarterback" guitar players or singers coming out of the basement for their bi monthly dose of glory....no thanks

and the jazz ones are worse because if you are not "on the scene", don't even unzip your stick bag...

I would rather seek out punk house shows, or just jam with street musicians on buckets....way less ego there, and usually way more inspiring and creative music making
Hell yeah.
 
There is one thing about Jam night that annoys me. We have a local jam where the regulars all know each other, and get along great. The guy who runs it, tho...he's a good friend, and does a lot of great things for musicians in our area. However, he has a tendency to assume that folks can and will be able to play anything, or fake it. "Hey, it's a Jam!" Then someone will call out a song I've never heard of, from a whole other genre (usually classic country.) I hate showing my a$$ by being stuck there, and whoever is singing calls out something that I have no idea how to play. Its a helpless feeling. Dragging the whole thing down, and making a trainwreck out of things, in front of other people, many of them friends. The one that put me over the edge was, surprisingly enough, Unchained Melody. Not particularly difficult, but I was put on the spot, away we went. Its not standard rock (or even country) stuff that you can play along and be close enough. I walked off stage, saying never again.

We have these Jams semi-regularly, over the course of the summer. It's gotten to the point that I won't go up unless I know what I'm doing first, unless its only going to be with people I know and have played with before.. I hate to be that guy, but I also hate looking the fool.
 
I love a Jam night, great way to network in a relaxed atmosphere.

There’s a friendly Blues jam at a local club in the town we live in that happens every second Friday of the month.

Now that I’m no longer playing with the band I can’t wait to go there next month and play.

Hopefully catch up with some of the people there, put my name down and wait my turn and have some fun that evening.
 
I love a Jam night, great way to network in a relaxed atmosphere.

There’s a friendly Blues jam at a local club in the town we live in that happens every second Friday of the month.

Now that I’m no longer playing with the band I can’t wait to go there next month and play.

Hopefully catch up with some of the people there, put my name down and wait my turn and have some fun that evening.

that would never happen around here...at least, I never heard anyone leave a jam night and say that it was relaxed...you are lucky
 
that would never happen around here...at least, I never heard anyone leave a jam night and say that it was relaxed...you are lucky

Maybe it's just me, it's not something that worries me personally so I can enjoy it and enjoy drumming with a bunch of strangers.

Just a bit of fun, if you mess up it's no big deal/not life or death.
 
i dont turn up to open mic nights as theres not drums, no electric guitar players, no bassists, just acoustic guitarist/singers who sing all the songs in a folk style. but thats jsut round my area.

theres a monthly jam night i provide the drums for at a local venue, but its not well attended because its midweek and people round here dont like going out if its not a weekend or run by someone they know and like.
 
I struggled with Jam nights as my weakpoint is impro. However a weekly one was set up near me and they added a facebook group where you could put suggestions up for songs to play.
It works great as you can suggest a couple of songs, people jump in on the thread and put themselves down for your songs. You all have a few days to work on them, and go to the jam knowing what you'll play. I still find it tough, as you never know how well everyone has learnt the songs, so they can go off the rails a bit and are rarely the same as the version I've practiced, but it has done my playing the world of good! I now go every week and get asked to play songs that are very different to the sort of music I'd usually listen to or play with my band, so it's really increased my repertoire.
There is a left handed drummer who also attends, and no one complains at quickly changing the set up around for him.
I've made a lot of new friends, and even found a singer to form a second band with playing System of A Down Covers!
I have my "down" weeks when I feel like I've played poorly, but overall I love it and am really pleased that my tutor pushed me into trying it!
 
you never know how well everyone has learnt the songs, so they can go off the rails a bit and are rarely the same as the version I've practiced,
I learned this lesson from only knowing "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" from the Burnin' For Buddy album, and not realizing that other versions didn't have the Native American style breaks in it. :oops:?
 
I used to attend "open mic jams" but gave it up. It just wasn't any fun. My complaints:

- Many of the musicians were guys who nobody else wanted in their bands either because of their abilities or attitudes.
- It was too loud to socialize.
- Some drummers were rough on my equipment.
- I didn't like waiting around to play.

Last year, I got talked in to filling in for what was essentially an open mic jam at a country venue. I did it 4 or 5 times as a favor to a friend. Each time, it was an unpleasant experience. I didn't mind the poor or beginner level folks. They were actually kinda fun to back up. What bugged me the most were the difficult personalities of some of the "star performers". After a while, I politely bowed out, never to return.

It's much more fun to simply be in a band.
 
There is one thing about Jam night that annoys me. We have a local jam where the regulars all know each other, and get along great. The guy who runs it, tho...he's a good friend, and does a lot of great things for musicians in our area. However, he has a tendency to assume that folks can and will be able to play anything, or fake it. "Hey, it's a Jam!" Then someone will call out a song I've never heard of, from a whole other genre (usually classic country.) I hate showing my a$$ by being stuck there, and whoever is singing calls out something that I have no idea how to play. Its a helpless feeling. Dragging the whole thing down, and making a trainwreck out of things, in front of other people, many of them friends. The one that put me over the edge was, surprisingly enough, Unchained Melody. Not particularly difficult, but I was put on the spot, away we went. Its not standard rock (or even country) stuff that you can play along and be close enough. I walked off stage, saying never again.

