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Open Mic : Coffee Junction
If you find yourself wandering through the valley on a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do, you should stop by Coffee Junction in Tarzana for their comedy/music open mic. It is hosted by Soul Dog front woman, Sharon (who is also one of the owners) and is a great place to tell jokes or share some songs. This Sunday's open mic was so packed; it started earlier than usual to make sure everyone who signed up had a chance to participate.
At the top of the list were 15 comedians who were very funny. Their repertoire was loaded with tasteless sex humor that made parents cover their kids' ears, but that's to be expected I suppose. With the room warmed up, the musicians began taking the stage and coincidentally, many of them were new to Los Angeles from the east coast.
The crowd was relaxed and mellow listening to the first couple of soft ballads and then Seth Horan walked up with his electric bass. Originally from Buffalo, NY and a graduate of the University of Miami, this guy is an instant attention getter! It is like watching Victor Wooten, the bassist for Bela Fleck in the Flecktones jam out and sing at the same time! His rhythmic, funky two-handed tapping style is technically amazing and his song got the whole place grooving along and moving their heads. Seth will be playing Coffee Junction on May 11th for all of you who want to see a good rock singer/songwriter with mind altering bass talent.
Seth played another song after his original number, this time backing up his friend from Connecticut, Larry Marciano. This tall, lanky singer/guitarist showed that Jazz and Latin music are apparent influences in his style. He opened with an intriguing Spanish flavored riff that led into a well-written jazzy/rock song. Larry has been a sideman for other musicians for years and has recently decided to give that up to focus on his own music and songwriting. With his talent, who could blame him? He will be playing a show at The Joint on March 30th starting at 9pm and you should really check him and his band out!
You never know who or what you may find at open mics, but I can tell you that there are many undiscovered and talented musicians who play them. They are a little underground community, a place to be heard and respected away from the hustle and bustle of the club scene. If you are in Tarzana on a Sunday afternoon, stop by Coffee Junction to enjoy your afternoon.
Article by: Elizabeth Hawley
Submitted: March 12th, 2001
Email: elizabeth@thelmusicscene.com
Photo's by:TLAMS and Valarie Pawlowski
Artists website: http:/www.sethsbase.com
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