I host the weekly open mic at Donahue’s in Madison, CT a couple of times a month. I happened to be there this last week when Brian Maurer showed up with a posse from Springfield, Massachussetts (over an hour away). He is an aspiring rap artist, and he had a track to rap to. He wasn’t our “usual” participant, but the crowd rose to the occasion.
Even better than that was what followed. He was going to stop after one song when the crowd yelled for more. We were all kind of sad that he had come all that way for only one song. Ric Haddad (one of my favorite drummers in all the world and the house drummer for the open mic) yelled out from off-stage: “Freestyle!! You and me!!” Brian agreed. Then Greg Colossale (keyboard player from Glastonbury – also an hour away) and Delbert Perez (house bass player) decided they didn’t want to miss out. This video is a poor representation of what happened, but perhaps it captures something of the energy in the room. Suffice it to say, they brought the house down! It’s moments like this that keep many of us going back to open mics for years and years. Brian, we wish you all the best and hope you will come back to visit us!