‘Top of the Mic’ contest will give artists a chance to be a little less starved

by Tori Norskog | February 5, 2010 | Montana Kaimin

If you’re a musician who’s a little low on cash these days, Sean Kelly’s open mic contest is the gig you won’t want to miss.

Starting Feb. 22, the “Top of the Mic” contest will take place Mondays at Sean Kelly’s. Bands and solo artists of any and every genre will play 20-minute sets to compete for an opportunity to win the top prize of $1,000.

Mike Avery, who has been running the open mic night at Sean Kelly’s for the past seven years, said he and event organizer Kera Cashman decided to offer the prize money in an attempt to draw all the musicians in Missoula out of the woodwork.

In addition, Sean Kelly’s is now allowing minors to compete, which is why the show will start at 9 p.m. Minors are not allowed in bars after 10 p.m. 

Cashman said the bar decided to do this so it could bring out more high school and college students.

“We wanted to open it up to the public,” Cashman said. “Everybody, no matter their age.”

So far, 60 bands and musicians have signed up.

“This is the first time anyone has offered money,” said Bob Wire, one of the competing musicians. “There should be a flood of interest.”

Wire has been playing for crowds since he was in college and has been a part of several bands in Missoula. His current band, Magnificent Bastards, was voted best local band in 1997 and 1998 by the Missoula Independent. However, Wire said he put the band on the back burner about a year ago and plans on competing solo.

Wire, who was also voted the best local entertainer in a contest organized by The Trail radio station, describes his music as old-school country with a punk attitude, or, as he likes to call it, “maximum honky-tonk.” While he has written a variety of styles of music, Wire says he plans to play some of his funnier songs during his set because he said they’re what he’s known for and thinks they are real crowd-pleasers.

“This town is loaded with talent and a lot of it has never played out,” Wire said. “I have to go out like I have something to prove. Plus, I’ll be handing out five-dollar bills at the door.”

Some of the other bands that have signed up include Della and the Dealers, Aaron Squared, A Touch Above Music, Dan Dubuque and Unlikely Conspirators. Cashman says Sean Kelly’s is hoping to bring out some of the bands that are not seen very often in Missoula.

There will be two winners each Monday. Then, every other Saturday, there will be another competition between the four winning bands from the previous two weeks. The winners from those competitions will then go on to play at the final show, where first place will win $1,000, second will win $300 and third will win $200. The top three bands will also be invited to play shows at Sean Kelly’s after the competition is over.

The winners will be chosen based on stage presence, time (they cannot go over their allotted 20 minutes), originality, musical ability and audience approval, which will account for one-third of the vote and be determined by applause.

The application form and a list of the rules and guidelines can be found at http://www.seankellys.com. All entries must be received by Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. and the first show is on Feb. 22 starting at 9 p.m.

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