Last night, we pulled up to the Sage Stage Open Mic & Showcase at The Apache, full of excitement and ready to share what we’ve worked so hard for. But what did we get? Pure unprofessionalism. The host skipped over us FOUR times, and when we asked why, she tried to blame us for not checking in—even though we checked in over and over again! We checked in twice upon arrival, twice with the DJ and with the host herself after she called us up and proceeded to skip over us. What made it worse? When she skipped other artists, she gave them the grace to sort things out. With us, she dismissed us entirely. Not to mention we gave the DJ our music before the show even started 3 hours prior too. The host goes on to say there were 50 artist in the lineup. WTF in a 3 hour show where some people are doing 3 to 4 songs. As a show organizer yall gotta start doing better because each artist couldn’t properly display their art. Some rules for certain performers and none for other is unacceptable and causes confusion. When we addressed the issue professionally, she called us aggressive—even though she was clearly the aggressor. (And we’ve got the video to prove it.) Let’s be clear—this is no disrespect to The Apache itself, but more so to whoever ran the Sage Stage event. Most of the crowd left due to the disorganization, and we weren’t the only ones who noticed. Other artists came up to us afterward, agreeing with everything we said. One even told us, “Y’all gave me the strength I needed to go up there after yall.” Moments like that remind us why we do this—the world needs our sound, and MVP is here to deliver. We let our performance speak for itself because MVP doesn’t fold under pressure. These showcases charge artists ridiculous fees without providing the respect or support they deserve. These showcases really don’t stand for nor promote artist development. It’s only for their financial gain and benefit. All the hours of studio time, content, promotion, outfits, we spend as artist already only to be treated as if your money doesn’t matter. If music and talent mattered there would’ve been a cap on how many songs each artist could do. There would’ve been specific rules to check in and etc. It’s time to wake up and come together. STAND ON BUSINESS AS A CREATIVE. DONT BE AFRAID. It’s sad, but we’re not stopping. MVP is here to shake the table, inspire the world, and make REAL connections. When we follow out purpose, we’re bringing our people with us. Believe that. No gatekeeping in Chicago, Atlanta, or anywhere else! Let’s make the music scene better for EVERYONE.
#OfficiallyMvP #Mvptakesatlanta #AtlantaMusicScene #NoGatekeepingChicago #NoGatekeepingATL #NoGatekeepingWorldwide #MVPShakesTables #SageStage