Open mics have been an opportunity for San José State students with hidden talents to showcase their skills in an inviting atmosphere to make a name for themselves in the community and beyond.
In San José, there are open mic events held all throughout the city from campus, from local coffee shops to restaurants, theaters and more.
Many use these opportunities to showcase and express their unique talents that can vary from standup comedy, singing and everything in between without having to feel the pressures of a real stage.
Kevin Winter, a songwriter, has performed at all levels, from opening up for big artists like Andre Nickatina, Lil Wayne, to smaller venues like SJSU and said he still enjoys performing at open mic events.
“It's always great practice and I think it's great to meet new people,” Winter said. “There's always new people coming in, coming out at open mics, especially when you're not from the area like pretty much everybody in here is new to me.”
The relaxed environment can be inviting to both amateurs and professionals when they want to gain experience or experiment with their talents.
San José hosts these events all throughout the year, and last Friday was no different.
The Mosaic Restaurant and Ultra Lounge planned to host a hip-hop and R&B open mic event last Friday downtown, but it was later moved to the Hal Todd Studio Theatre in Dudley Moorhead Hall due to spacing issues.
The event gave an opportunity to students and locals to showcase their talents in front of a crowd that they might have never had a chance to before.
Joe Allen, owner of Faam Ent LLC, helped host the event but also promotes and manages artists. Allen uses his company to help people’s talent showcase their skills and possibly get paid for it.
Allen is currently hosting open mic tours and SJSU was one of the stops.
“We just started doing an open mic thing right here at San José State and we're working to go to other colleges to put together a talent show on a three-state tour,” Allen said. “We're really trying to give ladies and gentlemen as much exposure as possible because you can only do so much from home.”
Open mics are often an opportunity for those looking for talent like Allen, to scout for emerging artists because of the variety of talent that attend these events.
Winter said that performing at open mic events helped him gain opportunities he never imagined he would get. “The first time I did it, it opened up countless doors,” Winter said. “I was in Guerneville back home, and it was just an open mic, the first time I ever performed, and I didn't wanna do it and then my homie he was like, ‘yo, you gotta do it.’ Since then, I never looked back.”
Allen also agrees, as he has seen countless people whose talents have never seen the light of day being shown at his own shows and was happy to witness some participants step out into the bright lights.
“I enjoy bringing people out of their shell like the young lady we had in there, I believe her name was Faith,” Allen said. “Oh man, this was her first time performing and she actually killed it, just seeing people happy in nice intimate spots make things much better.”
Faith Wong, a third-year business student, performed, experimented and sang for the first time in front of a crowd and said she enjoyed the experience.
“This is my first time performing and I sang ‘Like You’ by G.E.M. and ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by Adele,” Wong said. “I think experimenting are fun elements of performing and hearing audience feedback live was a first for me.”
Wong was able to use the experience to step out of her comfort zone, finding it rewarding as she was able to gain confidence on stage and that she's likely to perform at future open mic events.
“I had a lot of fun here today as all I could think of was when’s the next open mic event in San José,” Wong said. “It’s very diverse like some of the cafés and bars that host open mics every week.”
Open mic culture continues to be a staple in the San José area with many planned events happening throughout the year, such as the API & SWANA Heritage Month Open Mic Night scheduled on Thursday at the Student Union Starbucks Lounge from 6-8 p.m., according to the SJSU events page.
Whether you’re an amateur trying to hone your skills or looking for a fun date night, open mic events can be a great chance to practice performing and connecting with your community creatively.
