My slideshow about the open mic night at Long Wong’s in Tempe

This week I went to the open mic at Devil’s Advocate in Tempe, here’s my vlog on what it was like!

Check out Hot Streets here.
Check out Ethan 103 here.

When I first walked into Rula Bula, I almost thought I had gone in on the wrong night. The Irish pub and restaurant on Mill Ave. was nearly empty, but turning a corner revealed a stage and a man setting up sound equipment, getting ready for the open mic. A mix of punk and ska music played as more patrons arrived, though few of them seemed to be there to enjoy the live music.

The stage at Rula Bula

Mike Mercier, the man who was setting up and who volunteers his equipment, said most people in Rula Bula on Tuesday nights are just there for a drink or a meal. Mike said he has been playing the Rula Bula open mic for about a year now, but the event has been going on for years. An average of 5-8 people perform each week, and each person is allowed 20 minutes or so, depending on how many performers there are that week.
“A lot of people don’t want to do 20 minutes, some beg for an hour and a half,” Mike said. “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

Mike started off the night, playing both original songs and covers on acoustic guitar. He has an album out on iTunes, and a list of upcoming performances on his website.
Other performers included:

• Drew, whose voice was reminiscent of Maynard James-Keenan (not too surprising, as he was wearing a Tool shirt).
• Taryn and Jared, who covered songs by Outkast, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and others with a sick acoustic guitar and a hand drum.
• And Paul, who had a deep, cool voice and whose cover of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” was more in line with the meaning of the song.

Rula Bula’s open mics are Tuesday nights at 9. They also have live music several other nights a week; you can check out their events calendar to see who’s playing when.