1. 14 April 21, 2010
CLOSER LOOK
Closer Look explores the popular new sensation at Loyola: Monday Open Mic Night.
by Karis Hustad
Closer Look Writer
EveryMondaynightat10p.m.,atimeusuallyreservedfor
homework,agrowingnumberofLoyolastudentsflocktoZip’s
Lounge, located on the lower level of the Centennial Forum
Student Union, to partake in something a little more creative.
Sincethebeginningofthesemester,LUCMondayNightOpen
Michaswelcomedmusicians,poets,comediansandeverything
in-between, and fostered a sense of musical collaboration and
community in the process.
LUC Monday Night Open Mic debuted on Feb. 1 and
wasfoundedbysophomorePeterMcKeown.McKeown,alsoa
member of the varsity soccer team, cited DanWilson, the lead
singer/songwriter of the ’90s alternative band Semisonic, as an
influence in creating this event.
“I came across a commencement speech [Wilson] gave
for McNally Smith College of Music. It was a really inspiring
thing for me,” McKeown said. “Basically what he says is in
order to grow as a musician … you have to share your work
with people. To do that you should join a community, and if
you cannot find a community to join, start one.”
McKeown knew there was musical talent at Loyola and
wanted to create a fitting atmosphere for people to share their
Piano man — Junior Dwayne Laughlin, a devoted Miles Davis
fan, plays a jazzy tune on the piano at a Monday Open Mic Night
in Zip’s Lounge.
“
”— Dwayne Laughlin
Tuningin—Inadditiontoacousticsets,performancesatOpenMic
Night usually include comedy and spoken poetry.

2. page 17CLOSER LOOK
15April 21, 2010
gifts. Since its start, Monday Night Open Mic has grown
in popularity and gained a following thanks to word of
mouth and online advertising. Freshman Jack Holland
played a large role in public relations, posting the event
on Craigslist and creating a Facebook fan page (LUC
Monday Night Open Mic). The Open Mic also streams
live online at www.livestream.com/zipsopenmicnight and
McKeown, Holland and junior Nathan Bobinchak are
working to create hour-long highlight podcasts of each
week’s performances.
When I arrived at the April 19 Open Mic around
9:45 p.m., Zip’s Lounge was already beginning to fill up.
Musicians tuned their instruments in various corners
and people talked and laughed as they arranged the sofas
and tables into makeshift rows. Most of the attendees
seemed to know each other, and if they didn’t, they were
eager to meet. By 10:00 p.m. the crowd swelled to about
80 people, and the lights dimmed, aside from the soft
lightingoftwodomelampsonthestage.Holland,aregular
performer, started off the night with a soulful rendition of
“Milkshake”byKalis,completewithguitar,harmonicaand
footstompingbeat.Thoughthecrowdwaschattythrough
hispiece,theloudcheersandapplauseattheendofhisset
proved no performer would be ignored.
As the night went on, acoustic guitar, prose poetry,
harmonica, harmonies, jazzy piano melodies, warbling
whistles, dirty jokes, bongo drums, spoken word could
be heard. Audience members occasionally joined in,
whether through clapping a rhythm, lightly strumming a
harmony or cheering at a particularly challenging riff.The
atmospherewasrelaxed,whichpleasedboththespectators
and performers. Junior Dwayne Laughlin, a piano player,
described the laid-back atmosphere of the night.
“This is a place to come and try new things; there is
no pressure. It’s pretty hard to tank here.”
Laughlin, who performed a complex jazzy piano
melody,isaregularandafavoriteamongtheperformers.At
a previous Open Mic, his rendition of a Miles Davis song
had nearly the entire audience out of their seats, swaying
in a silent dance.The only sound outside of the piano was
the soft shuffling of feet and snaps to the beat. Laughlin
also described the atmosphere as “not unprofessional, but
also not so strict … more of a learning experience.”
The performers were a mix of regulars and first
timers, and anytime there was a new performer or group,
they were met by the unanimous call and response “Like
a virgin … touched for the very first time,” a tradition
intended to welcome new acts and break the ice.
