Aspiring artists and music lovers from all over the Dallas area convene every Thursday night in a decked-out warehouse to share music and network with fellow creators.
The event is called the Speakeasy Open Mic, founded by visionary Trey-Michael Dae. Typically, open mics are reserved for somber, coffee-shop type music. This is not the case for Speakeasy Open Mic, as the venue is more suited for up-and-coming rappers or fans of hip hop and R&B. Each artist is given the opportunity to perform an original song surrounded by murals of greats like Tupac, Biggie and Mac Miller. The venue is as unique as its artists, as the DJ booth sits inside a boat that the warehouse was built around.
The warehouse itself has been decorated solely with the intention of creating eye catching photo ops. There is a green room meant to look like the inside of a cloud as well as a bathtub repurposed with fake grass. There are no empty walls in the venue. Sure, the main purpose of the event is to give musicians a platform, but the space itself doubles as a work of art that immerses artists and audiences in creativity.
The venue’s name is ‘Creators Don’t Die,’ a saying plastered all over the walls, promoting the idea that the space is a judgement free zone. The space acts as a way to give their participants recognition, even if big record labels and fame don’t always follow performances.
“We believe in giving artists their roses before they die, which in rap, happens rarely,” Dae said.
The venue’s various events give creators the opportunity to step into the city’s bustling music scene. The main goal of the event is to bring together local producers, artists and musicians to make way for the next big names in Dallas.
“People like Post Malone came out of Dallas,” Dae said. “We’re just trying to find people passionate about their art like that.”
The event has a $15 entry fee and is every Thursday night from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. A similar event, Dallas Open Mic, is held every Tuesday at 8 p.m. Students interested in attending the event or performing can receive updates on the Instagram account, @dallasopenmic.
Thank you for the support Rylee!
Just a few corrections to avoid any confusion, the founder of the Dallas Open Mic is Charlie Rihoo and the venue name is Creators Don’t Die. Trey-Michael is the founder of the Speakeasy Open Mic which runs at the same venue every Thursday night.
DallasOpenMic.com
Every Tuesday at 8pm
12035 Shiloh Rd 75228
Feel free to come sign up to perform when the doors open, make sure to bring your music on a USB drive!