We have these Jams semi-regularly, over the course of the summer. It's gotten to the point that I won't go up unless I know what I'm doing first, unless its only going to be with people I know and have played with before.. I hate to be that guy, but I also hate looking the fool.
Yeah, the Jazz Jams work best if you call one out of a real book or one of the standards. The person calling is expected to orchestrate anything that isn't in the standard 32 bar format, often times these would be backed with a professional drummer(only paid musician as it were at the ones I attended). The bluegrass jams I went to also had a fakebook and or fiddlebook to reference. The afro-cuban stuff, they expected you to know the parts at a minimum, though sometimes they would call one you didn't know. They would look at you funny if you played a boom bap. Blues you don't really need to know the songs perse but it needed to be a blues song. Generally the blues jams had backing bands, so they would suggest calling a different one if it were too far out.

Open mic and drumming, I've seen bands set up at open mics, just for a few songs, not a great idea. Keep it simple, cajon. Practice your personality, don't be afraid to get up there as the main event and sing, rap or entertain.
 
I have seen many discussions that mention Open Mic nights, but I don't know how they work.

As a drummer, do I just show up and hope there's someone to play with? Also, I play left-handed. Will they let me switch the kit around? Do they have a kit?

Some information would be very helpful :)

Thanks!
It depends on what they mean by open mic night. Some people may go up there and sing, tell a story, have a poem. I was once at a place where they had open mic night when the disc jockey would play a song of your choice and you would sing to that and he would record you and give you the cassette of your recording for a keepsake. I never did that but my late husband was brave enough to do that he was used to that he was a drummer since he was a child and played in public all the time he had a manager.

Also there is a bar here in Worcester I haven't been to but I heard all about it that the instruments are all up on the stage and if you're a drummer you just step in if you play guitar just pick it up or you could bring your own small instrument and then you would all agree on a song and just Jam. But that would only be for one or two songs that wouldn't be worth it to me to bring a whole drum kit.

Now as far as being a left-handed drummer goes I know all about that. My late husband was a left-handed drummer and I remember the pastor's wife calling him up in a pinch and the drum kit was all set up right handed. I don't I know how my husband did it but he actually played a right-handed kit left-handed.

You should find out a little bit more about that particular place and what they do. Every place is different. But it's a lot of fun. Good luck!
 
One of the things I'm learning, as I'm now going to open mics is the importance of patience. I know I often feel nervous before playing, especially if the song isn't known to me and I have to come up with something. I've been doing this about six months now and people are getting used to seeing me in there trying hard. I've come to realize that other people get nervous too and that this can be exhibited in various behaviors. It's like a stress reaction. So I try hard to be patient. I try hard to listen and pay attention. If I'm not sure about something, I'll ask questions. Recently, the organizer asked me to drum on specific songs chosen by another person and that was a first and it was really great.
 
Open mic here is not a jam. It's a singing guitar player event, or duos. You can bring your own band. There are no backing bands or musicians provided.

Open jam is a backing band and can frequently play for too long. You can also bring your band. Those usually suck because they're green or still not tight.
 
Side Bar:
I'm never difficult - unless you piss me off. With that said, why do lefty's seem to be so persecuted? We may be in the minority, but it doesn't mean we're less normal than righties.

I demand equal rights!

Any Catholic nuns out there wanna smack my hi-hat hand with a ruler now?

Carry on. :)
Not a nun but my elementary school teacher did slap my left hand when I started to write, (and I had very nice very even writing) so, she would slap my hand (with a wooden ruler) hard, and make me switch to my right hand. Needless to say, I couldn't write even remotely well with my right hand, so a few times, I switched to my left, only to have her slap it again. She eventually sent me to a "writing class" were we had to complete this book of letters (for about a month of 1 hr a day). I completed the stupid class....
I (To this day) still am not capable of nice writing with my right hand (unless I slow it way down and actually focus and try to write legibly).
 
ugh...i have never been to an open mic session that wasn't a big "ego stroke" for the few running it, and around here, they almost always turn into a "flame the drummer/bassist" fest...they are almost always blues based, and it is a room full of SRV wannabe's (in the worst way)..it is always a bunch of "arm chair quarterback" guitar players or singers coming out of the basement for their bi monthly dose of glory....no thanks

and the jazz ones are worse because if you are not "on the scene", don't even unzip your stick bag...

