I used to get annoyed by open mics. Most of the time, you get 1 or 2 songs and you're playing for other people who are just waiting for their 1 or 2 songs. Sure, they'll applaud and probably say some nice things, but in a room full of musicians, everyone is there for the same thing: the spotlight.
But, recently, I've shifted my perspective. And now, I'm very clear on why I continue to show up to open mics:
Open mics give you nerves of steel.
Think about it. You have to walk into a room full of strangers, play songs they may not know or care for, and deal with their very up-close-and-personal reactions (or lack thereof). Even though most open mics create a supportive environment, it's still not easy for most people. However, if you do it regularly—like anything else you practice, you start to whittle away at the accompanying anxiety.
To be clear, practicing your music by yourself is very important. But playing it in front of people is a different type of practice. It's a different skillset altogether.
You'll have to deal with people talking, ordering drinks, dropping forks, or any other number of distracting (and frankly, quite rude) occurrences, which could throw you off your game. I've seen performers get distracted by these things—and even stop a set to admonish people over them. But if you learn to ignore all that and power through, it will make you a significantly better player.
To use a metaphor from Dodgeball, one of my favorite movies:
"If you learn to master the duck and the dodge, no amount of balls on earth can hit you."
Or, in this case, nothing can distract you enough to mess up. And that is a great skill to master.
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