In Pictures: Open Mic Night at Comma Bookstore ushers in a new renaissance of Flint music

FLINT, Michigan — In the heart of downtown Flint, at the corner of Buckham Alley & Second St., it truly became a good Friday at the Comma Bookstore & Social Hub. On Friday, April 7, members of The Flint Renaissance Era social group and a crowd of up to 30 attendees gathered as the sun set to put on another one of their epic open-mic evenings.

You can’t help but smile and feel welcome as you enter the cozy yet passionately curated venue that is Comma Bookstore while the members greeted everyone coming through the door with electricity and open arms.

These passionate young leaders and their counterparts put on a show to remember that ripped through the veil of the short video, the push for virality, or trying to stop the scroll online and instead revealed the humor, misunderstandings, and raw passion that these young people are feeling.

The talent that was included in the room was remarkable with soulful lyrics and lines weaved within poems, hip-hop rhythms, and soul-touching acapella R&B. These artists came with beats and backgrounds that they themselves crafted, revealing another layer of skill and passion behind what our young community hides below the surface.

The open-mic performances were raw, unedited, and left you feeling optimistic like a sense of your emotional cup being refilled. A young lady took the stage multiple times to share poems and lyrics that ached her soul. 

Twins sang together, almost completing each other’s thoughts, for a performance made for a concert hall. Young men showed emotions and passion with words that first left the room speechless then vibrating in a roar of cheer. 

Entering the spring season since the pandemic paradise that left us all transformed while also having the recent polarizing events swirling around us all, to say that you should feel encouraged to attend small community events is an understatement.

Not only did I enjoy the warmth of one of our first true days of Spring, but I also felt the warmth of meeting these passionate souls in our community.

Follow and be a part of the revolutionary individuals known as The Flint Renaissance Era, and find Comma Bookstore & Social Hub at: commabookstore.com