“Have Faith In Me”; a powerful phrase and the title of one song performed by two friends at last week’s Open Mic Night.

Jon Sicherman and Dan Picarel have been friends since their school days in Liverpool, N.Y. They have been learning music since they were 13 years old. Almost 10 years later, they are still learning and performing together.

At Open Mic on Oct. 22, Sicherman and Picarel performed an acoustic set that included two songs by post-hardcore band A Day To Remember (ADTR). Sicherman’s vocals were accompanied by two harmonious guitar parts as they performed “Monument” and “Have Faith in Me.”

The duo takes inspiration from a variety of bands within a range of genres, including metalcore band August Burns Red, hard rock/heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold and pop punk band The Story So Far.

“I’m also into a lot of 90s stuff like Foo Fighters and classic 90s songs,” Sicherman said. “I played Jumper [by Third Eye Blind] last time I was here.”

One band that played a heavy hand in inspiring Sicherman to learn guitar and how to sing was Metallica.
Sicherman can still recall the first time a group of their friends formed a band and practiced together.
“I tried screaming, like the metal screaming stuff,” he said. “We had the cops called on us because it sounded so bad.”

Sicherman said he knows they’ve all improved their musical talents and he loves to tell that story for a laugh.

Sicherman and Picarel have performed at an Open Mic Night in previous weeks and hope to do so again in the future. They agree that it’s an enjoyable experience for performers and are happy to have the opportunity to play.

“The atmosphere is awesome,” Picarel says. “I like how they give you a choice and they don’t restrict you on how many songs you play.”

At the duo’s performance, they were encouraged by the crowd to play another song after their original set.
“That never would have gone down at [Funk ‘N Waffles]” Sicherman said. Letting us stay up there and try to play more songs. They’re very systematic.”

Funk ‘N Waffles is a popular venue in Syracuse that the duo has played previously. They added that they enjoy performing at Funk, but Open Mic provides a more supportive, community-based environment for performers of any kind.

The duo enjoys playing with a punk-type sound, with metal aspects mixed in.
“We try not to limit ourselves in our music,” Sicherman said. “So we just kind of blend and do whatever.”

Open Mic Night is hosted by the Lifestyles Center and takes place every Thursday evening, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Lake Effect Café in Penfield Library. Students who perform are encouraged to express themselves, as Open Mic is an uncensored event. It is free for everyone who attends.