So I finally made it into the Evening Muse one night. It just so happened, I went in on open mic Monday night. I couldn't recommend a better time to go. Not that they don't have a lot going on other nights but I really enjoyed the eclectic mix of music in here on an open mic night. There was all manner of entertainment here. From Christian folk bluegrass by some southern belles to spoken word storytelling to raunchy comedy to garage band style funk.
Prepare for something to be rated R if you show up on open mic night by the way. Based on that, unless you know the bands, I'd say it's not a place for kids. That said, there tend to be a lot of high school age kids in here ready to try their hand at mini-fame. The full bar has a good selection of drinks from your PBR talls on up to mixed cocktails. Staff is very friendly and cover is cheap (at least on Monday). I will probably jump on the opportunity to head back here for a more scripted show with a few bands. All the bands I talked to on Monday night were super polite and friendly and just happy to have folks interested in their music. Not at all what you might have in mind about hoity toity musicians. I left here feeling like this was one of the most awesome Monday nights I've had in Charlotte.