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BY PAN DEMETRAKAKES
imagge is iconic: Th e next Bob Dylan strums an acoustic guitar on the fl oor of a dark, funky coff eehouse, surrounded by a tiny but appreciative audience sipping espresso at littlele tables in a haze of cigarette smoke.
T
he ima gui tin
eciati udience si esp ess
cigarette smoke isn't likely anymore, and 2) a lot of other genres besides folk turn up in a coff eehouse. Live music (and other entertainment) has long been a
Well, that stereotype isn't far off the mark, except that 1) the
feature of coff eehouses. Big names like Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell got their start in them, and there's a coterie of musicians for whom they're a favorite venue. When performers and coff eehouse owners interact with the right understanding and expectations, live entertainment can be extremely benefi cial to both. Comma Coff ee in Carson City, Nevada, puts on acts that
range from old school sax players to punk bands. Owner June Joplin proudly counts Stephen Stills, of Buff alo Springfi eld and Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and John Jorgenson, named guitarist of the year by the Academy of Country Music three years in a row, among the artists who have performed there. "Th is is a coff ee shop,
people get started. Or, if they're big, this is a place where they get to come and be right with the people.
" Joplin says. "Th is is a place where "
12 | July 2012 • www.specialty-coffee.com
Th at can be a boon for even established stars, she says: "Th ey like to come here because it's like getting back to their roots and being able to see the people and see the expressions on their faces, which you can't go with an audience of 10,000."
ee eo
est nd
ys: he
audiences]," says Joann Scott, owner of Expressions Coff ee House in Fairborn, Ohio. "Th ey say that sometimes they go to restaurants or things to play, it'
Expressions and other coff eehouses, echoes that sentiment. "Generally, the crowd you have at a coff eehouse is more receptive,
[the customers], but we don't ask the musicians to adjust to the environment. Th e environment adjusts to the musicians." Brian Wallen, a blues guitarist who oſt en performs at
If you're playing at a restaurant or a bar, you're background music basically.
coff eehouses across Ohio and Indiana, as well as restaurants, bars, weddings—even banks and post offi ces. He says
Guitarist Eric Loy also plays at Expressions and other
" Wallen says. "I think it's more of a listening audience. "
appealing as a performance venue, simply because it's an intimate setting with an audience that's likely to be appreciative. "Th ey say we make them feel welcome—they really enjoy [our
Established or not, performers oſt en fi nd coff eehouses it's about the music. We don't want it so loud that it's painful to s like 'Can you cut down the sound?' For us,
