Little wings on a butterfly create hard desert winds.
Little things go unnoticed but cover the worst of our sins.
Little acts hardly mentioned set angels to dancing on pins.
From the tiniest ripples the mightiest currents begins.
Adam Belsky
Little things go unnoticed but cover the worst of our sins.
Little acts hardly mentioned set angels to dancing on pins.
From the tiniest ripples the mightiest currents begins.
Adam Belsky
I kind of think of open mics as a grass roots movement. The slogan of the movement might be something like this: “We’re all artists.” Doesn’t matter who you are, you can be more than a consumer of art; you can be a creator, too. You don’t have to have your name in the marquee lights or be rolling in dough to be an artist. All you have to do is make art.
Apparently the movement is not just a ripple in my little pond; it’s more like a huge wave. Our friend, Les Baca, just finished a transcontinental tour of open mics. Seems to me she found open mics everywhere she looked. I started off my trip to Europe three weeks ago in Paris which has a hopping open mic scene. Brad Spurgeon’s Thumbnail Guide to Open Mics in Paris lists 31 regular open mics every week. In the five days I was there I played at three: Le Highlander on Wednesday, Le Tennessee on Thursday, and the Pop-in on Sunday. Every one of those venues had a full house of enthusiastic performers and listeners. Though the audiences were a little more rambunctious than a “listening room” audience, they were listening. Taking every opportunity they could find to sing along, applauding each performer. What impressed me was how many people were there just for the show – not because they were performing or had a friend performing. They came because it’s fun to listen to musicians trying out their songs and cheer them on. And most of the performers were there for the long haul. Those who performed early on the list stayed late and those who played late, waited patiently listening to those on the list before them.
Grassroots movements are all about the little things. Like showing up to help after the flood. Or taking a seat at the at the front of the bus. Seems to me that listening is an important element of the open mic grassroots movement. Or maybe it’s just a little kindness we do for each other. One way or another it’s been so much fun to watch that happening at Tom’s Tabooley every week. Even on the weeks when I can’t be there, I know people are there on stage trying out their art and other people are listening and encouraging them to keep on making art.
Last week Brandon Bentley filled in as guest host and veteran Tom’s performers -- Keith Martin, Nichole Wagner, Zach and Cameron), Carlos Rumba, Katya Lalli-Butera, Rose Gabriel, Jim Adams, Magic Jack, Gregg Miller, Marc Windom, Rusty Nelson – all showed up to play their songs and support each other. We were so glad to have seven newcomers: John Evans, Jeff Ellis and Greg Radcliffe, Ula and Dr. Greg, Rane Alan and, our old friend and fellow ASG member, Tom Cottar. I was sorry to have to miss and look forward to being there again soon.
As always we are grateful to those who played and those who listened.
The beautiful and incredibly talented Rose Gabriel will be filling as host tonight. I think Rose may well be a grassroots movement on her own. I know it’s going to be fun. Come out and sing about your favorite father (or anything else that strikes your fancy) in honor of Father’s Day.
Sign up’s at 6:30. Music starts at 7.
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