Grab your 15 minutes of fame

By DAN TAYLOR and CRISSI DILLON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

There’s something magical about a microphone. It can transform a garage guitarist into a rock star, a wallflower poet into a word warrior or an amateur storyteller into a stage personality.

Access to a microphone isn’t enough, of course. You need a stage and an audience. That’s where nightclubs, pubs, coffee shops, cafes, book stores and other venues all over Sonoma County have stepped up to fill a need, with open-mic nights for every day of the week.

Bill DeCarli of Hopmonk Tavern

“Open-mic nights are a great opportunity for performers to try out their material,” said Bill DeCarli, general manager of the HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol and host of its weekly open-microphone series.

And the audience gets a lively show, sometimes with surprise guest stars. Since DeCarli made his own open-mic debut as a singer and songwriter at a Sonoma County bar 25 years ago, he has encountered the likes of North Bay rocker Tommy Tutone and even Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead on the circuit.

“You’ll see everyone from seasoned pros to people just starting out,” DeCarli said. “A lot of people bring their friends with them for support.”
His tips for making the most of it? “Come in relaxed. Don’t take it seriously. This is not a contest.”

So, whether you want to grab that 15 minutes of fame that pop artist Andy Warhol once predicted everyone would get someday, or just cheer others on, here are some times and places to start:

Sundays

HopMonk’s Northbay Poetry Slam, first Sundays, 8 p.m. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. Sign up at 7:30 p.m. for this all-ages slam of various forms of poetry, prose and verse. hopmonk.com, 829-7300.

First Edition Sports Bar Open Mic, Sundays, 7-11 p.m. 1420 E. Washington St., Petaluma. Hosted by longtime local musicians Carl and Paul Green. All styles of music welcome. 775-3200, firsteditionpetaluma.com.

Mondays

Coffee Catz Open Mic, Mondays, 6-10 p.m. 6761 Sebastopol Ave. No. 300, Sebastopol. A cozy living-room setting where undiscovered talent can show off. Share dance, art, drama, poetry, music and more in a non-judgmental and friendly atmosphere. coffeecatz.com, 829-6600.

Toad in the Hole, Mondays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. 116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa. Railroad Square’s English-style pub welcomes crooners and croakers of all kinds, playing an instrument or serenading solo. thetoadpub.com, 544-8623.

Tuesdays

HopMonk Tavern Open Mic Nights, Tuesdays, 7 p.m. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. This freestyle Open Mic is for not only musicians, but jugglers, comedians, beat boxers, magicians and others. Hosted by Bill DeCarli. hopmonk.com, 829-7300.

Aubergine After Dark’s Ladies Limelight, Tuesdays 8-11 p.m. 755 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. An open talent showcase for women only, though men are welcome to come and cheer them on. Talent includes poetry, comedy, dance, spoken word, singer-songwriters, burlesque and more. Every week a featured artist is highlighted. Sign up at 7 p.m. aubergineafterdark.com, 827-3460.

Wednesdays

First Edition’s Wednesday Night Blues Jam, Wednesdays, 7 p.m. 1420 E. Washington St., Petaluma. Promoting the blues in a free-to-play arena. Anyone who jams gets a back-up band, as well as an opportunity to solo. Guidelines and info: sfarzo.us/jam.html. Venue info: firsteditionpetaluma.com, 775-3200.

Sonoma Public House, first Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. 18615 Sonoma Highway, Suite 110, Sonoma. The brew pub opens its stage once a month for untapped talent to be heard. oldesonomapub.com, 938-7587.

Aubergine After Dark’s Open Mic, Wednesdays, 6 p.m. 755 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. Hosted by Michael Lindner. Local musicians and those on tour favor this open mic night as a place to get out their sound in front of an audience.  aubergineafterdark.com

Thursdays

Last Day Saloon’s Thursday Night Pro Jam, Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. 120 Fifth St., Santa Rosa. Groups and solo artists in all genres are welcome to groove. Guidelines and info: sfarzo.us/jam.html. Venue info: lastdaysaloon.com, 545-2343.

Off the Track Cafe’s Open Mic, Thursdays, 7-10 p.m. 6544 Front St., Forestville. Apple pie and cafe food, plus a weekly open mic for Forestville patrons. offthetrackcafe.com, 887-1400.

My Friend Joe Cafe’s Rubber Chicken Open Mic, Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 p.m. 1810 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Mainly musicians, with a couple of poets thrown in, often powered by espresso. myfriendjoeonline.com.

Murphy’s Irish Pub Open Mic Plus, second Thursdays, 7 p.m. 464 First St. E., Sonoma. Hosted by Steve T Ney. State-of-the-art sound system by Brett Carrillo. Every open mic also features a special guest. sonomapub.com, 935-0660.

North Light Books and Cafe Open Mic, Thursdays, 6 p.m. 550 East Cotati Ave., Cotati. Talent signups start at 5:30 p.m., following by open mic. Afterward, at 9 p.m., a live band goes on. northlightbook.net, 792-4300.

Holy Cow Coffee & Tea Songwriter Nights, Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. 130 S. Main St., Sebastopol. Call ahead to be one of four performers chosen to play half-hour sets. holycowcoffeecompany.com, 823-5421.

Fridays

Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa Writers’ Poetry Slams, third Fridays, 7 p.m. 1901 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. (Held at “Haven Cafe” in Video Droid.) Sign-ups from 6:45-7:10 p.m. Poets are invited to bring three poems that are 3 minutes or less long, to compete in three rounds. Each slam offers up to $20-$50 cash prizes for the top three finalists. uucsrwriters.blogspot.com.

Saturdays

Redwood Writers Open Mic, fourth Saturdays 6-8 p.m. SoCo Coffee, 1015 Fourth St, Santa Rosa. All types of writers are invited. Sign up at 5:30 p.m. Occasionally, guest readers also make appearances. redwoodwriters.org.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. Crissi Dillon can be reached at cristen.dillon@pressdemocrat.com.

*Note:  This was updated from the original article that ran November 16, 2011.