Clayote Studios is a unique business to have open mic, but I am thankful they take the time to do it. The business is a pottery and pottery-making store. They offer no food or drinks, however, you may bring your own and they’ll allow it inside. One host has been known to bring pizza and other treats some weeks. They have no stage; a single mic is set up in one corner. The seating is limited and consists of collapsible chairs. (More chairs can be brought out if need be, up to 20.) The room goes from 6 to 9pm. All expressions of art are welcome. The mic has been going on a year. This is an informal room; often they don’t use a signup sheet. The hosts just know who came in and in what order. There are no language restrictions. Musicians get three songs or 15 minutes. Interestingly enough, I was offered 20 minutes. I think that’s because not a lot of talent showed up. When we started at 6:15pm, six people made up the audience, including one toddler. I was asked to go up third. Chris and Danni run the room, and they opened with three songs. Then another musician went up. Including both hosts, four people were watching the second talent. One of the four was a civilian, someone not there to perform. I went up about 6:50pm and did 15 minutes, performing for six people, two of whom were there to watch. As intimate as the audience was, it went pretty well. After the fourth talent, the hosts went up and performed again. People were coming in and out of the room frequently, excusing themselves to use their cell, maybe smoke, what have you. I was offered a second round of stage time but declined. That’s right. As it turns out, you may very well get a second turn. On their last song, the hosts were playing to five people. The fifth talent to go up did five songs! The hosts were determined to have a performer up there till the evening ended at 9pm! On a good night they’ll get 12 to 14 people in the room. This is a very informal room. At 7:53pm a guy walks in and says, “I got a five minute song,” and the hosts just stopped playing and said, “Come up.” After he finished the song, he left. Guys, this was an exceptional room, to say the least. But I recommend doing it. Sure, it’s not tailored to open mic in that it doesn’t serve food or drink, even if you can BYO anything. But Danni and Chris make a concerted effort to get the word out. In speaking with them, they are marketing the open mic like insane people. The amount of stage time alone makes this room worth doing. Sure, attendance was not astronomical, but neither are some booked rooms. Don’t let this night reflect the room. During the summer, attendance was higher. The more they promote, the more this room will get noticed. They welcome all talent, and in my experience anyway, I felt it. The room was quite supportive. The fact that these two fine folks put in the time to keep the mic going, providing a service to the local and visiting artists needing to get their fix on stage, this room deserves as much consideration as any other. It’s the amount of stage time that should tip the scale.
Clayote Studios is a unique business to have open mic, but I am thankful they take the time to do it.
ReplyDeleteThe business is a pottery and pottery-making store. They offer no food or drinks, however, you may bring your own and they’ll allow it inside. One host has been known to bring pizza and other treats some weeks. They have no stage; a single mic is set up in one corner. The seating is limited and consists of collapsible chairs. (More chairs can be brought out if need be, up to 20.) The room goes from 6 to 9pm. All expressions of art are welcome. The mic has been going on a year. This is an informal room; often they don’t use a signup sheet. The hosts just know who came in and in what order. There are no language restrictions. Musicians get three songs or 15 minutes. Interestingly enough, I was offered 20 minutes. I think that’s because not a lot of talent showed up.
When we started at 6:15pm, six people made up the audience, including one toddler. I was asked to go up third. Chris and Danni run the room, and they opened with three songs. Then another musician went up. Including both hosts, four people were watching the second talent. One of the four was a civilian, someone not there to perform. I went up about 6:50pm and did 15 minutes, performing for six people, two of whom were there to watch. As intimate as the audience was, it went pretty well.
After the fourth talent, the hosts went up and performed again. People were coming in and out of the room frequently, excusing themselves to use their cell, maybe smoke, what have you. I was offered a second round of stage time but declined. That’s right. As it turns out, you may very well get a second turn. On their last song, the hosts were playing to five people. The fifth talent to go up did five songs! The hosts were determined to have a performer up there till the evening ended at 9pm! On a good night they’ll get 12 to 14 people in the room.
This is a very informal room. At 7:53pm a guy walks in and says, “I got a five minute song,” and the hosts just stopped playing and said, “Come up.” After he finished the song, he left.
Guys, this was an exceptional room, to say the least. But I recommend doing it. Sure, it’s not tailored to open mic in that it doesn’t serve food or drink, even if you can BYO anything. But Danni and Chris make a concerted effort to get the word out. In speaking with them, they are marketing the open mic like insane people. The amount of stage time alone makes this room worth doing. Sure, attendance was not astronomical, but neither are some booked rooms. Don’t let this night reflect the room. During the summer, attendance was higher. The more they promote, the more this room will get noticed. They welcome all talent, and in my experience anyway, I felt it. The room was quite supportive. The fact that these two fine folks put in the time to keep the mic going, providing a service to the local and visiting artists needing to get their fix on stage, this room deserves as much consideration as any other. It’s the amount of stage time that should tip the scale.