openmikes.org

McNally's Grille & Pub

Upcoming Dates ?
Thu, Nov 20
Thu, Nov 27
Thu, Dec 04
Thu, Dec 11
Thu, Dec 18

Open Mike
Every Thursday at (email)

Hosted by Heidi-Jo Hanson

88 Sargent Road
Westminster, MA

978-874-1444

This is a great little venue, with a pleasant atmosphere. I figured I'd go check it out as a spectator before setting out to play. Despite the great feel to this place, the open mic was very difficult to take, the sound was disappointing. The problems were not necessarily those of the performer but rather a complete lack of sound-engineering. There was a young female singer performing a full set (full set at an open mic you ask??? we'll get to that in a minute.) The guitar was mic'd because it lacked a pickup which should not have been a problem; one would think the sound would still be pretty great in an low-volume intimate setting like this but nobody bothered to roll off the bass or boost the treble or tune in the mids, in fact I'd bet they didn't eq the sound at all. So it was boomy and muffled and sounded like the poor girl was playing underwater. To make it worse the singer obviously was having trouble finding her pitch (most likely do to the utterly poor amplified sound of her guitar.) I felt very badly for her as she was getting paid to play for her first time and the bar kept the Football game on in the background and didn't bother to turn the volume down during the performance. I've played my fair share of bars and venues and visited many open mics from MA across the country all the way out to Seattle WA and this was a particularly hard one to take. I guess if you want to play this mic you should bring your own EQ setup, sign up early then go grab some food and come back about 2 hours later because we stayed from 8 - 9:30 and the "Open" section of this performace hadn't started yet. IMHO open mics should be OPEN, gigging and set-lists should be left out, everyone gets to play and no-one gets stuck listening to a rough set for too long. I'd like to give these folks the benifit of the doubt, because I think every bar/coffee-shop and stage should have an open mic night so I truely thank everyone for the efforts taken to put this on, and I'll check it out again some other night to see if tonights experience was just a fluke. But I think I'll just drink a beer and leave the guitar at home. On a seperate note I will say that Heidi can play a mean guitar and has a pretty sweet voice, so if you get there early for a drink it's worth the trip but if you plan to play, you should probably pick one of the other open mics in the area.

Eric (11/2008)

I am a "regular" at this open mic, and have been since before it moved to McNally's. There has always been a huge variety of musicians and styles playing here for many years, and I have never seen Heidi-Jo turn anyone away. Heidi always bends over backwards to fit newcomers in. The night has always been billed as a "Singer/Songwriter Showcase" and is meant to promote local artists' talents and original music, but performers like me, who do a lot of cover tunes, are also welcomed. Please don't let the unfounded criticism below affect your decision about coming on a Thursday night. Besides, if you don't care for the "live entertainment", you can always watch the local sports teams on the HDTV at the other end of the room.

:::====(=0=|) Lefties forever.

thomdunc (9/2008)

Wow… Some folks have no idea of the time and energy people put out to run an open mic, give the gal a break she does a great job and has been doing so for "tons" of years. This open mic beats most of them, everyone gets the same amount of time… Can't say that for most… Everyone gets a great "personal" intro… Can't say that for most… No charge at the door… And I believe the only reason you have to sign up in advance is because it's a very popular open mic… So show some love folks, it really doesn't hurt and will eventually come back to you, and you'll smile, you'll see… Love ya' Heidi

cosmic moxa (6/2008)

Wow, I didn't even know this was here… It's Heidi-Jo here: letting people know that *everyone* is welcome to perform *any* time, even newcomers, the "regulars" are what keep the open mic alive & McNally's thriving! I always try to accommodate the artists. Marc, go anywhere in Gardner, Westminster, etc. You see the same faces, same acts week after week… Maybe you should try Boston! There's way more variety there! And Susan, not sure if I know you or not, but why don't you come down some Thursday & show me how an open mic *is* run. I think this open mic is more organized than most and maybe if you came down more often you'd see there are new faces weekly. I am always open to suggestions to make it more enjoyable for everyone though. Greg, thank you, you rock! Thanks you all for your time & support (or lack thereof) hope to see the real music lovers and supporters real soon… Blessings to all.

heidi-jo (2/2008)

Does anyone know of any folks that frequent this open mic that might need/want some blues harp accompaniment? Maybe a singer/guitar player that plays some simple, dirty blues?

Mike M. (7/2007)

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