Rockwood has a tradition of kicking off the Pioneer Days Festival with an outdoor open mic. With Ian Reid as host, a beautiful riverside setting and perfect weather, this year’s Waterside Park Open Mic was a great success. There was a full, all-ages list of participants and delicious treats just across the street provided by the Goodfellow Bakery.
The open mic was also something of a send-off for Ian as he heads west on tour with a new CD to share. We wish him a safe and fruitful journey!
Ian Reid drew a lot of performers and supporters out for his first Rockwood open mic last Saturday. There were folks from Toronto, Hamilton, KW, Elora, Fergus, Guelph, as well as Rockwood who came to sing and play and make merry. A full house – and a lot of great music.
The venue – Chompin at the Bit – was so full they ran out of seats and tables but people kept arriving. Very few menu options if you don’t want to eat meat but friendly service and local brews on tap. Although the place was busy, the section where the open mic is held has a barrier of windows that helped keep ambient bar sounds from overwhelming the music.
Next open mic is planned for Saturday, May 14th, music starts at 9 pm, sign up at 8:30 (note, the place was already full at 8:30).
[Chompin at the Bit, 148 Main Street North, Rockwood; monthly around the 2nd Saturday (check website to confirm); no cover, licensed]
The Ark Coffee House has been hosting live music (feature acts + some open stage opportunities) in a beautiful rural setting for two years now. This
summer the same group of music lovers hosted a two day music festival: the Ark Music Festival or “Arkfest”. A BYO-chair, beverages, food, & tent affair, the setting was idyllic, the people friendly and laid back. If the weather hadn’t 
coooperated (but it did – wonderfully) performances could have moved from the outdoor venue to a music room within the spacious straw bale house. In addition to a line-up of local (and not-so-local) talent there were open mic opportunities. Here are a few captured moments – hope to see a return of this event next summer. In the meantime, watch for a return of the monthly coffee house this fall.
My Mission:
The goal of this website is:
1) to explore open musical spaces (jams, open stages, song circles) and what draws us to them; and
2) to promote and celebrate these events and venues where people come together to share music.
I would like to forge and strengthen connections between the various musical communities and promote grassroots folk music.
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