These days, when I'm performing with a band, the songs I do are almost always my own stuff. Yes, I've got some covers I can do, but I play requests--and inevitably, somebody will request one of mine, and who am I to refuse? I have some tunes of mine that work well in a bar, and I'll play those; most of the people will not be listening to the words--I can tell which ones are--but they've got a beat they can dance to, so they'll dance to it.

And slow songs work in bars, too. Again, forget the words--much of the audience may have destroyed the brain cells that are used for listening to words. Give them something to dance to--even if it's got words--and they'll dance to it. We usually announce ahead of time that we're going to play something slow, that's good for belly-rubbing--and we'll usually have to repeat it a few times 'fore it sinks in.

Joe
www.soundclick.com/bands/7/joewrabekmusic.htm

Actually

Sing great songs

give a great performance

have friends and cowriters in the audience

sing funny songs

capture the crowd

figure out which of your songs might work best

realize most people in the audience are people like you who are waiting for their turn after yours

be a respectful listener when you're not performing

ande

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Ande Rasmussen
AndeRasmussen@aol.com
http://www.AndeRasmussen.com
http://songramp.com/ande
http://www.soundclick.com/anders
http://www.MySpace.com/anders

Good points for bar bands or other gathering gigs but not generally applicable to an open mic situation with one exception: playing a tune that is danceable - or has a beat you can tap along to - never hurts.

Was at an open mic last night where the performer did a classic - how not to get folks to listen:
1) Not be prepared with your equipment: He brought up a small keyboard and left the power supply back at his table. Then came back with the power supply that has too short a cord to reach an outlet on stage and had to ask for an extension cord. Then told the host he didn't have an instrument cable and had to borrow one.
2) Once set up - a few too many "check one two's" into the mic and fiddling with different keyboard patches to find the right sound.
3) Finally introduces the song by saying its new and hard to play and he'll struggle through it. He definitely struggled.
4) After his turn, he packed up and left during the next performer's second song.

The lessons of course:
1) Be prepared - have what you need and know your settings.
2) Talking to the audience, saying hello, thanking the host, talking about the last performer, introducing yourself/your song - are just as good as "check" to hear if the mic is working.
3) Don't apologize for how bad something is going to be - play something you know well enough to give 'em your best.
4) Show the other folks you care about them if you want them to care about you.

Sorry about the preaching post but the Mistakes 101 were so obnoxious last night!

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Marty my new home

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• The Best is Yet to Be - Joanne Lurgio -singer/songwriter
  www.joannelurgio.com
  

o The guitar is in tune before I ever walk into the room.
o If I had a chance to talk to the sound engineer before the gig, we know where to set the levels before I get on stage, and it takes just a couple dial twists. All I have to do is step up to the mike (and maybe plug in).
o I know the hall. If I've never been there before, I go ahead of time to see where I fit and where everything's laid out. If I need extra cords, I bring 'em.
o I hate the "testing-one-two"; if I have to check (and mostly, I don't), I'll do the line from the Verizon commercial: "Can you hear me now?"
o I know exactly what I'm going to sing, and exactly what I'm going to say. There is no excuse for not being prepared and professional. (If I'm playing with the band in the bar, the "patter" is going to be mostly telling people over and over again how great the waitresses are and how you should tip them heavily. The band will have a tip jar, too--but it's amazing how many of the tips come from the waitresses.)
o However much or little (or any) I'm getting paid, the performance is as prepared, professional, and unparanoid as I can manage. What I'm going to get out of it is *future gigs*. And it works.
o And at an open mike, I watch the other performers very carefully. I'll pick up tips, good and bad, from how they interact with the audience and what they perform and how, that will make me better in the future.

Good stuff, here. Thanks, everybody.

Good post, Joe. You miss a little with this one, though. While I applaud your attempts to connect with the audience even while testing your mic, "Check" and "Testing" are phrases that reveal potential feedback in the highs with the "ck" and the "st". There's nothing in the phrase "Can you hear me now" to trigger pesky feedback in the upwards-of-1k range. Something with sibilants or hard k's will get it done. Lose that high-range to feedback (or to having your EQ dialed down to avoid feedback because it *hasn't* been tested) and the audience won't be able to make out your consonants or, consequently, your lyrics.

Kelly

I try to break the ice (and calm myself) with some light humor, bringing the audience into the performance before I begin to play. If it is my first time at the venue and the audience is small, I will bring 25-30 CD's and hand them out-telling the audience that I want to feel like I am playing for family, and that I'm sorry I missed them at Christmas, here is my gift...then I get someon to hand them out...and my music gets to every person there...they are happy they have gotten something for free..and most are smiling before the first note is played.

Burn a demo of your songs....hand em out..share your music...what have you lost?
20 dollars in sales? I am trying to make a connection, so I use more than my performance.

I also tell them that I am touring Open Mics and that I write about the experience on my website and that I also feature artists who I like from the Open Mic. That gets the musicians there interested in my music.

But sometimes, the bar is noisy, the music they want to hear is blues or bluegrass or drinking songs and there is nothing I can do to change that or to win over the audience.
so I play my songs, thank them and leave.
Too many places to play to worry about one that doesn't work for me.

Tonight I played a place that had at least 40-50 teenagers hanging out..very cool vibe, young, freaky hair and clothes..I told them..I feel like Im playing for my kid's friends and I laughed. I handed out my CD and told them if they didnt like the music to use them as a coaster or a frisbee. The kids were attentive and polite and listened to my music and applauded generously. I was nervous but they made me feel ok.

my biggest gripe is usually other musicians who think they are on the yellow brick road to success and that we should all listen to their music but we dont deserve the same respect. they are loud, rude, and disruptive.
It disrpts my performance every time and I leave angry and unhappy. Someone have any ideas how to handle those kinds of players?

When I open mic in a bar (my turf is Chicago and there are many types of open mics) My philosophy is to put the song and lyrics RIGHT IN THEIR FACES. This works for me, but I've got to perform agressively.

At the coffee houses I can play the sensitive side of g-man.

Hope this helps!