Jamie Vahala's The People's Jam Open Mic, an Institution in Deep Ellum, Bids Farewell

After more than 20 years of providing a safe space for budding musicians to test out their songs on stage, it's time for Dallas to say goodbye to The People’s Jam. On Tuesday, June 3, it rained down outside as local artists took the stage at Cheapsteaks to play covers and original material together for the last time.

“It’s been a forge for a bunch of different musicians,” host Jamie Vahala says. “It was the thing you go to before you’re all the way ready to play.”

Vahala took the stage first with trumpeter Charles Mills and Justin Hoard on drums. The host's light baritone voice washed over the room as Mills’ notes soared atop his acoustic strumming. Vahala wrapped his set with a song from the perspective of Lee Harvey Oswald telling his wife he only had one thing he needed to do before making it to dinner – a sick premise that could only be born from a mind like Vahala’s.

“What do you call an alligator in a vest?” he asked in between sets.

“An in-vest-igator,” he answered enthusiastically to a mixed response of chuckles and eye-rolls.

Despite the somber occasion, Vahala kept the mood high with constant jokes and banter all night. After one of the performers had a hiccup on stage, Vahala chimed in with a word of encouragement.

“Every song is perfect,” he starts. “... Every song is perfect and beautiful until we fuck it up and we know we fucked it up, intentionally.”

He’s hosted The People’s Jam for the last eight years and attended the open mic long before he wound up running it. Before Vahala and Cheapsteaks, the jam was run by Scotty Isaacs at The Free Man.

“I actually grew up going to his open mic,” Vahala says. “It was the first place I played out loud.”

He became a regular, always sitting at the end of the bar closest to the stage, both to hear people play and to make sure he didn’t get skipped over. Vahala was around so often that somewhere down the line, the ‘host’ title just fell into his lap, and he ran with it.

There’s no telling who’s going to walk into a jam session from one week to the next, or where they’ll end up after. Several of Dallas’ breakout singer-songwriters have appeared in the past, including Charley Crockett, Leon Bridges and Joshua Ray Walker.

Hoard, the jam’s house drummer, was dressed to the nines for the send-off, sporting a black suit jacket with a pinstripe button-up underneath. He started attending The People’s Jam four years ago after moving to Dallas from Tennessee and has become a staple of the sessions. No matter who hits the stage, he almost instantly jumps in with a beat that matches their music so well you’d think it was rehearsed.

“It is definitely the end of an era,” he says. “This was the thing that got me comfortable with the scene. I got to play with a lot of people, learned a lot, and I’ve seen a lot of people grow and get comfortable. I’ve actually heard people say, ‘Well, if they can get up there and play songs, I can go play my song.’”

Whether with his band, Curl, or other local acts, Hoard is one of the best and most recognizable drummers in the scene. But he doesn't just sit behind the skins — he soon approached the mic for an upbeat acoustic set. His bright voice paired perfectly with his empathetic lyrics, which delve into everyday struggles with an optimistic outlook.

“Shout out Jamie,” Hoard says. “He’s an interesting guy, but he’s got a good heart underneath it all. He really loves this and he’s done a lot for a lot of people. I hate that it’s ending for him, but he’s a very talented guy and I think it’s going to be good for him.”

“Thanks to everybody who ever came, anybody who dropped in and played a song, and all the friends I made over the years,” he continues. “Cheers to The People’s Jam, man. It was a good run.”

Hoard has been leaning more toward songwriting lately and hopes to release an EP sometime in the future. He also makes beats as DeepnthCut and has a few tapes on the way.

One musician walked in wearing a blue denim jacket and sat quietly with his guitar in his lap, applauding for others and patiently waiting his turn to play. Once his name was called, Aaron Shipley stood up and put on an electric performance with fervent strumming and an earnest vocal delivery.

Shipley was ashamed to admit this was his first time attending The People’s Jam. It was one of those things he’d meant to do but had never gotten around to, so he made sure to arrive early for the last night.

Several factors led to the end of The People's Jam, but at the end of the day, the weekly session served its purpose. Countless people faced their fears and took the stage for the first time, while others honed their craft and perfected their stage presence. One of the most rewarding aspects of providing a space for people to perform is watching them improve day in and day out.

“You get to see them come into their own and find their voice,” Vahala says. “It’s really cool to see, and that’s why open mics are important.”

Jacob Hernandez brought his acoustic Midwest emo style to the stage, blending screams, nasal vocals and the occasional deadpan punchline. Without a word, Mills and Hoard hopped up, trumpet and sticks in hand, ready to join in. Moments like these are precisely why open mics are magical; having a space dedicated to creativity and curating one’s craft among other musicians is an invaluable resource and leads to unplanned moments of brilliant harmony, like here with this impromptu trio.

Ever the jokester, Vahala threw Hernandez a curveball after his set.

“Quick! You have 35 seconds to play Oasis before the next guy goes up,” he says rapidly, without warning.

Hernandez wasted no time and immediately broke into the “Wonderwall” chorus, but with a special set of lyrics tailored to the occasion.

“I said Jamie, I want you to have my baby,” he sang in complete sincerity, earning a round of laughs from the room.

Hernandez originally found The People’s Jam while googling local open mics and has been a regular ever since. The musician from Rockwall started playing music as a street performer and used jams to flesh out his songs and network within the scene.

“It’s good practice,” he says. “At first, it was pretty nerve-wracking, but it’s just a good community of people. You see a lot of the same people, so you don’t feel like you’re being judged.”

Hernandez stumbled upon one of his biggest musical inspirations at The People’s Jam. He still remembers walking in one night and watching in awe as Hoard played his heart out on stage.

“He’s a fantastic drummer and songwriter,” Hernandez says. “The first time I heard him, I was just taken aback. I was like, ‘Wow, there’s real talent out in Dallas.’”

Thanks to the abundance of open mics around the city, special connections like these are made more accessible and happen more frequently. Even though The People’s Jam has expired, there are still plenty of places around Dallas to get on stage to workshop new material.

“If you want to perform your songs and meet other creatives that can help you grow as a creative yourself, just get out there and do it,” Hernandez says. “There’s always a spot for you, no matter where you go.”

Jamie Vahala Presents: Tuesdays will take the jam’s place on Tuesday nights from 10:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. This weekly residency with Vahala and his band will feature the occasional musical guest. The first night is next week, Tuesday, June 10, at Cheapsteaks. More information can be found on their website.