I get asked this frequently… and I’m getting asked frequentlier – which is totally a word. I’ve probably got another Journal entry about it, but when I got asked today I figured I better sensibly and intelligently lay out my thoughts. Believe it or not, I’m an Authority on The Subject! Ish.
Q:
hey Rob, hope I’m not intruding. I believe we’ve met at the open mic & teavolve some years ago, and I hafta say congrats on the success of your online open mic, truly impressive amount of sweat’n’tech that musta taken. which leads to my question, as I’m considering restarting my open mic, how do you feel about managing, y’kno, mikes? and, like, covid?
I’m considering having a ‘house mic’ and a shitload of mic covers, and keep one mic for myself. or, ask people to bring their own? (which seems a bit much)
A:
With the specifics – the short version is that I think it’s safe, with proper precautions, to return to running an open mic. What you’ve laid out seems smart – being ready to swap mics, using mic covers, etc. I’d be prepared for people bringing their own mics (and maybe mention it if not necessarily encourage it) which, depending on the setting and your experience, can actually be more work than you think. Specifically – is it a condenser or dynamic? If they bring something WEIRD and you’re not ready for it… do you have a clip universal enough? Do they supply the clip? Do you wipe down the hardware after peoples’ sweaty little hands wind a mic on and off… (I’d recommend getting a spring-loaded clip or three just so you’re ready to QUICKLY swap out most mics). I LIKE reading about mics and have been known to quickly google them if it’s something new… but I’m weird like that.
I don’t think a PERSONAL mic is necessary – but if you do – I would try not to make a big deal out of it. “Why are YOU getting your own mic?” People can be weird about that, but during flu season I’ve sometimes kept an “announcement mic” to the side for myself.
Using the little foam things – I’d either leave them ON (and change them after each artist) or OFF and not give people the option on their own. I also think mics are easier to clean than the foam things so be prepared to think of them as disposable. Let the bag air out because they come with a weird foam smell when you first get them. Do everyone a favour and MUTE THE MIC when you pull them off and put them on! And last but not least, maybe get them in different colours so people can see that they’re obviously being changed.
Here’s the LONG version tho:
I’ve got four replies to this question – personal, political, paranoia and the practical – which is probably way more response than you asked for.
Before any of that – open mics are probably one of the most intimate settings for musicians, especially in-doors, usually sharing microphones, cables AND space.
I’ve always been cautious, especially during flu season since one dumbass bringing their cold to an open mic can wipe out a whole scene for a good week! I’ve ALWAYS asked people who are sick to stay home, wiped down microphones in the winter, and always have a spare mic so if someone has an ounce of snuffle (and invariably swears “oh it’s just allergies” or apologizes “oh, sorry – I’m just getting over something” I can pull the mic, clean it, and use it as a moment to remind people that we’re a community and we’re responsible to one another in all sorts of ways, including our health.
PERSONALLY :
I’m of the opinion that in Maryland at least we’ve turned the corner. Enough people have had COVID and / or the vaccine that we can probably return to open miking joyously and happily. We’ve passed the plateau, we’ve flattened the curve, people who are doing their damnedest to catch COVID are going to have a harder and harder time finding it, and those who’ve been responsible (and gotten vaccinated) should be good to go. Personally, I’m probably ready and willing to host again if the opportunity presented itself.
I’d Love to be able to say “show me yer vax card before attending” but that’s not practical, and possibly not even legal. It’s also, as above, hopefully moot.
POLITICALLY :
Even if I think it’s safe, we as hosts kind of HAVE to address the elephant in the room. Being SEEN to be doing something – cleaning mics – swappin’ and swabbin’, etc… is probably even more important than doing it (at least as it pertains to COVID specifically).
As open mic hosts we’re not just performers – we’re shepherds for a community. Keeping it safe, keeping it sane, helping people learn how to treat one another. This is getting harder and harder and I’m wary of sending the wrong signals. There are a number of businesses (both musicians and venues) who’ve said some things that don’t match well with my own beliefs and politics. Unfortunately, these weren’t private conversations but big broadcast STATEMENTS that make it hard to separate the politics from the business and make it difficult to work with a business without addressing their politics. I’m not interested in returning to venues that made it clear they weren’t following COVID restrictions (or who were sarcastic when I initially canceled shows), I’m wary of people coming in and being obnoxious, about seeing people in the music scene that made it clear that they thought it was all bullshit, etc. I’m suddenly not as excited about giving people a wide open platform. But I don’t know if that ever chills out, and probably “politically” is better shelved under “personally”?
PARANOIA :
I’m going to be a LOT more comfortable from all sorts of fronts if someone catches COVID somewhere and then tries to sue the place where they caught it. Maybe that won’t ever happen, but it’s still in my paranoid vision of the immediate future. How venues, hosts, other performers, laws and INSURANCE all respond to this is still playing out. Suddenly I’m not just worried about someone tripping over a cable, but about something as difficult to prove (or disprove) as being a part of a world-wide pandemic by attending an event!
PRACTICALLY :
I think it’s safe to go back. The science seems to back that. I’m vaccinated. Practically, my allergies are still kicking my ass whenever I go unmasked so personally there’s actually some appeal to still wearing a mask sometimes, but my paranoia says someone’s going to make that political! My online open mics are definitely waning – both in popularity and with their financial return – but being able to keep them running, though they were a lot of work to get off the ground, is actually a pretty low lift. Me and my co-hosts plan to at LEAST keep the VOM going to the 69th week since we’re apparently children. However, for all the reasons above I’m not really hunting a venue. If one came to me it’d probably tip the scales and I’d happily get something moving again, but I AM finally comfortable with being sad that we won’t be returning to Teavolve.
That’s ENOUGH out of me! What do YOU think?