open mike mini-report

[jfb]

Bazaar Cafe, 2003-11-20

Yeah, you know how I was saying I used to go to open mikes once without an instrument just to check them out, because I was less secure about my music than I am now? Tonight I went to an open mike without an instrument, just to check it out. It wasn't because I was insecure about my music, though. It was because I was stupid.

For a long time people have been telling me about this great open mike at the Bazaar Cafe in San Francisco. There were two things they all mentioned. First, there's no PA system--everyone plays unamplified, and the cool thing is that people are quiet enough (and it's a small enough room) that they can hear you. Second, it's totally swamped, so you can't just show up and play, you have to call a week or two in advance to sign up.

Everyone said it was worth the wait. But I was kind of intimidated by having to call and stumble through a conversation whose nature I wasn't entirely clear on, and also, there are a bunch of other open mikes I like to go to on Thursdays, not to mention staying home and watching E.R. And I never felt like I knew a week or two in advance where I'd want to be on any given Thursday. So, I kept feeling like I should call and go, but I kept on not quite getting around to it.

Until tonight, when I just figured, well, I've been to the Espresso Garden and to St. Stephen's Green this month, so I don't really need to go again, and I can tape E.R. (no spoilers!), so I could go to Bazaar Cafe, and since I won't be able to play anyway since I didn't sign up in advance, I can show up late, so I don't have to make an agonizing rush hour drive, and when I'm there I can sign up for next Thursday, and also I'll get a feel for the place and get over the phone thing for future use. Why not?

So I drove up to San Francisco, through Golden Gate Park, to the cafe, where I found a friendly, quiet, talented crowd of musicians at an open mike that is no longer swamped. When I went to get my name on the sign-up sheet, it turned out that a bunch of people who had signed up to play hadn't shown up--of course--so there actually were same-night slots there for the taking. And I hadn't brought a single instrument, because I "knew" I wasn't going to get a chance to play anyway.

Oh well. I had a good time listening and occasionally singing along, anyway. And I'm signed up for next time--not, as it was usefully pointed out, for next Thursday, because next Thursday is Thanksgiving.

Comments

[copperqueen.livejournal.com]

I like the names of those places ... "Espresso Garden" and "St Stephen's Green."

[jfb.livejournal.com]

They are evocative, but the Espresso Garden has no garden, just espresso, and St. Stephen's Green has some green in the decor because it's an Irish pub but is mostly just dark. The Espresso Garden used to be named Cafe Trompe L'Oeil, after the huge eye-fooling mural (http://www.illusion-art.com/) that takes up most of the south wall. Which was a good name but Espresso Garden is easier to type.