Hello, ClintonHammond.

Yes, I have some impressions. The trouble is they're some twenty years old. I've never been to Canada. I'd like to come up, though.

Ok. I ran two open mikes in Washington, DC, somewhere back in the '80s, for several years.

As to price, in DC these days, the guys who run the sessions make about $100. An open mike is an egalitarian thing. I hope you have lots of people, but drawing them there can be a chore. I opted to be a "traditional open mike". That meant, singer-song writers went elsewhere. But that did mean that if a trad/folksinger was coming through town, they stopped off to do a tune or two and hang out. If you can do the English thing, and take $25 dollars less, and offer that $ to a floor spot, well two things happen. You get the 'better' performers interested and you draw more than the self-indulgent crowd.

Back to the niche. If your're a singer songwriter, or a gay feminist, or stuff, well, you can draw on the affiliation of your niche. (I like the trad crowd, they're less confrontive).

But think about what makes you different. Also, are you connected to the folk/trad/bluegrass/society folks in your area? If so advertise with them and otherwise make yourself palatable to them. Offer them floor spots, volunteer at their events, etc.

And last, but not least, try to negotiate a bar tab for yourself. If you want you can buy someone a drink, such a negotiating factor can be valuable.

I had a favorite, "audience frightening" musician., who came to my open mikes. We called him the "Effer", because every song he sang had the same lyrics, "Eff, eff, effeff, effeffeff, eff." He carried his guitar, an old, arch top Stella, in a garbage bag. The weird thing was he played TREMENDOUS, FREDDY GREEN, SWING JAZZ CHORDS. But they were in no recognizable order, and no recognizable tune. I'll never forget him.

Don't be afraid of the weird folks and their weird music. Receive them.

best wishes,

Chance