About Open Mike Venues...

Open Mike Venues are an asset and a resource both to the performers, and to the people who just come to listen.

For the performers, an open mike is a chance to perform for other people. It is a chance to get out and socialize with other performers who understand what performing is like. It is a chance to get their music and their performance out in public, and to show what they are doing. It is a chance to get recognition and a chance to feature by someone who appreciates their music.

The important question is “How is this venue, which hosts and supports the open mike, in turn supported?”
The venue has to ask “What do we get in return for making this venue possible.?”

In some cases the restaurant crowd or the bar crowd support the venue, and the performers are the musical entertainment.

In other cases, the performers have the chance to buy drinks, appetizers, or a meal, and that in turn helps support the venue.

The bottom line is that the open mike exists only as  long as the venue benefits. As performer and listener, you have to decide if your support is needed, and if you want that venue to continue.