“In a live performance, it’s a collaboration with the audience; you ride the ebb and flow of the crowd’s energy,” famous artist and singer Jon Batiste said.
For years, people have been writing songs, comedy and poetry, whilsr [sic] choreographing dances and learning instruments to have an opportunity to perform on a stage in front of an audience. Whether it is in front of a dozen friends or a hundred strangers, the rush the performer feels is undeniable. While many move towards well-known places like New York City or Los Angeles for a chance to perform, there are also many local opportunities to show off their artistic talents, one of which is Open-Mic Nights. These are great ways to get one’s name out there, regardless of experience level. Local singer and guitarist Gus Adams has been performing since he was 17 years old, and is a regular performer at Red Rock’s open mics.
“If you’ve been practicing something for a long time, you gain a skill at it, and part of enjoying that skill is to play in front of other people” Adams said.
Located in Mountain View, Red Rock Coffee’s weekly Mic-Night is open to the public every Monday night from about 6-9:30pm, all ages allowed. Other opportunities include an all-teen night, hosted by Matchbox, at Red Rock, where anyone may watch, but the performances are limited to teens.
“We do like to keep it inclusive for people who come and have their families watch,” Open Mic MC, Ashley Markowicz said. “I mean, this is one of the most supportive, welcoming crowds I think I’ve ever seen at an open mic…like when people watch each other on stage, they feel inspired.”
Red Rock has been hosting open mics for years, and has seen many different types of acts throughout its time. Although the performances have a vast variety, the hope is that politics and swearing are kept to a minimum to increase all inclusivity.
“It’s mostly music. We do have comedians, we have some poets, but the majority of the acts are musicians,” Markowicz said.
The sign-ups for the open-mic nights at Red Rock requires the prospective performer to enter into a lottery system. This is where they write down the performer’s stage name on a piece of paper and place it into a jar, which the MC for the night will pull at random. If called, the performer will have five minutes to perform on stage, the first performance will start roughly at 6 p.m., and the last ending at 9:30 p.m., leading to roughly 30 performances depending on the night.
Due to the popularity of Red Rock, not everyone is guaranteed to perform that night. If a performer is not picked, their act will be prioritized the following week. Special equipment is also available for the performers to use, including microphones, an electronic keyboard and more. More information can be found at Red Rock’s Instagram page: @redrockopenmic or at their website: redrockcoffee.com/openmic.
Although anyone has the opportunity to perform, it still takes a lot of confidence to perform in front of a crowd. People tend to be supportive regardless at Red Rock, clapping to show support.
“There’s a range of talent […] the act of playing and being in front of people takes a lot of courage, especially if you’re doing it for like, the first time,” Adams said. “You have naturally had this fear that you will fail.”
As new performers begin to rise, everyone has their own skills that they want to perform, and their own way of doing so. Through open mic nights like Red Rock Coffee, opportunities are made available, and goals are made achievable.
