As I sat alone at my table waiting for the performers to start, I noticed a decent amount of musicians because of the guitar cases I saw and the drum parts I recognized. 

I remember hearing people talking and some of them had mentioned that they were going to do a stand-up comedy act.

I have been to the Art Boutiki before for a jazz jam event. I recall the last event being very sociable and the music was enjoyable.

I really didn’t know what to expect at this event because this was my first time attending an open mic performance. 

The first performer was Evin Skye. At first glance, I was expecting a stand-up comedy act because he didn’t bring any instruments with him.

Once I heard the beat that came from his phone, I knew this guy had to be a singer.

His music is very reminiscent of Justin Bieber or The Weeknd. 

It has that bouncy fusion of rhythm and blues and pop, and sounds like something that plays on the radio.

Skye played two songs, “Go with the Flow” and “Your Name.” he first song because it seemed to fit more of my style and I did not expect Skye to belt out a high note in the bridge, which gave me goosebumps.

Skye didn’t just sing, he also danced to the two songs he wrote. 

When asked if he performs regularly, he said that he indeed does.

“Pretty regularly. I’ve been trying to do it more often,” Skye said.

A majority of the performances were musical artists like Skye. 

However, everyone seemed to have their own sound.

Brad Stock had a blues-rock sound to his performance, and then you have Brendan Quigley who sounded more like indie rock.

It wasn’t just music at this open mic, there were also comedians. 

Ameera Nasser was the only Arabian attendee and performer at the show and she made some jokes that made me chuckle.

There was a moment where Nasser talked about how her husband wanted to impregnate her, but she refuses it. Her husband asked if he can perform anal.

“Won’t you put a real motherfucking ring on it and you can have the third hole, OK? And cum in it,” Nasser said.

Nasser was a newcomer to the Art Boutiki and she enjoyed the hospitality the place gives to its performers.

“It’s a really nice venue. There are people here that’ll support you whether you bomb or you kill,” Nasser said.

Nasser did have her mess ups as she forgot some of her jokes and there were performers that forgot their lyrics or the song’s melody but the crowd encouraged them to finish.

Scribe Sayar, the host of the open mic, said open mic performances have always varied and it can range from musical performances to poetry to comedy and many more. Anybody with talent can perform.

“The performances here at the Art Boutiki open mic has always been diverse,” Sayar said. 

Since children are allowed to watch the performances, performers must be aware of their language usage. 

“If you come through and you do comedy, you know, you’re not going to say vulgar things when you have young children present,” Sayar said.

Sayar said the open mic performances happen once every month, typically on the first Thursday of the month.