Music, Comedy, and Community: Student Unions and Activities’ First Open Mic Night

How the University of Minnesota’s first in-person open mic night since the pandemic went, and how it benefits both performers and the audience.

By: Harriet Bennett

Music, comedy, and community were all present at Student Unions and Activities’ first open mic night. Whether audience member or performer, walking into the Whole Music Club found one’s self surrounded by a chill atmosphere and filled seats. Per open mic night nature, performers would sign up on a first come first served basis, then take a seat as they waited for the event to begin. 

The event was both in-person in the Whole Music Club as well as live streamed on YouTube for those who could not make the trip to Coffman, or for those who do not feel comfortable attending in person events quite yet. It will continue to happen every third Thursday of the month. The event opened with a performance of spoken word poetry, followed by performances of comedy and music. 

Throughout the night, there were unique performances of a song in Spanish, a cover of Minnesota’s own Bob Dylan, alternative and pop music, and even some original jokes. The audience can only be described as supportive of the performers and engrossed in their acts. Even when one performer’s guitar string snapped, they still managed to give a heartfelt performance of their original songs followed by passionate cheers from the audience. 

The open mic night was able to give student comedians and musical artists more exposure, and a chance to perform in front of other students. Both the audience and performers can benefit from the sense of community the open mic night provides, as this event can connect people and bring them together in ways only music can do. As an audience member, I felt very comfortable in the open mic night setting. Because other people were expressing themselves through music, comedy, and poetry, I could open myself up to them and really take in what their messages were. It fueled me with a sense of community, and I could tell that everyone else there felt it too. Whether they were a performer or audience member, everyone was supportive, and everyone was open to the community created during open mic night.