Open Mic Recap @ The Tree House

My intuition sucks. Every time I get a feeling about something the opposite happens. Despite the high number of performers signed up on the list, I had a feeling it would be a dead night at the Tree House. It turned out to be one of the best nights in a long time.

In case you’re looking for something to do this week…

John Shaughnessy is playing the Tree House Friday, October 3rd at 8:00PM.

Adrien Reju is playing the 3 Beans Coffee on Saturday, October 4th at 8:00PM.

On to the performers!

1. Leo – He may not be back for a few weeks while he works on some new material and we’ll be waiting for his return.

2. Bob Michel – He’s been a regular for a few weeks now and I always enjoy his folkie stuff.

3. Cynthia – This girl has probably been to more open mics in the last month than you will go to in your life.

4. Sarah Allen – She brought her keyboard and surprisingly there were no sound problems. She sounded terrific.

5. TV Food People aka Matt Winn – Matt did some improve guitar work and I especially liked the first song. Matt claims he can play the keyboard the guitar at the same time and he will do it at the open mic someday.

6. Willie Tapps – He played “Sweet Old World” by Lucinda Williams and a few other good songs.

7. Dan Allen and John Brennan – I think this may have been the first time I heard slide guitar at the Tree House open mic. They started off with a bluesy song and then played a Judas Priest cover. Rumor has is that Dan Allen is the brother of an open mic regular.

8. Dexter Brank – Freaking amazing guitar player. Everyone talked this guy up before he went on and if living up to hype was this guy’s job he’d be the manager.

9. Forest Greens (Mike and Eric) – I barely even have to mic their hammer dulcimer. Somehow I missed the violin.

10. Haiku Riders – I kept wanting to call these guys the Haiku Tunnels.

11. Jason Wheatley – Jason always introduces “Breakfast in the Afternoon” as if it’s a riddle. One day I’ll write a song about sex that is really a metaphor for eating breakfast. In all seriousness, it was great to see him out again.

12. Adrien Reju – She played some new song, “Throwing Red Paint on a Wall That’s White”, and her future CMT hit, “Floating.” She was great, but as they say on Reading Rainbow you don’t have to take my word for it.

We had practice upstairs after 10PM. We were trying to identify the artists. There was a girl at the end that was amazing. We actually paused a bi longer between our songs to listen. Randy said it was Reju. Well, whoever she was, she was awesome.” – Tina Conroy, owner of the Tree House

Adrien is playing at 3 Beans in Haddonfield this Saturday at 8:00PM!

13. Keith Lewis – After recovering from a nasty illness Keith came and did some cool tunes for us. Is his song called “Dance My Love, Dance” or “Dance, My Love Dance?” In other words, is he telling his lover to dance or is he telling someone to dance his “love dance.” If it’s #2 I want to see this love dance.

13. Ben Garvey – I soundchecked with “Why Now Satan?” and later on I played “I Hope I Die on the Moon,” “Thesis,” and Johnny Cash’s “Big River.”