Just this last December my guitarist Gabe Searles and I began hosting an weekly open mic. The venue is right in the heart of Old Folsom on Sutter Street, a place named Lock Down Brewery. We open the floor for to all musicians who are willing to share their music with us. We also welcome musicians and singer who may just want to jam with other players. Sign ups begin at 7pm and the fun goes until 10pm or as long as you want to play.
Here is how it all started:
We got connected with the owner one evening while playing music out on Sutter Street for tips. “Busking” as we call it. A man with a woman on his arm stopped for a minute to listen as they were casually passing by. When the song was over he kindly tossed a couple dollars in the open box we had laid out and he said “You know, we can hear you guys from the upstairs bar across the street. Your really good! You should bring your gear up there and play for us for a couple hours.” Needless to say, we went.
When we got up to the brewery the scene was live and happy. People were cheering as we set up for the music that would keep the party going indefinitely. They put a pint of “the common” in our hands as we fired up that amps and took to what we do best.
A couple months later we were asked back to play for an evening, and that’s when the owner talked with us about his open mic idea. We loved the idea of a steady gig and this would give us a chance to promote something concrete while meeting a good number of musicians. So that’s it, all I have to say for now. See you on Wednesday!
