Brooklyn Music Kitchen

Brooklyn Music Kitchen is a Clinton Hill music venue and bar built from the ground up for live performance, with a proper stage, sound system and lighting rather than a corner PA. It has become known in particular for a weekly open mic that pairs performers with a genuine in-house backing band.

Atmosphere and Setting

The room feels more like a small concert venue than a typical bar, with the stage and sound setup front and center. That focus on production is what sets Brooklyn Music Kitchen apart from most open mic rooms in the borough — performers get a real band behind them rather than playing solo into a quiet room.

Wednesday Open Mic Night

Every Wednesday, the sign-up sheet opens at 7:00 PM and the house band takes the stage at 8:30 PM to back performers through a curated list of blues, soul, rock, pop, R&B, jazz and folk songs. Performers can also choose to play solo. Because slots fill quickly, the venue encourages online pre-submission by Saturday night in addition to the day-of sign-up sheet, and it enforces a no-show policy so the night keeps moving for everyone on the list.

Other Programming

Beyond its signature open mic, Brooklyn Music Kitchen books touring and local bands on non-open-mic nights, functioning as a working venue for original music throughout the week rather than a single-night pop-up.

Good to Know

Brooklyn Music Kitchen is located at 177 Vanderbilt Avenue in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene, close to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and a short walk from the G train. Contact the venue by phone or email ahead of a visit to confirm the current sign-up process.