Hey Marshall - and everyone,

The open mic Marshall spoke about below is in Woodale (just west of O'hare airport). It's called the Art Gallery Cafe. It's on the north side of Irving Park Road. It is on a little turn off called Front St. (runs just parallel with Irving Park Road). The exact address is 127 Front Street. It is an interesting place because it is run by Polish immigrants who are married. The Cafe is mostly frequented by other Polish immigrants (their are a lot in this area). The owners have a pretty artistic following, but their English is limited. Thursday nights is the open mic night, but nobody really runs it. I have been loosely running it for the last year and a half because it is right by my house and my friends and family have been meeting there. It is a coffee house with a bar. Their website is all in Polish, but there is a google map. Mostly non-Polish immigrants are there on Thursday. I have not been there in a few weeks because I started a part-time job two nights a week in addition to my full-time job. But if any of you ever want to sing there, let me know and I'll come out to play too, and I'll bring family and friends. Sometimes it's quiet and sometimes there are a lot of people. You can play half hour sets easily. They have a PA to plug your guitar into and an electric piano. Marshall, Woodale is east of Vine Tastings. It starts at 8:00, but We could probably start earlier if you wanted to. You could easily take charge and run it yourself if you wanted a place to play every Thursday. Eileen

On 11/30/2010 9:21 AM, Marshall Hjertstedt wrote:

Abbey Pub has had an Open Mic forever on Tuesdays, I think. I haven't been in years. But I see their website still lists it. 

I haven't made it to Red Line Tap, but I've heard good things about it for years. 

I made it to one of Kat's new ones. It was a very nice night. 

There's two open mics a month at Vine Tastings in Roselle. It's a nice place. Nobody seems to get a gig out of it other than the guys who run the open mic who also play there regularly. But it's a nice place. 

There's a place in Itasca (or Woodale) that Lori Harmon and I were talking about last summer that I never seemed to make it to. Lori ?

On the Uncommon Ground "competition" thing, I was there a few times. Never took the "brass ring" ( ;^) )The way it was set up, is it was audience participation that decided the victor. So, whomever brought the most friends would end up being the winner. Which is well and fine. But if you weren't willing to bring out your own crowd, you wouldn't win anything. Though Kat did a nice job of calling up people with talent, the final outcome most often depended on who brought the most friends. (Which is a reasonable outcome for an establishment that's trying to pay the bills). 

What would be more interesting, is for people in this group to pick a night or two a month and try to go somewhere together and give support to each other. The time I went to Kat's, I sat with Johanna and had a great time. 

Marshall

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 12:30 AM, David Hartman <[address removed]> wrote:

There is a place called Vibe on Sheridan Road in Highland Park, which has had Dave Hawkins and a few other folkies play.  Maybe some nearby types could propose a songwriters circle for there.  I know they are receptive to music of alal kinds.

DrDave

p.s.. I didn't mean to diss John Mayer or Ani DiFranco.  I adore them both.  But you had to be there to see hear the lyrics from some of these younger people at UG.  Made me want to dress is a plastic tarp for the guys and a kevlar football cup for the women. . . 

DrD

On Nov 29, 2010, at 11:53 PM, Sophie wrote:

I apologize for the email thread, but your comments were very funny!!  Even tho he's youthful & egotistical, John Mayer is a VERY talented cross-genre guy. Ani DeFranco has done interesting stuff too. Your comments were funny nontheless.  I'll wait to see if anyone knows more precisely where Uncommon Ground might be.  Dr. D: since I live somewhat on the North Shore also (Des Plaines), perhaps those of us in this general area could try to get together for something closer by if we find it.  You can let me know if you find a location easier for us.  I'd be open to visiting a suburban place together with those who could make it there.  I know you all did some stuff in Woodstock, but coming by myself, that far West is just too darned far to go for me. North, NW suburbs or NW Chicago work for me.  (I'm a former piano player - so I wouln't be performing - just listening)

--- [address removed] wrote:

From: David Hartman <[address removed]>
To: [address removed]
Subject: Re: [vocalists-151] Recommendations for Northshore Open Mics?
Date: Tue, 30 Nov[masked]:23:17 -0500

Wasn't there one on Clark or Halsted?  If it's the one I remember, it was one song only and full of 20-something John Mayer fratboys strumming about throwing up on their girlfriend's couches, and Very Angry Young Ani DiFranco wannabees who, perhaps because they were dating the singing vomiters, were very explicitly unkind to males in general. . . .sociologically, at least, it was fascinating. . . .

DrDave

On Nov 29, 2010, at 11:19 PM, Sophie wrote:

Can you give us more info on where Uncommon Ground is?  I know you wrote Devon in Chicago, but how far west is it?  (The more west, the better).  Do you know the address?  Or what cross streets it's by?  I can get to Devon if it's closish to Niles.

--- [address removed] wrote:

From: Paul Desman <[address removed]>
To: [address removed]
Subject: Re: [vocalists-151] Recommendations for Northshore Open Mics?
Date: Sun, 28 Nov[masked]:12:59 -0500

Though it's still in Chicago, there is a pretty cool open-mic at The Uncommon Ground on Devon. They usually have it on Tuesdays. How far north of Chicago are you looking?

On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 4:34 PM, David Hartman <[address removed]> wrote:

Does anyone have a take on acoustic-guitar friendly open mics North of Chicago?  Something that is not just playing to a noisy bar or one-song and you're out. The only one I've done this year has been at the Lake County Folk Club, but if that audience gets any older, you'd be playing to a graveyard.

Thanks!

DrDave

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Eileen Censotti
Tutorium in Intensive English
University of Illinois at Chicago
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