55-Year-Old Coffee House Launches Open Mic For Young Artists In Downers Grove

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A 55-year-old coffee house in Downers Grove is launching an open mic that aims to give high school and college-aged acoustic musicians and poets a platform for their creativity. Two Way Street Coffee, which has the vibe of "old-school coffee houses of the '60s and '70s" is adding the event to a roster that already features weekly concerts, volunteer director Joel Simpson told Patch.

Simpson, a musician and entrepreneur who owns Randomosity Records, said Two Way Street Coffee got its start as a center for teen community members to gather in 1970. Shortly after, performers began hosting shows each week, bringing even more artists to the coffee shop.

Two Way Street Coffee hosted a similar open mic for teens and college-aged musicians before the pandemic, which forced them to "scale back programming," Simpson said, adding, "It has taken us this long to build up the volunteer base to relaunch this series."

The Youth Open Mic Series will be an "inclusive, welcoming, and low-pressure" opportunity for "musicians, poets, and performance artists to take the stage, share their voices, and connect with peers and community," a news release said.

The open mic will be held the last Thursday of each month, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Performers will have three to 12 minutes of stage time and each event will be streamed live.

So far, the Youth Open Mic is planned for July 24, Aug. 28, Sept. 25 and Oct. 23.

Attendance is free, and light refreshments, including, of course, coffee, will be available for purchase. Interested performers can call 630-969-9720 or email info@twowaystreet.org.