Fish Out of Water

On April 22, 2014 I attended an open mic night in downtown San Francisco for the first time. I have always avoided places like this because they make me feel uncomfortable. The discomfort all began in middle school during a “creative segment” in my 7^th grade English class. We were instructed to write a poem on a topic of our choice. This seems all too easy except I couldn’t figure out what to write about. The assignment haunted me. I was surrounded by highly creative and talented writers, which made the anxiety of performing my own piece of literature very unsettling. Since then, I have avoided any experience that may bring back the memory of my middle school experience.

For those who aren’t aware of what goes on at an open mic night, here is a brief run down. Before attending, I had no idea what to expect. Apparently they often take place in a dark candle lit room, with a stage and one mic placed in the center. There is often a DJ in the corner to play music between acts and assist with performances. Many of the people that attend go up on the stage and present a poem or song of their choice.

When I first arrived, I was shocked to see how intimate the setting was. I went with 3 friends for moral support and so I didn’t feel alone in the middle of the city. One of my friends makes music on his spare time and thought it would be a great opportunity to perform. The room had about 15 chairs, one mic, and a DJ in the corner. The first performer shared a poem he wrote about peeing in the bed. I didn’t realize poems could literally be about anything and still be considered artistic.

My palms were sweaty, heart racing, and I just felt an overall feeling of discomfort. Some performances were really wild and shocking, while others were soothing and nice to listen to. One guy went up to the mic and began screaming as the DJ played an underground rap track. It didn’t make sense but somehow people still enjoyed it. My favorite performance was by a girl named Mya. She sang her own version of “Déjà vu” by Beyonce. It was a nice experience and completely different than I expected.

Overall the experience was nice. I can’t say I would go again because it was not something I’m interested in. Maybe if I liked performing or wrote poetry I would appreciate it more. I don’t mind attending performances but this setting was too intimate and seemed weird if you go without contributing. For someone who would like to attend something like this, the bar was a nice addition to the atmosphere. The people were very inviting and open to having new guests. As a word of advise, I would come prepared with a poem or some sort of song to perform so that others feel more comfortable with your attendance.