As a little kid, Michael Patrick used to jam along with his dad's band in the basement. He'd bang on the cardboard box until he got his first drum set. He's played in bars for 13 years. He was in a band World Within that played original music and covers. They opened for Hot Tuna, Marshall Tucker Band, Jefferson Starship, and the
Michael Patrick at Indigo Coffee
Spin Doctors. We even had the Keyboardist from The Grateful Dead playing in our band for a 3 week tour Michael boasts. This strummer of many talents shows that his dad's inspiration is very much alive in his performing. Carole: How did you find out about Indigo Coffeehouse? Michael: This used to be a cake place believe it or not and I lived down the road. So I was driving by and saw they were now a coffeehouse and wondered if they considered entertainment. I walked in and Dave, the owner, has an acoustic guitar on display more for purposes of decoration I continued on page 13
Sundays at the Downtown Café Open Mic
While many folks are still recovering from the latest Sopranos episode and gearing up for the workweek ahead, things are just getting started at the Downtown Café's Sunday Night Open Mic hosted by Rob Dye. Start time for music is generally around 10:00 p.m. with an approximate sign-up at 9:30, but don't let this late start time at the end of the weekend fool you. There is always a nice-size crowd of musicians and non-musicians alike, and a good-time, party atmosphere abounds way past midnight.
A core of seasoned local musicians headed by guitarist and host Rob Dye gets things rolling with fresh interpretations of classic rock covers. As the night moves on, other musicians and singers rotate in and out of the mix, creating an inclusive and spontaneous dynamic. Just in case anyone has trouble coming up with a song or is sketchy on the chords or lyrics, the host sports a total of six mammoth "fake" books which include "everything from The Beatles to Dwight Yoakam and Ozzie Osbourne," according to Dye.
Melissa Chill (left) backed up by Rob Dye (right)
While there is a semi-regular group of performers on hand, many of whom are working musicians in some of the area's most popular bands, the open mic at the Downtown Café is friendly and inviting to newcomers at every level. Backed by the regular house musicians or performing solo, acoustic artists find their way into the line-up, performing both original music and covers. It is also not uncommon to see a relatively new local band come up and perform a short set. "I try to make it as continued page 8
