Every few months Ric gets a bug in his bonnet about fresh advertising for our nightly entertainment. While I agree that it is necessary to get the word out so we get some fresh blood on the stage for open mic nights and amateur nights, because the same ols people get old after a while, I don't think it is as important as Ric does. It's not like we don't fill the bar at least four nights in every week, so I personally don't think more advertising is a dire need. With Ric still at the helm of this operation the final say is of course his so a few thousand flyers were printed up detailing what entertainment we offered each night along with contact information for anyone interested in taking the stage on the nights when we open it up. The explained difference between open mic night and amateur night is also mentioned in the fine print of the flyer. We reserve amateur night for anyone in the beginning stages of their art. The entire show is broken up into 5-10 minute performances for each act. This allows musicians to play two songs, poets to read a small number of selections, thespians to showcase a monologue or two, and comedians to prepare a not so abbreviated set. Open mic night is generally reserved for musicians, though we have had a few comedians come out and do an extended set once or twice, and is divided into hour long sets to give the acts more stage time.
Tonight would be the first open mic night since the flyers went out and for the first time in months, every act listed on the program is a fresh face that we've never experienced before. I was hoping that it would be an interesting night. The one stipulation we had for open mic nights is that each act must be present before the show begins to ensure that all acts will be performed, if they cannot be present at the start of show we have been known to make allowances as long as they call to confirm their intent to go on at least an hour before show time.
As soon as I arrived to set up for tonight, Ric was buzzing with excitement. The older man had a feeling... and that could mean only one thing... tonight's acts were either going to be amazing or we were going to be wishing for earplugs in a couple hours. I seriously hoped for the first option, especially because I had a sneaky suspicion that my earplugs had been stolen out of my drawer behind the bar... again. While my employer flitted around the place making sure everything was perfect in his eyes, I got the bar back area all set in order and filled the empty cabinets with extra stock so I wouldn't have to run to the back in the middle of a rush to refill the coolers when they run low. Open mic nights generally brought out large crowds. Each act was almost guaranteed to come in with a personal fan base, even if it was just family and friends, so adding them on top of our normal crowd usually took us close to capacity.
When the extra stock was in place and everything was set up for the animals to arrive, I take a moment to rest my feet and tie my long auburn locks into a flip over ponytail to keep it out of my face for the evening. I don't know why I actually take the time to style my hair before coming in to work when all I do is tie it back somehow before the night even begins, but it never fails. Every day when I get ready for work time is always spent on my hair and make up whether it will last through the night or not. The same is true for the clothes I choose to wear. Take tonight's outfit for example, I chose a pair of nice, tight fitting jeans and a cute... slightly low cut... top to go with them. My jeans are barely even visible over the high bar I work behind and the shirt is only good for keeping my body temperature from spiking and maybe getting a few extra coins in tips. No matter the reasons behind my appearances, I was here to work and break time is over.
Hopping off of my stool, I whip up another round of drinks for the old timers who come out early to beat the crowds and loud music. Other than the small number of them sitting around the bar, the place is empty. The peace of this hour would not last for long. The acts for tonight are due to arrive or call in any minute.
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