When I first heard about the Girls Night Out jazz jam at Chalkers pub, I assumed, somewhat cynically, it would be the same tone as Lilith Fair: An earthy, hippy-esque, women-centric musical event with a jazz twist.

Then I took a closer at the night’s flyers, where the fine print read: “Where gentlemen are welcome too!”

Essentially this weekly event is an all-inclusive open mic, where musicians of any age, sex and skill level have the opportunity to take the stage and sing with a backing band of professionals. Regardless of how off-key you might be, expect to hear a genuinely enthusiastic round of applause at the end of your song. Kind of like a warm hug from your mum after totally screwing up her birthday cake. Women, as most of us know, have a certain way about them.

“I wanted to feminize it so people knew it wasn’t going to be rowdy, it was going to be civilized,” says the night’s organizer and host Lisa Particelli, of its title.

“The focus is on singing and the voice, so whether it’s a boy, girl, beginner, professional, we accept them all.”

In its seven years, Girls Night Out has built a tight-knit group of regulars -both those who come out to watch, and those who come out to sing. During intermission on the night I went, performers and audience members mingled around and chatted as if they’d known each other for ages. No one lurched alone in a corner uncomfortably. Quite simply, it was a really good vibe.

As for the performances, they ranged from a shy and sweet-voiced teenager who sang You Can’t Take That Away From Me to a boisterous, vibrant, flame-haired woman in her 70s, who spent a good five minutes before her song telling a story about helping her cranky best friend load a dishwasher. (After conducting a little research, I discovered that this vibrant elder was Pam Hyatt, an accomplished local actress.)

Most of the performers who took the stage the night I went could easily be described as seasoned and professional. But that doesn’t mean that some of the performers don’t stink.

“Oh yeah, but that’s the beauty of this,” says Particelli of the less experienced participants. “If you’re going to tank, it’s best to tank among friends who aren’t going to judge you.”