For eight years, Open Mic Night has taken place at Groovacious, a Cedar City record store; one week ago, Open Mic Night was moved to The Grind Coffee House. The new ownership at the coffee shop has already shown a great willingness to support music in Cedar City, which is a breath of fresh air.
Open Mic Night takes place at The Grind Coffee House and starts at 8 p.m.. Those interested in performing should arrive at 7:30 p.m. such that scheduling can take place effectively with the newly revised night. Entry is free, but visitors are encouraged to purchase product from the coffee house –I opt for the coffee. Go figure.
The Moroccan Mint green tea is nice, too — both iced and hot. Using a good blend is essential, and I’ve never really been served a bad cup at The Grind, though do be sure to ask for another cup to place your tea bag in, or just be sure to throw it away. Leaving the leaves steeping in the water for too long can leave you with a bitter taste.
Photos from Open Mic Night for yesterday, Sept. 10, after the jump.
“Flip,” a magician from Maryland, proves that Open Mic Night isn’t just for musicians with a smattering of card tricks and illusions.
Ryan Kay, who assists the ubiquitous Dennis with sound and lighting at The Grind, performs some acoustic tunes.
A group of friends — Matt, Tristan, Josh, Austen, Kaitlin — performed, sharing their 20 minute time to perform a variety of pieces; the ensembles ranged from one (though that hardly counts as an ensemble) to four or possibly five.
Steve Swift, local musician extraordinaire and devoted Open Mic Night attendee, also performed, with songs ranging from covers of They Might Be Giants (“Narrow Your Eyes”) and Sigur Ros (“Gobbledigook”) to well-crafted originals (“Burnt Bridges” and “Loose Lips”,) showing again his well-known versatility.
And, of course, the night was hosted by Tim Cretsinger, owner of Groovacious.
