Posts Tagged ‘Songwriters Open Mic’

“Another January 6”

Sunday, February 16th, 2025

“Another January 6” written and performed by Jim Novak

Video link

https://youtu.be/huY_YJkDW7I “Another January 6” was first performed at SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC,” an open mic now in its 30th year.  Soon to begin its 5th year as an ONLINE open mic, over Zoom, “Songwriters Open Mic” has attracted performers from 25 states and five countries.   For details including the Zoom link, which changes each week, write JimNovakMusic(at) gmail (dot) com.  An archive of over 100 hours of lightly edited performances is at the YouTube channel called “Songwriters Open Mic Ann Arbor.” 

“ANOTHER JANUARY 6”         

Words and Music by JIM NOVAK, 2/4/25

[VERSE 1]    Thirteen billionaires work for Donald Trump

They want You to thank Them, for their service. 

Billionaires in government, won’t they enrich themselves?

They want to convince you, Don’t Be Nervous

[VERSE 2]   Elon Musk, not elected, not appointed, or vetted

His DOGE Bro’s  are cruel but efficient

Rolling up the Treasury, civil service, foreign aid

It’s a combo:  to be lawless and omniscient.

[Chorus 1]   And now, every day’s Another January 6

From Capitol Hill to the White-House Ellipse

They broke into the Government so they could take a sh*t

Every single day is Another January 6, January 6.

[VERSE 3]   Justice has an arc, when we meet the situation

But the rich play a never-ending  game.

Hating on the government,  feathering their nest

The Lies and Propaganda Hall of Shame. 

[Chorus 2]   And now, every day’s Another January 6

From Capitol Hill to the White-House Ellipse,

Democracy’s irrelevant, Congress is eclipsed.

Every single day is Another January 6, January 6.

[BRIDGE] 

Citizens properly pissed  stand up and resist

Pushing back on autocrats,  and the dirty Muskrats…

[Chorus 3]   But for now, every day’s Another January 6

From Capitol Hill to the White-House Ellipse

They broke into the government so they could take a sh*t

Democracy’s irrelevant, Congress is eclipsed.

Every single day is Another January 6, January 6.

Year in Review: Songwriters Open Mic

Sunday, January 26th, 2025

YEAR IN REVIEW: Songwriters Open Mic Ann Arbor

Beginning our 30th year of open-mic-music-making, in January 2025 … Songwriters Open Mic started in the Winter of 1996 at a small performing space inside Oz’s Music Store. In the early months of the Covid pandemic, feeling the need for community, we went online.   We quickly evolved a weekly format, using Zoom:  the first Tuesday nights of the month for original songs only, and the other Tuesdays became Anything Goes, for originals or cover songs.  

Zoom (and the MeetUp app) presented the opportunity to invite songwriters from way beyond Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.  In 225 Zoom sessions, and counting, we’ve managed to “TURN ON ORIGINAL SOUND FOR MUSICIANS” in a very satisfying way, hosting entertainers from approximately half the states plus Canada, Mexico, Australia, England, Scotland and India.  And we use the feature in Zoom that provides a video of the evening, and send it to performers to download and review.  

It sounds like a lot, but on any given Tuesday night, we expect just 10 or 12 performers.  There’s time for each of us to play a set of two or three songs.  And typically there’s also time for informal talk about your songs and how you came to write them, or to offer or receive songwriting support, pursue a rabbit hole of music history, an idiosyncratic tangent, giddy enthusiasm, guilty pleasure, or oddball perspective.  

Thirty years on, and all those “original sounds” are still fun.   

You’re invited to perform or listen.  Get the Zoom link, which changes each week, from jimnovakmusic(at)gmail(dot)com

Re: the map: In 2024, SOM hosted songwriters from 15 states (and 4 countries).