Steve’s Backstage Pass has for the past five years hosted a variety of open mics. The open mics at Steve’s continue to be a flagship of talent development and inspiration to local musicians. Often when a new open mic or music jam is initiated at Steve’s, shortly afterward similar entertainment offerings begin to appear in other local venues and host clubs. Since the forerunner to Steve’s Backstage Pass, “The Dessert Club” coffeehouse was founded; The Dessert Club and Steve’s have consistently inspired local talent and aspiring young musicians. The younger musicians often find mentors in the more experienced members of the open mic crowd. At this time local musicians can find their opportunity to “play out” at two open arenas at Steve’s, including an Open Mic on Monday nights, and a Blues Jam on Tuesday nights hosted by Mike Paolucci. Some performances at Steve’s also include a time reserved for an open mic. Mike Higgins, a performer who has been involved with Steve Toli’s productions even before the initiation of The Dessert Club, offers some thoughts on open mics. “If you want the kind of talent that is inspired by a local community and you want to be able to say ‘I knew them when,’ you have to support the effort. It seems that local musicians truly need local support and if they are unable to recruit this type of support, they are not likely to find it on a national level.” In fact an open mic would not have much value without and audience. The presence of a supportive audience causes a performer to feel appreciated and encourages local talents to be more creative and push their capabilities as much as possible.
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