This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

The Place To Be on Tuesdays

One open mic night celebrates Joey Still's birthday.

Wondering where to find live music in Woodstock? 

One option is to follow Acoustic Open Mic run by brothers Marshall and Joey Still, also known as the Still Friends Band. 

On Tuesdays, Still Friends runs the open mic event at The Place on Towne Lake Parkway starting at 8 p.m. and on Wednesdays, they host open mic at The Tavern on Bells Ferry Road.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Patrons will find a collection of local artists delivering their interpretations of popular covers as well as sharing and testing out their original songs every week. 

This past week at The Place, open mic participants had more than music to celebrate.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Joey Still turned 44, and the place to be for the party was in fact was The Place.

Surrounded by balloons, cookies and brownies, the performers of Open Mic night, along with bar and restaurant patrons, helped ring in Joey’s next year by singing "Happy Birthday" to him to kick off the festivities before performers began their sets.

Musicians of the night included Mark Bailey, Wade Sapp, Wayland Garrett, Hannah Henry and the Ukulady and Timmy Halischak, also known as AndLove Music, who had the crowd on its feet dancing through several of his upbeat songs.  

For the past two and a half years, Still Friends has hosted open mics throughout North Georgia. 

About six to 10 artists attend each event weekly, sharing a variety of music from blues to rock and roll, along with their personal life stories said Marshall Still.  

“This next song is about a girl who won’t stop texting me,” Wade Sapp said. 

Joey, who plays the Djembe, said he enjoys working with the community of musicians and his brother, too.

“I’ve spent more time with him these last few year than the 20 years before,” Joey said.

Together, Marshall and Joey warm up the crowd at each open mic night, performing as Still Friends, playing covers and original songs which they co-write.

Of course, they led the Happy Birthday serenade together on stage on this night.

The sibling Acoustic Open Mic hosts have a regular tradition of celebrating musicians's birthdays with cakes and sweet treats made by Still family members, mother Susan, Aunt Martha and Marshall's soon-to-be bride, Rosie Axlen. 

"It brings the whole family together," Joey said of the celebrations.

Musicians feel the family love as well at Acoustic Open Mic events.

“I like coming here for the great artists, great food and great atmosphere,” said Mark Bailey, who was joined on stage by friends to sing backup.

On this special night, the atmosphere was sweetened by homemade cookies and brownies served to all of the patrons on birthday plates.

"It's just fun," said George Still, Joey and Marshall's father full of many great Joey stories, as he called them.

For musicians, open mic is always a great opportunity to network and collaborate, Marshall said.

“It’s great to meet everybody, make good friends and hear people play,” he said.

And it’s a great way to celebrate a birthday too, of course. 

Acoustic Open Mic’s next event is this Tuesday at The Place. 

Download the movie

Download the movie

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Woodstock-Towne Lake