Jan 7, 20202 min read

Local Amp

Updated: May 28, 2020

Open Mike’s is a coffee shop, café, and entertainment venue in Melbourne, Florida. They are closed on Sundays and open the rest of the week from 11AM-10PM. It began as Florida Discount Music and morphed into a local hub for entertainment, inspired by local musicians and artists. This cafe fuels the masses with good food and in-house organic coffee (roasted by Mike’s wife Lisa), but also fueling the local creatives with a community and scene.

Comedians Christian Moore and Paige Possanza are running Open Mike’s WTF Wednesdays. It’s a free event every week where you can check out the local comedy scene, have a craft beer or herbal tea, try an appetizer and get your laugh on, starting at 7pm on Wednesdays.

Christian Moore says, “Way Too Funny Wednesday at Open Mike’s is the city’s longest-running comedy show, and helped spawn a local comedy scene that has now been going on for seven years strong. Whether it’s touring headliners, hometown comics, character roasts, or sketch comedy, there’s sure to be something fresh and original for anyone looking for something to do after dark during the week.” January 8th is the 7th anniversary and fellow comedians choose to roast Mike Della Cioppa.

There is another facet of this hidden gem, and that is the upcoming birth of Summerland Gallery and Shop. They are aiming for the grand opening around the 1st of February. Esoteric earthy vibes inspired Summerland’s vision of creating a space for local artisans by offering art classes, make and take herbal botanical classes, gallery events, and art get-togethers, as well as a small local pop-up market. Summerland Gallery and Shop is curated by Mike’s sister Christine Della Cioppa (IG @cdellacioppa.art) and her husband Justin Mjurphy (@mjurph), both just recently back to the Space Coast after living in Los Angeles.

Stay tuned for a new mural painted by the curators and Tuesday night sketch parties where you can have some good food, draw and listen to music. Come in and work on your sketches, have lunch and shop for new guitar strings or local handcrafted products! Or, grab a latte and listen to local music while browsing the gallery. It’s everything you could need and imagine all under one roof. Eat, play, and shop!