On a cold night in January in the Deering Lobby of Baltimore Center Stage, R&B singer Aj music serenaded a crowd of about a hundred people with a vocal performance that filled the room for the entirety of his 10-minute set. Antwan Hawkins Jr., better known as Greeyo, relished the moment from the crowd.
“Baltimore City, how you feeling tonight?” Hawkins said earlier, his voice cutting through the speakers as guests slowly filled the room to capacity. This was the dawning of a new revolving open mic series titled Vibes in Mt. Vernon. Created by Hawkins, the associate of civic and community engagement at Baltimore Center Stage, Vibes’ mission is to give artists a platform to showcase their talents in one of the city’s most prominent theatrical venues.
“We’re one of the most authentic cities with our art,” Hawkins told the Beat. “We’re such a culturally diverse city that there needs to be better access when it comes to these institutions. Baltimore Center Stage is supposed to be Maryland state theater, and some people have never walked in that building and don’t know the resources we offer.”
Vibes is formatted as a classic open mic with a digital twist. Acts submit their names for selection, and seven performers are selected ahead of time by Hawkins. Following the showcase, audience members cast their votes via an Instagram poll to crown the winner, who is awarded with a featured performer slot at the following edition of the monthly Vibes.
In January, attendees made small talk and friends reconnected while DJ CUFF mixed classic hip-hop and R&B sounds in the background before the performances began. Following Hawkins’ explanation of the voting system, a flood of snaps and hums filled the lobby as the first contestant, a spoken word artist, finished her time slot.
“We’re one of the most authentic cities with our art. We’re such a culturally diverse city that there needs to be better access when it comes to these institutions, Baltimore Center Stage is supposed to be Maryland state theater, and some people have never walked in that building and don’t know the resources we offer.”
The crowd remained deeply engaged with all seven of the contestants’ vocal performances, ranging from spoken word to singing to rap. The large open area of the room created a disconnect at times, positioning some attendees fully in the rear of the lobby. This factor may have removed some of the intimacy commonly associated with open mics, but did not affect the overall potency of the event or the audience’s participation in it.
Following the performance of the final contestant, DonDa1, voting commenced during the 15-minute intermission while the audience visited the bar and danced along to the DJ set that kept up the energy levels. Then came the featured artists, whose ranks will eventually include winners of the previous event. Spoken word poet Black Chakra stunned the crowd with an opener that touched on Black men who were murdered by police brutality and racism from the perspective of the victims’ fathers.
Singer-songwriter J. Aria displayed her raw vocal ability with just a microphone and guitarist, leading us on a journey filled with soulful recollections of lost love and emotional vulnerability. The features concluded with multihyphenated Akilah Divine, who combined spoken word, singing, and rapping during her sets for an overall immersive and empowering expression of art.
The evening concluded with the first-ever winner being announced: Aj music was awarded a featured performer slot at the March 26 edition of Vibes in Mt. Vernon. Immediately afterward the audience dissolved into small groups throughout the lobby, where featured performers and contestants alike were showered with support and admiration.
“Vibes in Mt. Vernon is meant not just for artists to come and showcase their original work, but it’s also meant to give access [to the theater] to artists who wouldn’t otherwise get it,” Hawkins said “It’s as much a door into that institutional access of it all as it is performing works in this high-class facility.”
These efforts are supported by introducing artists to the theater not only to perform, but to explore the many avenues and ways Baltimore Center Stage brings art to life via community work informed by Baltimore City.
Volume 3 of Vibes in Mt. Vernon will take place on Thursday, March 26, with doors opening at 6:30 and the show beginning at 7pm. Tickets are available at centerstage.orgretailing for $15, with a suggested age minimum of 21 years old.