ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN-MIKER: The Grape Room in Manayunk

The artists at the Grape Room open mic this Monday were, as a whole, unquestionably the best I've seen as an open-miker.

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ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN-MIKER: The Grape Room in Manayunk

POSTED: Thursday, April 14, 2011, 12:00 PM

Filed Under: Adventures of an Open-Miker

The artists at the Grape Room open mic this Monday were, as a whole, unquestionably the best I’ve seen as an open-miker. Several offered performances richer than many of the professional shows I’ve seen; indeed, a number of the performers were professional recording artists.

The Grape Room, just off Main Street in Manayunk, is a local music mecca, its walls plastered with posters of upcoming local performances. With Yards and Victory beers on tap, there’s also a wide selection of bottled beers, as well as pub grub, including a range of hot dog options. Despite the caliber of the performers, the bar staff is warm and utterly unpretentious.

The open mic is hosted by Steph Meyer of Stargazer Lily fame. This week had a little treat in store: Comcast was filming the event to be played on local-access TV. That meant a fair amount of paperwork in the clipboard Meyer carried. “There’s a lot more paperwork in this whole music thing than I had anticipated,” she told the crowd. In fact, being a musician involves “a lot more landscaping and painting of houses than I’d expected.” Perhaps because of the taping, the best of the best performers turned out to play. To keep things moving, each was allowed only one song. But that was enough to impress me: for an open-miker, the whole night was a kick in the pants to improve your act. The bar was packed, and unlike at many open mics, people were there primarily to hear the music; they listened closely.

The cream of the cream of the crop included Nick Everett, an immediately captivating performer who sang in a voice reminiscent of the seventies band America, but grittier—and his lyrics were better. Later came Reverend TJ and Lou, a guitar-and-bass combo who offered an effervescent tune reminiscent of Johnny Cash, but bouncier. Heads were bobbing across the bar. Danny Newport played what can only be termed acoustic hip-hop, rapping over his acoustic guitar, piano accompaniment, and a contagious electronic beat. “My girl only listens to Lil’ Wayne/ Shit drives me insane,” he rapped. “Hey girl, what happened to what we had?/ Since that album dropped you’ve had it bad.”

Then there was Sharon Little, who blew the roof off with a powerful, throaty voice and laid back confidence at the mic. This was clearly pro-quality stuff, and I later discovered she’s toured with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Next were John and Brittany. John hosts the open mic at the Legendary Dobbs on South Street. They tore through a rocker, with John’s blazing tenor soaring over two pounding guitars and commanding the audience’s attention. Later, Adam Gregory played a heartfelt and heartbreaking tune with chords that walked a line between harmony and dissonance—perhaps my favorite song in a night of incredible performances.

The nitty-gritty for performers: Mondays, sign-up 7:30, show around 8, the Grape Room, 105 Grape Street, Manayunk. Bring your a-game.

Posted by Matt Cantor @ 12:00 PM Permalink | 3 comments

3 comments

Comments (3)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:41 AM, 04/15/2011

Awesome. Thanks for the coverage. Free Downloads at http://www.dannynewportmusic.com

— Danny Newport

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:14 AM, 04/15/2011

IT was a fantastic evening, but you made one serious error matt. It was Steph HAYES, not Meyer as you reported.
http://stephhayes.com/
Steph is well known for her solo work, and her bands, The Good Problems and the Banned Books. She also plays in Slo-Mo and with Chris Schutz and the Tourists. Hey Danny...really enjoyed your song!!!

— spikerdad

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:34 PM, 04/16/2011

Excellent!! It was a great night and by the way, I'm "Lou" of the Reverend TJ and Lou guitar and bass combo. It's just an old and out there nickname. In any event, loved hearing everyone that night. Heard a lot, learned a lot and always love hearing new music, which was the case with every act that night, save Steph Hayes who has charmed my ears many times. Keep playing y'all!!

"The spirit of the world will descend upon us only with song."

— Ludog

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