Solo Performers Get Ready! Where to Find the Best Open-Mics in Arizona

One of my favorite places to go and grab a cup of steamy and delicious java happens to be at Coffee Talk in Mesa, AZ. This place is really nice inside. They have plenty of tables and chairs and a huge outdoor patio area for all of us smokers. They feature a whole tier of their own specialty coffee beverages and they are quite often updating their menu to include newer coffee concoctions that go down smooth and leave you perky. The people who frequent this popular AZ coffeehouse are of a more liberal nature and you will find it quite easy to strike up a compelling conversation with a stranger.

That aside, what really makes this place shine is their awesome open mic nights. Every Thursday and Sunday night from 9pm-12am you can catch a great open mic here. Some of the most talented solo performers and unplugged bands sign up and cheer on other performers as they wait to play their tunes. The place will frequently get packed to the brim, and the crowd is very forgiving and into the music. It is a great place to both play and go to for open mic.

Just recently did this bar decide that it was finally time to offer their patrons some great live music, and so they decided to build a really nice stage at their Gilbert location and outfit it with some state-of-the-art gear. Now they host both live bands on the weekends and during the week they host open mic nights. The outside is nothing special but the inside is actually rather spacious. They offer seating and room for a few hundred and they have tons of bar games to play while you are waiting to perform.

Their stage is of ample size and features great microphones and a nice host. You will need to bring your guitar or you are out of luck here. Make sure to arrive early as the list will fill up rather quickly. If you are going to be out in the East Valley, make sure to catch a cool open mic night at Wild Hare every Wednesday from 8pm-12pm. This is a bar so you will have to 21 or older; although they will let minors in with their parents until 10pm.

Other Great Places that Host Open-mic:

This great coffeehouse not only happens to be one of my favorite places to grab a cup of coffee and read a book. Every Thursday and Sunday from 9pm until 12am they host a great open mic night. Perhaps that fact that they also happen to have a small piano in here for their jazz nights, which allows patrons who play piano to use during their open mic performance, or perhaps because they also have a great PA system that sounds great.

If you do plan on playing at an open mic night here, the best advice that I can give you is to arrive early and sign up right away. Due to the fact that this coffeehouse is slammed with business during these nights, if you do not arrive early enough you may not get a slot at all, or you may end up getting a slot hours later in the evening. They also have plenty of great eats and their prices are really damn good; great service with a smile too.

This nifty little bar and grill recently opened in the newly developing town of Queen Creek, Arizona. While there are still not too many bars or coffeehouses in Queen Creek, it is nice to know that there are places where you can go to hear live local music while sucking back on a beer.  A smaller bar set in a nice complex, they do not have a stage but they make due for it with good gear and great drink prices. They also happen to have a grill cooking up some great eats if you hear your stomach growling at you.

Since this bar is relatively unknown you will not have to wait on a long list just to get a time slot to perform. However this also works both ways. Sometimes it is packed in there and other times there is nobody. So if you do happen to want to play here, make sure that you spread the word and bring some folks out to support you. It is a bar so you do have to be 21 or older to get in. Open Mics are on Sundays from 9pm-12am.

The West Side has many bars and coffeehouses that host open mic nights, but if you are looking for a more intimate coffeehouses setting then be sure to check out Saturday nights at A shot of Java—where you will hear some of the best live open mic music in the West Valley. While this place is not that large, it is not that small either and has ample room to serve about 75 patrons. It does tend to get rather crowded here on the weekends as folks pour in to sip steaming cups of coffee and grab some ear tunes.

Anybody can sign up to perform and even if you forget your guitar back at home no worries, they have a few that you can use that are on hand. The owners are a really nice married couple that hosts the shows, and they both play music themselves. At this cool little spot you find great brew, good small eats and of course, awesome tunes on a weekend night. Open mic nights are Saturdays from 8pm until close.

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