From pop to poetry, open mics let voices be heard

(Credit: Michelle Bateman, Special to Metromix)

You're sitting in a saloon or coffee house where the distractions are omnipresent.

A coffee machine grinds an iced coffee in the middle of a tender folk song or a caffeine-fueled couple just won't stop talking.

Then the surprise comes. An average-looking guy takes the stage and sings like reggae-rapper Matisyahu with original lyrics. Another guy one-third the age of Bob Dylan sings the full-length “It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)” flawlessly and with more dramatic passion than Dylan.

“There has never been a night in 10 years that didn't have at least one nice surprise,” says high desert open mic meister Ted Quinn.

Open mic nights are held in every major city, but they're a little different in the desert. You'll find sophisticated singers or rootsy guitarists with electronica loops. You can hear poets with recorded bongos or comics working out material.

The popularity of open mic nights is cyclical, but they're flourishing again from Palm Desert to Joshua Tree. There's even a seasonal open mic night at the Palms Restaurant and Bar in Wonder Valley, gateway to Amboy.

“Because of the times, more artists are creating now more than ever,” says Symara Stone, host of the Thursday open mic night at Ignition Coffee House in Palm Springs. “When times are (bad), you make art.”

Joshua Tree's local talent received international attention earlier this decade for its Wednesday open mic night at the now defunct Beatnik Cafe. Quinn, called the honorary mayor of Joshua Tree in a documentary about that area's music scene, did a live podcast and people responded to the music from across oceans.

It built a tradition of drawing artists from Los Angeles, the low desert and beyond.

“The open mic is usually about halfway made up of high desert locals,” said Quinn. “For a long time, the Beatnik was the only open mic for 100 miles, so it became normal to drive great distances to be there.

“A nice little scene came together that was very inclusive of all types of music and players at every level. (Singer-guitarist) Bingo called his friends in Portland to say he'd found an open mic where people actually listen to each other. ... I once estimated we'd presented 5,000 performances at the Beatnik.”

Quinn now hosts open mic nights at Pappy & Harriet's Palace in Pioneertown and the Joshua Tree Saloon in Joshua Tree. And there's so much diverse talent, he doesn't worry about artists overlapping. “I've never had the problem at any of the venues with too much of the same thing.”

Ignition features more alternative music than you'll find at most low desert clubs. Michael Theopolis recently played reggae music with Matisyahu flavors, while Joe Fairbank sang passionate Dylan and Grateful Dead songs.

“The talent here is not like technique talent, it's like individual talent,” said Stone. “People here have something to say as opposed to people in L.A., where the people are trying to make it big.”

The scene expanded this summer when jazz vocal legend Herb Jeffries of Idyllwild began hosting occasional open mic nights at Buzz Coffee in Palm Desert. Not surprising for a guy who was born in 1913, Jeffries drew an older crowd of singers, poets and musicians, but it was successful enough to prompt co-owner Sandy Kane to have Scottish singer-songwriter Rebecca Caldwell host a singer-songwriter night that also has been successful.

Last month, Confessions nightclub in Palm Springs secured cabaret promoter Les Michaels to host an open mic night. It's been attracting 20 to 30 professional and amateur singers a night to play with house pianist Joel Baker.

“We wanted to do something different,” said co-owner Marc Regan. “There's a lot of professional singers in the desert who don't come out because they don't like to do karaoke. We started it to give them somewhere to perform.”

Dave Heveron showed writing talent at Buzz Coffee with his original song about Palm Springs in 1965, “Land of the Swaying Palms.”

“I've been in the desert almost 17 years,” said Regan. “There's a lot of retired people and a lot of people who have moved here. So there's a lot of talent in the desert.”

Local talent perform at venues across desert

BUZZ COFFEE

Address: 73-647 Highway 111, Palm Desert

Hours: Singer-Songwriter Showcase, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Alternates with Open Mic Night, 7 p.m. Wednesday about once a month. Sign-ups start at 6:45 p.m.

Host: Singer-songwriter Rebecca Caldwell for the singer-songwriters showcase and former Duke Ellington vocalist Herb Jeffries for the open mic night.

Cost: $5 admission fee gets you a complimentary beverage

The scene: Well-run and well-attended acoustic showcases in an intimate coffee house. The next Herb Jeffries Open Mic night is Aug. 19 with “poetry, prose and acoustic music.”

Information: (760) 837-9091 or meetup.com

CONFESSIONS

Address: 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs

Hours: 7:30 to 11 p.m. or later Tuesday

Host: Singer-producer Les Michaels

Cost: Free

The scene: Les Michaels is one of the leading cabaret promoters in Southern California, and he attracts quality cabaret singers to sing with pianist Joel Baker. Michaels and Baker also perform.

Information: (760) 416-0950 or clubconfessionps.com

IGNITION COFFEE HOUSE

Address: 123 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs

Hours: 8 to 11 p.m. or later Thursday

Host: Singer-songwriter Symara Stone

Cost: Purchase of a beverage is requested

The scene: A mix of acoustic and amplified music, including rap, reggae, rock, folk, blues and jazz. Each artist or act plays about four songs. There can be long down periods for artist set-ups.


Information: (760) 778-4477


JOSHUA TREE SALOON

Address: 61-835 Highway 62, Joshua Tree

Hours: 8:30 to 11 p.m. or later Tuesday

Host: Singer-songwriter Ted Quinn

Cost: Free

The scene: This “Super Ruby Tuesday” showcase is for adults 21 and over, but some underage musicians stand outside until it's their turn to perform. Artists get to play a little longer than at Pappy & Harriet's.

Information: (760) 366-2250


PAPPY & HARRIET'S

Address: 53-688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown

Hours: 7:30 to 11 p.m. or later Monday

Host: Ted Quinn

Cost: Free

The scene: This is probably the biggest open mic night in the desert. You'll find artists from folk singers to Tibetan horn players. The artists could be a gifted recording artist or a local amateur.

Information: (760) 365-5956