20 An Evening At Merdekarya

My cousin, Genie Wong (whom I call Gen), was here for an open mic session at Merdekarya. I whooped in joy when she asked to stay over at my place for several nights. With my aunt now staying with me, you can imagine how lively it was in my home! 

Here's a little about what an open mic session is. 

Wikipedia:
An open mic or open mike (derived from open microphone) is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies.These events are typically focused on performance arts like poetry and the spoken word, music, and comedy.

Merdekarya , I gather, is a place that promotes independent Malaysian music and books.

It was our first time here. A dim lit hangout with artsy decor which I will describe as grunge. We arrived at 7.30pm.

As we enter (ground floor)

Up the staircase

The ambiance

The wall decor

Tipping is 'encouraged'

This place is a beacon of creativity. I adore the light covers at the balcony (pictured below) and I bet you can guess why! The crescent and the star makes it significantly Malaysian. Those are the symbols on our flag.   

Lights

The show started an hour-plus late. This didn't sit well with me, but I relaxed as soon as the first performer, Kee Vern Lai, went on stage. Then, Genie was up. She wooed us with her sultry voice and a few of her original songs. We clapped very loudly of course, with wide smiles on our faces. Family, you know.

The crowd started coming in at 10pm-ish. It's a great place but idle chatter and drinking just wasn't our thing so we left after the second act. Our late-night days are over. Between me and my bed, there is beauty sleep and that's hard to beat!

I'm leaving you with this video of my cousin's performance that night. Enjoy!