Posts Tagged Thursday

Review of the Bus Stop Music Cafe on Thursdays in Pitman, NJ

4017201031 056fdcd7dd Review of the Bus Stop Music Cafe on Thursdays in Pitman, NJ

Performing at Bus Stop Music Cafe in Pitman NJ

(Editor’s note: I’ve covered the Bus Stop Music Cafe before, but my pictures are nowhere near as awesome. Plus, Josh is a journalism student with a little more flair when it comes to description.)

The Bus Stop Music Café is a charming little coffee house nestled in downtown Pitman. Every Tuesday night from 7pm to 11pm, the lights dim, and are replaced by the warmth of lava lamps and twinkling strands of Christmas tree bulbs. Vic Martinson, owner and operator, sets out a few microphones, an amplifier and a blank clipboard. Over the next few hours, local musicians from all around will come to entertain customers at the weekly open mic, pausing only to enjoy some of the delicious drinks offered at the coffee bar. For a few brief hours the Café seems to exist as a cozy bastion, set apart from the rigors of everyday life, the inviting orange glow from inside drawing in weary travelers for a hot cup and some good tunes.

The Café opened in late 2005, and after four years it has a strong group of regulars. The atmosphere is comfortable, like a hole-in-the-wall bar without the cigarette smoke and the drunks. Seating is plentiful, and the café is filled with musical instruments of all kinds. Records and posters displaying imagery from every genre of music adorn the walls. This is mimicked in the variety of performers, who play everything from classic rock to emo, and 20’s blues to indie/soul.

4017963138 ac3e9213df Review of the Bus Stop Music Cafe on Thursdays in Pitman, NJ

The back end of Bus Stop

Bus Stop welcomes newcomers warmly, with a hearty round of applause and a quiet attentiveness despite the fact that the Café is packed. Listeners are respectful of the artists, keeping conversation to a whisper during performances, and offering nothing but encouragement at the end of each song.

The coffee bar is joined by a full kitchen and a selection of gourmet ice creams, including seasonal flavors like pumpkin. A large compliment of organic products and Izze beverages are available as well, all at a very reasonable price. The back of the Café sports a small music shop, with guitar strings, tuners and other necessary supplies for the artist-in-need along with a fairly sizable selection of incense.

4017200999 7edff400fe Review of the Bus Stop Music Cafe on Thursdays in Pitman, NJ

They've got an impressive music selection and interesting coffees.

The main focus of the shop is the large music store set into the back corner. Bus stop has a veritable library of CDs, cassette tapes, and even old-school vinyl records for sale. They even have a special section dedicated to local artists.

Anyone is welcome at the open mic, regardless of skill level, provided there’s nothing too profane in the music. Bus Stop is a family venue, so swearing and “adult” language are discouraged. While alcohol is not served on the premises, there is a B.Y.O.B. policy in effect.

4017201041 e44e85e682 Review of the Bus Stop Music Cafe on Thursdays in Pitman, NJ

Yum!

Bus Stop doesn’t have its own website, so for any more info about the open mic, or anything else concerning the café call them at 856-582-0009 or come in and ask. Questions are always welcome.

Thank you Josh!

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Review: Sherlock’s Books & Cafe Thursday night open mic

3571131154 4237ee093f Review: Sherlocks Books & Cafe Thursday night open mic

Sherlock's Books and Cafe

This is Alternative Soul’s infant cousin, the only living relative of the open mic family from Pratt’s Hill of Beans.

Sherlock’s Book and Cafe is the home to a lot of arts and music in the Smithville/Galloway area. It’s also the home of Unrestricted“, Ray Tyler’s adult open mic. Some of you may be wondering, “What happened to ‘Alternative soul’ at Pratt’s Hill of Beans?“. It’s here at Sherlock’s Books and Cafe in Smithville/Galloway.

Ray Tyler hosts this event, which starts at 8 and goes until 10pm. It’s a solid mix between singers and poets, and has some of the feel that “Alternative Soul” had at Pratt’s. There were gift card giveaways to newcomers and the talent was really good. Ray always starts off the night with some discussions and jokes, and some original poetry of his own.

The crowd varies in age but from what I saw, it was anywhere from late teens to late 30s, and everyone had about 10 minutes to perform. It was a good night, and a great job on Ray’s part by keeping Alternative Soul alive.

Details:

  • Sherlock’s Books & Cafe with host Ray Tyler
  • Thursday Nights starting at 8pm and continuing until 10pm
  • 45 South New York Road (Route 9) Galloway, NJ, 08205

You can also download a print-friendly list of our open mics by going to our “List of Open Mics” page!

Feel free to check out pictures of the new construction: New Addition at Sherlock’s Books and Cafe

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Alternative Soul at on July 2nd, 2009 in EHT, NJ (pics and video!)

shop31 300x136 Alternative Soul at on July 2nd, 2009 in EHT, NJ (pics and video!)

