Every month, usually on a second or third Saturday night, we host a Front Porch Music Open Mic. Anyone can sign up to play. On months when we're indoors or at Hurst Farm, space for community members to listen is limited, but we fit folks as we are able. This summer, we are piloting an open mic in a more roomy and open-to-the-public space (the Oak Grove behind Lafayette Christian Church!) to see if the community enjoys the evening. Information is above. The public is welcome! Sign-ups to play are full.
The open mic attracts a wide variety of local talent playing solo, in duos, and in groups. Instruments are mostly acoustic, and styles generally include folk, bluegrass, blues, Americana, country, and original. Experience level ranges from beginner to advanced.
Over the years, Front Porch Music the performance community has grown from 20 to around 200. People's feedback has helped us to develop a roadmap that keeps everyone happy:
One song per person, but you can accompany as many other songs as you are invited to join in which you are a background singer or playing an instrument. One song per person includes individuals who perform instrumentals.
Play and Stay. Folks who come to the open mic are part of a tight-knit community that supports and nurtures the growth of all. So while we all love to perform, we also love to listen and support our friends on stage. When people play and stay, it provides an equal audience for those at the end of the evening and it sends a positive message that we're all in this together.
Being Tuned-up and Ready. When you come to Front Porch Music Open Mic, we help you know who is before you in the setlist so you can be tuned up and ready to walk onto the stage when they walk off.
Keeping Intros Short. People discover if they have roughly five minutes on stage, they don't want to spend half of it talking. That's why most players keep their intros short.
Ask for Help! If you are new to being on stage, in front of a mic, or anything else, please let us know so we can help you have a positive experience. Austin and Andree are at every open mic and show.
Sign-up to join our mailing list. When monthly sign-ups open up, you will get an email and then you simply click on the link to sign-up. We have twenty-two spots and they fill on a first-come, first-serve basis. We also have a waiting list for players that are added to the setlist as drop-outs happen.