Open mic night at Steep Mountain Tea House

Steep Mountain Tea House hosted an open mic night in collaboration with the Bozeman Poetry Collective last Friday, Feb. 28. The event included both poets, musicians and a short scene performed by local Bozeman actors.

 The store is located downtown on Main Street, and there’s a parking lot behind the store, so getting your cup of tea couldn’t be easier. It has a beautiful interior. The walls are well decorated with plants and an assortment of hanging lamps to give it a cozy feel. Customers can choose to sit at multiple tables or on comfortable stylish couches.

 The tea house offers an extensive menu of around 70 different teas. They also serve Kombucha, lattes and bubble tea. Prices for premium tea range from $3.50 for a 12oz cup to $7 if you would like to order a full 32oz teapot.

 When the show started, the seats were all full and there were multiple people standing in the back waiting for a table. The first performer who went by Ian, and shared extremely entertaining music and surprisingly high energy. People all around the tea house couldn’t help but engage with the music, doing little dances in their seats.

 Seemingly one of the crowd’s favorite songs, which he described as an alternate take on history where Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene, captivated the crowded room, “What could that have been like?” Ian asked the crowd with a smile. He also performed a very impressive rendition of “House of the Rising Sun.”

 There were about eight other acts throughout the night, and all the musicians and poets were very entertaining. Each one would perform a couple of songs or read a few of their poems, and then pass the stage onto the next. The poetry ranged from intensely personal experiences to abstract humorous ideas. I must admit, live poetry wouldn’t typically be my first choice of activities, however, I was impressed with the talent in the tea house, and will definitely attend another open mic.