Songwriters' Open Mic

Songwriters' Open Mic is back at the Cactus Cafe on Tuesday, September 8, from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. It's a weekly thing on Tuesday nights, and it runs through November 24, so if you miss this one, you've got plenty of chances to catch it later in the fall. Jake Farr hosts the night, and the rule is original music only—no covers allowed. That means every song you hear is something the writer actually wrote, which keeps the night focused on new material rather than the hits you already know.

For context, the Cactus Cafe is an intimate listening room on the University of Texas at Austin campus that's been open since 1979. Over the decades, it's built a national reputation for showcasing local, regional, national, and international acts, and the list of names that have played there reads like a songwriter's hall of fame: Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Lucinda Williams, Nanci Griffith, Alison Krauss, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Townes Van Zandt, Bill Monroe, and the Chicks. Billboard once listed it as one of fifteen 'solidly respected, savvy clubs' nationwide 'from which careers can be cut.'

The venue is all-ages and bills itself as 'the best listening room in Austin,' and this open mic has grown into a Tuesday night tradition at the Union. Because it's a listening room, the focus stays on the songs and the songwriting, and the original-music-only rule ensures that's exactly what you'll get. It's a good spot to hear what Austin songwriters are working on when they're just starting to bring their songs out in public.

Admission is free, and doors open at 6:30 PM, an hour before the music starts. The night runs from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, and it happens every Tuesday through November 24.