The March Ultimate Thursday Open Mic at Cafe Caffeine

I hosted what turned out to be a full slate of performers last Thursday night at the Ultimate Thursday Open Mic at Cafe Caffeine. The lineup included a quartet of gentlemen (two Jims, a Greg and a Rane), who took a few slots over the course of proceedings and played in various lineups supporting one or other of 'em. Highlights included "Do Geese See God?" a song crafted entirely of palindromes, some deft blues harp, the delightful number, "Automatic Robot Answering Machine" and the wise assessment that although we grow up with the lesson that "Sticks and stones will break your bones but words can never hurt you," words can, and will, hurt and you can make hay outta that realization in song. Repeat performers from February's U.O.M. include Louise Richardson, whose middle-English Chaucer poem was backed by ace harpist, Smokey, who did some songs of his own, too, later returning to jam with Douglas Roberts for a blues number. Don Phelps arrived to play some blues with Arizona themes, and banjo neophyte William Scoular opened with some nice picking and even better wit. David Jones was back with more Flavola-flavored songs, aided by Brad Johnston on accordion (see photo); Brad swapped to guitar to play a new tune he's working on then picked up the accordion again to help me finish off the evening as backing keys on a moody "Ghost Town." I closed the night with a decent rendition of "Black and White," which invariably makes me hungry to relearn some Phil Ochs numbers. We'll see what comes of that!

David and Brad's band, Crystal Flavola and my outfit, The Late Joys, share the early double bill at The Carousel Lounge this Thursday night. Music starts at 7pm; y'all can be home in time for The Daily Show! Come on out this week or, better still, come out this week to hear us play then bring your musical instrument to April's Ultimate Open Mic, scheduled for the 29th, and play some of your own stuff. I'd love to see you there!