Josh Small knows there’s untapped talent out there in the Bangor area. And for all those folks locked away performing tunes in the bedroom, living room or garage, Small and The Waterfront Bar and Grill have cooked up something to help give your fledgling musical career a little nudge.

Wednesdays, Small and the Waterfront are hosting an “open” gig night where local upstarts will be given a chance to play out for “Hump Day” audiences. Eric Green and his band, the Frozen Swamp Choppers, will cap off the night. The music starts at 9 p.m.

Small, who also plays as part of the Choppers, says the idea is to motivate local groups that might not be experienced to perform live, get the creative juices percolating, encourage folks to play original material, and possibly even foster a kind of “cross-pollination” between groups of different styles or genres.

So far, he says, it’s been working. Since the informal gigs began about three weeks back, each Wednesday has managed to yield some diverse acts: cheeky punk rock by The Seductive Elite; funk rock courtesy of Plan B; and down-home tunes by Jeezum Crowe.

From the bands performing each week, a single group will win free session time at Small’s Nightcrawler Studio here in Bangor. The winning act will have a choice between recording a professional three-song demo, or four hours of studio time. Bands must record original material, Small says.

If you’re interested, get together a rough demo tape of you and-or your group – that old Maxell cassette you recorded in your mother’s basement will be OK – and contact Small at 356-0833.

George Bragdon can be reached at gbragdon@bangordailynews.net.