July 20, 1999 Phoenix Coffeehouse, Cleveland Ohio
All images (c)1999 by Christopher Russell
Hello Cleveland! I was on the banks of the sunny Cayahoga for a couple of days for a plant tour. I brought the Nikon and the macro lens, which is fine for picturing buildings and machinery, but lousy for close-ups. I did the best I could when leisure time found me at the Phoenix Coffeehouse open mic. Run by veteran Cleveland musician Charley Brown, this venue featured a number of serious, well-equipped musicians-- Martins, Taylors, Gibsons-- virtually no plywood. Charley, our host, sported a well-played Martin that he graciously let me play later in the evening.

Ray McWilliams warmed up the crowd with a floor-shakin' baritone. He used a mic, although he could have easily gotten away without one. He seemed rather excited about having a camera available to capture the moment; I hope he's not terribly disappointed with the results.

I had never seen karaoke hardware incorporated into a 'mic before, so I was more curious than anything to witness the set-up of Five Deep. This quintet (minus one?) did indeed sing with digital back-up and a monitor to follow lyrics. And sing they did, delivering classic R&B just like mama used to make.

An accomplished musician who obviously relishes the chance to play before an audience of any size is local Cleveland favorite Mike Farley. With or without band, Mike plays all over the place, opening for some big-name acts, too. His original work winks at the Gin Blossoms, Springsteen, Counting Crows, and perhaps a bit of Seattle-style gnosh for the kids. Buy Mike Farley's CD from Amazon.com (I have one), and be glad you did.

Mike Farley has a webpage.

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