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Open Mic Message Board   -   Early Online Signup (On Sundays for those being recorded)

Now on two nights a week!
ON SUNDAYSON THURSDAYS
Location: Moon & River Cafe
115 S Ferry St
Schenectady, NY
The Van Dyck
237 Union St
Schenectady, NY
  VENUE ON HIATUS 
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Host: Dan Goodspeed Paddy Kilrain
(Best host ever)
Time: 7:30pm signup.
8:00pm show.
8:00pm signup.
8:30pm show.
Cost: FREE
(Donations accepted)
$2
Instruments: 88-key weighted piano
Peavey bass
2 microphones
Yamaha baby grand piano
Bass & guitar amps
Drum kit
4 microphones
Recording: $10. CD ready within minutes of your performance. NO
Online Signup: 10am-4pm Sundays NO
Styles: Mostly acoustic singer-songwriters, poetry, and comedy. Anything from solo acts to full bands with drums.
Venue Capacity: 70 people. 100 people.

Features at both Open Mics:
  1. The Talent. Whether you just want to watch or would like someone to sit in with you for a tune- the place is a mecca for talent. Check it out!
  2. The Message Board. There's an Open Mic Message Board to discuss collaborations, favorite acts, ideas, other open mics, or anything open mic related to keep the lines of communications open outside of the actual open mic.
  3. The Location. In Schenectady, right in the middle of the capital district (less than a half hour from Albany, Troy, Saratoga, Amsterdam, Scotia, Clifton Park...) with easy parking.
  4. The People. All the great people who come week after week and bring all that beloved hoopla! It's really why everyone comes back week after week. And the open mic is all ages, so young and old are welcome!

Top Ten Reasons To Record Your Performance:
  1. Early Sign-up. Performers who are being recorded can sign up early online every Tuesday 10am-4pm.
  2. Improve Your Songs. One of the best ways to improve a song is to listen to it while you're not playing it. You hear a song from a whole new perspective which allows for many new ideas, etc.
  3. Improve Your Performance. You may notice things like you get too close and/or too far from the mic, or your p's pop, or your tempo is shaky, or you consistantly hit one wrong note. The first step to fixing mistakes is to become aware of them.
  4. Share With Friends. Bring your recording home with you to show others who weren't able to make the open mic your performance.
  5. Share With Musicians. Want to have a musician or two sit in with you sometime? The recordings offer a great way for other musicians to learn your stuff on their own so they can be ready to accompany you when needed.
  6. Low Cost. Most open mic recordings cost $15-$30. Ours is just $10 for 2 songs, or $8 for one. And these are high-quality recordings taken right from the sound board.
  7. Speedy Delivery. Most open mics require a week turn-around for you to pick up your CDs. At the Rkstar Open Mic, not only is your CD usually ready within minutes of your performance, it's compressed, normalized, and the tracks are cut to each fade in and out. You can listen to these recordings on your way home so that you can be prepared for what you'd like to do differently the following week.
  8. Document Your Performance. It's fun just to have a record of what you played when and how it sounded. Regular recordings can also document how you and your songs grow over time.
  9. Get Your Performance Online. Those who are recorded have a chance of getting clips of their music put on the Rkstar website, giving them national exposure on the biggest and best music webzine out there.
  10. Make A Live CD. Hey, you never know... maybe you'll like the recordings so much, you'll put a dozen or so of your favorite recordings onto a CD and sell them as "Live At The Rkstar Open Mic" and make a profit off of them (remember, though... if you do any covers, you need permission of the copyright holder if you plan to sell them).

Other Local Open Mics:
  • Caffe Lena (Saratoga Springs): Every Thursday at 7pm. $3 Admission. Varying Host. All Ages.
  • Lark Tavern (Albany): Every Wednesday at 9pm. Hosted by Mother Judge and John Brodeur. 18+. Free admission.
  • The Irish Mist (Troy). Every Thursday at 8pm. Hosted by Evan Conway and J.T. Thompson.
  • Post On The Message Board if you have others. Weekly ones will be listed here.

Coming Soon To This Page:
  • Audio and video of open mic performances