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ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN MIKER: Gryphon Café in Wayne, Pa
Every Wednesday, open-miker Matt Cantor gives you the skinny on a local open-mic night so you'll know which stages to call home. Today, he goes to Gryphon Café on the Main Line.
ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN MIKER: Gryphon Café in Wayne, Pa
Every Wednesday, open-miker Matt Cantor gives you the skinny on a local open-mic night so you'll know which stages to call home. Today, he goes to Gryphon Café on the Main Line.
Main Line coffee shops, I’m beginning to realize, are a haven for open mikers. Gryphon Café is no exception. I dropped by this Monday, guitar in the back seat, hoping to play; unfortunately I showed up too late. For this one, you’ve got to be there by 6:30 for sign-ups, as all the slots are filled quickly. But the early arrival is well worth an open miker’s while: Gryphon hosts plenty of talented local musicians, and everyone—the staff, the audience, the host—is friendly. The place was so densely packed that I had to squeeze into a table with people I don’t know, which is something I normally hate doing. Somehow, at Gryphon, it seemed socially acceptable. Meanwhile, I noticed some familiar faces both onstage and in the crowd. That posed an open miker’s dilemma: I can’t expect to play the same songs every time at such places, or someone will notice.
As at other Main Line coffee shops, the walls were covered with local artwork, much of it for sale. I was impressed by the quality of the work, which featured small paintings and larger woodcarvings reaching from shoulder level all the way to the high ceiling. Nestled among the works, in a corner of the room, was the makeshift stage with a bright sound system. On the other side of the fairly intimate room was the coffee bar. I sampled their jambalaya, which was excellent, and some elegantly-presented coffee; both were carried to me at the table.
Each performer was allotted two songs. As I sipped, I listened to the Describers — or, in this case, the Describer, as the host pointed out: only one was there. But he played with energy and sang with passion. Next was Tron, who performed earnest originals over some unusual and biting chords. His second tune featured a traditional fingerpicking style known as Travis picking, which you don’t hear often among current musicians, despite its pleasantly lazy bounce. I’ve mentioned Steven Singer before, but he bears mentioning again: This time, the keyboardist took rapid-fire requests from the audience, and was able to put together a medley ranging from Primus to Paul Simon as people yelled out artists’ names. Last to perform was Bill O’Meara. His live performance sounded as polished as a recording, with a rough-edged but sweet voice and real facility on the guitar. With some people, you can just tell they know their way around the fretboard. O’Meara also knows his way around the Philly music scene, having performed at World Café Live and Tin Angel, among other places.
If I had a seal of hearty open-miker approval, I’d give it to Gryphon Café.
The nitty-gritty for performers: Mondays, sign-ups at 6:30, show at 7, get there early, Gryphon Café, 105 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, gryphoncafe.com. Free admission; two songs each.
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