Open Mic at Ned Kelly's

Open Mic at Ned Kelly's in Green Bay, WI

By TJ
February 23, 2011
It seems like open mics are popping up all over town these days, well not really, but there are a few more in this town say than two years ago. And that is a great thing if you're a musician that doesn't have a band or you just can't be contained to playing in your living room. You can always go to an open mic, sign up and get your 15 mins of Green Bay fame. Or if you're a music lover / spectator, an open mic is an entertaining variety show like no other. I'm hopelessly addicted to open mics, in fact I'm packing up in about 30 minutes to go to one tonight. The thing about open mic is that they are unpredictable. Sometimes magic can happen and other times it can be a complete train wreck. Who doesn't like a good train wreck every now and again? I mean, that's why we all watch "Idol" right? Well the train wrecks happened and I have seen some doozies, so it is best to be a good sport and appreciate the cajones it takes for local musicians to get up there and play.

Last week I went down to Ned Kelly's to see the open mic that is hosted by a handful of the area's best musicians. You may ask why does an open mic need a host? Well the hosts fill in the gap by playing music while waiting for musicians to sign up. The MC of the evening may also accompany other musician in a jam session. The best open mics are run this way because regardless if it is a slow night, there will still be live music from start to finish. Now you may envision open mic being a room full of beatniks listening to heady poetry while bongos are playing in the background, and in some cases that might not be too far off. But at Ned Kelly's open mic is an all-out party. Still somewhat new to the open mic scene, Ned Kelly's open mic has the best group of host musicians to keep the sounds from going static and will accompany any musicians that want to jam in any style. The ring leader is Pat Schorr (Shaker and the Egg) a multi-talented musician / singer and somewhat of a chameleon of musical styles. Pat can pretty much do it all, from old country to reggae. He is a great singer and an enthusiastically friendly host. I met Pat while jamming with him at one of IQ's open mics and he is a seasoned musician and professional entertainer. Pat plays just about every instrument, but mostly does guitar and vocals. Helping Pat host the open mike was: keyboardist Alex Drossart (People of the Glass House), on the drum kit, Andrew Klaus (Next Week's News) also on guitar, and on vocals was Riki Schulz (The Riki Schulz Band) along with bass player Branden Seefeld (The Riki Schulz Band).

Now if you are into local music you can see that the musicians hosting this open mic are some heavy hitters in the local music scene. So you're bound to feel a little anxiety if you're getting on stage with these cats to show your stuff. Like I said, I'm addicted to open mics and if I'm going to write about an open mic, I'm going to get on stage and participate. So I got on the list, let my nerves dig into me for about 30 mins before it was my turn to get up and jam. Oddly enough I ran into Roelke of (Muddy Udders) while waiting "pacing around outside nervously" for my turn and he got on stage with me and the others to join in on the jam. It was Roelke on guitar, Alex on keyboards, Pat / Andrew on drums, Branden on bass and myself on guitar if I remember correctly. Roelke started things off with a blues progression tune and handled the vocals while we all played back up and then Roelke started passing around the leads to Alex on keys then over to me on guitar and so on. It was a great first Jam and lasted about 7 mins or so but it was so much fun and Roelke really knows how to put on a show! The second Jam I went into a few riffs of "Little Sister" by Elvis Presley and the guys caught on in a few measures, another fun jam. Then I played my most favorite two chord rock song of all time "Add It Up" by the Violent Femmes. It turned out great and I love how that song is carried by the vocals, so much that I nearly lost my voice while singing it. There were a couple of other tunes we played but I forgot what they were because when you are playing, you kind of get lost in the moment and I wasn't exactly taking notes. The crowd at Ned Kelly's was having a riot. I got off the stage and made way for the next musician coming up to rock. Boy did I feel good! I think that the all the nerves and the pressure you feel before playing are rewarded with feelings of accomplishment after you make it through your turn. Even if you stumble a bit, the open mic at Ned Kelly's is really inviting and upbeat and the crowd there is ready for a party. Pat and the guys took the open mic deep into the night and the most memorable moment was a rendition of 30 point buck done reggae style, hillarious, very weird and the kind of thing I expect to see at an open mic where anything goes. There are plenty of open mics in town and I encourage you to check it out. They are a great way to meet new musicians and friends and if you are a spectator they are the perfect wild card week night entertainment that will leave you saying wow or wtf at least once throughout the night! The open mic at Ned Kelly's is every Tuesday and starts around 9pm.

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