Acts of daring

TO the non-musician, the idea of an open-mike night is freakishly masochistic: It’s a veritable free-for-all, where anyone can sign up for five minutes (or so) of stage time and perform to a sometimes indifferent crowd, most of whose members are waiting for their own brief moment in the spotlight. There are open-mike nights of all stripes: poetry, hip-hop, comedy. But songwriter-heavy showcases are by far the most common, playing to the time-honored notion that any artist with the right combination of notes and words can change your world, or at least your mood.

On any given night in the Southland, hundreds participate in the open-mike ritual, going to their venue of choice and signing up to bare their souls onstage for an audience of their peers. It’s democratic: Performers range from kids to songwriting veterans. Some are performing in public for the first time. Others are music-biz survivors letting out some steam. Still others are people trying to figure out where their voices are. Some play merely to gain a sense of fraternity; others long to be discovered.

As uneven an experience as those dichotomies might make open-mike nights for the casual patron, they are the ties that bind the participants. For two weeks this summer, I experienced them all.

McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Santa Monica

It’s the last Sunday of July, and I’m in the cramped hallway at McCabe’s in Santa Monica, between the stage and the men’s room, my Martin guitar slung over my shoulder and my mouth dry. Behind me, hiding behind the stacks of music books deep in the store, a couple in their 40s huddle, practicing vocal harmonies. Onstage, a woman plays a bizarre stringed instrument, which I hear only as the door swings open and shut.

And then I hear my name. I take a deep breath and walk onto a stage that in its nearly 50-year history has hosted everyone from Beck to Townes Van Zandt. Bathed in red light, I look out over the guitar-lined room at a host of completely unfamiliar faces. I breathe and squint.

“Have fun.” That’s what Jef Davis, who has been running McCabe’s monthly open-mike night (now over 30 years old) since 1996, tells performers when he gathers them after distributing playing cards to determine performance order. I’m trying to, but it’s hard: Beads of sweat are running down my back. It doesn’t help that the eight performers before me have blown me away; all are looking back at me right now.

“In 1996, when I started doing open mike here, I went to every open mike in town for three months,” Davis says. “I wrote down a list of the things that didn’t work at other open mikes.... For example: showing up early so you can pick a good time slot.”

Not only does that create long lines, Davis says, “If people know when they’re playing, they don’t stay. What really makes it work is the chemistry of all the performers with each other -- if they get along with each other, talk with each other and give each other advice, they may even end up playing together. They have to be here for all of that to happen -- and that’s what I like.” A prize of a session at a local recording studio is randomly given out to one of the night’s performers at the end of the McCabe’s show -- another incentive to stick around.

Later, Holly Barber, who’s at the open mike night with her father, plays an original, “Under the Bluegrass Influence” and a jazzy reworking of “Moondance,” the Van Morrison song, which she mashes up with Gershwin’s “Summertime.” She’s good. So why open mike? “Open mikes are available for anyone who wants to participate, so I don’t need to be as bold or as serious about it,” she says. “Also, I really like the sense of community that’s there -- being able to hear so many different artists. It’s really inspiring to see what other people do, and the creative impulse filtered through so many individuals.”

At the end of her two songs, everyone applauds, and it is more than just polite clapping.

Highland Grounds, Hollywood

There is a constant murmur on the outside patio of the Highland Grounds cafe, a swell of music coming from the myriad future performers tuning, testing and rehearsing on their instruments. Inside, though, is another story: The audience is hushed as a twentysomething man sings a solemn song about Tennessee.

David Kowal, 52 -- whom I’ve already seen, once, at McCabe’s -- is here, too: He’s been on a three-nights-per-week open-mike tour of Los Angeles since April, and on this stop he plays the gruff political rocker, “Deciding the Fate of the World.” Kowal makes his living playing and composing music for film and TV -- but, he says, open mikes fill a void that that his job doesn’t. “I was 13 years old and heard ‘Tears of a Clown’ by Smokey Robinson and said, ‘I want to write songs like that,’ ” he says.

This is, by all accounts, the most competitive open-mike night in L.A. It’s an open secret that the host, Michael McCarthy, handpicks artists from the Highland Grounds open mike to play other shows at the venue. It’s also an open secret that the prime spots on open-mike night aren’t necessarily random -- those who have shows coming up at the venue are likely to get a better position; newcomers may have to wait longer to play.

