Open Mic at Lake City Pub
Not only are Saturdays Live Music Night at Lake City Pub, but they also have Open Mic Night every Wednesday! Emceed by the one and only Joel Lively (aka Lew Schmngy), local artists can sign up for a 10–15-minute set (approximately 3 songs) and get a chance to play on stage between 7-9pm.
Over the past couple years, Lake City Pub acquired a new owner… They closed the bar and re-did the whole place, and the new dedicated stage is fantastic for artists!
With a dedicated sound board, wiring that goes under the stage, and an elevated surface, it’s the perfect spot to bring people on to perform!
In case you've never been to open mic sessions before, it's a show up and sign up to perform a few songs event...not a jam session or pre-planned show. Most of the show ups are a person with their guitar, and an original song or two and a cover song or two. It is a great low-stress opportunity to get up and perform for the audience. Some nights the open mic sees some brand-new faces, and other nights we see local performers we all know and love. A few weeks ago, I (Zeek) was pleasantly surprised to see Billy Stoops at Lake City Pub for open night. This week, Dustin Lafferty was in the crowd, and signed up to take the stage for open mic.
You may have noticed Lew Schmngy’s long-time drummer, Dick, in one of our last Lake City Pub posts. Nearly 10 years ago, Dick showed up to an open mic at a Tacoma bar that Joel was overseeing. He asked if he could be available to provide accompaniment to anyone who would like on his drums. Joel told him he would ask around but for now to get set up, as Dick would be accompanying Lew Schmngy that evening! The rest is history as Dick continues to not only play with Lew Schmngy when they perform, but also makes himself available on open mic nights to still provide accompaniment to any artist who would like it!
The evening was a little light on sign-ups. We had Steve and Jerry (regular performers at Lakecity on open mic nights), Dustin Lafferty, and a couple brand new fellas performing together. Due to the lighter night, the new fellas had the chance for a repeat performance. They had brought a keyboard and a full drum set (which isn't the usual for open mic). But, with all the gear set up, there wasn't a microphone cord to spare... but that didn't stop the fantastic harmony that they did so well!
During one the intermissions between performers, the fellas with the full drum set they'd brought in talked Dick into rolling through a few beats on the drum set... 93-year-old Dick looked a kid in the candy store, while the younger folks who brought the drum set in watch with obvious joy.
To add to the evening, Lew Schmngy also jumped on stage to entertain us all! Certainly, a wonderful treat for everyone watching.
The support of each other, the joy of all the musicians & performers together, and the candid small stage environment make the open mic events a great way to experience the music. You simply cannot go wrong, whatever the entertainment might be, spending an evening at Lake City Pub! But if you are looking for a place to enjoy live music… Then Lake City Pub on Wednesday and Saturday nights is the place to be!