Under-the-radar open mic nights all over Baton Rouge are calling out to students for a cheap way to have fun and showcase local talent.  
The Baton Rouge area is teeming with open mic nights and live music deals, many of go unnoticed by University students.
From juke joints to Irish pubs, gospel to rock ‘n’ roll, the buffet of genres and haunts available makes it easier than ever to customize a night out.
Teddy’s Juke Joint off Old Scenic Highway hosts The Dixie Rose Acoustic Circle and Open Mic. It begins with a performance by musician Dixie Rose, then the floor opens to all blues, jazz, country/western and folk musicians ready to showcase their talent.
The event kicks off every Wednesday at 7 p.m. and invites seasoned musicians as well as rookies “looking to learn how to play an instrument,” said Lloyd Johnson Jr., owner of Teddy’s Juke Joint.
“Dixie, she’ll teach them how to tune a guitar, play a couple of chords and say, ‘Take this and come back next week. We’ll see what you can do with it,'” Johnson said. “After a couple of times, they’ll come in and play four or five songs. Music is one thing you just never stop learning.”
Johnson said the event is a great way to get musicians used to interacting with each other.
“They get to express their ideas, learn some things they didn’t know or weren’t aware of, or just pick up a guitar and start messin’ around with it,” he said.
Phil Brady’s on Government Street holds two open mic nights a week.
The first, a no-cover event, features stand-up comedy between musical sets.
“Every Tuesday, there’s a comedy show that starts around 9 [p.m.]
Then, Ryan Patterson and the boys play for about 30 minutes. And then they’ll start bringing up people ready to play,” he said. “Rock people, bring your whole band out.”
Phil Brady’s Tuesday nights are meant for “young musicians to get their feet wet,” Hall said.
“Tuesdays are for new bands used to practicing in a living room or garage wondering, ‘Where can we go to get on a stage?'” he said. “We are offering a place for them to bring their friends and bring their bands. We have the sound. We have the stage. Bring your guitars.”
But the bar’s Thursday night blues jam is what really brings in the crowd, Hall said.   
“We’ve got a world famous blues jam on Thursdays that’s been going on for 26 years,” he said. “For a $5 cover charge, you’ll see up to 30 different musicians.”
Hall said the great thing about Phil Brady’s blues jam is anyone can light up the stage.
“Anyone can get on stage as long as they got the lungs and the guts to get out there. You just gotta play blues and blues only,” he said.
Open mic nights are a great way for new bands to debut, said Ryan Patterson, lead singer and guitarist of the local zydefunk band Red-Headed Step Child.
“I started out when I was 10 or 12, and now I’m 21 and hosting Tuesday nights at Phil Brady’s,” he said.
Gabby Loubiere, University alumna and owner of local coffee shop Brew Ha-Ha on Jefferson Highway, is spicing up the music scene with an open mic gospel night.
“I don’t know anyone else who’s got this going on,” Loubiere said.
Since the gospel night’s launch, the coffee shop has been booming, Loubiere said. Anyone can walk in the coffee shop and sign up to perform.
“It’s powerful. You just get goose bumps,” she said. “A little 6-year-old boy got up with the drums last week, and it was just unbelievable.”
For all pop and hip-hop lovers, DJ’s Club Elite on Tom Drive has an open mic that focuses on more popular music.
“Since it’s a club, you’ll hear the same things you’d hear at Fred’s, Reggie’s, Mike’s … But I’ll play basically anything and everything,” said James Merritt, disc jockey of the event. “We don’t discriminate. They can come in and sing a classical song if they want.”
Open mic nights are an excellent opportunity for local talent “to be heard,” Merritt said.
“That’s how I got signed,” he said. “I did a party and then three days later, I got signed to a label.”
Every Friday, DJ’s Club Elite offers free drinks until 10 p.m., then the open mic begins.
Patrick McGannon, landscape architecture senior, said he enjoys the atmosphere of open mic nights.
“It’s cool just to see people get up from the crowd and grab a mic,” he said. “Those strangers are all of a sudden way cooler when they’re up on stage.”
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Contact Cathryn Core at [email protected]