An evening of music and comedy with The Mic Peeps

While Dhaka may seem to lack shows where people can go and socialise at, "The Mic Peeps" have been offering a great solution.

Starting its journey on February 1, 2018 at Banani's Gourmet Bazar, The Mic Peeps aims to help people showcase their talents in music, comedy, and any other form of performing arts. So far they've collaborated with the venue to host seven shows, with the most recent one taking place on May 10. I got the chance to visit the event and see what it was all about.

The show kicked off with stand-up comedy and musical performances by people of different ages and professions. The seats were filled with an enthusiastic audience; many sat down at a table eating the variety of food served at the cafe within the premise. We got a chance to talk to Adib Raiyan, who was one of the many performers. "My main focus was to find a good platform for my art and to connect with other musicians," he said.

"This is the main goal of The Mic Peeps for the future," said Anika Azam, founder of the show, "The open mic is a wonderful opportunity for talented individuals to become acquainted with directors, producers, and organisers. We act as mediators in this regard."

Alongside solo artists like Adib, the stage was also graced by Tahmid Rahman and Shayantani Twisha from the band Uncertainty Principle.

"We have five members in our band, but the two of us have been performing at open mic sessions since last year. We are also working on an album, and The Mic Peeps allows us to engage with the audience we want to reach. We are also having our album launch here soon," mentioned Tahmid.

Although there are other places that host similar events, what sets The Mic Peeps apart from the rest is this environment which treads on being light-hearted while still having a very professional flow about it. This is possible because of the role Amin Hannan Chowdhury, Project Coordinator of the show, plays on and off stage.

Alongside keeping track of around 30 performers each night, he hosts and performs his own stand-up comedy set. The teamwork and mutual respect between the coordinators and performers is why The Mic Peeps have gained so much traction on social media as a great platform.

The setting of The Mic Peeps was favourable for the exclusive retail store as manager Habibur Rahman said, "The Banani branch was made while maintaining a cultural theme about it. Alongside open mics, we also give space for various seminars and discussions."

As The Mic Peeps keep on serving as a core theme for the aesthetic appeal of Gourmet Bazar, more and more people keep on learning about the place and keep on associating it with a place of art and culture alongside a place to get healthy goods. 

You can visit The Mic Peeps show every other week and learn more about them on their Facebook page where you can also find details about registering as a performer.