Beats, Rhymes and Life at Hendershot's is one of the best shows each month in Athens

To call the monthly Beats, Rhymes and Life open mic shows at Hendershot's one of the best-kept secrets in the Athens music scene would be to ignore the fact that it has attracted a huge audience every month since it began.

It's unpredictable, has attracted some of the city's most well-regarded artists (and the mayor), and is never the same twice.

Hendershot's is located at 237 Prince Ave., and the next Beats event is scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday. The show is free and open to the public, and anyone who signs up early can be a part of it.

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The brainchild of Hendershot's owner Seth Hendershot and ATHfactor-Liberty Entertainment COO Montu Miller, Beats occurs on the second Wednesday of every month. Performer sign-up begins at 7 p.m., the show lasts from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and each act is backed by a live band.

"It's my favorite night of the month," Hendershot told the Banner-Herald. "Every city should have something like this if they don't already."

Inspired by 2022's groundbreaking Hip Hop Harmonic concert at the University of Georgia, Hendershot approached Miller with the idea of having an open mic backed by a live band that could support the performers and result in one-of-a-kind performances. Miller was enthusiastic, and offered to host the show by drawing sign-up sheets out of a bucket and introducing each act. The show was an instant hit with audiences, and immediately grabbed the attention of many of Athens' most talented hip hop artists and spoken word performers.

Miller named the event after the 1996 platinum-selling album "Beats, Rhymes and Life" by A Tribe Called Quest, and the shows have been going on each month since June 2023.

"We set up an environment that makes people comfortable, but it's also really exciting," Miller told the Banner-Herald. "Yes, you'll see local artists that you'll recognize, but you've never seen them sound like this. And some of the people you'll see have never done anything like this before. It's different every time."

A big part of the draw to Beats is the opportunity to be backed by a live band, a three-piece outfit called The Shaky Leg Trio that includes keyboardist Greg Hankins, bassist Zack Milster and either Hendershot or Phillip Broughton on drums. In addition to accompanying MCs and poets, the band also improvises behind stand-up comedians, vocalists and writers.

At Beats, you might see Wild Rumpus founder Timi Conley break it down Beastie Boys style, or someone who wrote an heartbroken tirade in the parking lot before the show, or an Athens music legend could come out of retirement to perform an old-school composition. Who knows? You might be inspired to put your own name in the bucket.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: 'Beats, Rhymes and Life' open mic is the best show in Athens