I would rather seek out punk house shows, or just jam with street musicians on buckets....way less ego there, and usually way more inspiring and creative music making
I'm with you there, I know it's called "The money beat" for a reason, but I could not take 15 min straight of playing that while listening to a mediocre guitarist solo over it while also starting at the bassists bored to death look. I can't play it, It is so boring I just lose focus.
I have seen some OM that encourage audience participation (not to play but to sing along or clap or what have you), and usually the music is a lot more "alive" there. Unfortunately for me I don't have a lot of options here in the middle of nowhere , Maybe in Augusta (GA) but it is a 40 mile drive one way so...
 
There is one thing about Jam night that annoys me. We have a local jam where the regulars all know each other, and get along great. The guy who runs it, tho...he's a good friend, and does a lot of great things for musicians in our area. However, he has a tendency to assume that folks can and will be able to play anything, or fake it. "Hey, it's a Jam!" Then someone will call out a song I've never heard of, from a whole other genre (usually classic country.) I hate showing my a$$ by being stuck there, and whoever is singing calls out something that I have no idea how to play. Its a helpless feeling. Dragging the whole thing down, and making a trainwreck out of things, in front of other people, many of them friends. The one that put me over the edge was, surprisingly enough, Unchained Melody. Not particularly difficult, but I was put on the spot, away we went. Its not standard rock (or even country) stuff that you can play along and be close enough. I walked off stage, saying never again.

We have these Jams semi-regularly, over the course of the summer. It's gotten to the point that I won't go up unless I know what I'm doing first, unless its only going to be with people I know and have played with before.. I hate to be that guy, but I also hate looking the fool.
I feel you there.
I practiced for an entire 2 months of 3 times a week for a gig with this band (that asked me to join after the previous drummer moved to a different city). We had roughly a 25 song set half of which I knew and the other half I heard some songs but never played them on drums before so I got that time to learn them.
When the gig happened, they, (the singer and guitar player) ran through the set randomly, but also added about another 25 songs that we never practiced and a lot that I never even heard before!
I asked the bass player WTH? he would just tell me play a 4/4 beat at this tempo (plays a click by slapping on his leg). I got through it, and even got told that the band sounded great, but it was very uncomfortable to play "blind".
After that gig, I went and listened to some of those songs to see how off I was and man... I was not even close on a lot of them. I guess I am thankful that some people were drunk enough to just have fun and not notice... Also never again.
 
I feel you there.
I practiced for an entire 2 months of 3 times a week for a gig with this band (that asked me to join after the previous drummer moved to a different city). We had roughly a 25 song set half of which I knew and the other half I heard some songs but never played them on drums before so I got that time to learn them.
When the gig happened, they, (the singer and guitar player) ran through the set randomly, but also added about another 25 songs that we never practiced and a lot that I never even heard before!
I asked the bass player WTH? he would just tell me play a 4/4 beat at this tempo (plays a click by slapping on his leg). I got through it, and even got told that the band sounded great, but it was very uncomfortable to play "blind".
After that gig, I went and listened to some of those songs to see how off I was and man... I was not even close on a lot of them. I guess I am thankful that some people were drunk enough to just have fun and not notice... Also never again.

this is the same scenario with my country band a lot of the time...40 song set list, with about 15 thrown in unrehearsed. I just ask, "what kind of beat?", and my bass player responds, and off we go

in most of those gig situations, the crowd only needs about the first 10 seconds of any song to go 'whooooooooooo", and they are out, socializing and ignoring us. They don't even hear when most of the glitches happen, and could probably care less.

and also, the funniest thing is that it is usually our leader who makes the most mistakes on those "audibles",
 
The bored bass player look is the norm.
Much of the audience doesn't know what they're listening to. At jams they're a little more savvy.
Said it before, about a singing harmonica player that has a bad/squeaky voice and very little harp ability always showing at jams.
A regular jam attendee said to me, "He's pretty good, yeah?
No. He's a time waster, I thought to myself.

I wouldn't even play if it's with him UNLESS a good singing guitar player or additional singer that can produce quality was along for the ride, and they let the bad performer share a little time with him. He had zero improvement in years.
 
My bass player and I (with assorted others) hosted jam nights weekly (or MORE!) for about eight years.
Bottom line, if you don't want to sit through HOURS of potentially madness-inducing, industrial strength SUCK,
I STRONGLY recommend arriving early and signing up IMMEDIATELY! With the right players on the right night,
it CAN be as close to magical as it can get within that context. Sometimes, it was so dismal, I wanted to get drunk,
torch my kit in the backyard, and pee on the ashes! Your mileage may vary. Best of luck
 
I did an open mic not long ago and got up with a guitar player I didn't know who asks us (myself, bass + guitar) if we know Proud Mary by CCR. Sure thing. So he starts the song off alone and I'm thinking, 'is he doing the Tina Turner version?', because the tempo is much faster than CCR's. So I play the song and once its over he says into the mic: 'Drummers, you can't slow them down." You ass...you started the song that way!!! I said to him "I latched onto and was watching the tempo from your leg!" Guitar players!
 
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