For the last two weeks in this town I've attended an Open Mic at a sort of new place here in town. There is no drinking alcohol. It's a coffee shop ministry type of place sort of like the little coffee shops in Books-A-Million without the books. It is some sort of Christian ministry.

The first night I was there only three or four people showed up to play. Nobody actually signed up so they called someone in and two other people sang after them. I think that was it.

The next week, there were about six people showed up. One of them sang to a track of Rascal Flatts "What Hurts The Most." It was odd because I likened it to karaoke but you couldn't hear the Open Mic singer over the LeVox vocal! I thought they didn't play the star vocals on karaoke (but, alas, I haven't ever been to a real karaoke show).

On both of these nights, which were Saturdays, the same group of 8-10 teenagers came in. On the first night, one of them sang and on the second night three of them sort of round robined through about six songs. One of them had a big costume head on and acted like an high school mascot both nights.

It seemed in a way like the Open Mic was set up for these teens - - like they were the stars of the show. That was well and good I guess, and one seemed to stand out above the rest. But I'm 55 and I like to see some maturity rather than be around these wacko teenagers.

The main thing I got out of the Open Mic is how I'm not in Nashville. Up there the Open Mics I've been too have people sitting quietly (or reasonably quietly) while people play. Here it was like Fogerty sang about in Lodi: I wish I had a nickel for every song I sung and ever song I play while the sat there drunk. Except here there was no drinking, just NOISE, lots of NOISE.

I couldn't understand the words to these songs because the vocals were too "hushed" under the music and the crowd NOISE. That's my thing - - lyrics. I want to hear the words. I don't know if it's the acoustics or the board but on everyone except one girl on a keyboard, the words were hard to make out.

Another thing I noticed was a lot of people didn't buy much on these nights.