There’s a nervous excitement in the room, but everyone is respectful, though waiting your turn can sometimes be arduous. Tonight, I’m 21st on the list (there are almost 40 performers) and, as it turns out, I have to follow a beautiful piano player who sounds like the love child of Norah Jones and Fiona Apple.

I play a silly song, an original about hipsters and music. It goes over well. But my shtick is nothing compared to a Las Vegas duo by the name of the Wedding Crashers, who, I learn, have performed together twice before.

They are a flamboyantly dressed woman in a bouffant wig and a man whose look -- velvet suit, ruffled shirt -- can best be described as “the black Austin Powers.” The Crashers give the soundman a CD of backing tracks and proceed to rap to it, rapturously describing the joys of the weekend. The crowd -- many of whom had played or are getting ready to play serious, melancholy songs -- erupts. “I’m sick of listening to these brokenhearted, lame acoustic guitar players that sing songs about their ... girlfriends,” says the group’s frontwoman, who goes by the name PinkMinxx.

They’re not alone in that sentiment. “It breaks up the monotony,” McCarthy says. “I tend to like that kind of stuff, when something’s wacky. Your ears do get tired [of the singer-songwriters] -- you need fresh ears.”

Not surprisingly, the Wedding Crashers are offered a slot at Highland Grounds on an upcoming Saturday.

Gypsy Den, Santa Ana

I’m glad I’m not Paul Hines. Tonight is the first time he’s ever going to perform in public. He’s been planning it for weeks: He staked out the large, lush Gypsy Den’s open-mike night, going as an observer to check out the way it worked (in this case, it’s a first-come, first-served list that doubles if there aren’t enough performers to fill the night.) He played in front of his mirror, making sure that his moves and notes were right.

Hines decided to play live after a musician friend visited for New Year’s and was impressed with his work. Though his song is more than 10 years old, “it got me excited about having people listen to me,” Hines says. “So I decided I was going to do it.”

Tonight, he gets on stage with confidence, taking the small step up and hoisting his guitar to sing an original called “The Boy Made of Cloud.” It’s full of complex guitar riffing and careful strumming, and he nails it.

“I don’t have any illusions about becoming a rock star,” Hines says. “I just want to get heard -- even on a small scale.”

That spirit prevails not only with many open-mike performers but with audiences that give performers a wide berth. Says the Gypsy Den’s Monday open-mike host, Aaron Alcala, “What makes me cringe is people who get onstage and are completely inappropriate, and start spewing profanity,” he says. “Even if someone is bad, but is honest -- and means what they’re singing -- then I think that’s OK.”

Everyone remembers his first time. Joe Purdy is an L.A. musician who currently has a distribution deal with Sony BMG, but he cut his teeth at Molly Malone’s Monday night open mike when he moved to L.A. “I didn’t know anybody, especially in music,” he says. “I went there, and people started talking to me, saying, ‘Nice job.’ You start to make friends, and find out nobody else is from here either. They’re writing songs, hoping someday, somebody listens to them.”

Purdy makes his living on the road now, but he doesn’t have to look far to be reminded of the old days. He recently ran into open-mike vets Emmett Kelly and Catherine Feeny at a festival in London. “I was with my band, looking at them all, and was thinking ‘Monday nights. And now we’re all sitting backstage at this festival,’ ” Purdy says. “It was unreal.”

Suzy’s, Hermosa Beach

I’m the second performer at Suzy’s open-mike night -- the first is the host -- and the din from the bar and the tables of families overwhelms the longest set I’ll play on this mini-tour: three songs, starting with a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” No one seems to be amused.

Suzy’s is buried in a strip mall next to a massage school, its unassuming banner proclaiming that it has been voted as having the best burger in the South Bay for two years running (the voters, by the way, are right). The bar is cozy and refreshingly divey; Budweiser signs line the walls along with signs that say “Jersey Girl,” a reference to owner Suzanne McCaddin’s roots.

So it’s not surprising that the open mike at Suzy’s is very fraternal: Aside from a couple of older folkies, it contains a revolving group of musicians backing each other on mostly reggae covers. Regardless of whether he knows the performer, the host sings harmonies from his seat. It sounds inclusive, but it’s also intimidating: I get the feeling that I’ve walked into a party where I don’t know anyone.

