About a week ago, I found out that four times a semester, the Love Yourself Foundation collaborates with a music event group called the JAM LV to do open mic nights. The JAM LV is a group that is not only committed to artistic and musical expression, but also to self-acceptance and self-love, which are cornerstones of the Love Yourself Foundation. As both a member of the Love Yourself Foundation and a fan of music and art, I decided to go to one of these events. So this past Sunday, I drove to Fremont Street and attended my first free open mic night. And I have to say, this was a very fun and memorable experience.
The first thing I noticed was how unique the venue was. The actual location used to be the Ferguson Motel, but it was renovated in 2019 and turned into an outdoor mini-mall. The stage was at the back of a courtyard, with surrounding walls that helped contain the sound.
The host allowed anyone of any skill level to go on stage and perform music. They even provided an electric keyboard, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, a drum set, and microphones. The only requirement for performing was to sign up with a QR code. In fact, people didn’t even have to sing or perform music to go up on stage. Those who wanted to do poetry or a monologue were also encouraged to perform!
For those of us who didn’t want to perform, the environment was wonderful for that too. The venue had an upstairs loft with a stellar view of the set, along with a fireplace and canvases for painting. This allowed me to enjoy both the cozy calmness from the loft and the high vibes from the concert. As someone who leans towards the more introverted side, I found this to be an especially great feature.
The hostess did the first performance, which was some kind of poetry. I found her poetic style to be particularly interesting. She ad-libbed some rhymes and talked about the feelings she still had about her ex-boyfriend, all while mixing in some creative analogies about how her love felt like the ocean. But in the background, someone played a quiet riff on the bass, which was something I hadn’t seen before. It sounded like a mix between a poem and a song. It was creative, and perfectly set the mood for the entire night.
With the exception of a few songs, the performances were on the more alternative side. Something I did not expect was one band's cover of Redbone by Childish Gambino. I am big on R&B and hip-hop, so this was quite a pleasant surprise. The way this band was able to mold the song into a more alternative form while also staying true to its R&B elements was very impressive. Oh, and they absolutely killed it with the vocals.
Even though it was a colder night, this wasn’t a problem. As I mentioned earlier, the loft had a fireplace, which kept me really warm. The cold didn’t seem to be a problem for other people either. There were around 20-30 people there, all from diverse backgrounds. Most of us were locals, but there were a few vacation people there as well.
All the people I talked to were really friendly and were really happy to find the JAM. A new friend I met, Adam, claimed that he has struggled to find an alternative music scene since he moved to Vegas, so he was relieved when he found the JAM. “I used to live in Washington, and the area I lived in had a lot of venues like this. But they have been few and far between here. But this event is great, and reminds me a lot of home,” Adam said.
Another guy I chatted with, Aiden, told me that the JAM is a great way for musicians to get over stage fright. “This is a really chill environment that is very judgment-free, so it gives beginner musicians great practice for playing at bigger venues,” Aiden said.
Overall, I was quite satisfied with the experience. I mostly grew up in Colorado, and the alternative scene of this event was similar to what I would see in downtown Denver and Colorado Springs. Although I like Vegas, it was nice to have a departure from the glamour type of scene that Vegas usually offers. It was quite fascinating to know that there is a great, down-to-earth community of people who genuinely love the arts in the Vegas area. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys music or wants to perform. The next event will be Mar 16, 2025 Please go follow https://www.instagram.com/thejamlv/ to get information about more of their events!
About the author:
Chase Larwin is currently a content editor and writer for the marketing and blog/newsletter team at the Love Yourself Foundation. Starting as young as eight years old, he would write stories and create movie scripts. At the age of 16, he started writing political satire for an Instagram account and continued this until he was 18 years old. He is currently in his final semester at UNLV and will be graduating in journalism. He plans on attending Law School in the fall.
Comentários