Open Mic Night at TheEleven at Lark Hall, September 3

This is a brand-new monthly open mic at TheEleven at Lark Hall for musicians & other performers, including comedians & poets, from a group called Troupe Productions with the host Shannon Tehya. In many ways a throw-back to the earlier days (pre-1988) in Albany when there were many music open mics but no open mics for poets, although the lowly poets were tolerated at the music open mics. The description online for this event states, “Participants are encouraged to prepare two songs to share, with the possibility of a third depending on the volume of attendance,” had no mention of other genres. However, there were plenty of those other performers packing the bar this night. 

Shannon Tehya started the night off with her guitar singing Dolly Parson’s “Coat of Many Colors” as a tribute the very recently gone star. She was followed by another guitar strummer who just did one song that I couldn’t hear through the conversation going around me at the bar. Same thing for poet Mizzy, a rhyming piece at the ocean. She was followed by 3 different guys doing “comedy” — or as the first one, Ryan Anderson, said, “jokes or things that sound funny to me.” The other 2 following were “Ted, an Impressionist,” & Mel Bradshaw who also did “jokes or things that sound funny to me” but not so to the audience. In some ways I was grateful for the conversations around me, but I decided to move to a table away from the bar closer to the where the performers were since there were poets I wanted to hear coming up. The 3 alleged comedians left in a group soon after. Stefan Ivanov was a performer that others in the room seemed to know & part of his performance was tuning his guitar.  

John Teevan III is a writer I’ve seen a number of times at open mic venues, more for his historical prose fiction, but tonight he did a couple pieces in rhyme, one about World War II. He was followed by 2 singers with guitars, first Will B. with a song either by Pete Seeger or Woody Guthrie & a long Dave Matthews song. Then Eric-Jon with his own rhythmic songs with clever lyrics. Then, for a break, a singer with a banjo, Carissa O., who said has just learned to play it, she did up-beat songs. Anna Boughtwood is a local poet who has been making the rounds of the open mics & reading venues for a few years now & has been instrumental in reviving the zine scene; she read her poem “Hell is House Slippers.”

I’ve also seen Lo Contompasis at poetry events in the past, but tonight sang Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” her voice strong & beautiful. Brendan McDonough was busy talking with his friends & didn’t realize he was up, then sang & played the guitar for a bunch of rhythmic songs that got his friends dancing. I read a couple of my poems printed on 3x5 cards, “Cafe Society” which mentions the Dunkin’ Donuts down Lark St., & an older love poem, “Decoupage Me.”

Hunter Frost was working the sound here tonight & he & Shannon both with their guitars got some of the audience dancing again with their songs. Sean Lippin was another guitar player doing his own songs, & actually arrived with a obligatory back-pack guitar case. To break things up Nick S. banged out rhythms sitting on his beat box. Then Dark Cartoon bowed a cello & sang original songs about cartoon characters (thus his “name”). 

Kennedy brought us back to poetry with a piece titled “Having a Sin with You” a takeoff from a poem by Frank O’Hara, then a longer, self-reflective “Strawberry Moon.” Areli, apparently part of the Troupe Productions group, played the keyboards that had been sitting there quietly all night. Then a poet with a very poetic name, Phoenix River Wylye, did a couple of philosophical/spiritual poems.

Shannon Tehya ended the night where it had begun with song, this time with a group of other performers, accompanied by guitar, keyboard & beatbox. This eclectic mix of performances — spoken word, stand-up comics, & music with a variety of instruments — will continue on the 1st Thursday of each month at 6PM, at The Eleven at Lark Hall, on the corner of Lark St. & Hudson Ave., hosted by Troupe Productions — drinks at the bar.