Set in a dimly lit corner of the Underground in the basement of Otto’s, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, is a stage about three inches off the floor. A stool sits center stage and a microphone waits idly.

Normally, on any other Monday night, the stage would be littered with handwritten setlists and instrument cables would be strewn across the stage just waiting for someone to trip over. Guitar cases would be opened and the owners would be finely tuning their instruments.

But not tonight.

What once was home to guitarists and poets alike is now just empty. The soundboard sits unmanned with a red cloth draped over it and the booths surrounding the makeshift stage remains vacant while the tables wait to have a drink placed upon them.

Open mic nite, a once popular activity for musicians and poets, is now slowly dying out.

“We had too many familiar faces playing week after week, so we called it off for a bit,” said Jeremy Eisenberg, general manager of Otto’s. “We need to spice it up a bit.”

Otto’s had been hosting the open mic nite for more than four years in the Underground. The Monday night gathering slowly died out and advertising promoting the event disappeared.

“I’m hoping to get some fresh blood in there soon as far as musicians go,” Eisenberg said. “Hopefully, the advertising will take care of itself after that.”

While Otto’s has ceased to hold the open mic nite, another establishment across town has picked up where it left off.

Against red curtains drawn across windows stands a stage three feet off the bar floor. Speakers hang overhead and a disco ball hangs motionless from the ceiling.

Starbusters Bar and Grill, 930 Pappas Drive, holds an open mic nite at 10 p.m. on Sundays. Dubbed “The Musician’s Corner,” the newly expanded Starbusters is doing its best to draw patrons to the microphone.

What started as a way for senior kinesiology major and bartender Jay O’Malley and his friend to play music to a few people is slowly turning into a growing trend.

O’Malley, who hosts the event every Sunday night, usually warms up the crowd himself and then others take the stage following suit.

“Sometimes, we get people up here who know what they are doing and sometimes we have beginners,” said O’Malley. “One time, I had a girl sing John Mellencamp songs while I played the guitar.”

O’Malley said most people who play tend to stick to performing cover songs on acoustic guitars.

“We had a couple guys come in with keyboards once and we even had a stand up comedian as well,” O’Malley said. “Anyone and everyone is welcome.”

Though he’s happy with the turnout, O’Malley knows it could be better.

“We haven’t had that many regulars,” he said. “We are starting to advertise for it this week, so we are hoping for a bigger turn out soon.”

“Sunday is usually a chill night,” said Nick Tsiftilis, owner of Starbusters. “So to have people come in and listen to music is nice.”

One drawback to the open mic nites in bars in DeKalb is performers have to be 21 or older to enter the establishment.

“It’s the home rule set by DeKalb,” Tsiftilis said. “As much as I would love to hear young people play, rules are rules.”

This means young performers looking to contribute their talents to the local scene have to look to Campus Activities Board and its Coffeehouse nights on campus.

“Being able to have the Coffeehouse nights is a way for the younger students to showcase their talents,” CAB President Matthew Holder said. “We want students who share the same passion to be able to network with each other.”

The Coffeehouse programs attract a wide variety of students as well, but Holder still wants to broaden the horizon and bring in new talents.

“We want to keep the feeling The House left when it closed down in December,” Holder said.

In the past, the Coffeehouse program only occurred once a semester, but Holder is currently looking to expand it.

With the lights turned low and the microphone still waiting, hopefully soon a guitar will be plugged into a nearby amp and someone to utter the starting words to set off the night, “check, check, one, two, check, check. . .”