A December OMN

The Living Room in Stroudsburg, PA held another installment of their weekly Open Mic Nite Series on Sunday  December 1st. I had been away the previous week and it was great to be back to the venue in which I had enjoyed many great performances during the year. This evening proved to be consistent with my previous experiences as one exceptional performance after another took place.

The evening began with some welcoming words given by the series’ co host Jessie Roth (aka JR) who ended her remarks with the introduction of one of her co hosting comrades. AP (aka Andrew Paul) took the stage and  delighted the gathering with his vocal manipulations creating a variety of sounds inspiring laughter and awe from everyone who heard him. AP was followed by the first name appearing on the sign in list which was that of Brad B. who had performed upon the Open Mic Stage several times before utilizing a variety of creative modalities during the course of his presentations.

Tonight, Brad demonstrated his impressive skill in in the art of Rap and was joined on stage by AP during his set. Brad was followed by Poet Amy K whose words from poems written early in her life mingled with those created recently until they flowed into a oneness inspiring those who listened to speculatively hear what the remnants of her future work may contain. Amy was followed by Electric Guitarist Dave Pugh whose familiar chord changes were enhanced by some additional technology he had brought with him which added a mystical quality to his performance as the echoing resonance he created filled the room.

As the notes conjured by Dave’s skillful fingering dissipated into the ethereal domains, a duo known as Timo www.theteamo.com came to bless the mic with their talents. Timo (aka Team O) consisted of Timothy Owen on vocal and guitar and Eric Luncefor on percussion whose presence at the event coincided with a concert tour they were engaged in to promote their CD titled, “More Than This” when they heard of the venue and decided to share their music with its denizens. Their well composed lyrics and lively tunes transfixed the audience leading many to dance with abandonment while other sought to absorb the duo’s endeavors into every pore of their being.

The Living Room was still reeling from the outstanding performance given by Timo when it was announced another installment of The Da Da Dum Theater was about to take place. Previous presentations consisted of humorous material taken from established sources transcribed so they could be performed as theatrical pieces. However, the script for this presentation originated with Paul Adam Smeltz (yeah, that’s me) and was based upon an incident in his life.

The piece was titled, “The Girl in the Back Seat” and featured the poet known as Kitty and Timothy Owen of Timo. The Open Mic Nite’s co host Andrew Oldfield also participated in the production as he played a “Da Da Dum” rhythm on the drums after the skit’s punch line was delivered. Thus the name “Da Da Dum Theater” was derived. The work was well received as the portrayal of the characters was very well done. The Da Da Dum Theater presentation of “The Girl in the Back Seat” was followed by a poetic reading given by Kitty (now known as Kitty Meow) who remained on stage to share her words.

Kitty Meow’s voice lent a soothing aspect to the rhythmic delivery of her soul touching words. They had the ability to penetrate the heart by matching its beat with their own until the pulsating qualities of the life sustaining organ were enhanced by their essence. A break ensued after Kitty Meow allowed a thoughtful silence to accompany her words. A great deal of conversations relating to what had transpired already engulfed The Living Room. The velocity of which momentum of these sharings had gained proved to be a challenge to slow as the break came to its conclusion. Yet, a negotiated calmness created a conducive atmosphere as the remainder of those who were prepared to perform took their place before the mic.

The gathering was welcomed once again by the event’s co host Jessie Roth (aka JR) who shared her poetic works after a long absence from doing so. Her return to the spoken word was welcomed by the ears, hearts, and minds of the venue’s denizens as they addressed the emotions of love and anger seasoned with a touch of humor to allow their consumption a bit easier to digest. Jessie was followed by guitarist Kes whose songs never fails to bring a thoughtful smile to the face of those who hear them. The evening’s performance brought about a similar response from the audience as the beats of his compositions were amplified by co host Andrew Oldfield who accompanied him on drums.

Kes was followed by Poet Amy B whose words flowed through and within the gathering until they remained etched upon their beings. Amy was followed Chris Roberts who began his performance by playing an electric guitar while singing a number of songs as he was joined by Tycho and co host Andrew Oldfield who shared the house drum set with one another as they played its base. Later, Chris relinquished his guitar and began to astound the gathering with his verbal abilities as he moved from one rapping sequence to another with an incredible seamlessness.

Chris was followed by more rap as performed by Area 51 www.facebook.com/pages/Area-51/164212177012377 who consists of Kidd Marvel (aka David Livingstien) www.facebook.com/TheKiddsWorld and KaZpa (aka Ian Amrhein). Together they performed a number of crowd pleasing verbal rhythms as the intoxicating Erin Phillips-Joyce danced to emphasize the flow of their mesmeric words. Area 51 was followed by guitarist Tycho who is known not only for his talent but for his generosity as he often invites other musicians to share the mic with him. On this occasion, Dee Smoov Allen (aka Song Bird) and Kidd Marvel shared a number of songs together along with Andrew Oldfield who supported their endeavors on drums. The gathering of musicians eventually narrowed down to Dee and Tycho who sung a sweet and loving song to Serenity Starrlette Hamlin who stood closely by to be bathed in its beauty.

Tycho and friends were followed by electric guitarist Justin Scalia who ended the scheduled list of performances with a number of tunes that rocked the house. However, there was some time left before the evening was to conclude which allowed more performances to take place. This led to Jessie Roth taking to the stage to share more of her poetry with the group. She was followed by a verbal contest titled, “Blondie vs. Blondie” in which Brad B. matched his rapping talents against those of Kevin Tails Moucha with AP refereeing.

The battle went all three rounds with the winner of each decided upon by the audio vibrancy of the audience. There was little blood in the rhythmic exchange until Kevin was declared the winner as he remarked to Brad, “Next week” who shared a hi five with him. The entertaining melee was followed by a performance given by the folk artist known as C. O. G. whose songs and rendition of them allows the listener to explore their deeper content through the singer’s life experiences that gives them an unique substance. C. O. G. was joined for a number of songs by Brad B. who lent his own interpretation to the songs. C. O. G.’s performance ended with a poem her wrote and recited about Bob Dylan that may never appear on any of Mr. Dylan’s CDs as part of its liner notes.

The evening ended with smiles and memories which inspired the company of friends to look forward to the next installment of the Open Mic Nite series. For me, it was another great night filled with great music, poetry, and even greater conversation as I was afforded the opportunity to learn more about those who shared their talents and the love they have for their art. Like the rest of the gathering, I look forward to attending the next Open Mic  Nite. You’ll be able to find more photographs taken during the Sunday December 1st Open Mic Nite in The Living Room 2013 Gallery Part 5 at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152011186945421.1073741872.636000420&type=1.

The next installment of the Living Room Open Mic Nite Series will take place on Sunday December 8th beginning at 7pm with sign ins beginning at 6:30pm. Musicians, poets, writers, and anyone who would like to share something with an audience are welcomed. You can learn more about The Living Room Open Mic Nite Series by Exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/OpenMicAtTheLivingRoom.

In addition to the Open Mic Nites presented at The Living Room, the venue also holds a Gallery which presents the work of visual artists from around the area. Their next exhibit will be their December show featuring the works of Jennifer Amazon, Emilio Arostegui, Nova Chan, and Jody Singer. The Artists’ Reception is scheduled for Saturday December 7th beginning at 6pm with musical guests The Pennsylvania Sunland Singers along with an opportunity to make a donation to Lizzie’s Circle. The exhibition will continue to be on display until December 30th. The Living Room is located on Main Street in Stroudsburg, PA next to The Sherman Theater who owns the building. 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.