first open mic

this past monday i learned of an open mic at a nearby brewery i go to occasionally, it takes place tuesdays, 6-8pm. i started to think seriously about going, despite my anxiety over never having done one before.

i pause here to contextualize this: i am a 41 year old lifelong professional musician. i don’t really play shows, i have a band that is in hibernation and not practicing or working at the moment, and my only original material (singer-songwriter type stuff) was written and recorded/released in 2021. i have never played an open mic, and although i don’t experience much stage fright or performance angst, i still have relatively limited solo performance experience for someone who’s been making music as long as i have.

so, i decided to give it a go, and it was great! the scene was filled with gracious people who treated me warmly, and when i’d gone through two originals, they encouraged me to play one more, and i went for a favorite cover of mine… what a time!

originals:

• ten years, johannessen

• chasing ghosts, johannessen

cover:

• both sides now, joni mitchell