Spotlight: The dean of Open Mike
Musicians traveling along Interstate 80 on a Monday to Chicago or St. Louis often call J. Knight.
He's the one who can schedule them to play during the Mill's long-running Open Mike Night.
"[Iowa City is] a good spot for people to play," Willis Knight said. "It gives musicians a chance to come in and do their own thing."
Knight has been hosting and coordinating the Open Mike Night at the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St., since 1981. Open Mike presents eight different acts each week. Beginning at 8 p.m., each performer has a half hour set to introduce the audience to her or his music.
Open Mike allows musicians — both locally and nationally — to test out new material in front of a live audience.
"I'm always really pleased because the professionals get to see our local players," he said. "The professional players are impressed with the quality we have here. And that's cool."
While the concept of hosting an open mike is fairly common, the one Knight organizes at the Mill is a little different from the others. He wants the evening to be more of a short set for the performers rather than just playing a couple songs.
The only condition Knight has for the performer is that they play an acoustic set. But that still allows for a variety of music ranging from jazz instrumentals to pianists to banjo players. Open Mike typically sees a lot of singer-songwriters, some duos, and even a few musical groups.
Knight feels the night is an outlet to help musicians build their stage presence and skills as performers.
"The whole thing is a chance to give people the opportunity to develop," he said. "It's fun to watch them become more comfortable. That's what it's all about."
University of Iowa junior Emily Green, who attends Open Mike regularly, agreed.
"It's a great way to hear new talent every week," she said. "It really adds to the growing music scene in the Iowa City community."
When Knight isn't booking acts to perform at Open Mike, he spends his days as a parent interventionist at Taylor Elementary in Cedar Rapids. Before becoming involved in the Cedar Rapids School District, Knight taught physical education and coached rugby and football in Brazil for two years.
Even while in a different country, Knight still connected with music. He was a member of Another County Band while in Brazil.
When Knight moved to Iowa City so his wife could attend the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he performed for five years before getting back into education.
And even though he doesn't play full-time anymore, Knight still keeps the music going. He often plays at Open Mike if an act doesn't show up or if a set runs short.
"I never let the stage stay bare for long," he said. "I can always get on stage and play something quickly."
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