In the past 25 years, music genres have changed and cassettes have given way to digital music. For music lovers in Athens, however, the one constant has always been Bruce Dalzell and his weekly open stages.
An Athens native, Dalzell has been one of the driving forces behind live music in the area since he began organizing open stages at local bars in 1983, while working as a piano tuner.
In 1990, Dalzell was offered the chance to hold his open stage at the Former Baker Center Front Room after the Ohio University administrators banned alcohol from the location.
The old Front Room was a hellacious bar with a lot of live music
he said, but they decided to change their format and that's how I got the job.
Since then, Dalzell has created an atmosphere different from the typical open-mic night.
You go to an open stage at a bar and obviously its there as cheap entertainment and the audience is rarely interested he said. Here we try to create a supportive environment for people who are just trying to figure it out.
Initially, Dalzell had trouble getting people interested in playing on stage and in public, something he attributes to the college atmosphere. However, Dalzell has persuaded and mentored many musicians at OU, including senior Mike Petruccelli, who performs acoustic music as Arthur Killroad.
Bruce is a great open-mic host because he listens to everyone and he isn't biased. He always has a way of helping people gain their confidence
said Petruccelli, who called Open Stage his studying grounds.
Almost 25 years later, Dalzell is still going strong. In addition to the Friday night Open Stage in the Front Room, he also hosts a Tuesday night Singer/Songwriter Circle and a more relaxed open stage on Wednesday nights. All of his years in the business have made an impression on more than just musicians.
Athens has a big tradition of great live music
and Bruce is the staple of the scene
said Chad Barnhardt, assistant director for programming at Baker University Center.
When the University was switching to the new center, Dalzell and his open-mic night were considered in the planning process, Barnhardt said.
It was an easy decision to make to keep the open stage and make sure Bruce was comfortable in the new space
he said. Bruce is Athens
from his laid-back personality to how genuine he is with the students and community.
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