While I was down in Buffalo this last trip, I played an open mic at Nietzsche’s, a local music club in “historic” Allentown. I used to play open mics all the time but have not done so with any frequency in quite a while. Over the past few months I have resumed the practice, one because as an aspiring songwriter I’m always gauging the potential of my songs, and two because the process scares me. I have adopted the do-one-thing-that-scares-you-everyday philosophy as a program for growth and development. So far, no luck, but I persist nonetheless. This particular open mic has significance for me, because it is hosted by the guy who was there for my very first public performance, perhaps 30 years ago. I remember it like it was only yesterday. It was at a bar called Casablanca on Buffalo’s West Side. I’d finally mustered up enough courage to play on a stage, but when I got to the bar, the place was empty save for me, the bartender, and the host of the open mic. I played to a packed house of empty chairs, and I was just as nervous as if there had been an audience. In retrospect, I suppose it was better to get that first performance out of the way without an audience. I have a love hate relationship with this particular open mic host, once dubbed the king of the Buffalo open mic, because I felt as if he has a bit of a kingmaker attitude about songwriters. I played his open mic more than a dozen times over the years, and he never made even the slightest attempt to remember my name or my face. More often than not, he would bump me on the list to make room for one of his favored protégés, some hotshot who had not bothered to “wait in line” like the rest of us (there was always a sign up sheet). This would of course annoy me, especially because I usually felt I was better than the favored artist. There is, more often than not, quite a lot of ego involved in these amateur music events, and I suppose that in the early days I fell prey to my pride. It’s funny, because talent often goes hand in hand with humility. Put another way, the most talented performers I’ve watched over the years were often the least presumptuous and the most humble. I’d like to think that, the less impressed I have become with myself, the more talented I have become, but in truth, I’m afraid I still suck donkey balls as a singer/performer. It used to amuse me how some other songwriters and musicians would spend twenty minutes making sure everything was perfect for their little fifteen minute performances, when proper open mic etiquette would dictate that the performer get on (and off) as quickly as possible. Five piece bands would come in and set up an entire sound system, musicians would spend way too long tuning their guitars on stage and setting up special effects pedals, and more often than not, the performers who took the longest to set up had the least to offer.
Despite the preponderance of attitude, I really do enjoy playing and listening at open mics. If one is not so absolutely pre-occupied with one’s own performance, these open stage performances can be genuinely enjoyable for any number of reasons. The people who get up and play might be really good or really bad, but either can be entertaining. If you’ve ever attended a karaoke night at a bar, take that entertainment value and double it. Levity is a big part of the process, and I quickly learned that, where talent is lacking, a sense of humor is fundamental. I once got up in front of thirty or forty people in a bar in Buffalo and, accompanied by my Yamaha Porta-Sound keyboard, programmed for “Samba Beat,” I played “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” with a horrible Hispanic accent. Call it performance art, but it was, surprisingly, a hit among the more plastered patrons. I would venture to say that for every talented hopeful out there, there are one thousand wannabes who are anything but. It’s the reason why I’ve always enjoyed watching the tryout shows for American Idol. It never ceases to amaze me that some of these aspiring contestants think they’re good. My bar is pretty low, yet sometimes even I am amazed. As much as I think the afore-mentioned Buffalo host is a bit of jerk, I can’t imagine what it must be like to show up week after week, year after year, and to sit through some of the more abominable performances with a straight face. Then again, every so often -- and this is what makes these events worthwhile for me -- somebody blows me away with his or her talent. It doesn’t happen all that often, but I have heard some artists play, sometimes accompanied by other musicians with whom they’ve never performed, and words cannot describe the magic of those spontaneous performances. The serendipity of such moments is, for me, worth plodding through the preponderance of bad acts and the bloated egos. If there is anything I have learned in thirty years of songwriting, it is that listening, for me anyhow, is a big part of performing and creating.
Last Wednesday night I played an open mic at an Irish pub in downtown Toronto called Grace O’Malley’s. It’s hosted by a musician named Tim Hicks, who seems to draw some good local musicians and songwriters. Unlike so many open mic hosts, who routinely hog the stage to showcase their own dubious talents, Tim’s a good guy, and many of the performances at his open stage are genuinely entertaining. There’s little attitude, he and his friends play interesting covers and original tunes, he makes the extra effort to ensure the sound is acceptable, and I’ve never had to wait more than an hour to play. I’m long past aspiring to fame and fortune from my material. Now I simply want to present some of my songs as well as I possibly can, hoping someone will be listening. Superstar white rapper Eminem was on “60 Minutes” last night, talking about his humble beginnings and his creative process. When asked what he hopes to achieve from his performances, he answered: “Respect.” Amen to that.
"I AM A SHADOW ON THE COAT TAILS OF FAME
YOU’VE SEEN THE FACE BUT DON’T KNOW THE NAME.
WHY DO I FOOL MYSELF ANYWAY?
I GUESS I PLAY THE IMPOSTER’S GAME..."
Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1 comment:
Listening, indeed!! A fundamental component of connecting, growing, learning - and demonstrating respect.
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