At the Cactus Cafe, host Jake Farr watches performers carefully, quietly maintaining a list on his phone during his Tuesday open mics. When artists deliver exceptional performances, their names get bolded.
These notes and Farr’s intuition about each artist’s readiness helped him determine who received invitations to perform at last Friday’s autumn songwriter showcase. The showcase featured five artists, who each played 20-minute sets at the Cactus Cafe.
“I want to give opportunities to people (who are) maybe just coming because they enjoy the process, but I want to give them the opportunity to take it (to) the next level,” Farr said.
Farr said he established the open mic with rules designed to create community. At open mic, performers are encouraged to stay for the entire show, audiences must remain silent during sets and everyone should tell at least one artist they enjoyed their performance before leaving.
“I was thinking about when I first moved to Austin and I was trying to get plugged into the music scene,” Farr said. “(I thought about) what would have been the ideal environment for me, and I’ve tried to create that.”
Lily Dabbs, who performed at Friday’s showcase, said she discovered the open mic three years ago after moving to Austin.
“It’s one of the few listening rooms left around town,” Dabbs said. “So to be in a place where people are there to listen to music, to really connect, is a unique experience.”
Also a city planner, Dabbs integrates place and memory into her folk-influenced songs. With the showcase’s extended set time, Dabbs wove stories between performances, including a tribute to her late uncle, who taught her guitar.
“My guitar that I play was his, so getting to have his guitar in that room,” Dabbs said. “I think he would have really appreciated that.”
Talking Backwards band members Shelby Schulz, Coleman Arnold and Shawn Shoemaker, said they use the open mics to share their music with new audiences after relocating from Kansas City, Missouri, last October. Despite playing without their drummer, Shoemaker, the band’s showcase performance brought their fusion of math rock, folk and jazz to life.
“We want to find people that want to help us perform for people,” Arnold said. “You only do that by getting yourself out there and putting yourself in public situations.”
The seasonal showcase occurs three times annually. Farr provides month-long preparation periods and guidance on promotion strategies, though he intentionally avoids micromanaging performances.
“I think it’s good, as a musician, to be thrown in the deep end,” Farr said.
For Farr, the most rewarding aspect of hosting these events is offering validation to emerging artists navigating a difficult industry.
“For some people, the showcase might be the best gig they ever play, and they’re happy with that,” Farr said. “And that would be perfectly fine with me.”
