Open Mic Week

Note: Throughout this week, we have posted photos, videos and accounts of some of the local open mic nights in and around Frederick. Today, we are sharing three experiences: One at Beans In The Belfry, one at the Blue Sky Bar And Grill, and the other at Bushwaller’s. Why are they up today? Because all of those open mic nights typically happen on Thursdays. Get it? Got it? Good. Now, let’s dive in.

Beans In The Belfry, 122 W. Potomac St., Brunswick

When: 7 p.m. the third Thursday of each month

Best Moment: Meeting Gary Free, a 76-year-old local musician who wouldn’t stop telling the 14-year-old’s mother that her daughter needed to “learn some standards” for the next time she plays.

Synopsis: Have a family? Feel like hanging out in a 1910 red-brick church building? Like to sit on couches? Love walking into rooms that look like Martha Stewart’s zany new-age nephew might have decorated? This place is for you. Hosted by Tomy “One M” Wright (almost one year of Frederick Playlist, and writing “Tomy ‘One M’ Wright” still delights me to no end), it’s the cleanest, kindest, warmest, most-welcoming option you have on a Thursday night. The open mic has been running for six years, according to Wright, and if you have a kid who can play a ukulele and write songs — much like Gabrielle Zwi, whose mother warned me of her mom-eratzi status very quickly and somewhat aggressively — there isn’t a single good reason in the universe to not take advantage of this platform. It’s as family-friendly as it gets and the talent in Brunswick is worth the 15-minute drive. There were members of Willie And The Chaperones and Signs Point East there, and Wright, himself, had no problem sitting in with pretty much everyone, making it a communal atmosphere that goes a long way for parents who don’t want to see their daughter cover a Disney song on a ukulele in the middle of a bar that sometimes smells like french-fried urine. Also: They get bonus points for shouting out to “the guy from the newspaper.” Also (again): They get bonus bonus points for having someone like Free on hand, reminding me every three minutes that he once played with Patsy Cline at the firehall in Brunswick. Legendary.

Quote Of The Night: “My name is Gary Free. Free as a bird.”

Rated On A Scale Of Justin Bieber To Razorblade: The Soundtrack To Disney’s “Frozen.”

The Blue Sky Bar And Grill, 10519B Old National Pike, New Market

When: 8 p.m. every Thursday

Best Moment: Not one, but two — two! — Steely Dan covers.

Synopsis: Welp. Nothing started until 8:43 p.m. So, there’s that. In addition to me, there were three other people sitting at tables, watching the music. The sign-up list, God bless it, had no names on it. And a man named Sweet D played nine songs, making it a little less “open mic,” and a whole lot more “Sweet B For President.” In fact, because I had to get to my third open mic of the night, I left at 9:19 … as Mr. B launched into his ninth song. Which wasn’t the worst thing in the world, mind you. For one, he was a great sport about it all, engaging me in witty banter as the other three people in the bar looked on. His choices were sort of fun, too: The aforementioned Steely Dan songs. The Beatles’ “Taxman.” A Calvin Harris hit. Something from The Bee-Gees. Plus, he had a weirdly soulful voice, the type of approach to singing that makes you believe everything he does, which I appreciated wholeheartedly. At one point, as he described the lyrics to one of his original songs about finding love, he proclaimed that his as-yet-unfound significant other was “probably at home, watching ‘Game Of Thrones’ on her Amazon.com account, but I’m here with you guys.” Yes, Sweet B. All four of us.

Quote Of The Night: “I feel like this open mic is being audited,” Sweet B said after catching me taking notes at a nearby table. “‘He missed that note there … .’”

Rated On A Scale Of Justin Bieber To Razorblade: Donald Fagen’s book “Eminent Hipsters.”

Bushwaller’s, 209 N. Market St., Frederick

When: 9 p.m. sign-ups; 10 p.m. play begins each Thursday

Best moment: A surprise rendition of the 1959 country music classic “Long Black Veil.” Totally out of nowhere. Totally more interesting than anything Dave Matthews ever did.

Synopsis: Hosted by E.J. Atkins of The Knolly Moles, it appears to be the most active of the bunch. Sure, things started out slowly, but before long, it went from sparse to kind of crowded. And then from kind of crowded to crowded. And then from crowded to move out of my way. And then from move out of my way to no, seriously, I need to use the bathroom. This had, by far, the widest array of local artists among the Thursday bunch and the range in talent provided for some notable performances. In addition to “Long Black Veil,” I heard everything from Incubus’ “Pardon Me” to the old great depressing standard “You Are My Sunshine.” Oh, and then there’s E.J.’s laugh, which kind of sounds like the insides of Bea Arthur’s shoe. It’s the most busy open mic I visited and, all told, it’s probably the rowdiest one, too. I ran into members of Signs Point East, The Knolly Moles and Kabob-O-Taj there … and that was all within the first hour of walking in the door. By the time the Charlie Chaplin-dancing guy weirded everyone out, people were spilling into the street. “It gets more and more crazy as the night goes,” E.J. told me when I first arrived. Yep.

