Petoskey‘s open mic scene pops up every Sunday

Open mic shows are pretty much a fixture in every big city on the planet. A forum for both experienced musicians trying out new tunes and newbie musicians testing the “live stage” waters, open mics are both a great source of stage time for artists and free or inexpensive live entertainment for those looking for some-thing different to do. Roast & Toast Coffee & Cafe’s Toast & Jam Open Mic might not be in a big city (it’s actually located on Lake Street in downtown Petoskey, right here in Northern Michigan), but they’ve sure got the open mic idea down pat.
Roast & Toast’s open mic show was cleverly dubbed “Toast & Jam” almost four years ago, and it’s still going remarkably strong in a region where plenty of other open mic shows and other entertainment-themed nights have come and gone.
Firmly ensconced in its Sunday night spot (6 to 8 pm), Toast & Jam has a loyal crowd of regulars, both performers and audience members that consider Toast & Jam their Sunday night place-to-be. The stage space - the front corner of the cafe that’s defined each Sunday by a colorful curtain and par can lights - is slightly elevated and intimate, and potential performers will be glad to know that Toast & Jam offers up its own small but effective in-house P.A. system run by friendly hosts.

POETS TOO
Performers so far have been mostly of the guitar-and-singer variety, although all other performers are welcome, and surprises are becoming more and more frequent - poets, storytellers, actors, comedians, are all encouraged to participate.
The Newberry-based pop-rock band Oddfellow, who are in the process of releasing a new CD, recently came in to showcase some new material in an “unplugged” format; Toast manager Ben Brown occasionally reads some of his witty self-penned prose, as does local poet Christopher; local emo musicians such as Aaron Hardy, Kendall Francis, and Trevor Doublestein make frequent visits to play new tunes and remind everyone of where they’ll be performing next; and female singer-songwriters make a showing through such great singers as Sophie Dupin, Sarita Barber, and Maari.
Spontaneous singalongs sometimes pop up, and a hilarious puppet show even made an appearance one night. The show changes from week to week, sometimes drastically, sometimes just in small ways - which is
part of what keeps it interesting. To quote the movie “Forrest Gump,” Toast & Jam is kinda like a box of chocolates - you never know what you’re gonna get.


BIG TALENT
Singer-songwriter Jon Moody travels back and forth to the East Coast to take part in Talking Buddha, a side project band put together by members of Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez’ touring bands - but when he’s home in Northern Michigan, he’s one of Toast & Jam’s regular performers.
“Toast & Jam is a place where I can go locally to express my art and try out new songs, and I also get a chance to listen to other people’s music,” Moody explains, “plus I have friends here, so it’s a great hangout.”
Other Toast & Jam regulars agree. “Toast & Jam is really the only good open mic in the area,” frequent performer Carter Bancroft enthuses, “it’s a lot of fun, it’s consistent, and it’s nice to have somewhere to go where you can meet other musicians and new people.”
Singer and guitarist Ryan Luce may be one of Toast & Jam’s most loyal and long-standing acts. “I’ve been playing at Toast & Jam pretty steadily, most Sundays for about a year and a half now,” Luce says, “it’s a cool place to go on Sundays. The coffee’s great and the food is good, too, so hopefully, during the slower months, people will come in and buy stuff to help keep Toast & Jam going strong, and to see everyone play.”

VOLUNTARY SUPPORT
With no cover charge or door charge, and no fee asked of the musicians performing (often, in bigger cities, there’s a “stage charge,” which means that musicians have to pay to play), Toast & Jam quietly relies on their audience members-slash-customers to help voluntarily support the in-house costs of open mic, simply by ordering something to drink or eat while they’re watching the show.
Toast & Jam’s host venue, Roast & Toast, which is a local favorite stop for those looking for some of the best in-house roasted coffee in Northern Michigan, also offers a huge menu of hot and cold specialty espresso and coffee drinks, plus chai and hot cocoa drinks and an even bigger menu of French and Italian sodas.
As for the food, Roast & Toast’s menu items range from eclectic soups, salads and sandwiches to dinner items like veggie lasagna and quesadillas - all a perfect complement to sitting and enjoying some live music. Think about it this way - since Toast & Jam has no cover charge, dinner plus free entertainment and even a cuppa fresh coffee can be had for under $10 per person - quite a deal for those looking for something fun to do on Sunday night - and, with a performance roster that’s always changing, it’s a new show every week. And that’s jammin’, indeed.
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