On the Scene: Dunn Brothers on Grand Open Mic (10/13/2013)

The original Dunn Brother's, at 1569 Grand Ave

Welcome back, readers! Today is the first installment of a series I'll be doing for the blog, titled "On the Scene", where I review and talk about bands, shows, artists, and open mics I've been lucky (or unlucky) enough to see. For today's inaugural On the Scene post, I went down to the Dunn Brothers on Grand open mic, held every second and fourth Sunday of the month. It was a tough choice to make- the Twin Cities has a huge range of open mics, and Sunday is a popular date. Of the ones I know of today, there was Columbia Grounds at 10:30, Kieran's at noon, the workshop at Keegan's at four and their Irish Sesiun at 6, Coffee Shop NE at 7, and Dunn Brother's on Grand at 7:30. I was tempted by all of them, but my sister and new brother-in-law had been asking when I would play at Dunn Brother's since before I moved down, so I called them up and asked them to meet me there.

I have to say, I think I made the right choice. The open mic night at DBoG, hosted by Gary Lumpkin, seems to be one of the better-organized and higher-quality ones in the city. The joint was buzzing when I got in and only got more packed as the show approached- the audience filing through the door punctuated here and there by a guitar case marking a musician. By the time the show began, there were barely enough seats- and in typical Minnesotan style, a good many people standing, too polite to take the last chair.

Some of the open mics I've been to down here have been sloppy and poorly organized, but not this one. The sign-up sheet filled out and expanded fast, and a three-song limit per performer was evenly enforced. Amps and mics were provided with excellent sound mixing and, with the exception of a handful of particularly breathy singers, the volume level was ideal throughout the night. Most importantly, the performers themselves were consistently of a high quality. One or two may have been a bit flat or sloppy, but there was nobody that had to be genuinely suffered through, as is sometimes the case at open mics. There was a decent variety, ranging from spoken word to Bosnian folk songs, though most acts stuck to acoustic contemporary and American singer-songwriters. A folk purist in the crowd tonight would have risked some disappointment at the lack of more traditional music, but variety is the spice of life and folkies can't dominate every open mic.

An artist looking to perform to the largest audience possible tonight would have been well-served to come early and sign up for one of the first time slots. I went fifth, and the audience had begun to thin out by the time I played. By the ninth or tenth artist, hardly a dozen people remained. Those who stayed, however, were well served. You never know when you'll find a gem in an open mic night- and tonight, one of the last performers stole the show.

I first noticed this teenage guitar-slinger when he came in, carrying a case plastered in political stickers- a clear and open Democrat. Before I knew anything else about him, I looked forward to his set, expecting a set full  of protest songs. When his turn came around, he didn't play anything political- but I wasn't the least bit disappointed. Instead, I got something much better than I'd hoped for.

He introduced himself as Nate D'Angelo, from Martha's Vinyard, Massachussetts. From his first song, 'My Autobiography', I could tell he was a caliber above the typical open mic crowd. He held himself with a confidence that belied his youth, and laid out solid, highly proficient guitar with a clear, strong, and emotive voice. His vocal control was great- however he warbled, I don't think he fell flat once during the night. What really impressed me, though, was his songwriting. He played three originals, and each one was record-worthy material. He had the sort of creativity that crafts turns of phrases at once both original and intuitively familiar. He wove those together to create the kind of narratives that take a personal, individual story and seemlessly reflect through it on larger feelings and ideas, without having to shoe-horn anything in. It was truly a pleasure to hear him.

About halfway through the second song, I turned to my sister, and said, "He's only 15, and playing like this? He's going to be a professional for sure". Little did I know, he already is! I was able to get a business card from the bulletin board, and find his album on his bandcamp site. I've listened to it, and prefer him live, but the album's nothing to pass up.

I wish I could say more on the night and the last performers, but we headed out shortly after Nate got done with his set. One thing's for certain, though- if they were anything like the other performers, they were probably worth staying for, and if the Dunn Brother's open mic night is this good every time, I'm going to make it a regular commitment.