Since the days of Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, open-mic nights and coffee shops have been around to satisfy the fancy of any small musician who aspired to be a rock star. The hidden talents seen at the open-mics in Athens' own java huts are the epitome of good music.
While they are great entertainment for an audience, taking the stage at an open-mic is also a great experience for musicians with a real passion for their craft, independent performers said.
Ben Berger, a freshman from Cincinnati, recognized the quiet chats of coffee shop-goers as one perk.
If [the music] was good
and a small amount of people liked it they'd tell their friends and their friends would come
Berger said.
Berger's first solo gig was at one of the Thursday night open-mics at The Donkey Coffee & Espresso, 17 W. Washington St. He had played in bands before coming to OU, but likes the open-mics because you're more free to improvise.
The popularity of coffee shop performances is apparently increasing. According to Berger, the Donkey's sign-up sheets for open-mic nights fill up immediately.
Audiences also crowd in for shows, said Michael Winterhalter, a Donkey employee.
It's a great way to see the wide variety of talent in Athens
he said.
Although Berger does not have an album for sale, his songs can be heard at www.purevolume.com and www.myspace.com. Berger plays his music more for enjoyment than getting a big break. He began playing the guitar because it was always there whenever (he) didn't have anything to do as a child. At his Donkey debut, Berger performed a cover of Tiny Dancer by Elton John, whom he acknowledges as one of his major piano influences. In the guitar realm, he finds inspiration from Clapton and Neil Young, among others.
Victor Rasgaitis wants to make it big, and has proven he has talent as well. Audiences have heard his strong voice - a mix of Paul Simon and John Lennon - and his polished guitar skills at The Odeon in Cleveland and at other large events, but he continues to play at coffee shops.
Coffee shops are an incredible venue because a lot of times you get good attention from the crowd ... it's really intimate.
Rasgaitis also said coffee shops are a great way to get out there.
Since arriving at OU, the freshman journalism major has played at Baker University Center's Front Room, as well as at the Donkey.
John Wetzel has been playing blues for 10 years and is active in the Athens open-mic scene.
He said he encourages more people to come to coffee shops because it supports people who are trying to learn
and from those people
eventually
our new artists emerge ... and if people don't support that
there's no venue for them to get this practice.
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