Eclectic. Off-beat. Unique.
All three words can be used to describe Stony Brook University’s Tabler Arts Center, or TAC, on Oct. 20. The TAC played host to Campus Dining’s monthly Open Mic Night, drawing students from all parts of campus to watch and perform.
During these Open Mic Nights, the TAC takes on a sort of “coffee shop” feel, the room’s mood is low key, relaxed and comfortable, but also crowded. Seating became scarce as the night aged. Dunkin’ Donuts and Crazy Crepes, which are located just to the right of the stage, saw more customers than on an average night as a result of the extra pedestrian traffic.
Students sat on the couches and floor with coffees in hand. Some were engrossed in their own personal conversations, while others’ eyes were glued to the stage, inspired by the 30 or so acts performing one after another.
Some played guitar and sang, while others beat boxed. Some played the violin, while others performed stand-up comedy acts. As each eclectic, and some slightly eccentric, acts took the stage, different members of the audience seemed to tune in, turning their attention away from side conversations and focusing on the performer on onstage.
Kevin Kronrad, a freshman majoring in business, was one of the many performers to take the stage.
“I think it’s a really fun time,” said Kronrad when asked to share his thoughts. “It [shows] a lot of great talent and can help you make a lot of new friends. Playing a show feels amazing, [and] I think they should have them more often.”
Mellow and low-key, Open Mic Night gives students the chance to share their talent with others, minus the intimidation factor that other outlets might impose. The comfortable couches are arranged in a way that makes it so that the performers onstage are not quite as stricken by the pressurizing faces of expectant students. The performers can take the stage without worrying that every face in the crowd will be staring, and judging. Students were simply chatting with friends, taking in the relaxed mood of the room, and enjoying the performance at the same time.
On the same night, a band brought in by the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Aliance, or the LGBTA, performed in the Black Box Theatre upstairs in the TAC. The Shondes, an “indie punk act from Brooklyn,” as described on the LGBTA’s Facebook page, seems to cater to a different audience, appealing to those who are more inclined toward edgier music that cannot be found at the relatively calm Open Mic Night.
A night at the TAC can be calm and relaxed or high-energy and crazy, it really seems to be just plain unpredictable. One does not necessarily know exactly what type of environment he or she will be walking into, especially at Open Mic Night, but that is the fun of it.
It is comfortable, it is exciting, and it is worry-free fun.
