We’re sad to report that popular Vegas open mic night Vegas On The Mic has shut down, effective immediately.
A post on Facebook from founder Mike Ziethlow reads:
Starting immediately, there will be no more Vegas On The Mic open mic nights or BOSS events anywhere in the city of Las Vegas.
I started Vegas On The Mic to help provide a “ladder” for artists in this city. We started with a simple open mic night (seen in the pic) where I dragged my gear into a bar every week and set up shop for artists. Over the next 3 years we expanded to CD releases, radio, local TV, and now national TV.
I wanted Vegas On The Mic to grow with our artists in order to provide them bigger and bigger opportunities. And it’s in pursuing these opportunities that I’ve had to come to the tough conclusion that the open mic nights have to end. Personally, I don’t have the resources to devote any more to the open mics.
First, I want to thank everyone for their hard work and devotion through the years. From our artists to our crew, I know this decision affects you most. I truly love you all as brothers and sisters. I will still be in this city rooting for you and helping out wherever I can. Send me a message if you ever need anything or any advice and I’ll be there for you.
Secondly, everything I’ve promised artists, in return for the work they’ve put into our scene, will still happen.
– Season 2 of Vegas On The Mic With Will Edwards airs late night Fridays beginning Feb. 27th.
– Season 3 (which is our national TV program Sounds & Stages) will air later in 2015 in select cities across the US – it will feature artists from Las Vegas and other cities, as planned.
– Off-Strip Records may still exist, but it will do so without me. For artists that have worked hard to get on the label, I will reach out to you personally and help deliver what you’ve earned.
The spirit of Vegas On The Mic doesn’t end here. It’s never been about me or any one person. It’s about you, Las Vegas artists, engineers, and art lovers; and if you support and encourage each other, Las Vegas will continue to be an amazing scene. It’s up to you to make it happen.
Please LIKE, SHARE, and COMMENT on this. Your interactive feedback helps more people on Facebook see it. I appreciate all the love and support you’ve given me and each other on our journey together. As always, I will listen.
Vegas On The Mic was founded in 2012 by Ziethlow and took place every Thursday night at MoneyPlays (and later branched out to The Bunkhouse Saloon). The program was notable for providing a free platform for emerging Vegas artists in the form of YouTube, and later a television series.
We reached out to Joey Hines, a local musician who began playing shows in Vegas at the Vegas On the Mic events, for his thoughts on the closure:
Vegas on the Mic was so much more than an open mic night. It was a haven for artists of all stripes, a safe place for us to experiment and perfect our crafts, while building a huge artist network. I loved how supportive it always felt. Musicians always stuck around to listen to each other and give each other feedback. Despite the TV show and record label, it was never a competition; everyone wanted everyone to succeed. To see VOTM go is disheartening, but I hope that in its absence artists will continue being as supportive of each other as that venue encouraged us to.
We wish Vegas on the Mic creator Mike Ziethlow all the best in his future endeavors, and know we’re joined by many in the local scene when we say “thank you” for everything he’s done.
Photo from https://www.facebook.com/VegasOnTheMic
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