Open mic nights at Lincoln venues provide encouragement for local artists

All success stories start somewhere.

For Lincoln musicians, they begin with the city's array of open mic nights.

Most every weeknight, musicians of all ages and skill levels perform to share their music with others or simply to enjoy the rush of spending some time in the spotlight.

One of Lincoln's most popular open mic events is held Thursday at Crescent Moon Coffee. Performers often return to this Haymarket coffee shop after their inaugural performances because they really enjoy the environment. Mark Lowe, who is in charge of booking music and running the Moon's open mic, helps make sure the mood is friendly and welcoming for performers.

"It's a great environment and it's very non-judgmental," Lowe said.

Lowe understands that such an atmosphere is crucial for allowing young or novice musicians to feel comfortable sharing their work. After all, the night is all about supporting local music, not for judging talent.

"It is a good outlet that encourages live local music," Lowe said.

Nick Dahlquist, a junior music composition major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, calls Crescent Moon his favorite of Lincoln's open mic spots, though he also plays at Meadowlark, Mo Java Café and the Bourbon Theatre's Open Stage.

"At Crescent Moon, the people always seem really nice and the environment is good," Dahlquist said.

This local musician usually writes and plays in folk or acoustic rock genres, but also writes academically as part of his UNL major.

Along with playing open mic nights, Dahlquist plays shows at venues, such as Knickerbockers, Jones Coffee and the Bourbon. He has also played at weddings. Whether it's his style, his voice or his ability to play guitar, drums and piano, he's able to engage listeners with his performances.

"I've had people hear me at open mic and come to see me again," Dahlquist said.

Since he doesn't post recordings online, playing at open mic nights and local concert venues is a great way for him to share his music with others. He loves the personal connection he feels with the audience during these performances.

"I love getting the feeling that someone feels about music the way I feel about music," Dahlquist said.

"Sawyer Jay" Kreikemeier, a senior at Waverly High School, is another of Lincoln's regular open mic performers. He typically plays at Crescent Moon and Meadowlark, and though he has played at these coffee shops several times, he still finds himself a bit nervous as he awaits his 15 minutes on the stage. It's the positive anxiety before each performance and the encouragement of listeners that keep Kreikemeier playing on with his unique bluegrass voice.

"They're open to anyone playing," Kreikemeier said. "It doesn't matter if you're good or bad."

Kreikemeier plays several instruments, including guitar, piano, banjo and mandolin, which allows him to play many genres of music, including folk, bluegrass, blues, rock and country.

"I would like to make a career out of it someday," he said. "That would be really cool."

Though it lacks the quintessential coffee shop atmosphere, another music institution has stepped up in the last year to support musicians just trying to find their footing. The Bourbon Theatre's Open Stage is held on Monday evenings, where the average number of performers each night is around 12. Craig Mustard manages most of the duties on the Bourbon's open mic night, including providing equipment, recording performers and maintaining the schedule. He also introduces performers to each other.

"Once the mood is set, a variety and diversity of performers is important," Mustard said. "We treat this as a community building program, so diversity helps us grow."

Along with diversity in performers, Mustard thinks a key aspect of any open mic night is the participation of the audience in terms of providing the novice performers with confidence and encouragement.

"Participation from spectators keeps those first-timers around and will hopefully bring them back to an active environment," Mustard said. "It's something that one can look forward to do every week [even] if they do not aspire to be a full time musician."

The Bourbon offers its Monday Open Stage mainly because the theatre is a staple in the live music scene in Lincoln, and it's meant to support local artists.  

"I met my band at open mics and know countless bands that have done the same," Mustard said. "It's one of the reasons I believe open mics are so enriching."

For Joe Lenzo, a UNL junior math major, who's played both Crescent Moon and the Bourbon Open Stage, part of that enrichment is sharing the musical and lyrical compositions he's labored over.