Open mic nights at Old Skool’s have been an integral event in the Ellensburg music scene for ten years. The music that happens in the back room of Old Skool’s every Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. can be the beginning for some new and upcoming singer-songwriters, or recurring faces that perform frequently.

“[It’s] always great to have more music,” Carol Cox, owner and manager of Old Skool’s, said. “You can never have too much music in your life.” Cox shared that a local artist Jason Clifton just did a mural on the back of Old Skool’s and that it is not particularly a mural of something, it is just art and a lot of color. Cox shared the next plan for Clifton in the back alley. “He’s gonna paint the Old Skool’s lettering,” Cox said. 

Cox explains how open mic night started. “I had had a couple of times musicians play shows back there, [so] let’s just do music back there,” Cox said. “Someone started it up.”

Cox shared the importance of influencing all ages to sign up and share their talent. “One of the things I have always insisted [is] that [it] be all ages,” Cox said. “There [are] so many bars and places that have music [in Ellensburg].”

Cox shares a little about the behind-the-scenes process of open mic, from the person running it to how to sign up. “Birgit Mitchell joined, and she started running them on a regular basis,” Cox said. “She comes and goes. We have had different people volunteer to run it. She is back now, so she is running it.” As for sign-up, “We leave a sign-up sheet at the table,” Cox said. “And people just come in and sign their name.”

Cox felt the open mic nights foster a sense of community in the back room of Old Skool’s, and positivity that the performers and the listeners all bring. “Everyone’s supporting others,” Cox said.

 Cox feels the open mic nights hosted at Old Skool’s do more than just create community. “I feel a lot of gratitude from people,” Cox said. She continued to say she hopes that the music scene in Ellensburg became more prevalent since open mic began. While open mic nights are open to anyone, Cox mentioned her favorite local band that participates. “The Sleepers are awesome,” Cox said. “I love them. Collin [Pillow, lead singer and bassist of The Sleepers], comes especially to open mic.” 

Old Skool’s has been Cox’s record store since its opening. “I love the music,” Cox said. “It’s kind of a way to give back to music people.” With the unity park opening, Cox predicted more future music scenes now that Unity Park has an outdoor stage. She thinks it will bring college students downtown and get them interested in the music scene of Old Skool’s. When Unity Park finally opened, “They [the city of Ellensburg] did an opening show,” Cox said. “And The Sleepers performed there.”