Calling all performers: Borders Books and Music, 2520 Sycamore Road, now offers live music from 8 to 10 p.m. every Saturday.

Just what does Borders offer that other area music venues don’t?

“It’s hard to compare Borders to other venues, because the set-up is different,” said folk artist Dave Sills, who performed there Saturday. “For club gigs you’re playing to people who have come to hear music and often have paid to do so. At a bookstore, they might have come in to pick up the new Tom Clancy book or a cup of coffee.”

An artist has to change his or her performance to suit the audience.

“You have to get their attention so they’ll stick around for a few tunes and maybe like what they hear enough to leave with a copy of your CD,” Sills said. “The only negative is the temptation to immediately spend the gig earnings on books, CDs or DVDs!”

With a capacity for about 60 people, one thing Borders offers is an intimate setting for performers.

Borders general manager John Podulka explained the variety of performers that visit the venue.

“It tends to be the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs on out to DeKalb,” Podulka said. “It’s an eclectic assortment of people – everything from folk to rock to jazz.”

Upcoming performers include the Tom Matecki Trio (jazz) on March 9; the Ben Jimenez Trio (acoustic classics) on March 16; Joe Higgins (contemporary acoustic folk/pop) on March 23 and Dave Rohbock (southern acoustic) on March 30.

In addition to the Saturday performances, Borders will hold an open mic night at 8 p.m. on the second Friday of each month.

The event gives everyone a chance to participate, whether it’s singing, guitar playing or poetry. Everyone is welcome, Podulka said. Performers are allotted 15 minutes to perform. The next scheduled open mic night is Friday.

Sills added that his performance was promoted by Borders employees playing his CD in the store the week prior, by in-store announcements and by displaying his CD throughout the store the day of his performance.

Interested performers can send demos along with press kits to Chris Wolak, area marketing manager, at 161 N. Weber Road, Bolingbrook, IL 60546.

The process normally takes between a few weeks and a few months, depending on the amount of submissions. Performers will be contacted after the demo has been reviewed.