OPEN MIC
at the Broadway Central Cafe

     My experience with open mic nights was limited to the Internet Caf‚ in Red Bank and other places my boyfriend's band, Duncan Circle, plays. They're all nice places and probably have good acoustics and all those wonderful things that musicians love so much, but I don't really pay attention. I go for the music, not the decor.

     When I was assigned to review the Broadway Central Caf‚'s open mic, then, I was in for a HUGE shock. The BCC doubles as owner Wayne Turvack's personal art gallery where he changes pieces every month or so. The room is small, wood-panelled and completely filled with Wayne's ghostly, eccentric artwork. You could spend an entire night just looking at everything on the walls.
 
     Even if the musicians I heard that night hadn't been as professional-sounding as they did, I still would have enjoyed the atmosphere. Luckily for me, though, the musicians were fantastic.
I especially enjoyed the band Stone Soup. Lead vocalist Rebecca Stark's. Her stage personality was reminiscent of Janis Joplin and her voice was raw and charged with emotion. She seemed to literally pour her soul into every song she sang.

     Another favorite of mine was Mark Basinger, the only act that night that didn't include a guitar. To give you an idea of the piano player's style and the kind of guy he is, he described his second song as being about flying, because "I know we all can". Well, we can with a little illegal help, anyway.

Joe Canzano on Kim Predham:

Things have been rocking along at The Broadway Central Cafe There is no cover charge for the Open Mic and the music is great. You have paid to see a lot worse. Joe Cullity came down the other night and took pictures for     NJCOAST.com. He also brought along Kim, who will be writing an article about the evening. It's probably in here somewhere, so look around, after all  you are an internet addict, and you have nothing better to do.
Kim also works for the Asbury Park Press and The Islander. She's going to be a great journalist one day. She took a lot of notes and pictures. She could have been taking notes about  you, but you were probably not there. SEE, I TOLD YOU TO COME DOWN!
I'll write something better next month. Well, maybe it won't be any better.
--by Joe Canzano