I have been to a number of informal open mics (over 260 as of this review), but this is arguably the most informal room I’ve done. Heska’s is a coffeehouse, serving hot and cold beverages, including beer. To eat, they offer all-day breakfast foods, soup, salad, grilled sandwiches and cold sandwiches. The owners of the business, Heska and her husband Joe, also run the open mic. There is no signup sheet. Heska and Joe just remember who came in what order and put them up accordingly. Ostensibly, I was told talent gets three songs or 15 minutes. There are language restrictions, both on swear words and adult subject matter. Keep it PG-13 at most. All genres of talent are welcome. They have a TV on in the room, but the sound is turned down before the mic begins. Heska’s has a parking lot, and there is plenty of street parking. Heska’s will make you think this was a house once, which was turned into a business. Well, open mic takes place in the living room. There is no stage. A mic is set up to one corner of the room, and the room seats 20. There are other rooms people can sit, but it may not allow you to see the show. What makes this room so informal is that sometimes both hosts have to excuse themselves to make food in the kitchen, which kind of leaves the mic wide open. For example: Evidently, the night I was there it was a slow night. The week before the room was packed, with people standing to be able to see the show. Well, the night I did the room, attendance was so low, Joe held off on starting, hoping more people would show up. I arrived just after 6pm and I was the only one there. Another couple arrived to watch the show only, and a third person came to eat dinner there, and he sat in the room with the mic not intending to go up. By 6:30pm it was just us four and our hosts. Joe told me I can go up any time and turn on the mic and start, which I said yes to. However, his wife was doing catch-up with the couple at a table, and I did not want to interrupt. The room was so intimate, you couldn’t help but hear what they were saying. She talked until another couple came, then she excused herself to go behind the counter. That same couple and I talked, and we decided when Heska came back, I’d go up and do my set. Well, in that time more people came, and with the two hosts occupied in the kitchen and no one hosting, a second couple among those who came late, just went up and started playing. I did not object, as I wanted Heska to be in the audience while I was performing. The couple played nine songs, starting at 7:05pm, playing to five people. Again, informal room. They finished just shy of 7:40pm, and I did about 15 minutes after, playing to eight to nine people, as Heska and Joe were in and out of the room. They advertise the mic going from 6 to 8pm, and while on stage I saw other talent come in, so I got myself off, believing he only had five minutes. As it turns out, there is no end time. Heska’s keeps the mic open till all talent have gone up. When I left at 8:50pm, they were still playing music. Guys, this is a room to do. The amount of stage time is ample, perhaps even spilling over 15, as informal as this room is, and if attendance is not high. Heska and Joe are very relaxed people, really just having a jazz session, with Joe playing guitar and chiming in with other musicians when he’s not in the kitchen, and Heska playing the bongos and other backup instruments. They just want everyone to have a good time. And I did.
I have been to a number of informal open mics (over 260 as of this review), but this is arguably the most informal room I’ve done.
ReplyDeleteHeska’s is a coffeehouse, serving hot and cold beverages, including beer. To eat, they offer all-day breakfast foods, soup, salad, grilled sandwiches and cold sandwiches. The owners of the business, Heska and her husband Joe, also run the open mic. There is no signup sheet. Heska and Joe just remember who came in what order and put them up accordingly. Ostensibly, I was told talent gets three songs or 15 minutes. There are language restrictions, both on swear words and adult subject matter. Keep it PG-13 at most. All genres of talent are welcome. They have a TV on in the room, but the sound is turned down before the mic begins. Heska’s has a parking lot, and there is plenty of street parking.
Heska’s will make you think this was a house once, which was turned into a business. Well, open mic takes place in the living room. There is no stage. A mic is set up to one corner of the room, and the room seats 20. There are other rooms people can sit, but it may not allow you to see the show.
What makes this room so informal is that sometimes both hosts have to excuse themselves to make food in the kitchen, which kind of leaves the mic wide open. For example:
Evidently, the night I was there it was a slow night. The week before the room was packed, with people standing to be able to see the show. Well, the night I did the room, attendance was so low, Joe held off on starting, hoping more people would show up. I arrived just after 6pm and I was the only one there. Another couple arrived to watch the show only, and a third person came to eat dinner there, and he sat in the room with the mic not intending to go up. By 6:30pm it was just us four and our hosts. Joe told me I can go up any time and turn on the mic and start, which I said yes to. However, his wife was doing catch-up with the couple at a table, and I did not want to interrupt. The room was so intimate, you couldn’t help but hear what they were saying. She talked until another couple came, then she excused herself to go behind the counter. That same couple and I talked, and we decided when Heska came back, I’d go up and do my set.
Well, in that time more people came, and with the two hosts occupied in the kitchen and no one hosting, a second couple among those who came late, just went up and started playing. I did not object, as I wanted Heska to be in the audience while I was performing. The couple played nine songs, starting at 7:05pm, playing to five people. Again, informal room. They finished just shy of 7:40pm, and I did about 15 minutes after, playing to eight to nine people, as Heska and Joe were in and out of the room. They advertise the mic going from 6 to 8pm, and while on stage I saw other talent come in, so I got myself off, believing he only had five minutes. As it turns out, there is no end time. Heska’s keeps the mic open till all talent have gone up. When I left at 8:50pm, they were still playing music.
Guys, this is a room to do. The amount of stage time is ample, perhaps even spilling over 15, as informal as this room is, and if attendance is not high. Heska and Joe are very relaxed people, really just having a jazz session, with Joe playing guitar and chiming in with other musicians when he’s not in the kitchen, and Heska playing the bongos and other backup instruments. They just want everyone to have a good time. And I did.