The Ship & Anchor Pub has hosted the city’s finest folk singers, roots acts and rockabilly bands at its weekly Open Stage Jam.

At 20 years, it’s one of Calgary’s longest-running and most popular open mic events. But that’s not stopping the jam’s current MC, Darren Ollinger, from shaking things up.

“I’m not trying to change it so to speak,” says the man in charge of keeping the jam on schedule and egos in check.

“But I guess it has a reputation for being this old-timer hippie jam. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m trying to encourage younger players to come out.”

One recent Ship jam brought out local indie heavyweights Zoo Lion (who opened for Bon Jovi at the Saddledome in 2010) and Dan Vacon of The Dudes, as well as a first-time performer who’d been writing songs for two decades but had never set foot on a stage.

“There are always people trying it out for the first time,” says Ollinger, who is also co-founder of The New Black Music and Art Centre in Inglewood. “It really integrates musicians. The next time they run into someone on the street they’re like, ‘Oh, I played with that person at the jam.’”

Ollinger is hoping to attract musicians of all stripes to the jam, and says he’s already seen some pretty unique acts since he started MCing the open stage in October.

“I had two flautists in the room at the same time so I coerced them into have a flute-off,” he says. “Most people who play the jam are open to that kind of thing. They’re talented enough that they can work with it.”

Ollinger says so far the older regulars have been open to the influx of young talent.

“The younger artists are blown away by the talent of the older players too,” he explains. “It’s kind of blending two worlds together, which is pretty cool.”