An Unseasonable Warmth at The OMN

The seasonal chill of the mid winter’s day of Sunday January 19th touched the air as The Living Room in Stroudsburg, PA filled its space with the many fans who obtain an enormous amount of warmth from it’s weekly Open Mic Nite Series. I arrived around 6:15pm and witnessed an overwhelming number of poets, musicians, and other performers lined up awaiting the time when they would be able to place their names upon the sign in list. When the time to do so arrived, these talented individuals eagerly moved along the line to affix his or her signature, nom de plume, or band’s name to the laminated page. A treat of pizza awaited those who signed in once they completed their endeavor which was shared with other denizens of the venue.

As the 7pm hour arrived, the series’ co host AP (aka Andrew Paul) took the stage to welcome all who came to join in the evening’s festivities. After noting both the sign in sheet and the waiting list had filled up within minutes after the process began, he then performed his crowd pleasing verbal antics which delighted the gathering to great effect. It was during this time when Amy Knopf briefly took the stage to share news of another Open Mic Nite taking place in the Easton, PA area. This news was welcomed as it was announced The Living Room supports all such events and encouraged those who attended to share their talents in as many venues that welcome them.

As AP ended his performance, he was followed on stage by a guitarist known simply as “Said” who was accompanied by Tycho on drums. His dreamlike melodies led the consciousness of gathering through a swaying journey as they traveled towards the subconscious realities embedded in their collective and individualized translucent awareness. He was followed by Brad (aka Scrime Triple 7) who shared his philosophical point of view to all who were amazed by his perspective.

Brad’s thought filled sharings were followed by a musical performance given by electric guitarist David Pugh who moved the gathering with the musical qualities he had demonstrated many times in the past. He was followed by Acoustic Guitarist Fred “Fozzy” Smith whose crowd pleasing renditions of a number of favorite songs inspired many to sing along with him. Fozzy was followed by the Open Mic Nite’s co host Andrew Oldfield on Electric Guitar.

Andrew came upon the stage after he had changed his attire from a very casual garb to a more dressed up apparel of black pants and dress shirt along with a red tie. He dedicated his performance to his girlfriend who could not be there. However, the emotional depth of his feelings for her was felt throughout his performance and its overwhelming qualities often caused Andrew to hesitate as his fingers touched the strings of his guitar. This love touched the hearts  of the audience who sought to encourage his endeavors through their rhythmic claps. Andrew was accompanied by Nicholas Desouza on drums and was later joined by Acoustic Guitarist Kes who took center stage after Andrew completed his performance to share some songs of his own.

Kes has become a favorite among the Living Room crowd and news of the release of his CD was met with a great deal of admiration. Andrew Oldfield remained on stage to support his musical endeavors enhancing each song through the beat of the drums he played. The performance consisted of a mixture of original work contained within the album he recently released along with a number of tunes already established by other musical artists. A break ensued after Kes’ performance in which Nicholas Desouza continued to entertain those who shared a conversation with one another on drums.

As the break concluded, the duet known as Woodrow www.facebook.com/wearewoodrow, consisting of Theresa Ratliff on vocals and Brian Bramkamp on Guitar and Vocals, took the stage. During their performance, it was announced the duo will be the opening act for the Rick Springfield Concert scheduled to take place at The Sherman Theater located in Stroudsburg, PA on Friday March 28th and they played a number of songs for the gathering which were written during the 1980s when Mr. Springfield experienced a high degree of popularity in his musical career. They began their set with a powerful rendition of the song titled, “Straight to Hell” which was recorded in 1982 by the musical group known as “The Clash” who was part of original British Punk Band wave of the 1970s and 80s.

The song can be found on The Clash’s album titled, “Combat Rock” and the A side of the 45rpm record with the more known song titled, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” appearing on its B side. Like many of their songs, “Straight to Hell” is about societal injustice. The issues addressed in this particular song relates to the shutting down of steel mills in Northern England which caused generational unemployment, the alienation of non English speaking immigrants in British society, and the abandonment of children in Vietnam (known as “Amerasians) who were fathered by US soldiers during the Vietnam War who casually impregnated Viennese women during their tour of duty. As mentioned earlier, Woodrow’s performance of the composition was a powerful one enhancing its meaning and the urgency to address the issues the song reveals.

The remainder of Woodrow’s performance proved just as powerful as it included a number of lighter songs written during the 1980s. They were followed by poet McChicken Nuggets (aka Amy Burawski) who, in a rare occurrence, shared some poetry relating to her social life. McChicken was followed by an Electric Guitarist known as C - Rock whose smooth sounds flowed through the audience along with the rhythmic utterances found in the art of Rap he shared at the conclusion of his performance. C - Rock was followed by a musician who has been away from The Living Room for quite some time and whose return was greatly appreciated by all who recall how remarkable he is.

Tycho is not only known for his musical talents which he displays through his voice and guitar but for the generosity he demonstrates by sharing his allotted time to perform with many of the musicians and singers inhabiting the venue during the Open Mic Nites. This evening would be no exception as he welcomed Nicholas Desouza who performed on drums and Dee (aka Songbird) who performed on vocals and guitar to share the stage with him. There were many highlights to the performance but the most touching one was the soulful presentation by Dee of the song titled, “Say Something.”