Quote Of The Night: “If I don’t get my whiskey, I surely will die.” Famous words from a famous host.

Rated On A Scale Of Justin Bieber To Razorblade: Trey Anastasio playing Jerry Garcia’s guitar parts at upcoming Grateful Dead shows in Chicago.

Note: Throughout this week, we will be posting photos, videos and accounts of some of the local open mic nights in and around Frederick. Today, we are sharing the experience of what it’s like to get up and perform your own songs in front of a foreign crowd. The performer at hand is FNP reporter Kelsi Loos. Why is she up today? Because there are no open mic nights we could find around town for Wednesdays, and plus Kelsi is the best. For those wondering, we will round out the week tomorrow with stops at Bushwaller’s, The Blue Sky Bar And Grill and Beans In The Belfry. Why? Because they occur on Thursdays. Get it? Got it? Good. The above photo is by Graham Cullen. The below story is by Kelsi Loos. Now, let’s dive in.

I can’t really tell you how my two-song set at the Frederick Coffee Company’s open mic night went because I was pretty close to passing out from nerves.

What I can tell you, is that it was a good time in a supportive environment.

I’m not an open mic regular, but Todd Walker’s Tuesday night event was by far the most efficient and fun of the few I’ve seen. Walker has eight years of experience hosting at Frederick Coffee Co., so it makes sense he has things running smoothly. I was impressed by how helpful he was in order to keep the show rolling. He set up my amp while I was tuning my guitar and he tore it down after my performance while I put the guitar in my trunk, even wrapping my cable for me.

I was glad I showed up at 6 p.m., because the sign-up board filled quickly. Half the people on the board that night were regulars, Walker said.

For newcomers who didn’t realize how popular the event is, like Frederick guitarist Courtney Wowk, it was a little disappointing how fast the slots filled. Regardless, Wowk was looking forward to watching the show, she said, even if she couldn’t play this time.

As I waited in the downtime between sign up and the event, I had a chance to talk with some of the performers.

Jay Henry, of Monrovia, said he’d been coming to the open mic night for about a year. He likes that it is downtown with a lot of traffic coming through.

“It’s just a friendly atmosphere,” he said. “I think this is one of the best.”

The night started with a young man named David doing what can only be described as karaoke drums. He played an electronic kit along to an emo tune. And then he stayed on to play with a bass player.

When it was my turn to get onstage, everything started to get fuzzy. I’ve been playing music for about 16 years now and performing very sporadically for seven, so I knew my onstage mental freeze was something more than the normal musical “zone,” where everything fades away but the beat. It was getting into the groove coupled with the nerves of being up there by myself without like-minded dudes (yes, it’s been almost always dudes) at my side. It’s impossible to overemphasize how different it is to play in a band than it is to play alone in front of people who may or may not be into what you do.

I played my two songs, “Black Boot” followed by “Tide Rolls Out,” which I had finished writing just the week before. I’m pretty sure they went off with just a few small hitches and the crowd seemed to like them well enough. I was grateful for the support of my coworkers who made it to the set.

After stowing my gear in the car, I had a chance to relax, come back to my senses, and take in the show.

I was most impressed by Keating Beach, a 17-year-old from New Market, who shredded the harp like nobody’s business. Before the open mic, she said this was just her third time performing and she was trying to get over stage fright. I didn’t believe her when I heard her play. She sounded way to good to be that green. Beach said she was inspired by Joanna Newsom and it showed in her choice of instrument and singing style.

The fact that my favorite act was a harp player gets at what was most special about the open mic: the variety. From singer-songwriters to the drum karaoke to my acoustic rock thing, there were a lot of very different tastes and styles represented.

I’m sure I won’t be leaving the Frederick News-Post for a career as a solo artist, but it was thrilling for one night to share songs that I’m passionate about with friends from work and a gathering of very talented people.

Note: Throughout this week, we will be posting photos, videos and accounts of some of the local open mic nights in and around Frederick. Today, we are sharing two experiences: One at Frederick Coffee Company and the other at The Cellar Door. Why are they up today? Because both open mics typically happen on Tuesdays. Now, we couldn’t find an open mic to get to on Wednesdays, so because of that, tomorrow’s entry will be a first-hand account of what it’s like to perform at one of these things (and don’t worry – it won’t be from me). Get it? Got it? Good. Now, let’s dive in.

Frederick Coffee Co., 100 N. East St., Frederick

When: 7 p.m. each Tuesday. Sign-ups begin at 6 p.m.

Best moment: A very nice man explained to me how he has been reading my music review columns for a while now. “I’m sorry,” I responded.

