A Pre 4th of July OMN

The Living Room in Stroudsburg, PA presented another installment of their weekly Open Mic Nite Series on Sunday July 1st and I arrived one hour and forty-five minutes before the four hour event ended. At least I didn‘t miss half of it. Smiles.

Anyways, I walked into the Living Room to be greeted musically Billy Mack who has returned from a two week adventure to resume his place the event’s host. Although those who performed the role did so marvelously, Billy’s presence was missed and it was great to see him back. Who can resist liking the laid back “Cool. You’re here.” countenance of this man? Not I.

Billy Mack performed on ukulele and was accompanied by Zeke Cats on Violin. Together they performed a mixture of styles mostly evolving around some folk music. They were later joined by a very young and talented man named, “Isaac” who basically stole the show. But, since it was free, no one minded and, in fact, enjoyed the theft.

Billy, Zeke, and Isaac were followed by Emmitt Henry Derrick who performed his rendition of New Orlean’s Blues upon his harmonica. He added a few variations to his well recognizable repertoire while maintaining the essence of his prior performances in tact. Zeke returned to the stage alone under the name, “Zekibird” to employ a number of instruments and sound effects in a performance art session reminiscent of Laurie Anderson whose musical melee assaults the senses in order to bring them to a more coherent state of confusion. The performance of Zekibird not only assaults the senses but makes a nest in them as well.

Zekibird was followed by comedian Chris Jones introduced himself to the gathering last week and began to share his material this week. Laughter was heard from some who heard his stories and encouraging smiles were seen throughout the room. He was followed by Chris Gamble whose poetry touched the senses of those who heard his work. Chris was followed by young Isaac who performed some scat while being accompanied by Rotten Lucky’s Drummer Brian Marx.

Scat is a musically vocal form of performance usually associated with Jazz. It consists of improvised wordless vocalizations creating an additional instrumentation of a song. He most famous of the Jazz scat singers was Ella Fitzgerald. Although the music accompanying Isaac wasn’t jazz, his unique talents may be considered a worthy rival to those associated with Ms. Fitzgerald. This may be due to what a jazz singer who utilized Scat once told me. She said that young children have no idea language has certain grammatical or vocabulary rules and are uninhibited in their exploration of the sounds they can produce through their mouths. As a result, they often make better Scat Singers than adults. Regardless of the reasons, Isaac’s performance brought down the house and added some proud tears to his mother’s eyes.

Rotten Lucky took the stage with Burt Kleinle on Vocals and Guitar along with Coty Jony on Bass# and Brian Marx on Drums. The group has played nearly every Open Mic Nite since it began in May proving themselves time and time again to be just as great to hear every time they pick up their instruments and begin to perform. This evening was not different as their sound vibrated throughout the room and existential existence of all who partook of it. Cool.

Rotten Lucky was followed by a solo guitarist known as “Leftover Meatloaf” who entertained the gathering with some interesting and insightful musical interpretations. He was accompanied by Brian Marx on Drums. He was followed by a poet simply known as “Kim” who has presented her words during previous Open Mic Nites touching the inner being who strives to hear the voice she speaks. Her reading reached deeper and continues to be felt. She was followed by Scott Morgan on Drums, Coty Jony on Bass#, and John Kolbek on Vocals as they performed some heavy hitting tunes to close out the night. The next Open Mic nite will occur July 8th. You’ll be able to find more photograph taken during the Open Mic Nite in The Living Room 2012 Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150907955845421.475868.636000420&type=1.

The Living Room’s weekly Open Mic Nites occurs every Sunday Evening beginning at 6pm. Musicians, Poets, Writers, and anyone who would like to share their talents with an eagerly accepting audience are welcomed to participate. In addition to the Open Mic Nites, The Living Room Gallery will present an exhibition titled, “One Man’s Trash in Another Man’s Treasure” which invites artists from the area and beyond to submit their work. The exhibition begins with an Artists’ Reception on Saturday July 7th and will feature a “Trashion Show.” The Submission deadline is Friday July 6th. The Living Room also presents a concert series which includes A Cityscape, All Hands on Deck, We Cry Mercy, and Venerated Youth on Thursday July 5th beginning at 8pm and Edelweiss on Saturday July 14th beginning at 6pm.

The Living Room is located on Main Street in Stroudsburg, PA next to The Sherman Theater who owns the building and the space in which it presents music and art. The Living Room is organized by members of the community who include Shane Izykowski, Billy Mack, Tom LeFevre, Darlene Farris-Labar, Brandon Jones, and Elisa Byrne. Please Explore The Living Room Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Living-Room/123978921059378 for more information on The Living Room, all they have to offer, and how to be a part of it all.