A small crowd of students filled Dirlam Lounge March 19 for Religious Life Community’s (RLC) second Open Mic Night.

“It’s an open forum for talent,” said Austin Roy, junior and RLC president. “This is only the second one so we’re still learning but, we really hope it showcases the talents of Simpson’s students.”

The first Open Mic Night marked the opening of the newly renovated Dirlam Lounge earlier this semester and likely explained the lower attendance last Monday.

While not as many people turned out for the second Open Mic Night of the semester, Roy had a positive outlook.

“There were definitely fewer people in the crowd this time,” Roy said. “It’s all fine though, even with the lower numbers RLC looks forward to hosting another even.”

Eight people performed multiple times throughout the night with most either playing a song on the guitar or singing.

Performances lasted between five and seven minutes long and a multitude of songs were played, mostly guitar solo covers of popular songs.

However, freshman Greg Harlow offered a little variety when he performed a banjo piece.

“I performed a song I wrote about a month ago called ‘Seventeen Hundred Miles,’” freshman Greg Harlow said. “Also just for fun I had my buddy bring my banjo and I did a little banjo piece called ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’, just kind of messing around a little bit, nothing too serious.”

Junior Jesse Stewart, a member of Simpson’s own West of E Street band, performed covers of Charlie Floyd’s “Man Behind the Wheel” and the Zac Brown Band’s “Highway 20 Ride.”

“I thought he (Jesse) was very good,” sophomore Hillary Harmon said. “I don’t normally listen to that kind of music, but he did a really good job with his performance.”

Sophomore Shanice Whitney performed a cover of the song “1 plus 1” by Beyonce which received cheers and whistles from the crowd.

“The song was for my roommate,” Whitney said. “I had the butterflies really bad, but the reaction from the crowd really calmed me down and I ended up having a lot of fun.”

Whitney was asked to perform an encore later that night as more people showed up to the event.

Other performers at the event included seniors Robert Trimble, Ethan Eller and Avalon Woodard.

Trimble and Woodard both played guitar pieces, with Woodard playing her own version of the song “Hallelujah” and Trimble playing Rocky Votolato’s, “Portland is Leaving.”

Eller performed a vocal solo of “In Pieces” by Linkin Park.

“With all the different performers it kind of reminds me of The Underground that the theater house does, but I think people might think that’s just for theatre students,” Whitney said. “So I think this broadens it up to more of a variety of students on campus.”

According to Roy, RLC is hoping for variety as they are allowing anyone to participate in Open Mic Night.

The next Open Mic Night will be held on April 2 and RLC is hoping to feature the poetry readings by David Wolf’s Introduction to Poetry Writing class.

“It’s not a 100 percent thing,” Roy said. “But we’re pretty sure some of the class will be there to read their poetry. Hopefully that inspires more people to show up and support their fellow students.”

Students are encouraged to come out and showcase their talents in front of what the RLC hopes will be a growing crowd of students.