Kulak’s Woodshed is truly a unique concert venue and easily one of the most revered in all of Los Angeles. They host a music **open mic every Monday night.** This venue is supported by donations and volunteers and is a great place to meet other songwriters and artists in the area.
When: Every Monday
Where: North Hollywood — 5230 Laurel Canyon Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91607
Event Type: Open Mic
Website: http://kulakswoodshed.com/open-mic-and-booking-guide/
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🛋️ About: Somewhere between a living room, a recording studio, a video production studio, and a concert venue, Kulak’s Woodshed has an unparalleled obsession with songwriters in Los Angeles. It was started by Paul Kulak in 1999 and continues to host LA’s best talent every week.
📝 How it Works: The open mic is split into two parts. You can either play solo (piano/guitar/banjo) or play with a backing band (bass/drums/guitar/keys). The house band will play with you as long as you bring chord charts and lyrics with your song structure before the open mic begins.
Show up early and sign up before the open mic starts. 25 performers are chosen randomly out of a hat starting at 8 PM. The house band kicks things off by supporting a few performers. Then, they clear out of the way to let solo songwriters take the stage. Professional mix engineers and videographers produce a live show to broadcast on the Internet starting at 8 PM. No cursing!
🕧 Sign Ups: Sign up at ~6:40 PM to play with the band. Bring chord chards and you’ll get a few minutes to rehearse your song with the band. If you’re playing solo, show up at 7:00 PM and add your name to the general list.
Times 6:30 PM — Sign-ups to play with the band begins. 7:00 PM — Sign-ups to play solo begins. 8:00 PM — Open mic begins and placements are announced.
💰Cost to Play: Kulak’s Woodshed open mic is free to perform. But there’s an encouraged $20 donation for the 4-person band to support you.
💸 Donations: If you don’t play with the band, bring $5-$10 for a donation for the venue. A hat is passed around during the show. Remember, the entire venue is supported by donations from the community.
📷 Recordings/Video: The thing that makes Kulak’s unique is that it broadcasts every show to the Internet and records the performances. Pay $20 to get a recording of your performance to support the venue.
Note: No backing tracks or extra equipment of any kind. There is an acoustic guitar and piano if you need it.
Rules: No talking or getting up during a performance. Be respectful.
Performers at Kulak’s Woodshed open mic play with a house band. In the top middle of the frame, you can see a small TV with a preview of the live Internet broadcast of the show.
Solo performers play in the “living room” at Kulak’s Woodshed. Guests sit on couches, beds, folding chairs, and more around a central stage area.