Artists flock for their 15 minutes in spotlight
Internet Café gives
performers a chance to work a live audience
FOR LIVING
Artists flock for their 15 minutes in spotlight
MARK KSENIAK Marc Kadoch (l-r), Aaron Levy and Elie Maman, members of the Ocean Township-based group Paradox, perform Aug. 17 at the Internet Café. Internet Café gives
performers a chance to work a live audience
By sandi carpello
Staff Writer
MARK KSENIAK Ari Wolfe, Wanamassa, is sometimes moved to break into traditional Hebrew song when he sings at open mike nights Sundays at the Internet Café in Red Bank.
There are only five minutes until show time, and Ari Wolfe still hasn’t chosen his repertoire.
"I’m not sure what I’m going to play," he said, cradling a shiny brown mandolin in one hand and a cafe latte in the other. "All I know is that I’m up next."
It’s Sunday night at the Internet Café in Red Bank.
For those with aspirations of performing, that means Open Mike Night — where a $4 cover charge can get you a 15-minute slot in front of a live audience.
For spectators, it means a hot cappuccino, a piece of cheesecake, and the soothing sounds of an acoustic guitar.
"We usually get a pretty big turnout," said Internet Café owner Paul Bogdanovich, who has held open mike nights at 1 W. Front St. for the past five years. "We had 45 people last week. The week before, we had something like 80 people. We get some comics, some read poetry, but the majority is music. "
While some offer stellar performances and others unknowingly sing off key, open mikers have one thing in common: they love to be in the spotlight.
At least that’s how it is for the Howell-based teenage punk band Last Man Standing.
The four 14-year-olds, who showed up at last Sunday’s open mike night with six roadies and a slew of family members, rarely rehearsed for their debut performance. Nevertheless, they are devoid of stage fright.
"I just want to play," said the band’s self-taught guitarist Chris Bearer, 14, of Howell, before playing a cover of Less Than Jakes’ "All My Best Friends Are Metal Heads." "We all want to be rock stars, but we’re still really young. Our goal right now is to just play and have a good time."
But for Joe Virga, of Lincroft, playing guitar is nothing to take lightly.
The 54-year-old open mike veteran, who works at a Manhattan-based computer company during the week, lives for the Sunday night jam sessions.
A fixture in the Greenwich Village folk music scene during the ’60s, the guitarist, vocalist and songwriter gave up his musical aspirations nearly 20 years ago to concentrate on supporting his family.
Sunday Open Mike Night is a chance for him to rekindle his passion.
"I’m finally able to do what I’ve been wanting to do my whole life," said Virga, who once played at venues like 167 MacDougal Street alongside performers like Suzanne Vega. "I come and play [at the Internet Café] every Sunday night. After this, I go to the Dublin House and play in their open mike night. …It gives me a chance to hone my skills … if you don’t use it, you lose it."
Spending several hours a week composing music and writing songs, Virga said the open mike nights will prepare him for his next stage in life.
"I’m going to retire in a few months, and the company I work for is giving me a nice [retirement] package," he said. "I’m going to go on tour and play every place I can. This time I can do it without starving."
The Internet Café is a place where the pros can polish their technique and novices can get their feet wet, said Sunday Open Mike Night emcee Jay Pat Dalton, of Bayhead, a professional guitarist and harmonica player. "Some people who come here have been playing for a long time. Some people who come here, come here because they can’t get a gig anywhere else," he said. "It’s not a talent show. It’s a very encouraging and nurturing environment. Everyone is very pro-each other."
That nurturing environment has helped Andrea Setaro, 18, grow as an artist.
After just one year of consistent Sunday night performances, Setaro, who graduated from Red Bank Catholic High School in June, has been accepted at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Thanks to the open mike nights, "I am a lot more comfortable and a lot more confident," said Setaro, who learned to play the acoustic guitar from an instructional home video.
Setaro, who also writes original songs, said she uses the venue as a testing ground for new material.
"I like to try new songs out and see how they feel in front of an audience," she said.
According to Dalton, Setaro is an open mike success story
"Andrea is one of the people I’m really behind," he said. "She’s going to do really well at Berklee. The fact that she’s played in public puts her ahead of some of her peers because she’s always [practicing]," he said,
In the world of open mike nights, professional aspirations are indeed prevalent. But not all the participants are trying to make it in the music business.
Lou Hochman, a newspaper reporter from Freehold and part-time record store employee, said playing his keyboard on the weekends is simply a hobby.
"Some people take this stuff very seriously. I’m just blowing off steam," he said.
Wolfe, 19, who left his Wanamassa home this week to spend a year on a kibbutz in Israel, describes open mike nights as "awesome" and a very spiritual experience.
With a wool cap and a mandolin, Wolfe sits before the Sunday night crowd, closes his eyes and rocks back and forth. Strumming the guitar, he begins to chant: "My name is Ari and I am trying to feel my soul …"
When the impulse ignites him, Wolfe breaks into traditional Hebrew song.
For Wolfe, playing an open mike night is like participating in a "Kumsitzes," Hebrew for "a traditional Jewish campfire sing-along," he said. "It’s a really, really good sound."
The people who perform here are not always playing rock ’n’ roll, Dalton explained. "One time, we had a guy come in here and play the harmonica along with the theme song from Jurassic Park. Sometimes we get poets. If the subject matter gets a little too explicit, we have to ask them to stop. We have an NC-17 rating here," he said,
Ed Neufeld, of Union, who sees open mike nights as a great spectator sport, visits various venues all over New Jersey
Of all the open mikes in the state, the Internet Café is one of his favorites.
"It’s a great atmosphere and a good variety of music," Neufeld said. "It’s a good alternative to the bar scene."
Dalton, who also emcees at Tumulty’s Café in East Brunswick on Wednesday nights, would have to agree.
"Here, we try to be as fair as possible. We try to get everyone on. Sometimes we have to place time limits because we have so many names on the list," he said.
The non-alcoholic environment makes the atmosphere a lot less intimidating, Dalton said.
"It’s a really nurturing vibe. … When you go to an open mike night at a bar, it is definitely more intimidating. You get drinking men with an electric guitar."
The Internet Café holds open mike night Sunday evenings from 7:30-11 p.m.