Open Mic Adventures - installment #6 (i think): So today I was asked to feature at an open mic in Center City called McGillins. Now if you know me, even just a little, you know that bars dont like me and I dont like them. My new friend Tom Monari asked me to play b/c he hosts the open mic every week. Since im new to Philly Ive been going out of my way to pop up wherever I can, build my audience, and play for folks who have never heard my stuff. McGillins was packed - packed with an incredibly noisy football-watching audience. And as soon as I walked in I thought oh boy! The evening was full of guys with guitars. No females. And I started to wonder if my set would go over well. When i jumped on stage, they had just finished an Air Guitar-playing competition and I was pretty sure my set would fall flat. And it did - for like the first 3 songs. Really flat. In fact, i could have almost sworn people were walking out to watch the game elsewhere (even though I played the most upbeat of my songs). So I decided to pull out the only cover I know. In fact I had to learn it last week for that college conference in Kentucky. Say Something (Im Giving Up on You) by Great Big World. Part way into that song a group of girls (looked like recent college graduates) walked in to McGillins. One of the girls, who i later found out was named Melissa got ridiculously happy, grabbed the mic and started harmonizing with me. Then people throughout the room started singing. I think this is the first time Ive ever really appreciated the power of a cover. I finished the song and Melissa asked me to play the chorus again so she could sing some more. So I did :) At this point the room was tuned in and much quieter than before I started. I picked up my ukulele and played Happy (not the Pharrel song but an original of mine (https://youtube/watch?v=WwZ91O4uhI8). The room was clapping and 3 couples got out front and started dancing. Never thought a bar crowd could ever rock out to that song but it was pretty special for me and people really had fun with it! I ended with 2 more songs and told people about my Philly show on Saturday. Also, i nearly fell off the stage. It was the smallest stage I have ever...EVER played in my life :) the end.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 07:00:19 +0000