STEVE2.NET

Went last Thursday to Arabica Westside (Rocky River) for the Coffee and Comfort Series to hear some music, and I had hoped to see a good sized crowd. What I found instead was only a handful of listeners sipping drinks and kicking back in the comfy couches and chairs. I bought a mug full of tea and read the Scene mag. and when Patty came in I tried to ask her about resurrecting the Wednesday Open Mic night - Patty indicated disinterest or at least she wasn't willing to discuss it with me in any detail saying only that she was 'working on some ideas' with Jim. However, I couldn't help notice that she WAS willing to spend several ten's of minutes chatting with Mr. Joe Rohan, one of the regular Thursday Night performers.

This night Joe was not performing and had instead come to hear his friend Annie Boxell, singer songwriter and piano player - she was in from 'out of town' (I think she said Charleston SC) - maybe that had something to do with the micro sized crowd.

After a night like that one I have to ask myself why the new owners of Rocky River Arabica continue to pay for top-tier talent when the crowds don't seem to be turning out in great enough numbers to support them - Annie Boxell was a perfect example of an up and comming 'out of towner' with a great voice who looked and sounded terrific but who obviously has little or no following in CLE. Maybe the new owners need bigger ads in The Scene or the Free Times?? Course, big ads cost big bucks - or maybe the owners ought to reconsider both the direction of the music program and the size of the budget - unless of course they plan on putting themselves out of business by hemorrhaging money into an upstart music schedule that appears to be producing little crowd response.

A smaller budget could be put to greater effect by bringing in more talent from the next tier down in the talent pyramid (so to speak), there are just so many talented amateur or semi professional local artists who want and need a greater degree of exposure, and many of them willing to work for less than half what a Joe Rohan or an Annie DeChant want for an evening of entertainment. In fact, the Open Mic concept is one inexpensive method to consistently and inexpensively draw attention to the fact that the cafe HAS regular music at all! I seem to remember seeing locals Tim Fry, Unsub, Xela, Mary Clare and Jim Snively at the open mic night and where are those cats now?

At this time, it does not seem that the Rocky River Arabica has developed a suitable reputation as a music venue. Paying for top tier talent to play there once a week is not going to build that reputation any faster than playing host to a variety of less expensive local musical acts.

C'mon' Jim and Patty get it together already - how many more money-losing Big-Top Thursday nights do you two need to schedule before you get with the program!!

Bring back the mid week Open Mic night and start booking some amateur and semi-professional local talent into the cafe for Saturday nights!!