Open Mics Open up the Cape Music Scene

By: Elise Hugus, January 12, 2012

ELISE HUGUS - Ben Paterson performs banjo before an audience for the first time at the Stone L'Oven Tuesday night open mic in Falmouth.

Ask any musician on the local scene how they got their start, and you’ll most likely hear about an influential open mic they went to back in the day.

A bare-bones form of entertainment by industry standards, the casual open mic vibe provides fertile ground for veterans and newbies of all ages.

Without the pressure to please an audience with cover songs, stage fright is overcome, jam sessions are had, bands are formed, and fans are won—meanwhile bringing in some much-needed weekday business to local venues.

“The first time I ever played in front of people was at Pie in the Sky,” where a crowded outdoor open mic goes down Monday nights in the summer in Woods Hole, says Falmouth musician Mike Carney.

Now hosting an open mic at Stone L’Oven, a pizzeria/new music venue on Main Street Falmouth, Carney says he’s glad to give back to the community.

“It’s a great thing for people who are just getting out and playing. People are so tight with each other and so talented that we end up jamming together and having a good time all night,” he said.

While open mics have come and gone on the Cape, lately a few noteworthy weekly events have cropped up on the scene. Whether you’re a local musician or simply a fan, be sure to check one out. You’ll never know who you might hear getting their start!

Not a musician? Is spoken word more your thing? Try the Monthly Poets' Corner Open Mic at the Cape Cod Cultural Center, hosted by Barry Hellman and Joe Gouveia. The event on January 26^th will be the First Annual Pre-Valentine's Day Open Mic. Participants are encouraged to bring poems - originals or favorites - about desire, longing, lost love, found love, first love, last love, crushes, break-ups, unrequited love, romantic love, erotic love, complicated love, etc.