Open Mic and Live Music

It's been a great fall, we've been playing lots of music.  Mike and I are going to be playing some Saturday Morning gigs at Janey's 6602 E Cave Creek Rd Cave Creek, AZ.

Our open Mic at The Hideaway is really turning into musician venue.  Each week we see more great players coming out to jam.  And a new thing is happening, we are seeing these players get together and work on new projects.
                     
This is one such project, "The Hemptones," we are doing four part harmonies… great fun!  These guys are all working musicians with their own gigs but when we get together... wow!

The guys that I've played with for several years, Mike Assad and Kevin Brennan under the name The Rennesance Rednecks, along with new addition Jack Horan on bass, are doing weekend gigs, where we invite local talent to play on our breaks. Above we are with 12 year old Madison Holmes, who is making quite a name for herself around the north valley.

            
Mike and I are also working on a rock project, "Rooster," with my old highschool friends Steve Purcell on Drums and monster lead guitar player Scott "The Pin" Maish!  These three guys and I have been playing together on and off for four decades.  I love this band!

Pandy and Mike's open mic!

I stopped by The Horny Toad tonight fro Pandy and Mike's open mic.  The room was full of great players and everybody was having a good time!  So now they have two open mics Wed night 7-10 and Sunday afternoon 1-5.  Come on out!

Open Mic!

We had a full room and a great list of Singer Songwriters this Sunday at The HornyTaod in Cave Creek!

I’ve been doing Open Mic for the past 16 years, more or less.  To those of you that picture amateur night, well there can be some of that, but… what a good open mic offers is a chance for aspiring singer/ songwriters, to work on their act.  Over the years, time and again, I’ve witnessed a transformation of regular folks into artist.  This takes work and heart.  There’s nothing like the first time a new singer (young or old) connects with their audience. 

The guy that taught me how to properly run an Open Mic, David Grossman, said when you’re a musician there’s not a lot of refuge out there.  You can find refuge in religion, relationships, drugs, the mental institution… but the Open Mic is a true refuge for musicians.  They are among their own kind and find a place that they can get real answers about working a room.

As with all Open Mics a group of player develops that drives a direction.  This in turn causes players to take some risks, maybe play a tune that they love but is not in their genre. 

As the players grow so the entire group grows.  And the audience is the real benefactor!  A few years ago I had another room that I had worked to develop.   I saw about 40 people sit quietly and listen to a 15 minute Bass solo by local talent, Omar.  He absolutely had them mesmerized.  When he stopped playing there was that crystal moment where you could hear a pin drop before the room exploded in applause.  Moments like that, are usually the purview of big cities… or great bars in the Texas panhandle!

There’s great music,humor, fun, talent, good food and cold drinks, (special thanks to Tim Brady for the whisky).  It’s a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

So weather you’re a player or just love good music, come on out to the Horny Toad in Cave Creek next Sunday and do a little toe tapping while you relax and have a cold one!

Open mic at the Horny Toad in Cave Creek

The fun starts at 1:00 and we keep going till 5:00.  It's a great afternoon of local talent, good food, cold drinks and toe tapping!  Cone on out!

Arizona Blues Project

I stopped by Harold's tonight to see The Arizona Blues Project with Chuck Hall, Gary Bruzzese, Al Ortiz, Paul Reed. Wow are these guys tight. Amazing don't miss them!