open mic

American  

[oh-puhn mahyk] / ˈoʊ pən ˈmaɪk /

Or open mike

noun

1. a live show in a club, bar, etc., in which anyone may perform but each performer is given a time limit (often used attributively).

   an open mic night for stand-up comedians.

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Etymology

Origin of open mic

First recorded in 1975–80; open ( def. ) (in sense “in operation, live”) + mic ( def. )

Example Sentences

When the BBC visited the market in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, earlier this week, we saw an open mic night, including a rendition of Neil Young's Heart of Gold, and stalls selling the likes of pasta, Greek gyros and Yorkshire pudding wraps.

From BBC

Her book, “The Real HipHop,” was born out of the seven years she spent attending a famous open mic in Los Angeles called Project Blowed.

From The Wall Street Journal

But one night, after attending a few open mic nights at the Gardenia Supper Club in West Hollywood as a spectator, he got up the nerve to step onto the stage and perform a tune backed by a live band.

From Los Angeles Times

Sixteen years later, Zwiebach, now 78, is a core member of what the event’s longtime host Keri Kelsey calls “the family,” a group of roughly 25 regulars who sing jazz standards, show tunes and other numbers from the Great American Songbook at the longest-running open mic night in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

“You are so vulnerable up there with everyone staring at you,” said Kelsey, who has hosted the open mic night for 24 years and once watched Molly Ringwald nervously take the stage.

From Los Angeles Times