Whether you’re just starting out playing music, or you’re a seasoned professional keeping up your chops, open mic nights are a great way for artists to gather with the local community and share original music.
Last week, KXT went out to Fort Worth to see who’s brave enough to step out on stage at Birdie’s Social Club hosted by Trevor Douglas (who you might recognize as TRVR?) and Gustos’ Wednesday night open mic hosted by Denver Williams.
Birdie’s open mic is put on by TRND Music, which is a Fort Worth production company that helps artist develop and grow their music careers. TRND hosts multiple open mics in the city, including Thursdays at Avoca Coffee Roasters on Magnolia, Tuesdays at The Gardens (starting back in the Fall), and Mondays at Atlas (starting August 16).
“We have our heart behind doing these open mics,” TRND Music owner Blake LaBella said in a phone interview. “Our company started with open mics. We feel the community always needs a way for artists to perform no matter what level they’re at. We used to do just one open mic, but we found that a lot of artists feel comfortable in different environments. So each one has a different vibe, a different host. I’d say the one at Birdie’s encompasses the widest range of people and artists. People come to appreciate music; they’re the backbone of the music industry.”
About a 10 minute drive South of Birdie’s you’ll find Gustos burger bar open mic, which has seen a consistent rotation of performers since its inception earlier this year. Like Birdie’s, artists’ styles range from indie to country to folk to psychedelic and more, with lifelong musician Williams at the helm guiding those that might need some help getting their sea legs. We’ve also heard they have some liquid courage on the menu that might play to the sensibilities of “Cali sober” guests.
The listeners at Gustos were sweet and supportive of the musicians on stage, giving their attention and applause to the artists willing to be vulnerable in front of them.
If you’re a musician that hasn’t been on a stage in a while, take this as a sign to get out and brush the dust off. Sharing your art is one the few things that can connect people from all walks of life, and can be cathartic to people you’ve never met.
Sign-ups start at 7:30pm on Wednesdays at Birdie’s Social Club and 7:00pm at Gustos, with both events going until about 10:00pm / 10:30pm every week.
Jessica Waffles is a freelance photographer/videographer and regular contributor to KXT.
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