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PLEASANT GROVE — Brad Williams was visiting Boston when he witnessed a fight the likes of which he had never seen. Those involved threw no punches; instead, their weapons were their guitars, and the words that came out of their mouth were not cutting, but melodic.
They were participants in an open mic fight, and Williams, himself a musician, was impressed.
"The competition created such a different feeling from the usual open mic nights," Williams said. "The talent was off the charts. I loved it because it forced musicians to be influenced by one another, which is something you don't see many places."
Williams asked the owner for advice on setting up a similar competition in Utah, and held the first Open Mic Fight in January. He's held them twice a month ever since, ultimately moving to Sammie's in Pleasant Grove because it had grown too large.
The format allows up to 20 musicians to perform two songs or 10 minutes of original music. A celebrity judge chooses three finalists, who each perform one more time. The winner of the competition gets half the door money.
"I feel like a really unique musical community is being born," he said. "People are sticking around and listening to one another and taking cues from each other."
He said that's an important thing for musicians to do, because allowing themselves to be influenced by others gives them new ideas and helps them more tightly define their own sound.
"I'm not so concerned about who wins," he said. "I just want people to stick around and hear each other play, instead of leaving once they're done playing. All these bands like the Beatles, any of the great musicians, it's not just one person's success. They didn't get their on their own."
In addition to allowing musicians to be exposed to each other's music, Williams hopes he can provide them with opportunities for valuable feedback, whether from the celebrity judges or the players themselves. He posts HD videos of the performances on YouTube after the show.
I feel like a really unique musical community is being born.
–Brad Williams
"Most people play music around their friends or family, who won't give them the feedback they need," he said. "I've seen people come in here for their first time and I've said, ‘Oh, they're OK,' and then they come again and blow everyone away."
For the musicians themselves, the night can be unforgettable.
"I've had people come up to me after a show and say it was the most memorable night they've had all year," Williams said. "People come from around the state and even from out of state."
He said sometimes he gets negative feedback from musicians who felt they should have won or placed higher in the competition, but for the most part, people are happy to participate. It's another way to support — and hopefully revolutionize — a strong, if slightly underground, Utah Valley music scene.
"I have a lot of enthusiasm for this," Williams said. "You always have a dream that something big will happen, but at the same time, I just do it because I love it."
