Johnnie Owens hosts a night of music at the Adams Family Patio in front of Buzz Bomb Brewing Company on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 5-7 p.m.
Howdy folks, and welcome to mid-November of 2020, the year of things you never ever would believe could happen, happen every day in spades. Seems like we’re just settling into a world so full of surprises, that said surprises aren’t even surprising anymore. So let’s go see what’s left out there as our Now Playing live music scene is dwindling to a trickle, and by the time you read this, might even be plugged up entirely.
One of the few places still viable, the Adams Family Patio in front of Buzz Bomb Brewing Company now has a larger, heated tent with music lined up for several nights to come, including Johnnie Owens on Wednesdays and Saturdays (5-7), Frank Parker’s Jambalaya Jam on Fridays (7-10), plus various acts on Thursdays and Saturdays starting around 7. Check our listings for other open venues, then check the venues before heading out to see what’s what. And be sure to hop online and visit the various live streams happening to support our music community as best you can during these trying times.
If you haven’t experienced the magnificence of a full-fledged open mic experience, it’s about time you hopped on board the “try it out train” before it runs off the tracks to never come back. For those not familiar with the workings of this procedure, listen up and learn how one of these things works. Generally, there’s a host of the open mic (short for open microphone) who plays a few songs to warm up the crowd and organizes the night by introducing the acts while running sound to keep things going. Almost all follow the same idea of each person doing a few songs in whatever time allowed, taking a turn on the stage while checking out the friendly competition as the other performers perform. Usually there’s a sign-up sheet to keep track of who goes when, and it’s a good idea to bring your own gear to plug into the house system. Some folks in these days of COVID might also want to bring a personal use microphone, which kind of diminishes the whole sharing the open mic idea, but for now we can make an exception in the name of public health and common sense.
Once upon a time, our vivid and vibrant music scene hosted several weekly open mics, open stages, open mikes, open pics and all kinds of openings for musicians to exhibit their abilities on a stage with a sound system and audience supplied. In these days of strange times we still have some going on, and this Thursday we actually have two happening. Check it out when the Blue Grouch presents its weekly special of Sam (Draper) & Kortney (Leatherwood) at the helm from 6 to 9 and Buzz Bomb gives us Devin Williams in charge of the open mic from 7 to 9 with DW taking it on home with a set of his own material for the remainder of the evening.
Almost always, the open stages land on days not considered prime time turf, so it makes sense they happen on weekdays. On Wednesdays, Boone’s Saloon gives us a stretch from 7 to 11 designated as open mic, and usually Trails End in Curran gifts a different host every week the honor of being Mr. Open Mic for the evening from 7 to 10. Have fun and go do your thing for the sake of the song.
Looks like we are off to the races again. Be extra careful and don’t forget to write.
Source by www.illinoistimes.com