The Phoenix and the Catweazle

Last night I had my first true bohemian NYC experience. The Catweazle Club holds bi-weekly evenings of open mic for local folk music, art, poetry, and more at a Lower East Village gallery, A Gathering of the Tribes. The Catweazle Club was founded in Oxford, England about 15 years ago and features local talent and a friendly audience. It has been aired on the BBC for years as well and has even started up in London. This year marks the club's NYC debut and last night was the 4th ever Catweazle NYC event.

Phoenix and Cloud were there to enjoy the magic, music, and cheap beer. Performers get in for free so I dusted off my un-calloused guitar fingers and pulled out the only song I still have memorized from my former coffeehouse days. I was a little intimidated by the talent, but decided to toss my hat in the ring anyway. Who knows, maybe this will finally get me to play the guitar again...

The hosts were generous and kind. The gallery curator made a compelling speech for the importance of local art in the community and the music spoke for itself, really. In fact, listening to that kind of music while sitting on the floor in an art gallery in the Lower East Village of NYC, really makes you think that you can change the world with music. Not one of the performers lacked heart, soul, or talent. There is something to be said for a group that truly fosters local folk talent and community in a giant metropolis like New York.

There were many talented acts from Dave Matthews Band types to Bob Dylan types to that girl who wrote the songs for Juno-types, brother and sister duos, twelve string guitar fingerpicking to die for, and some of the best folk artists in the world sitting together and enjoying music and each other. Below is just a taste of what the evening was like.

This is me playing at the open mic portion of the show. I borrowed the guitar and haven't played in public for about three years!! But performers get in for free...w00t!

This is Chris (one of the hosts) and some other girl named Anna. They were really good. Chris lives in Cloud's former house.

The second of the ukelelers. I liked her more than the first. She played and sang with Cal (the other host) in a song that I am not quite sure of the words...Sealion??

These guys were the headliners of the evening--and rightfully so. They were AWESOME!!