I was at an open mic last night. It’s called the Chippewa Chapel Travelling Guitar Circle and Medicine Show. When Frederick’s Music Lounge closed down, their popular weekly Hootenanny/Open Mic went on the road. Last night it was at the Venice Cafe. I wasn’t there long – as I had to get up early for work, but it was enjoyable. And the host said poetry was permissable (Fred preferred Music) so at some point in the future I might bring some poetry there to read.

I also might drop by The Venice on one of their Monday night open mics, but I haven’t been there for awhile either since like Friday mornings, I have to be at work early on Tuesday mornings too. (The Aalim Belly Dancers perform on occasional Monday nights immediately prior to the open mic…so I might look at the calendar and choose one of those nights.)

In a few minutes I will be heading to the Hartford Coffee Company for their weekly open mic. It’s from 7-9:30. Ironically, it’s a weekend, and I don’t have to be anywhere early tomorrow morning, and the open mic is over before the Venice Cafe open mic usually begins.

Hartford’s open mic regularly has a great group of performers, and the comraderie and friendship among the performers reminds me of the Wabash Cafe. It’s truly the closest I’ve experienced since the Wabash burnt down on March 18th, 1994.

I found the above photograph somewhere online back in 2002 and didn’t write down the URL or any information, and can’t find it online anywhere, so I have no idea who photographed it. The Pageant was built on the remains of The Wabash.