Hosting the Perfect Open Mic Experience

Comment

Comment by TJ Young-Bosshardt on August 5, 2009 at 10:59am

OK This is the last comment today! But as a performer at another host's show, it always happens. The person who runs sound doesn't know s*** from shinola! I hate to many mids too much bass and buried vocals. C'mon already learn something about sound waves. Singers are constantly thrashing their voices to get heard above the music. This is THE reason why I have my own mobile stage, and run my own sound. Geesh :)
Have a great day friends. -TJ

Comment by TJ Young-Bosshardt on August 5, 2009 at 10:54am

About Finding Talent-
I placed ads on local free online ad sites. When they emailed me I would not give them any info until I received an electronic audition via email, website or even in the regular mail. You can tell if a person is serious about their art if they have something down.
You could also talk the venue owner into two nights a week. One is for auditions the other is for performance. That way, the rookies who do not have something recorded can get a chance too, while at the same time not messing up your performance night. Let's face it. not everyone should be on stage.

Comment by TJ Young-Bosshardt on August 5, 2009 at 10:42am

HEY THERE! I can give some insight on venue issues. As both a venue owner and a host ( At different times).
*Song content- if you have an entertainer with insulting lyrics you should advise that person to be aware of the mixed crowd he or she is playing to.
*Is your event building from week to week? If not you need to think of something quick. Although I do not particularly like contests- sometimes one can pull you out of a slump. But only if it is ran right-if not, an unfair or poorly ran contest could backfire on you like nothing else.
* Maybe you should not charge a cover for the entertainers but in some instances a small cover should be charged to the public. Especially if you, the host are expecting pay from the venue owner.
*Do you clean up after your show? Never leave a big mess for the owner to clean up the next day- Things like pics and batteries or papers in your area, etc.
As host- you are naturally excited to get the show going and present your self to the people. Fine. But even though you put it together, spent your rent on a new amplifier and pack all the gear in and out yourself,The show is not about you. If you make it about you, you will find that instead of building week after week, it will shrink to your one or two personal groupies in the audience. Of course if you don't get the lesson, you will find yourself saying things like, I don't know what went wrong, It just doesn't go over here in this town.
I am a female host in a conservative state, I started out not knowing the first thing about sound and (at the time) was a horrible singer. But I had the gracious host attitude and have not had a day job since 1991. I learned on the job and made many mistakes. But the one thing that remained constant and I think kept me going was that I knew I was the middleman (well girl but you get what I mean) Treat everyone as though you are there for them, because you are.
*Someone said to treat your entertainers like guests in your home, on that same thought, treat the venue owner as though you were a guest in his/her home. Be respectful, try to build the business, communicate and clean up. Make the owner feel like inviting you back.
*Get your sound right! AAAARRRRRGH! squelching squealing feedback- loud screaming, poor music - buried vocals and even too soft of a sound. All No-No's!
Another thing, do not ever stand up a showcase. Don't join the huge crowd of 'Flaky Artists'. If you just don't feel like going or something better comes along, you need to re-think what it is you want to be when you grow up. That includes if you get a higher paying gig. Quit with honor and a notice- both venues will respect you for it. And it is a small world in the music industry.
Hope all this helps. Beak a leg!

Comment by Craver on July 24, 2009 at 11:13am

Performers Are Your Guests

As the word 'host' suggests, while running an open mic, you should treat your performers as if they were guests in your home.

When they first arrive, make sure that you greet them. Smile and make them welcome. Ask how they heard about your event, and direct them to the signup sheet.

If someone is new, introduce them to other players. If a person feels welcome, they will leave with a warm feeling, and hopefully, they will return to play again.

Always introduce the person to the audience on the mic prior to their performance. Even if you think that everyone knows who they are, it is a critical part of the 'ceremony of performance.'

Upon completion of their set, ask the audience to show their appreciation for a 'job well done.' Again, it may not seem important to you, but it means world to the player.

Make a point to personally approach and congratulate each performer on their set. Invite them back and watch your open mic blossom.

Comment by Craver on July 24, 2009 at 11:12am

PA Placement

When I play out as a solo performer, or with my band, I always put the PA head directly behind me. This gives me access to make adjustments during the gig.

When I started hosting open mics, I did the same thing.

Every time I needed to adjust the sound, I had to go on stage behind the artist. This is a pain to do and it's disruptive to the performer/audience.

One day, a friend of mine suggested putting the PA head off to the side of the stage. Genius!

My friends, this is THE way to do it.

It makes adjusting your levels a little tougher, but the rest of the night runs like silk.

Comment by Craver on July 24, 2009 at 11:11am

I've been hosting live-music open mics since 1997.

When running an open mic, I try to put myself in the shoes of the participating musicians.

When I first started hosting, I thought about my personal experiences with other's open mics. I made of list of things that I liked, and things that I didn't like. I ran my open mic according the the list and sought feedback from the musicians.

At one point, my company, Open Mic Entertainment, operated 30 open mics per week in five cities.

Comment by Kevin J ONeil on July 23, 2009 at 10:16pm

control the level of audience chatter during each artist performance
one of the coolest open mics i went to had a judge who gave their input on each artist after their perfomance
limit the sets to 10 mins or two songs
no feature act
no long drawn out host opening the show
cover charge should only be had if there is a contest format with the kitty going to the best artist of that night
pay attention to each artist's sound, makes sure monitors and levels are excellent, not just room adequate
give a warm personalised introduction for each performer