It's on your right as you head north on Shattuck, just as you leave Oakland behind. Not for the faint of heart or short of patience. All ages until the kitchen closes at 10pm. Expect a packed room and just about anything you can imagine happening on stage (it's one of the few open mics that has to have "NO NUDITY" written into the rules because, ya know, Berkeley). In 1996 it first earned the prestigous title, "the best open mic in the bay area." While it may have changed quite a bit since then, it remains one of the most eclectic. Before she passed, Tuesday nights almost always found owner Frances Hughes (RIP, 2022), sitting at the bar, watching the show. The Plough hasn't lost an once of that dedication or bohemian vibe, despite a three-year hiatus during the pandemic. This open mic has all the strangeness that Berkeley provides and is regularly infused with new blood from the nearby college campus. Host Johnny Mitro and Sara Jayne McDonald have been at the helm of what they call the event's "circus chaos energy" since 2012. I was a regular back when Girl George used to run the event in the 90s (I can still hear her screaming at the crowd, "COME ON, CLAP!!!") and it holds a special place in my heart.