The Open Mic Chronicles: Seven Years Behind the Microphone

Written by: Josh Gilespie

Nurturing Indianapolis's Singer-Songwriter Community

For seven years, from 2018 until earlier this year, Joe Shelton dedicated his Thursday nights to nurturing Indianapolis's singer-songwriter community at the Books and Brews Mothership location in Castleton. What began as a favor to a friend evolved into a weekly ritual that would shape careers, forge friendships, and create a musical home for artists at every level of their journey.

The School of Hard Knocks (and Gentle Encouragement)

"The open stage is like the very best place—whatever open stage it is—to go and not have to worry about being good," explains Shelton, reflecting on what makes these venues so essential for developing artists. "You don't even have to really practice before you go into an open stage. Although, you know, most of us would really appreciate it if you did."

This philosophy of low-pressure, high-support became the foundation of his hosting approach. Over the years, he witnessed the full spectrum of musical ability and watched transformations that would surprise even the most optimistic mentor.

"I've seen people come in who were absolutely horrible—objectively really bad—and then other ones who were kind of bad but there's something about them that's just good. They don't play guitar well, they have no timing, but their voice is epic." These raw talents, he observed, often developed into the scene's most compelling performers.

The real magic happened in the follow-through. "There's a couple of people that came in and they were just not very good, and now they play everywhere. If you saw them the first time they were up there, and if you saw them now, you'd be shocked at how bad they were initially."

The Networking Goldmine

Beyond skill development, open mics serve as the beating heart of a city's music ecosystem. "A large portion of the shows that I've played in my home area—I would say the networking is awesome," he notes. "You meet so many people that are around your scene and your town, and that's where you get your first gigs."

The connections formed at these weekly gatherings ripple outward through the community. Bar owners scout for talent, musicians recommend each other for gigs, and last-minute opportunities get filled through the informal network that develops around a regular open mic.

One particularly memorable networking hub was the monthly open mic at Square Cat Vinyl, run by Chris Wolf before COVID. "The second time it took place, I showed up and looked down the list. I was kind of glad we were going at the start because the next nine people on the list, I don't want to play after." The caliber was extraordinary: "25 to 30 people, and I would say 15 to 18 of them were professional musicians that played in town and toured."

Square Cat recently revived their open mic and is now run by Adam Meyers. It takes place the first Monday of each month. Sign ups start at 5:30 PM with music beginning at 6:00 PM.

The Art of Hosting: One Simple Rule

Managing an open mic requires a delicate balance of encouragement and standards. Joe developed what he calls "the one rule": "You have to try not to suck."

"I can totally get behind somebody who's not very good if I can tell that they're really trying and giving it their best effort. But when they've come in eight times, they haven't improved at all because they haven't practiced, and all they want to do is just come up there and blather and sound awful—that's annoying."

This philosophy creates an environment where genuine effort is celebrated while maintaining respect for the audience and other performers. "If you give your effort, you're a lot better than if you didn't."

Josh Gillespie performing at open mic

Surviving the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic nearly killed the open mic scene, but it also revealed its resilience. After reopening, attendance dwindled at Books and Brews Mothership to just Joe and two friends. "There was like a three-month period where it was literally me and two people. We would play like whatever—round robin, 28 minutes apiece. It was actually pretty fun because there were literally no rules at all."

The recovery required active outreach. "I started calling old friends and going, 'Hey, man, this open stage is fun right now. There's hardly anybody here. You should come.'" Gradually, the community rebuilt itself, eventually reaching capacity again.

The Challenges of Success

Popularity brings its own problems. "If it has more than 12 people, it's too many," he observes. "I don't want a bunch of people to be there and only play one song apiece, because then you don't get to hear anybody."

The repetition of certain songs also tested his patience. "When Tom Petty died, that was the worst. Literally everybody played 'Last Dance with Mary Jane.' Tom Petty has 5,000 hits and y'all just play that one? That's insane."

Memorable Moments

Despite the challenges, magical moments made it all worthwhile. One Christmas, local musician Meghan Cristeen Martin brought her entire ukulele class—about 20 students—to perform Christmas songs together. "They filled up the stage, and it was incredibly awesome. It just felt so festive."

Another highlight came when The New York Times sent a reporter to cover the small microbrewery scene. "We had 25 people signed up, and the bar was absolutely full because word got out that this reporter was gonna be there."

Shelton’s 50th birthday party at Books and Brews drew perhaps 150 people—far beyond the space's capacity but a testament to the community he'd helped build.

Advice for Newcomers

For those intimidated by the thought of performing, he offers reassurance: "They're not all awesome. There's always going to be at least 20% of them that are so bad you want to leave the room."

His recommendations for beginner-friendly venues include the current Books and Brews open mic (now hosted by Patrick Zabriskie on Thursday evenings) and the Monday night open mic at Irving Theater, run by Mark Proctor. "Mark looks like Santa Claus, he's incredibly talented, and you won't find a nicer guy."

For those ready to take the plunge, he suggests starting small: "Learn three songs and do the same three songs for a couple months before you start rotating something else in, so you get really good at playing them on stage."

Most importantly: "Never stop (your performance). Keep playing no matter what. No matter how badly off you are, don't stop and go, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I did this.' Don't tell the audience that you messed up."

The Legacy Continues

After seven years of hosting, the torch has been passed to Patrick Zabriskie, who maintains the welcoming atmosphere that made the venue special. Shelton still drops by occasionally, now as a participant rather than facilitator, reconnecting with the community he helped nurture.

"Patrick would love to see you," he says, extending the same invitation that has welcomed countless musicians over the years. "You should go out there."

The open mic at Books and Brews continues every Thursday, with sign-ups at 6:30 PM and music starting at 7:00 PM. For Indianapolis musicians—whether seasoned professionals or nervous beginners—it remains what it has always been: a place where effort matters more than perfection, where community trumps competition, and where the next song might just change everything.

The open mic scene represents more than just a weekly music show—it's a testament to the power of consistent, grassroots community building. Through seven years of Thursday nights, Joe Shelton helped create not just a venue for performance, but a home for Indianapolis's musical soul.