ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN-MIKER: El Bar in Fishtown

This week's open-miker adventure took place at the El Bar in Fishtown. It's a good local hangout with a community of regulars.

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ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN-MIKER: El Bar in Fishtown

POSTED: Friday, May 6, 2011, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Adventures of an Open-Miker

This week’s open-miker adventure took place at the El Bar in Fishtown. It’s a good local hangout with a community of regulars. The place puts a focus on local breweries, offering a nice Kenzinger draft for $3.

El Bar is divided into two halves, with the bar itself in the center. One side has tables and a TV — where the Flyers game was playing to a deeply-invested crowd. This side also had a pair of cats, though I assume they make appearances on both sides. This Wednesday, they were snuggled together in a quiet corner.

The other side of the building featured a pool table that was clearly popular, as well as a small stage, on which the open mic took place. It was hosted by Dave Robins, who’s been doing it since well before the Northern Liberties/Fishtown area became Philly’s local music mecca. Perhaps he helped lead the way: he was playing guitar there when the neighborhood was known far better for crime than for rock 'n' roll. For the past few years, he’s been joined by Herb Fineburg, and on this night the two played hours of acoustic tunes, with Robins singing beautiful and tragic versions of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and Jackson Browne’s “These Days” in a rough-edged croon. He strummed a bold rhythm guitar and played harmonica as Fineburg played lead guitar.

Though the bar was well-attended, there wasn’t much of a turnout performer-wise; it varies greatly from week to week, the friendly hosts told me. It means this column will be short—but it was a good night for a quiet beer and a long listen.

The nitty-gritty for performers: Wednesday nights, 9 p.m., the El Bar, 1356 N. Front Street.

Posted by Matt Cantor @ 3:00 PM Permalink | 1 comment

1 comments

Comments (1)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:42 AM, 05/15/2011

Matt- Thank you very much for your support and kind comments.

— dave robins

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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