Pratt's Hill of Beans in EHT, NJ

Here are pictures and video from Alternative Soul at Pratt’s Hill of Beans on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009. If you need a refresher course on what “Alternative Soul” is all about, you can check the JerseyMic.com review:

Alternative Soul at Pratt’s Hill of Beans in Egg Harbor Township

Last night, Alex Siniari was the guest host for Alternative Soul:

3683871320 9c26da1cb9 Alternative Soul at on July 2nd, 2009 in EHT, NJ (pics and video!)

Alex Siniari was the guest host

(Usually the host is Ray Tyler)

 Alternative Soul at on July 2nd, 2009 in EHT, NJ (pics and video!)

Ray Tyler is normally the host

Last night had a lot more poetry than it normally does. It was a great mix up and definitely enjoyable. It makes the sets more interesting by constantly changing your expectations. The order of the night went like this:

  1. Ray Tyler – original poems
  2. Sammy Stiles – original music
  3. Darren Palmer – original poems, including “What For, Darfur?”
  4. Barry Aishton - instrumental guitar
  5. Lolita - original poems
  6. Stan Schwertly – cover music
  7. Alex Siniari asked about “weekly gripes” and “things to be thankful for” in the same question!
  8. Ondrea Siniari - original poems
  9. Jeff Sharky – comedy
  10. Rebecca Numchick – cover songs by Melody Gardot
  11. Saii Nixon – original poems
  12. Alex Siniari – original songs
  13. Doug “Dirty Hands” – original rap. “Jesus”, “Oh No”, and “Yeah yeah”. VIDEO BELOW!
  14. Sarah Bucknam – “You are my sunshine

Without further ado, the Flickr photostream:

And finally, a video of “Dirty Hands” rapping a new original, (assumingly) titled “Jesus”

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Alternative Soul (pictures and video) from June 25th, 2009

shop31 300x136 Alternative Soul (pictures and video) from June 25th, 2009

Pratt's Hill of Beans in EHT, NJ

Here are pictures from Alternative Soul on June 25th, 2009. (“Alternative Soul” is the name of the open mic hosted by Ray Tyler at Pratt’s Hill of Beans on Thursdays.) Click below to read the JerseyMic review:

Alternative Soul at Pratt’s Hill of Beans in Egg Harbor Township

The night started off with Mico Lucide’s birthday!

3672277304 70657d0873 Alternative Soul (pictures and video) from June 25th, 2009

Mico Ludide

Plenty of people showed up before the open mic to celebrate. There was a cake too!

3671470661 22fecdc0ee Alternative Soul (pictures and video) from June 25th, 2009

Happy Birthday Mico

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Pictures from the “Wide Open Mic” at the Barrington Coffee House on June 4th, 2009

3610279261 131b3599c8 Pictures from the Wide Open Mic at the Barrington Coffee House on June 4th, 2009

Front of the Barrington Coffee House

Hey guys, I just posted the review of the Barrington Coffee House “Wide Open Mic”, so here are the accompanying pictures. There was a long set list, and a lot of performers! You can check out pictures of open mics in NJ by clicking on our Flickr page, or you can just look below to view the slideshow of pictures from the Barrington Coffee House “Wide Open Mic” from June 4th, 2009:

It was a great show, with tons of talented performers. Signups started at 7:30 like the website said, and by 7:45 the list was full. Everyone was amazingly talented and everyone had a great time. It’s no wonder the won the best open mic in NJ award by NJMonthly.

As a reminder, anyone who would like to look through the individual pictures from the Barrington Coffee House’s “Wide Open Mic” night from June 4th, 2009, can click the link below (to access the Flickr photo set):

Barrington Coffee House’s “Wide Open Mic” night from June 4th, 2009

Comment if you went, talk about the event if you’ve been there or in Barrington!

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The Barrington Coffee House “Wide Open Mic” in Barrington, NJ on Thursdays

3610279261 131b3599c8 The Barrington Coffee House Wide Open Mic in Barrington, NJ on Thursdays

The Barrington Coffee House Open Mic Night

On Thursdays in Barrington, NJ, you can visit the Barrington Coffee House for their “Wide Open Mic”. The night begins at 8pm, but signups start at 7:30. The place is packed, so make sure to get there and sign up EARLY. The Barrington Coffee House is on 131 Clements Bridge Rd, Barrington, NJ 08007.

You might be asking yourself, “So why should I go out to Barrington for this event?”. Let me answer by saying that it was voted the best open mic in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly. But don’t let me explain it, take it from NJ Monthly itself:

“If you want to perform at the Barrington Coffee House open mic, make sure you sign in right at 7:30 on Thursday night. The event, which runs from 8 to 10 pm, is always full. The cafe is small, so you’ll want to grab a seat early. But don’t let the size fool you; the Barrington Coffee House attracts quality local performers—and national acts on Friday and Saturday nights.”

Best of NJ NJMonthly.com

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