BY AMANDA MACHAMER
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Irish Bred Pub hosted its open mic night on Wednesday, June 3, from 7 to 10 p.m. The event gave local musicians an opportunity to showcase their work and collaborate with fellow artists.
The open mic night brought in multiple musicians with varying genres and instrument preferences. From electric to acoustic guitars, to country and pop, performers were encouraged to bring their unique sound.
Musicians mixed their set lists with original songs and covers, including “Starman” by David Bowie and “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton.
Phillip Snider, host of open mic night, said the event has grown to include nearby locations like Rock ‘N Roll Pinball, Whistle Stop Bottle and Brew and beginning soon, Wild Wing Cafe.
“There’s a huge, huge following for open mics,” said Snider. “There’s a lot of musicians in this area and a lot of songwriters who try out new material. A lot of people who are wanting to play but they’re a little nervous, they’ll come and watch, see how it runs and then they’ll get up on stage, maybe sing a song or two.”
Along with local musicians, open mic nights also draw in students from the commercial voice program, Sonic Nation. Snider said Jilla Webb, a professor in the program and Snider’s vocal coach, will have students come to open mic nights and submit videos of them performing as class projects.
According to Snider, the feedback he has received from locals has been largely positive.
“A lot of people don’t know about it, but when they do find it, they’re really excited about it,” Snider said. “I really like getting first-time people up here.”
The environment at open mic night is a “supportive” one, according to Snider. He said he has witnessed the growth of performers, starting from pre-performance nerves to becoming a returning artist.
“It’s a really supportive environment, people are super nervous and they come up and do it, and they’re like ‘oh, that was okay. The sun still came up in the morning,” Snider said. “And so they come back, and they come back, and it’s amazing to watch the growth of some people.”
Charles Galik, a returning performer at open mic night, said he started attending because he wanted to get out and perform and work through nerves.
For Galik, open mic night is valuable to the community because of its ability to give musicians the opportunity to show what they have been working on, and get some hands-on experience performing for a crowd.
“For me, it’s as simple as just putting yourself out there,” said Galik. “Even if you go to an open mic night and nobody shows up, you go, and it’s like putting in the work, it’s like riding a bicycle, you just keep doing it and just practice.”
Galik’s instrument of choice is typically the guitar, and he said he leans towards genres like folk, rock, punk rock and alternative. For those who might feel hesitant about performing for the first time at an open mic night, Galik said the reward is worth it.
“You gotta go do the thing. Work up the nerves and go do it. I know it’s scary, it’ll be worth it,” Galik said.
For those interested, Irish Bred Pub hosts its open mic night every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m.
