This chapter examines how open mic events are connoted with concepts of artistic authenticity. As part of a larger field study, it is based on qualitative interviews with people involved in the singer-songwriter open mic community in Hamburg, Germany. Open mics are events held in small venues like bars, community centers or small theaters, which provide short slots of stage time for everyone who wishes to perform. In Hamburg, several venues host open mic events, including those for singer-songwriters and those that are open for all kinds of performances. Singer-songwriters are often connoted with concepts of authenticity, as their songs are seen as intimate expressions of the artistʼs feelings and personality. Many regular guests and participants of open mics in Hamburg see this type of event as one in which the authenticity of the acts is particularly ensured, because the presented art is not filtered: people can just show up and perform their songs as they mean them to be. In this spirit, open mics are idealized by many of their proponents as spheres of artistic freedom where the demands of music industries, fashions and social media trends are mostly absent or at least ignored. Nevertheless, for ambitious artists, playing open mics is seen as a starting point that needs to be left behind one day in favor of full concerts. For some, this transition is fraught with the danger of loss of authenticity.
„Konzepte von Authentizität in der Hamburger Open Mic-Community“ weiterlesenKonzepte von Authentizität in der Hamburger Open Mic-Community
