Musical artists and excited customers pack into Marsh Manor’s Freewheel Brewing Company for their open mic night on the third Thursday of every month. This night offers growing artists an opportunity to expand their audience and practice performing publicly. Starting at 6 p.m., the night features a variety of bands and solo artists who sign up to perform.
Nick Peters, the event host, brought this night to Freewheel to connect with other musicians and share his own music. “You can tell that people are hungry for soul connection and the best way for people to make good connection is through human voice,” Peters said.
Peters has been hosting open mic nights for 12 years and recently marked his 115th event. While the open mic night is an exciting way for Freewheel customers to experience rich music, Peters believes it is also a way for musicians to venture out of their comfort zones. “You have people who are just excited to play in their bedroom, and they want to come out and play in front of an audience,” Peters said.
During the performance on Jan. 15, Peters opened the night with a song by Pilgrims of Stoke called “No Foundation.” The musicians of the night also included The Sorta Sisters and Gary Spitz.
“I’ve been playing guitar and singing since I was a teenager,” Spitz said. Spitz has been coming to Freewheel’s open mic night for four months in addition to participating in similar events around the Bay Area.
“When I found out about this open mic night last summer, I thought it would be just another great opportunity to play in front of people,” Spitz said. Cheers erupted for Spitz as he performed multiple songs from the Grateful Dead, including “Women Are Smarter.”
One of the last musicians of the night, The Sorta Sisters, played an original song called “Bump in the Road,” which will be released at the end of January. The Sorta Sisters, including founders Kara Hermann and Jenny B-G, came together through local open mic nights. “[We] met at a different open mic at Cafe Zoë, we started adding harmonies to each other’s songs, and we’ve grown from there,” Hermann said. “We come to open mics to practice and get public exposure.”
Customers and employees enjoy the open mic just as much as the artists. “There’s a really great culture of regulars here that have been here for a long time, and I really respect that,” Freewheel waiter Sean B. said. He explained that open mic nights are some of his favorites to work. “A lot of people come out just for these events, which is really great to see,” he said.
Peters encourages high school students to come to Freewheel and perform their music to expand their audience and express themselves. “Over the years, we’ve had many high school students, and I’ve watched them grow throughout the open mic process,” he said.
Freewheel’s next open mic night will be on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6:00 p.m.
