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Every week, singer/songwriter Matt Cantor gives you the skinny on a local open mic night so you'll know which stages to call home.
Not only does Newtown Square’s Burlap and Bean have tasty, fair trade food and an incredible cup of hot chocolate — they’ve also got a quality open mic on Thursday nights. I dropped by last night to check it out, and was impressed with the wide array of performers.
The place is big for a coffee shop, but with its comfortable couch, armchairs, and low lighting, it still feels intimate. I sat at a wood-and-glass table that was literally filled with coffee beans in a nice homage to my drug of choice. A corner of the room was designated as the stage area, with one of the better sound systems I’ve heard since starting this column. At the sound board was Kyle Swartzwelder, the night’s host. Nearby was a video camera attached to a laptop: the whole show was streamed online. The crowd, I noticed, overlapped with Main Line coffee shop regulars: there were familiar faces from Milkboy and Gryphon.
Kyle began the night with a pair of tunes played with intense clarity, both in his voice and on his delicately-played guitar. As the night went on, he kindly requested that people pay attention to those on stage — a welcome comment for an open-miker to hear. The audience heeded his request and focused on the performers, something which, of course, doesn’t always happen at these events.
There were too many standout performers to note them all, but to name a few: Loki strummed a punchy Cheap Trick cover and an excellent original tune full of ringing, open chords. Rapper IV was undaunted when he faced sound system troubles; he had the guts to do his bombastic, well-worded songs a cappella. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone rap as fast as he did on his second tune. I’m always impressed with hip-hop artists who enter a field of mostly singer/songwriters, and there were two of them last night: later came Black Wolf, who opened his set by asking, “How many people here like books?” He proceeded to dominate the stage with a paean to literature. The featured performer, who played a half-hour set, was Aaron Nathans. He offered up some clever and off-beat songs, including one celebrating grapefruits and another slamming John McCain. Later, keyboardist Chelsea Allen showcased a dark, captivating voice with an original song called “500-Pound Day.” Closing out the night was Sam Vile, who I mentioned in an earlier post about Milkboy; tonight he played with a band made up of performers from earlier in the evening. In a song called “Wear Me In Wear Me Out,” his unique tenor, comparable to early Thom Yorke, rang out over the band. Then he told everyone to get the hell out, and we did.
The nitty-gritty for performers: Thursdays, 7 p.m, Burlap and Bean, 204 S. Newtown Street Rd., Newtown Square, burlapandbean.com. Free entry; 2 songs each plus a featured performer.
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