Synopsis: If open mics are supposed to embody amateurism’s finest hour, then Frederick Coffee Co. embodies that more than any other place in town. Some open mics devolve into little more than drunken people pounding away on instruments. But here, host Todd C. Walker keeps everyone to two songs and even that can change (“Sometimes, the second song is one song too many,” he told me at one point.). Some open mics kick off 45 minutes late. But here, it was 6:58 when Walker introduced the night’s first artist. Some have hosts who insist on playing four or five songs themselves. Here, Walker didn’t even bring his guitar. Say what you want about the performers or the cliche of an open mic in a coffee shop, but those guys run a tight ship over there and respect is something they wholeheartedly deserve. When some kid named Nic ran through 10 minutes of “American Pie” and asked the crowd to sing the final refrain, that crowd sang. When @daveydrummaboi (his words, not mine) asked the people to clap along to his rendition of a Boston song that he performed while playing drums to a prerecorded track, the hands coming together made it impossible to hear yourself think. It’s a community. A family. Not just some dudes who set up their instruments and leave the venue for two hours while everyone else comes in and provides entertainment for an audience. The Frederick Coffee Co. open mic is smothered in support. Large or small. Good or bad. They all know each other and they all appreciate each other. Now, if Todd only knew the egg he hatched when, as @daveydrummaboi was drumming through Led Zeppelin’s “Fool In The Rain,” he jokingly whispered this into my ear: “You know, he’d probably let you do a minute if you wanted … .”

Quote Of The Night: “For some people, this might be the biggest musical stage they ever get on. It takes a lot of guts,” Walker said before the music began. And even reading that back again makes my heart break just a little.

Rated On A Scale Of Justin Bieber To Razorblade: Someone singing the theme song to “Golden Girls” on a loop.

The Cellar Door, 5 E. Church St., Frederick

When: 9 p.m. each Tuesday

Best moment: A man known as Open Mikey (how great is that?!) covering Bill Withers’ “Use Me.” Yes. I still can’t get enough of it.

Synopsis: Well, I played. And if there was one thing I swore I’d never do in my life, it’s play at an open mic night. But, hey: All in the name of journalism, right? The song was a Knolly Moles original, along with the band’s singer/guitar player (and co-host of the Cellar Door’s open mic night) E.J. Atkins. A lot of people said a lot of really nice things when we were done, but I missed a couple cues. I never got comfortable. Blah, blah. Enough of that. Because … holy moly, I forgot what it’s like to play the drums. In front of people. Under lights. Sweating profusely. My balding head shining off the purple lights as though it were a polished version of Grimace. It was, without question, the most exhilarating open mic night of them all. Because as fate would have it, Andrew Bromhal, he of the dearly departed local band Silent Old Mtns., was in the house, and he was signed up under my name (I didn’t even know I was on the list until E.J. wrote “Skeeze McGuire” next to the number 1). He even took a request to play one of my favorite songs from his old band’s album. And this was all on top of another rendition of “Use Me”? Well, slap me silly, roll me into a ball, and send me to Lithuania. It being the final open mic I checked out, there couldn’t have been a better way to end the entire ordeal. Besides: Any open mic co-hosted by some guy who literally goes by the name “Open Mikey” is an open mic everyone should check out at least once. And if you’re going to pick only one to play, the bigger question is, why wouldn’t it be the one that has that guy running things?

Quote Of The Night: “They call him Open Mikey because he used to play at every single open mic with every single band, right through to the end,” E.J. told me early in the night before lowering his voice and sighing. “He just wouldn’t get off the stage.”

Rated On A Scale Of Justin Bieber To Razorblade: Well, as somebody sarcastically blurted out during one of Open Mikey’s songs, “Great. I’m at a Phish show now. It’s what I always wanted.”

Note: Throughout this week, we will be posting photos, videos and accounts of some of the local open mic nights in and around Frederick. Today, we are sharing an introduction to the series along with a recent experience at Cafe Nola’s open mic. Why is Cafe Nola first? Because, creatively enough, Cafe Nola’s open mic nights typically run on Mondays and today is Monday. Tomorrow, we will profile The Cellar Door and The Frederick Coffee Company, who typically hold their open mic nights on Tuesdays. Get it? Got it? Good. Now, let’s dive in.

It was at the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I was in town because I wanted to visit the Devil’s Crossroads, where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil for the ability to play the blues. The time was the dead of summer. Temperatures reached triple digits but felt as though they were actually closer to four numbers. You couldn’t take a step outside without feeling the drip of sweat creep from the last hair on your head to the bottom of your back.

