Alchemy Food & Drink
The Middle of Nowhere has moved!
The most original, fun, and inspiring open-mic in Toronto has a new home at Alchemy Food and Drink.
Come be a part of history. TMoN is the only open-mic in the world that records their two-hour shows with a omni-binaural microphone, then puts the entire, un-edited experience on YouTube as a podcast.
The food and drinks are excellent at Alchemy, and the classy, intimate setting helps make everyone feel comfortable and connected to the performances. The vibe is unlike anything you've ever experienced. You will want to come back week after week.
If you are a performer looking for a place to play, reach out to Mitchell Anton MacEachern on Facebook to ask for a spot. We do comedy, poetry, spoken-word, and music. Everyone is welcome, but shows fill up in advance, so get in touch as soon as possible to book a spot for a future show.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM TMoN:
Performances by Indie Musicians and Comedians: Some of whom have never performed live before and are just doing it for fun, while others are established artists looking to grow their fan-base. There is everything from simple and well-known cover songs played on the acoustic guitar, to original compositions played on a piano, to beat-boxers, to backing-tracks played underneath live vocals. There is also comedy. One of the best parts about having comedians follow musicians is that it usually makes the comedians more self-conscious, which seems to make them funnier. There is new talent every week, which makes each episode unique.
Performances by Spoken-Word Artists and Poets: Something that is not heard very much in today’s world are stories performed live. Spoken-Word artists bring their essays, fiction,and non-fiction tales to TMoN, and read them aloud. This brings a fireside vibe to the bar, and is a truly beautiful experience. The poets who come and perform are given the space to enunciate their whimsical words, while also physically embodying their tone, demonstrating that poetry is just as happy living out loud than in the mind. There are also jester-type performers who parody things like politics and Super Mario Bros. You never know what you'll get at TMoN.
'Unpack That with Jack': As the host of The Middle of Nowhere, Jack Charles's role includes facilitating the evening, introducing the acts, as well as giving prizes away to the audience. But the beautifully unique part about Jack is his genuine journalistic curiosity. Between acts, he talks directly to the audience, asking them questions about where they’ve come from, why they came, and what they like to do. This brings a humanity to the show, reminding everyone that, although there are performers demonstrating their talent on stage, the show is also about the audience, who are just as interesting as the artists.
The Middle of Nowhere House Band: Peter and Tara, who are brother and sister, and both very talented musicians, jam on stage all night long. They jazz up the evening by improvising music between performances, they add colour to the words of the storytellers and poets, and sometimes they play alongside other artists, turning solo acts into a full band performance.
The Symposium: Mitchell Anton MacEachern, who created TMoN, wanted to create a space where people could come to have a great time, feel comfortable, to express themselves honestly, and to grow. His Symposium is where he brings his ideas to the stage, developing dialogues with the audience about deep topics like love, fear, trust, suffering, and modern culture. At its heart, the Symposium attempts to take philosophy outside the classroom and put it into the open air so it can breathe. It is a refreshingly fun exploration into the human condition.