Of course, that’s not entirely justified: I take up conversation with a regular at the bar who goes on to play some Radiohead covers when his name is called, and he’s as cool as they come.

Here, there’s none of the pressure there is at some of the high-stakes venues in L.A. -- but to hear musicians tell it, you can still get discovered in some of the strangest places. The Ditty Bops played open mikes at Canter’s, which led to their getting signed to Warner Bros.

And Paul Freeman, a former guitar player for British superstar James Blunt, tells his story: After he moved to L.A. about a year ago, he was at an open-mike night in Santa Monica singing “Born to Run” when a stranger jumped onstage with him, singing along. After a few drinks, they traded numbers. The stranger was Michael King -- late of King World, which distributes Oprah Winfrey’s show. King invited Freeman to play a benefit, where he met Quincy Jones and former Warner Bros. head Mo Ostin. Through referrals from the party, he met Arista Records President Clive Davis -- who gave him a five-album deal. “I know,” Freeman says, “it’s ridiculous.”

Never underestimate the power of a Springsteen cover.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Encino

A makeshift stage abuts a fountain in a tidy mall in Encino. BCBG and a California Pizza Kitchen are nearby, but the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf chain is the ostensible location for “Soapbox Sessions,” a 3-month-old free-for-all. The stage is a large platform resting on soap crates; the host (and creator) is Jason Brain, a Cal State Northridge senior whose Ritalin-crazed comedy troupe provides midshow entertainment.

The show is hit-and-miss, at best, but there’s a certain warmth that’s apparent here for the first time since starting this run. “I wanted to create an event to integrate all the art,” Brain says. “I didn’t feel there were enough of those places in the South Valley.”

Look around and you can tell he’s right: High school kids snatch up one performer’s CDs, and the talent ranges from the strange (a man playing Grateful Dead-style songs jamming with a didgeridoo player) to the ridiculous (a poet describes his dog’s penchant for playing fetch with an errant sex toy.)

It may have to do with the anything-goes atmosphere and the location, but the Coffee Bean attracts more casual patrons than the other venues. There are young couples, little kids and an elderly man holding his wife’s hand while they sip their coffee, braving amateur hour for gems (like Jess Beaudette, a singer-songwriter in the vein of Jewel or Sheryl Crow.)

When I play tonight, I don’t feel any nervous anticipation -- I feel as if I’m playing for family.

I’ll be back next week.

weekend@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Microphones everywhere

There are many more open-mike nights in the L.A. area than the ones visited for this story. Because of the fluid nature of some of these nights, it’s always best to check with the venue before attending. An online list can be found at www.openmikes.org.

Abbott’s Habit: 1401 Abbott Kinney Blvd., Venice. (310) 399-1171. 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Free.

Alta Coffee Warehouse and Cafe: 506 31st St., Newport Beach. (949) 675-0233. 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Free.

Bliss Cafe: 1249 Vine St., Hollywood. (323) 962-2986. 7:30 p.m. Mondays. Free. One-drink minimum.

Cafe Bellissimo: 22458 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. (818) 225-0026. 7 p.m. Tuesdays. $10 minimum on food and drinks.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. 16101 Ventura Blvd., Encino. (818) 386-0935. 7 p.m. Thursdays. Free.

Coffeehaven: 1708 E. Broadway, Long Beach. (562) 437-3785. 8 p.m. Fridays. Free.

The Fret House: 309 N. Citrus Ave., Covina. (626) 339-7020. 7:30 p.m., first Saturday of the month. $1.

Gardenia Restaurant and Lounge: 7066 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 467-7444. 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Free.

Gayle’s Perks: 9028 Balboa Blvd, Northridge. (818) 893-6507. 7 p.m. Thursdays. $4 minimum on food and drinks.

Ground Zero Coffeehouse: USC campus, West 35th Street at South Figueroa, Los Angeles. (310) 270-8016. 7 p.m., second and fourth Monday. Free.

Guitar Merchant: 7503 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park. (818) 884-5905. 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Free.

Gypsy Den: 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana. (714) 835-8840. 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. Free.

Hallenbeck’s General Store: 5510 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood. (818) 985-5916. 7 p.m. Tuesdays. $6 of food.

