The Sayso Expression Society attracted a capacity crowd to its second open mic night at Iron Mountain Music on Friday.

Twenty people signed up to go on stage and present their music, poetry and personal rants to a very receptive audience.

There were singing guitar players performing originals and individual favourites in a variety of styles and the breadth of talent was very strong.

“This gives people a chance to talk and express themselves without an agenda,” said organizer and master of ceremonies for the night Mil Juricic.

Juricic wants to encourage diversity and create a venue where people feel comfortable enough to take chances.

For Bobby Garcia, who only started playing guitar in 2004, it was a chance to share a very personal song, written for his father, who was also in the audience.

“It's always been a dream of mine to play Merritt,” Garcia said upon taking the stage.

“It went better than expected,” said Sayso organizer Tammy Caruso.

“I was overwhelmed - at one point we counted 120 people.”

“We want to encourage everyone who would like a place to express themselves, to come out,” Caruso continued.

These events will continue to be held at Iron Mountain's Capital soundstage with other venues being looked at for the future.

For seasoned performers Dawn Chypyha, Danny Dupuis and Paul Thomson, who all played individually throughout the night, it was an opportunity to take the stage as a trio for the first time and form new musical connections.

At one point Juricic passed a pot and asked for donations from the audience for the new emergency shelter in Merritt. About $200 was raised.

Sayso organizers will meet this month to set the date for its next hosted evening, scheduled to take place on the first or second Friday in January.