The Six Mile Underground open mic is off the ground and running. Well, obviously it’s little paws are still on the ground. They appear to actually have traction, too. The last week was the first week and I had about 14 people on the list, a packed house and a bunch of extremely talented friends come out and support. This week was the second week – and the first week with a featured artist, and I had MORE people on the list
(though a slightly LESS packed house), a supportive crowd that tipped the feature pretty generously and laughed in most of the right places and clapped in some of the other places… in general I’m pretty impressed at what’s beginning to take shape. It’s too early to get TOO chipper, but I AM getting pretty excited.
As I type we’re passing shoulder-bound trucks and 18-wheelers in low gear as we fight our way into the low mountains of Western Maryland. The hills of West Virginia are beckoning and we’re playing a well-known folk venue tonight called the Purple Fiddle. There are 25 people within an hour-and-a-half on our mailing list and usually 1 out of 10 people on the mailing list comes to a show. Setting aside the awkwardness of having a.5 person walk in the door, I hope the 2 surviving humans aren’t the sum total of our audience.
It’s hard to worry TOO much though. The weather’s beautiful, spring having sprung pretty ferociously, spreading warmth and pollen all over I-68, if not actually any green just yet. The trees here are still twigs scratching at the sunlit sky, but the grass and flowers are clearly in full lascivious swing. I’ve definitely got the itch to be on the road, but part of me is regretting leaving the hammock back home in Baltimore.
As I wrote before, it’s strange not to be doing Java Mammas. It’ll be a totally different animal under Heather’s rein. She probably won’t make as many geek references. The audience at Six Mile doesn’t seem to quite GET me yet, and though one poet (Jacob) came right with me as I babbled about the gas mileage of Imperial Walkers and the comfort of tauntauns and even seemed to like my Wampa t-shirt (I was definitely having a one-track mind kind of night), the rest of the audience nodded and smiled (when they were feeling kind) and stared blankly (when they weren’t).
Brian “The Science Guy” Eney and Ashraf “mOsno” Dawod at the Spring Formal birthday party for Brennan Kuhns – it turned out Brian was INTENTIONALLY closing his eyes for these pics. Petal Blight performing at Metro Gallery in Baltimore, MD. The birthday boy! Mel of Petal Blight singing her little heart out at Metro Gallery.
Still, the music was great and the audience was appreciative. The two poets I was gifted with were both gifted as well – and appreciated. I’ve got to do a better job encouraging people to leave me contact information – Jacob especially was a fantastic performer. He’s in a dangerous place, easily clichéd. A black man talking about the plight of black culture with his Malcolm X t-shirt and his two black friends… he expressed his anger and social views positively and eloquently – and (a rarity) without even slightly veering into the non-family-friendly language so typical of the genre. In defiance of the projected image HE was who got all the Star Wars jokes and it is exactly this kind of guy that I want to encourage to come back….
If only I had his phone number, email, last name… anything!
Our cellist, Kristen Jones, performing on steel pans with 50 Man Machine in Arlington, VA. The night they also had Trevor Sprecht (Chopteeth) on saxophone and flute!
And I don’t just want him back because he knows what an AT-AT is – he’s the DIFFERENT element in this white-guy-with-a-guitar dominated field that I need so badly. In my vague social-mindedness it’s THIS kind of mixing of cultures and aesthetics that needs to happen at open mics because it’s so easy to NOT let it happen anywhere else. It was one of the most important part of Java Mammas. On the edge of one of the New York Times-recognized hotbeds of racism we had Muslims at a Christian coffeehouse and poets and musicians and performers from all walks, all ages, all races…. I want that at Six Mile too. Charm City should Live up to its damn nickname even if it’s gotta happen 6 miles out.
I felt stupid. I asked Jacob how he’d heard of the open mic expecting to hear word of mouth, a poster, openmikes.org, the Catonsville community websites… you know, the same old same old answers. “I ride the 33 past here and saw the sign”. “What?” It took me a second to recognize he was giving me a bus number – I don’t know ANYONE who rides the bus – one more reminder of how we’re divided.
Well, I can’t do anything but just HOPE that he follows up on his promise to come back next week. Help me keep my fingers crossed.
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Acacia Sears being absolutely stunning at the Six Mile Underground (Currently Above Ground) Open Mic. Cacie? If you read the Journal? THAT IS MY FAVOURITE DRESS! The top’s nice too – but the dress is AWESOME! I’m sure I’ll be scolded as this is probably a SKIRT, not a dress.
