Patrick Dethlefs kicks off Wesley Chapel's second Open Mic Night with some local bluegrass music Monday. (CU Independent/Emy Kane)
The first Monday of every month belongs to Open Mic Night, from 7 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. at Wesley Chapel. Hosted in an upstairs room with dim lights, open space and a stained glass window as a backdrop, Wesley Chapel provides an intimate setting for a slew of talent.
Reverend Roger Wolsey, who helped put the event together, was hosting his second Open Mic Night.
“Our first Open Mic Night was actually on Labor Day,” said Wolsey. “We hope to have ideally twice the numbers we had last time.”
With almost every seat full, it was clear that numbers were not going to be a concern.
“The acoustics in here are really great,” said Patrick Dethlefs, before performing a cover of bluegrass musician Tim O’Brien’s “Ninety Nine Years (And One Dark Day)”.
Covers were a big part of the night, students playing their own versions of songs ranging from MGMT and The Format to Kings of Leon and Timbaland.
Kathrin Bueche, a junior English major, played an original song, “Poison”, a hauntingly beautiful piece that showcased her talent in singing, song-writing and a mastery of the piano.
“It’s a song about a close friend,” said Bueche .
Others were more playful, like freshman open-options major Robert Collins, who teamed up with friend Patrick Dethlefs to play an original folk song, “Let’s Go”.
“It was written on a trip to Alaska,” said Collins, before strumming away on his guitar, backed with twangy vocals.
While first impressions of an Open Mic Night might draw images of lessons in humiliation and awkward applause, no one seemed nervous or unprepared in such a relaxed environment.
“I definitely plan to come back. There are really good performers, and everyone is really open and nice,” Bueche said.
Those who are considering going may have awhile to do so, depending on how business does.
“If [Open Mic Night] continues to do well, we may continue it into the summer,” Rev.Wolsey said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sebastian Murdock at Sebastian.Murdock@colorado.edu.
2 comments
What a lovely article. It really captured the fun and magic of that 1st Monday evening experience! We at Wesley Chapel are delighted to host these Open Mic sessions. We’re primarily seeking to help provide a venue for budding CU and Naropa student singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, poets, and performers of all sorts to do their thing in a safe, inviting setting. We’re also open to having a few non-students perform each time too! We’ll for sure be offering these Open Mics every Fall and Spring semester, and as the article indicated, we’re also open to hosting these events year round, including the summer months, if there is enough interest!
We had a great turn out last month and we’re hoping to see that continue – and to grow even more!
Thank you for a great write-up of this offering to the community!
You can learn more about Wesley Chapel at http://www.wesleyf.org
Y’all be sure to come to our next Open Mic Night event, Monday, Nov. 2nd at 7PM! : )