Hello! Thank you for your interest in joining us for the 25th season of Tuesday Night Cafe (TNC)! TNC is a free/volunteer-run and donation-based public arts series rooted in the Asian American community and based in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo with shows every first and third Tuesday from April to October. Please keep in mind that TNC is not an industry showcase or competition. We strive to create a collaborative and brave atmosphere of artists and community members connecting with and supporting one another. While we believe in free speech and expression, we encourage artists to consider TNC's commitment to building community and celebrating diversity in all of its forms.
Interested in performing?
There are two ways to do so:
Featured artists are curated performers booked in advance for each show, with a 3-12 minute slot.
Due to high demand, slots are limited. If you don’t get booked this season, it doesn’t mean we’ve ruled you out as a performer—slots are booked for a number of reasons that extend beyond subjective “quality.”
Submitting for TNC does not guarantee performance time or confirmation of receipt. Please contact us at contact@tuesdaynightproject.org if you have any questions.
Featured Artist
Sign up for the open mic lottery before each show. We have three 5-minute slots at each show. Anyone who wishes to perform must be present before 6:40 p.m. to sign up.
The time limit and number of performers is strictly enforced.
Time slots are not first come first serve, so please consider this if you will be traveling a far distance. Anyone who signs up must be present when open mic slots are announced or else they forfeit their spot. Everyone is encouraged to stay through the whole show.
Lottery: Should more than three people signed up (which is often the case), we will randomly draw for the spaces. One spot per show will be held for a performer who identifies with one of the prioritized communities listed below.
Instruments: Because of the limited time, we cannot accommodate set-up for full bands during the Open Mic. Artists can use up to two vocal mics and 1 Direct Input unit (DI). Guitars are accepted; keyboards are discouraged. No loop machines or pedal boards.
Season limits: To encourage as many new voices as possible, no artist may perform more than twice during a Tuesday Night Cafe season and the two performances cannot be back-to-back shows.
Open Mic
We are interested in artists across a wide range of performance experience (first-timers too!) and are particularly interested in artists who are rooted in community building, want to try new original work, and are looking for a progressive community to call home. If you haven’t had the chance to attend a show, you can check us out on YouTube for a sense of the vibe. As we are a donation-driven and volunteer-run space, artists are provided with an awesome volunteer staff to assist them, a community to build with, and dinner on the night they perform.
Please note that we prioritize artists who identify with any of the following communities:
- Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
- People of Color
- Female
- Trans
- Queer, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex, Asexual, Questioning
- Gender Non-Conforming / Non-Binary Folks
- Youth
- Elders
(As an organization, we continue to have conversations around identifying terms.)
Check out our TNC Schedule for a full listing of show dates. Thank you and good luck!