One might associate open mic (mike) nights as a time where amateur musicians practice before a crowd of 5 or 6 people on a sub-par sound system. I am hear to say that at Plum’s in Saint Paul on Sunday nights this is not the case. In fact, the truth is quite the opposite.

Plum’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar is located on Snelling Ave and Randolph in St. Paul. It is a typical sports bar with a happy vibe and an excellent sound system. On Sunday nights they open the mikes for anyone with a musical talent that wants to be heard. Not only do they find a high number of folks to do so, they back them up with wildly talented session players on bass, percussion, violin, sax and harmonica. These session players are some of the best in town. Not knowing the songs ahead of time, with no previous practice, these session players follow the singer/songwriter’s lead, keeping tight rhythm and interjecting soulful solos and duets. If you had no idea it was an open mic when you walked into Plum’s, you would think the people on stage were a band that had played for years.

Throughout the night, about twenty-two musicians took the stage, each showcasing two or three of their songs. Nick, the sound engineer, was excellent in making sure the musicians were miked correctly and sweetening the sound in an extremely fast manner so that the transitions between musicians was seamless. They weren’t all acoustic guitar playing singers, as one might expect on an open mic night. Other instruments were played, even a soothing jazz performance on a Native American flute.

Some notable musicians from my experience this past Sunday night:

Ashleigh Still is a woman with an incredible voice. I loved her songs, which turned on just about everyone in the bar, as she sung about initiating booty calls and discrete relationships. It didn’t hurt that she was very attractive and seemed quite approachable. All of this was conducted in a laid back manner, like a veteran of the stage.

Jon Gilmore (aka. Six String Addiction) riled the audience with a spirited song about taking the law into his hands. Then he got a few in the crowd of sixty dancing with a playful tune, picking away at the guitar as the saxophone jumped in and conversed with acoustic arrangement. His music radiated passion and his stage presence was friendly and highly extroverted.

Nichole Peper had a Jack Johnson approach to her music which translates to bouncy folk funk. She wove about five songs into one, including a cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine“, not wanting to leave the spotlight. We didn’t mind having her there a little while longer, as she was fun to watch and was having a great time on stage.

Carl Franzen had several of the musicians in the crowd join him and the session musicians on stage. The full group, which couldn’t all fit on stage, played a wonderful song filled with beautiful harmonies and melodies under his lead on piano and vocals. He was a man passionate about collaboration and the audience benefited from the team he created.

There was a guitar duo that played amazingly with the violin, bass, and percussion session players, carrying a sound reminiscent of Jars of Clay’s “Frail“. I wish I could name them but they left soon after and no names were posted. This was a problem at this open mic night. Places, like Plum’s, that host these events need to post the artists’ names on a board, or sheet of paper, next to the stage so the audience can know who they are and see their shows around town. It took a heavy amount of investigating to get the names I did. For the non-reporter types in the audience, it would be near impossible to gather the artist information. With the solution being as easy as a whiteboard or bulletin board, the problem shouldn’t exist.

I had a lot of fun Sunday night and recommend Plum’s as a great spot to see a wide variety of up and comers in the local music scene. The crowd is friendly, most of them musicians themselves. The vibe is comfortable and supportive.

If you are a local musician trying to get your music heard or bolster your stage presence, I have included a list below to guide you on your open mic travels. (Call the location first to make sure they are still having this open mic night.) The list is from openmikes.org which is an excellent resource for not only music open mikes but poetry and comedy open mikes as well.

SUNDAY
Red Sea, Minneapolis
Every Sunday at 8pm

331 Club, Minneapolis
First and third Sunday of each month

Keegan’s Pub, Minneapolis
Every Sunday at 6pm

McMahon’s Irish Pub, Minneapolis
Every Sunday at 9pm

Columbia Grounds Coffee Shop and Deli, Minneapolis
Every Sunday at 10:30am

Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues, Minneapolis
Every Sunday at 8pm

Dulono’s Pizza, Minneapolis
Third Sunday of each month at 5pm

Plum’s Neighborhood Bar and Grille, St. Paul
Every Sunday at 9pm

MONDAY
Terminal Bar, Minneapolis
Every Monday at 9pm

Keegan’s Pub, Minneapolis
Every Monday at 6pm

Axis NightClub, Minneapolis
Every Monday at 10pm

Shaw’s Bar & Grill, Minneapolis
Every Monday at 8:30pm

Merlins Rest, Minneapolis
Every Monday at 8pm

O’Donovan’s Irish Pub, Minneapolis
First Monday of each month at 6pm

Eagles Club #34, Minneapolis
Second, third, fourth and fifth Monday of each month at 7pm

Arnellia’s, Saint Paul
Every Monday at 9pm

Artists’ Quarter, St. Paul
Every Monday at 8pm

Hat Trick Lounge, St. Paul
Every Monday at 7pm

Minnesota Music Cafe, St. Paul
First Monday of each month

TUESDAY
Kieran’s Irish Pub, Minneapolis
First, third and fifth Tuesday of each month at 8:30pm

Chatterbox Pub, Minneapolis
Every Tuesday at 8:30pm

Stasiu’s, Minneapolis
Every Tuesday at 9pm

Arnellia’s, Saint Paul
Every Tuesday at 9pm

WEDNESDAY
Palmer’s Bar, Minneapolis
Every Wednesday at 6pm

Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis
Second Wednesday of each month at 7pm

Kieran’s Irish Pub, Minneapolis
Every Wednesday at 9pm

Merlins Rest, Minneapolis
Every Wednesday at 8pm

Ginkgo’s, St. Paul
First and third Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm

THURSDAY
Walker Church, Minneapolis
Second Thursday of each month at 6:45pm

Riverview Cafe, Minneapolis
Every Thursday at 5:30pm

FRIDAY
The Town House Bar, St. Paul
Every Friday at 9pm

The Fallout Urban Art Center, Minneapolis
First and third Friday of each month at 7pm

Anodyne at 43rd, Minneapolis
First Friday of each month at 7:30pm

Metro State University, Saint Paul
Third Friday of each month at 6:30pm

SATURDAY
Southern Theater, Minneapolis
Every Saturday at (call)

Lee’s Liquor Lounge, Minneapolis
Second Saturday of each month at 9:15pm

Salam Coffee Shop, Minneapolis
Every Saturday