Re: Sit-Ins (sessions)/MORE

[Barry Schaede <barrys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 7 Sep 1994, Christian N Michalek wrote:
  Seems to me nobody is interested in playing acoustic blues...well
> maybe it only feels that way here.
> 
> Chris Michalek
Hmm.  This Sunday one of my bands Ice-9 is playing in the 5th annual 
Tucson acoustic blues showcase.  It's been sold out the last 2 years.  
Bernie Pearl and Harmonica Fats are the headliners and yes it's a paying 
gig.  The same club that's hosting the showcase hosts 2 other acoustic 
showcase nights a week. A paid band hosts and plays a 45 minute set and 
other performers sign up and play 20 minute sets.  Anyone and I stress 
anyone can play.  A while back we used to have a place called the Cup 
coffeehouse that was in a unitarian church near the university.  Every 
friday night people would come sign up to play.  The back room was all 
open jams. We're talking sessiopns like Gordon was talking about.  It was 
very successful.  Linda Ronstadt got her start at the cup.  The church 
finally found another more churchly use for the room and booted the 
folkies out. Ever since then ther's been an unfilled ecological niche in 
the Tucson music scene.  Yes there were plenty of professionals 
al;ongside skilled and not so skilled amateurs. There was no PA only 
quiet attentive patrons.  The back room was the most fun I've ever had 
playing music in ,my life and I miss it dearly.  FJM