The acts are often unpredictable, as performers
spontaneouslyjoinforcesiftheyfeeltheurge. Beatboxing
isaddedtospokenword,pianoandguitarharmoniesblend
withsoloartistsandimpromptufreestylerapoccursevery
few songs. One act can blend with another as performers
meet and decide to create something new. One of the
highlights of the evening was when four performers got
up on stage and each played a different part of one guitar:
one drummed the body, one strummed chords and the
other two plucked and played with melody on the strings
along the neck. Because of this collaborative atmosphere,
many musicians have found these open mics to be a
productive way to network within the Chicago music
scene. SophomoreTyler Bagwell, a crowd favorite known
for his rough voice and raw sense of movement, said he
met all his friends who play music through open mics,
and many of them through LUC. “It’s a very conducive
environment,” he said.
The Monday Night Open Mic is special in that
anyone,notonlyLoyolastudents,isallowedtoperformand
listen.Manyagreedthiswasintegraltothephilosophyofan
open mic and bringing variety to the Loyola music scene.
Freshman Haley Meagher invited street drummers The
Chicago Bucket Boys after seeing them play on Michigan
Avenue, and many noted it as an incredible performance.
“They were playing on the street, and so I invited
them to perform,” Meagher said. “We are a place where
anyone is welcome and this gives them the chance to get
the spotlight rather than being ignored on the street.”
Some of the regular performers are non-Loyolans as
well,suchasBagwell,whoattendsRobertMorrisUniversity,
buthasattendednearlyalloftheopenmics.Thisinclusion
alsoappliestoallskilllevelsandtypesofmusic.McKeown
commentedthatwhilehedoesencourageasmuchoriginal
work as possible, he understands that covers of songs are
important for new performers. However, he encourages
anyone to participate.
“Whether you aren’t quite sure if you should share
yourfirstpoem,orifyouhavebeenplayingaroundthecity
for years, come sign up,” McKeown said.
Nearly all the performers and audience members
agreed a strong sense of community is the reason Monday
Night Open Mic is continually successful.
“Everyone is very supportive,” said Meagher. “If
someone messes up, everyone just laughs and they keep
going.”
The friendly and supportive environment is not
only shown by the audience and the performers, but also
through the smaller traditions each Monday. A bowl of
candyisusuallypassedthroughouttheaudienceandthere
areweeklyprizesdonatedbythelocalmusicshopFlatts&
Sharpe.This sense of community and tradition seemed to
beasourceofprideespeciallyamongtheLoyola
students. Holland and McKeown pointed out it
is the first open mic at Loyola to have continual
success,andfreshmanSinjinHilaskisaidhelikes
the community it creates.
“I see the people who perform every day
on campus,” Hilaski said.
This past Monday night ended as
sophomore Alex DeZeeuw played a simple
melodyonguitar,firstdrawingMcKeowntothe
stage who added a whistling melody, then Holland who
addedapianoaccompanimentandfinallyfreshmanJordan
Yondo who added rhythmic beatboxing to the ensemble.
The result was a shared musical effort that was as fun to
watch as it was to hear, which is typical of LUC Monday
NightOpenMic.Thecommunityisasstrongasthetalent,
and as Tyler Bagwell said, “coming here feels like home.”
To sign up for Open Mic Night, join the LUC
Monday Night Open Mic Facebook page.
“ ”— Tyler Bagwell
Whilemyguitargentlyweeps—SophomorePeterMcKeown(picturedabove),founder
of Loyola Open Mic Night, usually sings while playing his acoustic guitar.
Mixing it up— Freshman Jack Holland mans the
soundboard in Zip’s Lounge during the performances.
Two-manband—SophomoresPeterMcKeown(onguitar)
and Thano Davelis (on violin) perform original songs.
Testing:1,2,3—OpenMicNight-goerslikethecasual,relaxedvibeofZip’swhere
everyone is welcome to perform, even non-Loyola artists and comedians.
Design by Sidra Zaidi, Closer Look Editor
All photos: The Phoenix/Chandler West