Glassless Minds Open Mic in Oceanside, California is undoubtedly the cure for writer’s block. If you are an amateur or experienced poet, singer/songwriter or comedian, you’ve experienced it at sometime in your life. You look all over for your muse, that one person, thing or thought that will put you back on top of your game, giving you the inspiration to write like the American economy is depending upon your next masterpiece. Look no further than the Sunshine Brooks Theatre, located at 210 North Coast Highway. Every 2nd and 4th Thursday this historical landmark is transformed into an arena where “imagery and emotion” burst onto the scene of this quaint beach city known for its’ surf and high tides, bringing with it an abundance of local talent.
Rolland Tizuela, the host of Glassless Minds Open Mic, said that this bi-monthly open mic “Has a relaxed, living room environment designed to be community based for community artists.” It is only a few months old but according to Eddie Brann, a student at Palomar College, “If you want that inner feeling of spilling something out and seeing how it is received and you want to move people, then you have to meet them where they are located.” Eddie Brann is a newcomer to the spoken word scene. This was only his second time performing for a crowd, (it was a fairly large crowd, approximately 60 people) yet he was embraced by the entire audience as well as the host. When he left the stage, one of the host gave him a very deserving compliment by saying, “I wish I wrote that poem!”
Coming to this open mic will definitely prove to be time well spent. It is a laid back crowd, mostly college students. In addition to the regular crowd, locals attending the weekly Farmers Market also come to see the open mic performers. The crowd started to get rather large around 7:20 pm. The list for the open mic was full and included blues guitarists, edgy somewhat “off-color” comedians, singer/songwriters, and yes you guessed it, poets.
Some of the noteworthy performers of the night were Joe Limer, a professor at Palomar College. He received a request at the end of the night to do an encore performance. He showed his versatility by wooing the crowd with a political piece and followed it immediately with a love poem. He nailed them both perfectly! In his love poem he talked to the love of his life that he has yet to meet. He told her that “My soul knows your wishes on a first name basis.” Then later in the poem, the audience broke out in hysterical laughter when he tried to remember his lover’s name, “Your name, your name, what the…is your name!” he yelled. Another noteworthy performer was comedian David Reinhardt. He told the audience that in 2012 he was going to become a real estate agent. He said that he had read that homes were going to be built that were “Apocalypse proof homes equipped with holy water hand guns.” There was a blues guitarist that had the crowd rocking as he wailed about a young woman who had weekly garage sales (you had to be there).
At times the crowd seemed to get a little loud and it was hard to hear the performers. One of the audience members complained about it being hot in the theater. I also recommend using the bathroom before coming. Some of the comedians may have gone a bit overboard in their acts but it’s open mic and it’s free, so if you can keep an open mind and remember that, you will be ok.
Overall I give Glassless Minds Open Mic 3 3/4 stars. If you like open mics you will love this one.
The audience is receptive and warm and the hosts are exceptionally talented and engaging. I felt like I was at an “Unplugged” event. Their was a lot of interaction between the hosts, performers and the audience. After the open mic ended there was a huge opportunity to network and everyone stayed and took advantage of it. Chatter echoed through the theatre as people were exchanging email and Facebook addresses.
The next Glassless Minds Open Mic will take place January 13, 2011. Sign-ups begin at 6:30 and the open mic begins at 7pm. It is a free event but donations are suggested.
Visit their blog, www.glasslessminds.com, to stay current with their latest news and events.
If you would like to have your performance, venue, or event (open mic, book signing, CD release, etc) reviewed, please submit your request 2 weeks in advance to: [email protected] .
