Open Mics & The State of the Scene

Vazy and Learic, hurting feelings in person somewhere (Metronome?), pre-Covidian Era

In the past month, I have received a cool dozen emails out of the blue from artists who recently arrived here and don’t know where to get started. I have given pretty much all of them the same answer: you have to get started in real life. Every element of hip hop is inherently social technology, a live event, a human connection.

So does Burlington need another hip hop open mic event? Fuck yeah, it does. More than one, in fact: we need multiple venues providing regular outlets for young artists, and we need them in all 14 counties, not just the moneyed plains of Chittenden. Mister Burns was first out the gate with his Second Nature series at Orlando’s, a venue currently threatened by whining neighbors who somehow didn’t realize that living in downtown BTV would be loud.

This is why you need redundant solutions: an entertainment permit can be a fleeting thing in a city full of progressives who live to complain. So I’m grateful that local legend King Mecca is stepping up to host the new Smash Tha Stage series at Einstein’s Tap House starting next Saturday, November 19th. The lineup is filling out nicely, with a great mix of sounds and styles, all of ‘em talented.

Over in Lamoille County, Big Homie Wes has grown some broad shoulders, putting in hard work to carry the local scene more or less on his back. I never would have expected to be writing that Morrisville is becoming a hot spot for hip hop, but 2022 has been full of surprises. Up next, Wes will be debuting the first Training Grounds Open Mic at the Oasis Cafébar on Friday, December 9th.

Events like these are essential oxygen for a growing scene. The networking, the visibility, the advice, the space to workshop ideas, the chance to check out your competition; such forums are a delicate balance of encouraging newcomers and enforcing standards. This year I’ve witnessed a lot of new artists change their tune once they realized how big the field was and how high the bar was set. The sooner you get serious about your artform, the better.

Hopefully I’ll have more open mics to announce next month. Hopefully this inspires someone to build that platform in their own backyard / favorite watering hole. At minimum, you’ll need a venue with a reliable sound system and someone who knows how to (actually) use it. You’ll need someone on deck to run beats and background music during slow spells: a “DJ,” we used to call them. And you’ll need put in work promoting it, too.

It’s not an easy commitment, but the payoffs of having regular events are considerable. You can attract sponsorship deals, you’ll always have a date available for touring acts looking to cram another evening into their schedule, and if you’ve got your brand connected to it, well, that’s you earning name recognition and credibility like clockwork. Just planting seeds, bud. Think it over.