Open Mic's I've Played Pt 2

One of the best rooms in Northern Virginia for an open mic is at the Folk Club of Reston/Herndon. This event is held every Tuesday in a room especially set aside for them at the Tortilla Factory, in Herndon, VA. The first time I played there the applause was so thunderous that I thought I was going to cry! First of all they really listen. I mean they really listen. Second, the entire membership has an interest in music of all types. I've heard covers, Irish Folk, Bluegrass, all types there. One of the great benefits of this venue is that you get 12 minutes to play. For me that's 3 songs. You must be careful regarding the time, though. The timer starts when you first stand behind the microphones and they've got a red light that goes on when you're time is up. The first time I played there, I tryied to squeeze in a fourth song and right around the third verse the light went on. Had to wrap it up fast!

Signup is at club on the night of the open mic. Just go up to the whiteboard next to microphones and write in your name. Generally you want to get there by at least 6:30 PM if you want to get a decent slot, since there is only about 4-5 slots available during each performance section. The evening is broken up into two sections with the first section finished off by a Folk Club Member doing a 25 minute set. The first section is usually over by 8:30PM. The second section begins at 9:00 and it's usually over by 10:00 PM. It's all lots of fun and the food is terrific. These are lovely people and every time I play there someone invites me back to play. That reminds me, it's been a few months since I played there last!