When The Pearl closed abruptly last month, it took an important part of Denver’s open mic scene with it. As the Mercury Cafe, the building at 2199 California Street had housed weekly Friday night poetry and Sunday slams that were pillars of the Mile High’s creative community for decades.
Open mics are one of the few true third spaces left, places where people are welcome to just exist, listen, share and interact without transaction. Genuine community building and organizing happen at these events in a way that feels increasingly rare in modern society. So, when a longstanding venue like the Merc disappears, it can feel devastating.
“It’s always a tragedy when an open mic ends or a place closes. That never changes, we’re always heartbroken,” says Jessica “Mir I Am” Chernila, whose father, Lenny Chernila (AKA “the Professor”), was a central presence at the Mercury Cafe’s Friday night open mic for years as both a mentor and a participant.
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