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| A panoramic View of the Bazaar Cafe |
Last Friday, I walked into the Bazaar Cafe for the first time not knowing exactly what to expect. My friend Dane Ohri invited me to drop by and I was fashionably late. Stumbling my way through the secret side entrance, I was unexpectedly teleported from the cold, suburban neighborhood of the Outer Richmond into what felt like a warm, knickknack ridden living room. The Bazaar cafe comprised of an assortment of folks and instruments; all of them somehow were conveniently placed in front of the two pathways to get to the bathroom and cafe counter. As the first act, Thunderegg, came to a close, I managed to mosey over to a comfortable position near the counter top and observe the stage.
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| Dane Ohri |
Let me just tell you, the stage presence of every single artist was mesmerizing. Dane came on next and he killed it. His voice was even better in person; the energy he produced on stage was great and it encouraged the crowd to join in by stomping a rhythm and clapping their hands. What Jean Marc dropped on stage I can only describe as some jazzy, RnB-folk goodness. His voice along with the complimentary sounds by a very talented cello player and drummer made me crack a big, fat smile. It was definitely a set list I couldn't help but feel was perfect.
A short intermission between the final act allowed me to cozy up with the performers...get to know them more, learn some background information about the cafe, and be the shameless publicist I am. Tommy Phan, the host of the night, was quite the character! He was nice, humble, and overall a funny guy. Through him and others I was able to get more of an understanding of the community that comprised the Bazaar Cafe. Most of the crowd that came in were participants of the Open Mic Night on Thursdays. In fact, a lot of them are also talented, aspiring musicians giving their friends support. Nothing gets my heart all warm and marshmellow-y than collaborations and a thriving art community somewhere and the Bazaar Cafe sure has both.
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| Tommy P. |
The clock hits 9, and Tommy could no longer postpone his big performance. He got up there and sang songs from his new album and the composition captivated me. I absolutely loved Tommy's chemistry with the crowd, his lighthearted jokes and music was the needed finish to an already great night. The ending improv was fantastic too, everyone joined in and the room was quickly filled with all types of sounds and voices echoing "California".
Now, I'm not the biggest fan of folk, but friday night I was completely floored. I haven't experienced many venues like the Bazaar cafe that felt so good, I had to write a big giant blog blurb about it.
You should check out the Bazaar Cafe's open mic night that happens every thursday. It's a hot spot for a lot of local talent and I definitely will be dropping by more on occasion.
Also, check out Tommy's new album on Bandcamp, Nowhere Now. Only $5 dollars!
The physical album is very cute, he makes them himself! He is quite talented and I wish him luck on his musical journey.
