STL Open Mic Nights

Up next is Picasso's, a cozy coffee house in Saint Charles. For my money, this place has the best coffee options of any open mic along with light dishes and sandwiches. Signup usually starts around 6:30 PM and the open mic section runs from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Make sure to show up early if you'd like to sign up for an early spot. (And I do mean early, this place can get packed in a hurry!) This open mic is four songs per person, and Picasso's deals exclusively in live music, no pre-recorded music. I'm going to be honest, this location has a relatively higher bar for music than other places around the city, so I'd advise having your set ready and locked down. But on the other hand, this location has some excellent sound mixing and equipment and a polite crowd, so as long as you try your best and have your songs ready you'll be more than welcome here. And even if you don't play, some of the best music I've ever heard in this city I've heard here. Since this place has a bit of a high bar for starting musicians and doesn't really handle anything other than music, I've also set up a second open mic for this month at Hartford on the 20th so everybody has a chance to perform. Check the Meetup calendar. IMPORTANT: This location caters to families and kids, so whatever you present must be kid-friendly and safe. Anything stronger than "damn" doesn't fly here. This location also has an acoustic guitar provided, if you'd like to give music a shot. No explicit cover, but it's strongly encouraged to grab something and show your support to the owner for putting this on. https://picassoscoffeehouse.com/ ------------------------------------------------ If this is your first open mic, there's just a few things you need to know: 1.) Be polite. Both to the other performers and the owners. Everybody is here to have a good time, and you can expect the same politeness that you give to others. This group is unaffiliated with the owners, so we're all guests and have no special privileges. 2.) There's no judging here. You're not paying anything to be up there and they're not paying you to give a professional show. Just have fun, try your best, and learn from your mistakes for next time. 3.) Buy something to eat or drink. There's no cover for this event, but the owners would certainly prefer to turn a profit for providing this valuable community service.

Due to the general fullness and high bar of Picasso's, I'm creating a second September open mic at Hartford Coffee Company, another local coffee shop located south of Tower Grove Park. Signup usually starts around 7:00 PM and the open mic section runs from 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM. Make sure to show up early if you'd like to sign up for an early spot. This open mic is two songs or eight minutes per person, and while there are no explicitly forbidden kinds of acts the performances tend towards polite poetry and music. If you're planning a different kind of act, I'd recommend calling ahead and checking. The performance stage is near a children's area, so plan your content accordingly. I'll be bringing my acoustic guitar if you'd like to play something but lack an instrument. https://www.hartfordcoffee.com/ ------------------------------------------------ If this is your first open mic, there's just a few things you need to know: 1.) Be polite. Both to the other performers and the owners. Everybody is here to have a good time, and you can expect the same politeness that you give to others. This group is unaffiliated with the owners, so we're all guests and have no special privileges. 2.) There's no judging here. You're not paying anything to be up there and they're not paying you to give a professional show. Just have fun, try your best, and learn from your mistakes for next time. 3.) Buy something to eat or drink. There's no cover for this event, but the owners would certainly prefer to turn a profit for providing this valuable community service.