FAQ: Open Mic at Velour

Answering all the questions I’ve ever received in my inbox about Open Mic

Our weekly Acoustic Open Mic nights are a great place for new talent to get comfortable on stage, to hear seasoned locals try out new material, and a way for us, as a venue, to get to know artists wanting to book upcoming shows. Many of the popular local artists you already know have started out at our Open Mic nights, like anyone else looking to get on a stage and play their songs for a crowd.

And for the those not wanting to play but rather to listen, we recommend Open Mic as a cheap and mellow way to enjoy hearing from a diverse range of local singers and songwriters.

TL;DR
Open Mic is each Wednesday
Doors and Sign-Ups at 8PM
Cost: $2 to play, $3 to attend and listen

Responding to inquiries we receive each week about the how’s and when’s of Open Mic, here is (hopefully) all the questions you could ever have, answered:

What time does the line to play start?
Each Wednesday, and doors open at 8:00 PM. All that said, the line to play usually starts much earlier, sometimes as early as 6:00 PM during good weather.

Music starts at 8:30 PM.

How can I sign-up to play at Velour’s Open Mic? Can I get on the list early? Can someone sign-up for me?
The sign-up list is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, once we open doors (which is why the line to play can start much earlier before doors open).

To keep it fair for those waiting in line, artists must be present to sign-up for themselves when we open doors.

How long can I play for? And how many spots are available on the list? Can I play on more than one spot?
There are 18 spots on the sign-up list, and each spot is for two songs. Each spot should not be longer than 8 minutes total.

Each artist should not play more than on a total of two songs throughout the night. If you are planning to collaborate on another spot with another artist, be sure to keep this in mind.

Do you have a house guitar, or piano?
We provide an acoustic guitar on stage, and a keyboard. You are welcome to bring either, and if you do bring a piano, recommend setting it up before the music starts, to the side of the stage. This way it will be quick and easy to get on stage and for the sound engineer to get set up.

All artists are welcome to use their own guitars, and can use the DI or ask the engineer to mic their guitar.

My band wants to play at Open Mic …
Velour’s Open Mic is set up to be acoustic — we recommend coming prepared to play in that manner, with a stripped-down version of your band. No drum kits, please.

To keep the night running smoothly and on schedule, any setup needs to be able to happen in under a minute with our sound engineer.

Any new questions will be added to this post in the future! Hope to see you out at Velour soon!