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December 7, 2006
I had no idea this was a special night. I just wanted to get out for awhile and friends had been telling me about this open mic at Lilly Coogan's (102 First Ave, NYC). I also wanted to show support for my friend Lauren who was training as a bartender there. So I left my cozy Hoboken apartment and braved the far-too-cold weather to check this place out. As I walked in I was greeted by the ever-oozing love and warmth host for the night Sacha Chavez. He was always a big part of the Hoboken open mic scene and it was nice to see him creating such a lively and much-needed scene on the Lower East Side. At this point tonight was still for me just another night out. It wasn't until just moments after walking in that I'd find out that this was in fact the one-year anniversary of their open mic. This is a dark, cozy, welcoming neighborhood Irish pub. The prices are low and the spirits are high. Frances works the bar with a feisty mix of sarcasm and smiles. She was the one to tell me of the origins of the open mic. Basically one Thursday night she stood behind the bar noticing there were but a scant few people in the place. She and Sacha knew something needed to be done. So they started an open mic. Frances is also the one who chooses the featured performers each week. Like most open mics in the area, this would be a mix of impromptu performances and scheduled acts.
The first night back in 2005 saw about three people come in. That was already a 50% increase in clientele! Slowly but surely the crowd increased as time moved on. By this, my first night here, the place was jam packed with performers and revelers. Some were reveling more than others. On several occasions Sacha had to ask for quiet in the room but all in all it was a very supportive crowd cheering on some talented folks. Some of the standouts for me included singer, songwriter and tap dancer (yes I said tap dancer) Anthony Russo. He'd play his songs and then trigger a loop. Then, while the guitar riffs continued, he'd do his bad-ass tap thang with a mic placed on the floor. Frank Palmeri was the first ever performer at the open mic a year ago. He reminisced about that night and then treated us to his groovy, smooth tunes. There was the jazzy coolness of Taharqa who impressed us all with a beautiful version of 'Masquerade'. This night is not just about the music. There were poets and a couple of comedians too. Comedy in a nightclub is tough. Just ask Michael Richards. Comedy in a bar it is nearly impossible. One guy that broke thru the comic bar curse was Joe Maywalt. His searing, anger-fueled rant on coffee and those who serve it was hysterical. And the normal affliction of a beer swilling bunch that masks any attempts to even accept that a comic is onstage was, for a brief moment, defeated. The night was about creativity in all forms, even food. I had the delight to meet Lilly; the quarter-Irish cookie baker (she may have been pulling my leg about the quarter-Irish bit). She actually was a performer that I had missed earlier in the night but I was happy that she returned for me to meet and talk to. That and she had with her hot tea for Frances and yummy cookies for the rest of us. It's not always wise to accept baked goods from a stranger, but in this case I made an exception. All of the glorious noise, tastes and characters combine to make Lilly Coogan's a must Thursday night stop for any musician, poet or even baker. Kudos to Sacha, Frances and everyone at Lilly Coogan's for creating such a needed and wonderful musical oasis. With souls like these floating around, we may save NYC's culture yet from the grips of condo development. Here's to many more years. Cheers, Links: |
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