The song was originally recorded by Ian Axel of the duo known as “A Great Big World” for his solo album in 2011 but was later recorded by he and his musical partner, Chad Vaccarino, for the album titled, “Is There Anybody Out There?” in 2013. The song was then re-recorded to feature vocals by Christina Aguilera that same year prior to the official release of the album in 2014. The song is presented on the album as a piano ballad but Dee and her musical companions’ version utilized the nuanced qualities of the guitar which, along with the soulful presence of Dee’s voice, allowed the piece to explore a deeper recess of its meaningfulness through her interpretation of it. This version transcended the original as evident in the tearful eyes of those among the audience who quietly sang along in their hearts.

Tycho was followed by Guitarist Jeremy Thompson who was joined by Nicholas Desouza on Bass Guitar and Dee on Drums. The whispering delivery of the songs presented by Jeremy caused the audience to listen to their hypnotic qualities more intently allowing each song to cast its spell upon them. His performance was followed by a break to allow The Juggernut String Band to make the preparations to present their exuberant mixture of world music consisting primarily of Zydeco (aka Cajun) music and African Tribal songs to the gathering. The band consists of Peter Taney on Banjo, Joy Taney on Trombone, Vid Ryan on Bass Guitar, and Carolyn Burbage on Drums.

The sounds emanating from the band echoed throughout the room as many were inspired to move their bodies in keeping with the ecstatic rhythms of the music. A break ensued once the final note sounded in order for the first of the performers who signed their name to the waiting list could prepare to share their talents with the happily exhausted audience. During this time, a number of The Living Room denizens took the stage as if in a cheerful competition of who could tell the most corniest joke. The audience groaned with delight as they were entertained even by the two I contributed to the endeavor.

It was shortly after this comedic respite did the band named, “The Godley Projekt” www.facebook.com/thegodleyprojekt begin to set up their equipment for their performance. The band, who were new to the event, consisted of Reverend Kris Rooff on Vocals and Guitars, INbetween on Vocals and Bass, Jack Reiss on Vocals and Guitars, and Kent Maciejczyk on Drums and Percussions. Their preparations of Guitars plugging into the amps and vocal checks indicated their performance was going to be one hell of a musical ride. And, indeed it was as each kick ass song laid waste the audience members who fanatically slammed into one another while dancing and submitted to the sonic compulsions placed upon them by the music they embraced. The music was wild and penetrated the psyche until it was wiped clean by its resonating frequencies.

The Godley Projekt was followed by Area 51 whose Hip Hop performance has become a favorite to the gathering featuring Kidd Marvel and  KaZpa whose words flowed throughout the venue with their usual style and class. They were followed by the return of Brad who went by the name of Brad Anubin sharing his nuanced articulations with the denizens of the Living Room once again. He was followed by the ever energetic Jesse Morales whose mere presence brings an anticipating smile to the hearts to those who are about to hear him. With Ukulele in hand and a song in his heart, Jesse proved true to form as he belted out one enthusiastic melody after another.

Jesse was followed by Nicholas Desouza who had performed throughout the evening in support of other performers but took this time to allow his talents to shine as the smooth performance of some jazzy tunes played upon his Electric Bass Guitar engulfed the room with a gentle sound creating a mellow atmosphere within all who heard it. Nicholas was joined by co host AP who lent his voice as a percussion to each song and enhanced their rhythmic qualities. Nicholas Desouza was followed by C. O. G. whose shared the stories found in the folk songs created by the likes of Woody Guthrie and his contemporaries.

It was during C. O. G.’s  performance did those who served as the stage crew for the Open Mic Nite Series began to strike the drum set in order to prepare the room for other events it would hold throughout the week. However, when C. O. G. was joined by Dave Pugh, who performed earlier that evening, to lend his vocal talents during his final selection which was the Bob Dylan Classic titled, “Positively 4th Street” and released in 1965 as a single between his “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Blonde On Blonde” albums, so host Andrew Oldfield ceased his dismantling activities in order to add a beat to the song while members of the audience held up an image of a lighter flame during the song’s presentation. The song ended with imaginary harmonica solo performed by David Pugh which also brought an end to another Open Mic Nite at The Living Room.

In addition to the performances, a visitation by Billy Mack, who was the person who began the series so long ago, took place and whose presence brought a degree of nostalgia to the evening. It was unfortunate he could not perform during this installment of the Open Mic Nite Series but there is also a sense of irony in that his role in making event so popular created the conditions in which the sign in sheet was filled to the extent he could not find a timely spot to add his name upon it. In any case, those of us who had been there during the event’s early history continues to feels a deep sense of gratitude to Billy Mack for all he has done to make each Sunday evening the event is held one that nestles in the heart and encourages us to partake of the gifts within ourselves and others.

The next installment of the Living Room Open Mic Nite Series will take place on Sunday January 26th 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 to do so. You can learn more about The Living Room Open Mic Nite Series by Exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/OpenMicAtTheLivingRoom. You’ll be able to find more photographs taken during the Sunday January 19th Open Mic Nite in The Living Room 2014 Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152159666870421.1073741874.636000420&type=1.

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 current exhibit is their January group show titled, “What Is Art, Anyway?” featuring the works of artists from the area and beyond. The exhibit will be on display until January 30th. Their next exhibition will be held in February featuring several artists whose names are yet to be announced. This will be followed by their next group exhibition to be held in March which invites local artists to submit their work. 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.