Living in a Room with the Fire of Foxes

The Sherman Theater’s Living Room in Stroudsburg, PA held an installment of their weekly Open Mic Nites Series on Sunday July 26^th. Although I arrived late to the venue, the openness and friendliness indicative of the establishment's atmosphere greeted me and I was glad for it. The featured band for the evening was in the midst of their performance when I entered which made my arrival all the more enjoyable.

The mind bending hypnotic music of The Foxfires filled the senses with its surreal blending of sounds and lyrics that touched the deepest regions of perception. The band consists of Christian Diana on Vocals and Guitar, Adam Alexander Kahn on Bass, Christian Cordero on Guitar and Keys, and Brandon Vallejo on Drums. Together, they create a new atmosphere to engulf the gathering with every note and chord change they employ. It is in these musical meteorological conditions each listener floats upon while allowing their imaginations to flow through the band's melodic cadences. In other words, they were cool. You can learn more about The Foxfires by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/ChristianDianaAndTheFoxfires or their Website at www.thefoxfires.bandcamp.com.

As The Foxfires completed their performance, the evening's co host, Emillie Day, shared the venue's appreciation to the group for sharing their talents with the sizable gathering as well as announcing she had tickets to a show featuring the music of Frank Zappa which was currently going on upon The Sherman Theater's main stage. A break ensued after she ended her sharing where upon the company partook of the opportunity to chat with members of The Foxfires and each other about the experiences they encountered so far as well as those they anticipated for the remainder of the evening.

As the break concluded, Guitarist Dee Songbird took her place upon the stage to enchant the audience with her voice and mastery of the instrument. She was followed by Kevin Tails Moucha who rendered his soulful words for the gathering. He was followed by Baby Teeth who was joined by Brandon Vallejo of The Foxfires who lent his talents as a vocal percussionist to Baby Teeth's Hip Hop renderings. Baby Teeth was followed by a new comer to the event known as Christina whose mixture of A Capella songs and spoken word poetry added a profound dimension to the evening. She was followed by Wilbuim as introduced by the event's new co host, Satilia Rose, whose utterances proved to be a thoughtful prelude to the music that was to come. Wilbuim has become a favorite performance to close the Open Mic Nite event as the sounds from his voice, guitar, and computerized apparatus never fails to move the crowd to dance.

As the final notes played by Wilbuim faded from the gathering's awareness, a final farewell was shared by co host Theresa Ratcliff upon which all present shared their appreciation for the event and each other. It was a great night filled with wonderful performances and the conversations they inspired. You'll be able to view the photographs I took during the event in The Living in a Room with the Fire of Foxes Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154077976638761.1073741879.91146283760&type=3.

The next installment of the Living Room Open Mic Nite Series will take place on Sunday August 2^nd beginning at 7pm with sign ins beginning at 6:30pm. Musicians, poets, writers, and anyone who would like to share something with a receptive 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.

In addition to the Open Mic Nites presented at The Living Room, the venue also holds a Gallery which presents their current Creepy Crawly Exhibition until August 10^th. Their next exhibit is titled, “Hot Summer Night” featuring the work of local artists with an Artists' Reception scheduled for Saturday August 15^th beginning at 6pm. The drop of date for artists who wish to place their work in the show is Monday August 10^th from 2pm until 8pm. Please contact the gallery at 570-421-2808 for more information.

The Living Room is located on Main Street in Stroudsburg, PA next to The Sherman Theater who owns the building. The Living Room is a non-profit artspace and community hub featuring live music, exhibitions, and other events in an intimate setting at affordable prices. 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.

Photography by Paparazzi Paul.