Morgan Freeman owned the place, but I had no real interest in that. Instead, I was determined to eat the barbecue and listen to the blues. Turned out, I was in luck: Not only did these guys have amazing sauce, but I also happened to walk in as musicians from around town were gathering for an open mic night. The blues was born in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. The crossroads in Clarksdale are as iconic as it gets in the genre’s history. And now, serendipitously, I was about to spend an evening listening to the best of the best when it came to the town’s local talent.

His name was Razorblade. An old African-American man in a suit — a suit that looked like a prison sentence if worn in the weather from which he just came. A black derby was on his head. It hardly looked like he was tall enough to be a horse jockey, yet once he stepped foot on stage, there stood a stature so large that everyone around him shrunk six inches.

A showman to the core, the guy blew my mind.

So much so, actually, that it hardly felt like an open mic night. Yeah, other people got up and played here and there. And sure, if memory serves, his name was nowhere near the event listing as a host or performer or anything of the sort. But each time he would disappear from the stage, you couldn’t wait for the next schmuck to take his guitar and get out of the way. You knew Razorblade would be back eventually. And you wanted eventually to hurry up. I was convinced that I would never find a more invigorating open mic night for as long as I live. Almost seven years removed now, and that assumption wasn’t wrong.

Still, having moved to Maryland only a handful of years ago, I couldn’t help but notice the deluge of open mics in and around town. When I started compiling Frederick Playlist’s Weekend Playlist, a weekly feature that lists everything happening in the music scene for the next three days, I would skim the plethora of open mics that various places offered and wonder what they were like.

Was there a Razorblade lurking somewhere in Frederick’s shadows? How many talented musicians existed without the help of a proper band? And even more so, how many of them actually take the time to write their own songs? Is it a vibrant scene? Or is it just a smattering of pathetic gatherings that are oftentimes dominated by some squeaky microphone and a guy who can’t get enough of his own James Taylor covers?

Thus my plan: Pick a week. Look up as many open mics as I could find. And embark on a journey to embed myself in the local open mic community, all the while taking notes, snapping pictures, filming smartphone videos and embracing as much local talent as I could find. It takes guts to get in front of a roomful of strangers and offer up such a personal expression of artistic confession, all the while wondering how much your audience might be annoyed as they sip away on their beers or coffees, appearing uninterested and unimpressed.

So, hey. Got a guitar? Got a voice? Got some songs you feel like sharing to a loud bar for no good reason at 11:38 on a weeknight? You might want to consider a few of the following places as you psyche yourself up for an evening of wayward collaborations, (mostly) cheap booze and some guy who does a Charlie Chaplin dance while staring into an abyss of bar patrons with the face of a man who has no problem slitting your neck and drinking your blood.

Really. That dude was scary.

Anyway, let’s go.

Cafe Nola, 4 E. Patrick St., Frederick

When: 8 p.m. each Monday

Best moment: Some fabulous young lady covered Bill Withers’ “Use Me.” Did I ever tell you that by my highly scientific calculations, Bill Withers’ “Use Me” is the single greatest pop song ever written? Well, it is.

Synopsis: Want to run an open mic night? Local venues will throw you a couple hundred bucks to play ringmaster for a night. Goodbye, FNP. Hello, new career. Anyway, I learned this from Dave Bernet and Good Lee Buron, who run Nola’s open mic. Or, maybe I should say, ran. See, as they told it, the higher-ups at Cafe Nola were looking to save money, so they decided to have someone in-house eventually begin to run its open mic night. This night would be one of the pair’s final installments at Nola. Which is a shame, because while Bushwaller’s might have a ton of people come in and out the door through the night, Cafe Nola, by far, has the highest number of musicians sign up to play. The only problem was that by 11:30, they were playing to no more than seven people, most of whom were other artists still waiting to get up there. Still, the talent at Nola was truly unparalleled. A bunch of originals were mixed in with just as many neat cover choices (like “Use Me,” as I already referenced), and that Cafe Nola dim-room vibe is ideal for those who might be a little apprehensive while getting up in front of people. Two locals who aren’t apprehensive? Joe Jalette and Jon Phelps of two great local bands, Seaknuckle and Chainsaws. The duo performed as part of the latter, Phelps on drums and Jalette on guitar, and … holy moly did they melt everyone’s faces. Actually, not only did they melt faces, but they are also two of about, say, two people in the state of Maryland who try to provide entertaining and witty onstage banter between songs … and can actually provide entertaining and witty onstage banter between songs. Local bands, take note. Those dudes should be the honorary hosts of every open mic ever assembled anywhere in the universe. And that’s only a slight exaggeration.

Quote Of The Night: “Hey, we’re Heavy Lights,” Jalette subversively noted between songs. “You can find us on Tinder.” That joke works on approximately 3,496 levels.

Rated On A Scale Of Justin Bieber To Razorblade: Sleater-Kinney covering a Jay-Z song that samples something Jeff Tweedy wrote when he was 14 years old and can only be heard on the Deep Web.