New event venue launches in Laurel: Check out Open Mic this Saturday

The stage is built, the amps are wired up, the twinkle lights strung, tiki torches are waiting to be lit, forty dozen cookies are baked, and the bands are ready to rock.  All the background preps are in place for The Barn’s Open Mic Night on Saturday August 10th.

The Barn is a new event venue and local hangout for young adults on summer Saturday nights.  Local musician and guitar teacher, “I love this venue, the room feels good,” Stephen Brouillette says.  “It’s a big open space; yet, has the warmth and closeness of a coffee house, which lets me be right there with my audience.”

The Barn is located in Laurel, Maryland, on a historic property, adjacent to the Caleb Carr House, circa 1790s. The Barn itself is about 75 years old.  It has been retrofitted by a group of friends that are part of Young Adults group from Bethany Community Church.  The Barn is nestled in a grove of trees on the back of a 24 acre parcel behind the church.

“A bunch of my friends were sitting around talking  one night, and we all were saying we wish there was someplace, like a coffee house, where people could hang out, not have to spend a lot of money, enjoy good music, and engage in deep conversations about life and faith and world issues< says Erik Hoffman, the Barn’s manager. “So, we all just looked at one another and said almost simultaneously, ‘Why don’t we do it ourselves?  We could turn the old barn at the back of the church property into just such a place.’  We literally got in our cars and drove out there at 9 p.m. that night. We let the headlights shine into the barn, and we walked through the mess. The Barn was born that night, and we rolled up our sleeves a few days later and got to cleaning out the old barn and getting it ready to hold all sorts of events for folks our age.”

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Each Saturday throughout the summer, The Barn has different events like Free Barbecue’s, Campfires, Big Screen Movies, and coming this Saturday, August 10th at 8:00 p.m.  the first Open Mic Night. The lineup for this week includes several local bands from the Annapolis area, two comedy acts, a short drama skit, and a several solo artists. Coffee, soda, water and cookies will be free.  The Barn has received so many requests to perform that some acts will have to wait till the second Open Mic night scheduled for Sat Aug 31. The group highlights a non-profit organization each week to encourage friends to get involved in things that matter.  So far, money has been raised for two local agencies that care for the homeless.  This Saturday, they will be accepting donations for the International Justice Mission (IJM), an NGO working to stop like human trafficking.

Future events include: Free Barbecue – Aug 17 at 7:30 p.m. , Scary Movie Night – Aug 17 at 8 p.m., and Open Mic Night – Aug 31 at 8:00p.m.

The folks at The Barn say, “Grab a friend and come experience community and explore faith with other 18-30 year olds at The Barn, 15720 Riding Stable Road, Laurel, MD, 20707.   For more information check them out on Facebook: facebook.com/theopenbarn or on Twitter: @theopenbarn or www.theopenbarn.com.