Show up and play: New open mic venue in Yuba City

Shamaya Sutton, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·3 min read

Sep. 23—Sound Annex in Yuba City is quickly approaching its one year anniversary.

This new record store features a variety of LPs, CDs, DVDs, tapes, and more in addition to its in-house music lessons and other fun community events.

Starting with "Friday Freakout" in July, owner Chris Holmes has opened up the shop's parking lot to accommodate live music and host a series of monthly open mics. These "pop-up" style events are usually advertised on social media with funky titles and alternative artwork that appeal to the area's "hip" demographics.

Sound Annex's third and newest open mic, "Show Up Pop Up," is scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday at 529 Plumas St., with set up starting at 5 p.m.

"This is an outdoor event that will feature local artists, paintings, sculpture, handmade gifts, vintage jewelry, vinyl records and more," said Holmes. "Show Up Pop Up is for local artisans and creatives to showcase their work and sell to the public."

The event is free to attend and all ages are welcome. Musicians and performers at any level or background are encouraged to come try out their skills in front of an audience. The performance area will be lit up by a unique and intriguing light show by Frog Dog, and food will be available for purchase from the Mariscos Rey Kora food truck.

For more information, call 530-763-5457. To keep up on other Sound Annex events, like or follow its pages on Facebook and Instagram.

Other local open mics — Straw Hat Pizza at 540 Bogue Rd. in Yuba City. Thursdays and Saturdays every week from 7 to 10 p.m. Known as the area's "original" and longest standing open mic, this all-ages event is generously hosted by Clark Buschmann and Dan Lizardo. — Steele House Coffee at 437 Center St. in Yuba City. This trendy coffee joint hosts an all-ages open mic from 7 to 9 p.m. on the second and fourth Friday of each month. — Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture at 754 Plumas St. in Yuba City. The organization just recently launched a monthly open mic event known as the "Artrium Vibes Open Mic Happy Hour" run by Tom Galvin. These events run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will be announced on the events page at yubasutterarts.org. Galvin also hosts a monthly online Open Mic Night via Zoom that focuses on spoken word, poetry, and prose. For more information, contact 530-742-ARTS. — E&J's Music Lounge at 659 Plumas St. in Yuba City. The owners of this new music shop hope to begin hosting open mic and music events in the very near future. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram or contact them at 530-923-7094 or eandjsmusiclounge@gmail.com. — Stoney Stone Comedy, at various Yuba-Sutter area locations. Comedy lovers may consider following Stoney Meagher's Stoney Stone Comedy on Facebook. Meagher is a local comedy booker, photographer, and content creator who runs a series of stand-up and open-mic events throughout the area. Popular venues include Slough House Social in Colusa, The Sutter Theater in Yuba City, and Moonshiners Saloon in Olivehurst. For more information, email stoneymeagher@gmail.com.

In Marysville, keep an eye out on Skips Music Cafe, Tri-County Diversity, and Silver Dollar Saloon. These places have been known to host open mics along with other creative events and live music.