Intentional listening

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

There are loads of venues regularly hosting live music in Sandpoint, but one element of the scene that always seems to be lacking is a “listening room” — where people come primarily to hear the music.

That fact inspired singer-songwriter Maya Goldblum to host an open mic night at Bluebird Bakery once a month, offering musicians the opportunity to play new material to an audience that listens.

“For the longest time, I was hunting for that listening space where we could be more intentional and have people share that vulnerable material and not have a loud bar in the background,” Goldblum told the Reader. “The Longshot was that for the last while, but they shut down. I felt there was a huge gap in Sandpoint.”

Goldblum will host the second installment of the new monthly open mic nights on Thursday, June 23, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and music going from 7-9 p.m. Sign-ups are taken at the venue.

Goldblum said when the opportunity came to host open mic nights at Bluebird Bakery, she ran with it.

Katelyn Shook plays at Bluebird Bakery for the inaugural open mic night on May 12. Photo by Ben Olson.

“I think the venue, the setting, is important,” she said. “I’ve been to open mic nights in loud bars that were kind of shitty, so having it at a place like Bluebird means people are coming to listen and share. It’s more interactive and more of a conscious, intentional listening crowd.”

The inaugural open mic night on May 12 drew a full house, with several in attendance playing music, while some read poems and freestyled.

“There is definitely an emphasis on music, but I’m excited about any raw authentic expression,” Goldblum said. “I’m very encouraging of original stuff, even if it’s not fleshed out. It’s a good setting to try out something you’re working on.”

Goldblum said she hosted a lot of open mic nights while living in Ireland and loved the community that developed around them. 

“It’s a space and a stage for every level of musician or artist to share,” she said.

The plan is to continue to host open mics at Bluebird Bakery each month. The venue features a guitar and microphone available for performers to use, but if you have special musical needs, be prepared to bring your own equipment. Also, since it’s not a big money-making venture, donations are gladly accepted to help cover costs.

While open mic is a starting point, Goldblum said there’s a possibility of offering other forms of entertainment at Bluebird Bakery in the future.

“Gigs would also be fun to do there,” she said. “Music is new for Bluebird. It’s a slow process, kind of an experiment at this point.”

Bluebird Bakery Open Mic Night • Thursday, June 23; doors at 6 p.m., music 7-9 p.m.; FREE. Bluebird Bakery, 329 N. First Ave., 208-265-8730.