Open Mic Recap @ The Tree House

1. Ben Garvey – I played “All My Dreams are in Cartoon,” John Prine’s “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round,” and “I Hope I Die on the Moon.”

2. Chris D – Chris came out and rocked while I spent time adjusting the monitors.

3. Entheos – It was probably the earliest Entheos has ever played and I think I have their sound right where it should be. Jarod told me their demo is coming along pretty well and I’m looking forward to hearing it.

4. Jeff – Jeff and Brian of Greensleeve split up to do their own things that night. I’m big fans of these guys so I liked their sets, although I had to mic their guitars because the pickup was weak.

5. Brian – Brian and Jeff have very similar styles, but Brian also rocks out on the harmonica. Good work.

6. Jason Vertucio – I am such a failure. Jason played “Don’t Fear the Reaper” on the keyboard and I forgot to yell out, “Needs more cowbell!”

7. Sarah Allen – She covered Prince, The Cure, and Dave Matthews Band. I’m such an anti-DMB fan, but I don’t mind Sarah’s covers at all. I was at Best Buy a few months ago and got stuck listening to a live DMB show on 50 TVs. “Grey Street” came on and I like Sarah’s version so much better.

8. Willie Tapps – You may know him from the cover of “What’s on Collingswood?.” Check out this great photo of Willie in costume for the musical, State Fair.

9. Forest Greens w/ Sarah Allen – Once again, rumors abound that Eric Chesterton (or is it Chester Ericson?) has left the Forest Greens. These guys are like the Oasis brothers. Sans Eric they were awesome, especially with Sarah on guitar.

10. Roz King – Roz played well at the open mic, but I also caught his gig at the Tree House on Friday so I’ll talk about that. Roz, Keith, Dave, and Steve (?) played kickass versions of “All Along the Watchtower” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” Steve rocked out on a hot pink, paisley print Telecaster. You are incredibly secure in your manhood if you can go out in public with that thing around your neck.

11. Rob V – I think his voice sounds a little like the guy from Soul Coughing. One of the songs he played was even stuck in my head for a few days.

12. Sarah O’Brien – She started playing and the guitar wasn’t coming through the PA at all. I ran around and tried to find the problem, I made sure the cord was plugged in and not muted, etc. The volume knob on the guitar was turned all the way down, but I think it worked to her advantage. The crowd got really quiet and her voice was fantastic. She’s playing at the Tree House on Friday the 20th.

13. Cyndi Harvell – A singer/songwriter from Athens, Georgia with a great sound. She’s tiny and I didn’t expect the voice I heard from her on stage. She’s also playing on the 20th with Sara Obrien, so check it out.

14. Steve Flocco – I felt bad for bumping Steve back a spot and I even apoligized. I don’t know if he was trying to be a jerk by playing a 12 minute Grateful Dead medley, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

15. Nan Ivins – She played a few folk tunes with her friend on the bongos.

16. Jack Sparks – Jack did a good “Karma Police” cover. We also had a conversation about the Penny Arcade at Commerce Bank where he works. The Penny Arcade is thing you put your change into so you can exchange your change for bigger bills. It’s a great service because they don’t charge you anything and you don’t have to be a customer. When I turned in some change last summer, someone had to come out and replace the money bags three times. The first time the bank employee opened the machine I spotted a few Chucky Cheese tokens in there. I wonder how much they’re worth these days.

17. Dom – Dom closed the night with a few originals and a plug for his open mic every Thursday night in Deptford at Port City Java.