Open mic nights are a lot more than just people signing up on a list and going on stage to perform. It’s an opportunity for a scene to be conceived or cultivated alongside like-minded creatives, while networking and possibly sowing the seeds of collaboration.
There are numerous open mics that occur in various establishments around Rhode Island, and a new one has just started on a monthly basis.
Every first Wednesday from 6-9pm, Proclamation Ale Company in Warwick will be a blank canvas for anyone who wants to play some tunes, tell some jokes, recite some poems and even tell a story or two. Local musician Jeff Glover will be hosting the event with a goal of eventually fostering a community around it.
Glover has been playing guitar for most of his life, and he has performed various solo gigs around southern Rhode Island. This open mic night is a new venture for him, and he’s excited to be leading the monthly gathering.
“I’ve been playing around with mostly acoustic guitars for most of my life,” he said about his musical background. “Recently, I’ve just played as a solo singer and guitarist while doing small gigs mostly in South County. I took a couple years off from doing that and this is the first open mic that I’ve hosted and I’m hoping that it’s kind of a springboard to get some more gigs locally. I do mostly acoustic covers and I’ve been doing that pretty much for a long time now.”
When it comes to performing acoustic versus electric, Glover considers himself a purist. He also has a unique story about the guitar he performs with.
“I’ve actually built my own guitar through learning how to build one by studying under a master guitar maker,” he mentions about his six-string. “I’m a big fan of mostly folk music. I love a lot of bluegrass and a lot of really kind of rootsy stuff. The sound of an acoustic versus an electric is just night and day. I do play some electric, but I always gravitate towards the acoustic, especially for live performances.
Glover is a former employee at Proclamation. When the people who run the establishment had the idea for the open mic, they reached out to him about it and he immediately jumped at the opportunity.
“I actually worked at Proclamation for about five and a half years up until this past October,” he talks about his prior history with the brewery. “Lori [Witham] and I had talked about me coming back to play gigs out on the patio and it was mostly brainstorming from the folks at Proclamation for the open mic. Of course, as soon as she told me, I jumped right on it. It’s a great opportunity for not only the brewery but also the music and artist community in Warwick.”
Glover wants to provide an outlet for artistic types who either have never performed in front of people, or they’re hesitant to do so. He recognizes what an open mic can do for a community, and he aims to have a positive impact with the monthly event.
“Open mics were my gateway,” he said. “It’s just a fantastic opportunity for maybe that shy singer, poet or guitar player who has been in their living room practicing their talent and they want an inviting and calm place to come out and put their sound out to the people. It’s a really great way to get started and from all the ones I’ve ever been a part of, there’s just an amazing amount of talent right under our nose. Open mics are a great way to kind of get those folks out, I want to be super supportive, bring out the people who might be too shy or folks might not recognize them around town and create a platform for them to just come out and shine. It’s always amazing to sit and watch the folks that show up, they may have never even sung into a microphone before and it’s a super low-pressure and very welcoming platform.”
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here