Highland Grounds: 742 N. Highland, Los Angeles. (323) 466-1507. 7 p.m. Thursdays. $3.

Ireland’s 32: 13721 Burbank Blvd., Van Nuys. (818) 785-4031. 9:30 p.m. Mondays. Free.

Karma Coffeehouse: 1544 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 460-4188. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Free.

Kava Dume: 5653 Kanan Road, Agoura Hills. (818) 865-8602. 7:30 p.m. second, third and fourth Wednesdays. Free.

Kibitz Room at Canter’s: 419 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. (323) 651-2030. 8:30 p.m. Sundays. Free.

Kulak’s Woodshed: 5230 1/2 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood. (818) 766-9913. 7 p.m. Mondays. Free.

The Lab: 2930 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. (714) 966-6661. 7 p.m., first Wednesday of the month. Free.

McCabe’s Guitar Shop: 3101 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 828-4497. 6:15 p.m., last Sunday of every month. Free.

McMurphy’s Tavern: 72 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. (626) 666-1445. 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Free.

Molly Malone’s: 575 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 935-1577. 8 p.m. Mondays. $3.

The Other Side/Flying Leaf Cafe: 2538 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles. (323) 661-0618. 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Free.

Panera Bread Bakery: 12131 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. (310) 497-9742. 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Free.

Pig & Whistle: 6714 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 4630000. 8 p.m. Wednesdays. $2.

Portfolio Coffeehouse: 2300 E. 4th St., Long Beach. (562) 434-2486. 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Free.

Psychobabble: 1866 N. Vermont, Los Feliz. (323) 664-7500. 8 p.m. Sundays. Free.

Rainbow Bar and Grill: 9015 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. (310) 478-4232. 8 p.m. Mondays. $2.

Rico Coffee: 2320-A Foothill Blvd., La Verne. (909) 392-1999. 8 p.m. Thursdays. Free.

Runway Boutique: 807 S. La Brea, L.A. (310) 497-9742. 6:30 p.m., first Thursday of the month. Free.

Sam Ash Music: 12651 Artesia Blvd, Cerritos. (562) 468-1107. 10 a.m. Saturdays. Free.

Santa Susana Cantina: 6672 Santa Susana Pass Road, Simi Valley. (805) 522-5916. 7 p.m. Thursdays. Free.

The Studio Suite: 4823 Whitsett Ave., North Hollywood. (818) 753-8297. 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Two-drink minimum.

Suzy’s Bar and Grill: 1141 Aviation Blvd., Hermosa Beach. (310) 379-0082. 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Free.

Synergy Cafe and Lounge: 4455 Overland, Culver City. (310) 459-8868. 7:30 p.m. every other Saturday. Purchase required to perform.

Talking Stick: 1630 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 450-6052. 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Free.

Ten20 Lounge at the Bel Age Hotel: 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood. (310) 854-1111. 8 p.m. Thursdays. Two-drink minimum. Parking $3 with validation.

Texas Loosey’s Chili Parlor: 22252 Palos Verdes Blvd., Torrance. (310) 540-9799. 8 p.m. Mondays. Free.

Tia Chuchas Cafe Cultural: 12737 Glenoaks Blvd., No. 22, Sylmar. (818) 362-7060. 8 p.m. Fridays. Free.

Tin Shed: 4420 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 547-1466. 8 p.m. Fridays. Free.

Totally Coffee: 1525 Mesa Verde Drive, Costa Mesa. (714) 5568054. 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Free.

Tsunami Coffee House: 4019 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 661-7771. 7:45 p.m. Wednesdays. Free.

UnUrban Coffeehouse: 3301 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 315-0056. 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. $2.

Vermont: 1714 N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, (323) 661-6163. 8:30 p.m. Mondays. $5.

Viento y Agua Cafe & Gallery: 4007 E. 4th St., Long Beach. (562) 434-1182. 7:30 p.m., first, third and fourth Tuesdays. Free.

Viva Fresh: 900 Riverside Drive, Burbank. (818) 845-2425. 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Free.

Welcome Cafe: 1808 Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach. (310) 316-9270. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Free.

Whisperz Cocktails: 3645 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta. (818) 957-9919. 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Free.