Acoustic Thursdays “Baltimore’s Best WIDE Open Mic”

Themar Long, the owner (shown here), and I have known each other for some time now. I worked part-time at the cafe when he first began Acoustic Thursdays with the host, Marc Avon Evans and his band. Since then, the weekly open mic/open set event has grown, with artists and audience members attending from all over the metropolitan area. It’s hosted from 7-11 every Thursday night. Food is served until 9, with cafe beverages available all night.. There is a cover fee -- $5.00 for performers, $7.00 for everyone else, and $10.00 if you byob.

The cafe is in a renovated, traditional, brick Baltimore row house. The building really does give the cafe a home-like, comfortable atmosphere (there is even a bathtub in the second-floor restroom). And like home, the setup for Acoustic Thursdays includes pushing aside tables and furniture to make room for more seating. However, when a classmate and I attended (I hadn’t been for quite some time), tables must have been moved up- or downstairs, because there was enough seating to fit 50 or so guests comfortably. Even with the growing audience, you are never more than 3-15 feet from the “stage.”

Acoustic Thursdays always starts with a featured entertainer, whether they are a singer/songwriter, a poet, lyricist, or person of some other talents. Tonight, Marc’s band was there (including the local beat boxer and DJ, Chuck “The Mad Ox” and the guitarist, Kevin Jackson), but he was not. The featured artist and hostess was a local female guitarist, singer, and songwriter. (I didn’t get her stage name because we were a bit late.) Her song, “Dreamers,” was a favorite. Her music had a nice R&B/soul flow to it that allowed you to listen while easily chatting with a friend (which I also attribute to the home-cafe setting).

After a few more songs by the band, the mic was opened up to the audience. (Unlike larger open mics, getting there a bit late doesn’t mean you won’t get a spot on the list. However, it’s growing quickly, so I wouldn’t bank on that often.) The band, after they get a feel for the piece by listening to the first few lines, will accompany the artist with impromptu/freestyle beatboxing and music.

First up was Akhil, a poet. He performed 2 long poems, one “Feeling,” and the other, “Hindsight is 20/20,” was entirely too hilarious. The poem was about appreciating a voluptuous, well, “booty.” It was a bit erotic, but the humar in it made it accessible to the audience, with him expressing, “though there was no electricity in her walls. I wanted to know if there was electricity in her ‘walls.’”

Thiloneous Coltrane, a lyricists from the area, was up next. He had on a hat, and dark shades (which seems to be his usual uniform), and a large ornament of some kind around his neck, but his aura was very calm and even lazy to a degree. Even though his stage presence appeared absent, he had ways of getting the audience involved and a smooth, loud-enough voice, so we paid attention. His first song was, “dedicated to all the laid-back revolutionaries,” and he instructed the audience to pump their fists nonchalantly forcing the audience to “feel the vibe,” in a sense. The line I remember most expresses how I believe most lovers of hip hop feel about that sort of boom-boom-tat you get from a good beat: “Forget heaven. When I die, I’d rather live inside the beat.”

Next up, and the final artist we experienced before we both had to get home to our families, was Devin (AKA Proverb), another lyricist. He performed two pieces, one of which was the first time he performed it in front of an audience, so he had actually “read” it. The first piece, “Change,” was a bit long for the piece, and I found myself chatting with Maureen toward the end of it. The read piece, “Chasing the Wind,” was introduced by summarizing the Bible book, “Ecclesiastes;” the piece was about how money can’t necessarily make you happy.

I enjoyed my time that Thursday night, and I know classmate expressed that she wanted to come back with her boyfriend (it has very much a date vibe). I hope I get back soon myself.