Artists sign up on a board to perform during Open Mic night at High Steaks in Ambler. (Credit: Kathy Disque)
Butcher, baker, candlestick-maker: If these three characters met up at Open Mic Night, their vocations would be far less important than their talent or passion for music.
On any given Wednesday evening at High Steaks in Ambler, there is a community as Open Mic and the eatery’s atmosphere becomes charged with anticipation and notions of sharps, flats, G-clefs and melodies.
Upon arrival, performers sign up for a time slot on the master board. Artists may present three pieces each, beginning at 7 p.m. There are essentially no other rules, which allows for musical freedom.
What is initially obvious is the diversity in the room. Attendees vary in ages, genders or cultures, all of which are freely embraced. What becomes crystal clear is that above all else is shared musical appreciation and the desire to connect.
Open Mic offers give-and-take relationships that benefit everybody equally. It is a dynamic communal currency.
Some musicians walk onto the stage for the very first time, ever. Others are regulars, and still others are professionals, often performing at well-known venues, local or otherwise. This informal gathering is ideal for practicing their disciplines.
Instruments include guitars, saxophones, violins and even cellos. The eatery retains a set of drums, a keyboard and sound system. If not playing a horn or wind implement, vocal accompaniments may be added, and original musical scores are not uncommon.
There are also instances when sing-a-longs occur, especially if an arrangement lends itself to an unrehearsed chorus of voices. These moments often spur an audience member, or two, to break into dance. Also acceptable.
Yes, there is a lot happening, often simultaneously. The ambiance might be assumed to be frenzied, yet it is indisputably organized — fine-tuned, if you will. Microphone placement, sound checks, seating arrangements and instrument storage are ongoing. These tasks are completed efficiently to maximize the performers’ schedules.
The restaurant’s owner, who also performs and is part of a professional band, keeps a watchful eye on time management, willingly assisted by other musical enthusiasts — patrons, participants, and staff.
Of course, attendees are ordering food and beverages, and chatting or laughing together while simultaneously enjoying the musical program. When each piece is completed, conversation abruptly ceases and after a momentary stillness, energetic applause erupts. Maybe even cat-calls. It’s deliberate and hearty praise.
Make no mistake about it, High Steaks’ Open Mic Nights are patently about the music and all that domain entails. If opportunities present themselves, interactions occur among musicians and audience members. Off-the-cuff dialogue about the artists’ curricula vitae or subjects unrelated to their music may ensue. It is, however, more likely that artists are queried about their instruments, musical genre, and what it takes to become proficient.
During these exchanges, what might be learned is that occupations run the gamut from engineers or entrepreneurs to university or high school students plus long-time retirees. Maybe even a butcher, baker or candlestick-maker.
Above all else, qualities that guarantee success at Open Mic are fellowship, camaraderie, and collective appreciation. Truth be told, it is the music that melds everybody together and leads to a much larger certainty. By evening’s end, what remains is nearly otherworldly. A binding commonality, a wide-sweeping thread lingers. Yes, that thread is the shared musical experience. It’s an inexplicable phenomenon but acknowledged as an exceptionally simple and glorious happenstance.
Everybody is enriched when connected by the musical threads. These cords fit snugly around and through them, not just for the immediate after-hours, but for many more hours or even days to come.
Music fills otherwise hollow crevices. It can tenderly shatter what is not positive nor constructive, seen or unseen. Music has the potency and long-reaching power to join willing souls, everywhere. All they need is to be present and listen.
High Steaks, Ambler – “Great Food and Killer Grooves”
BYOB
Join us on Wednesdays @ 7 for Open Mic Night”
242 E Butler Ave, Ambler, PA 19002-4451
267-470-4368 www.highsteaksambler.com
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between Wissahickon Now and the Ambler Gazette. To read more stories like this, visit the Ambler Gazette.
