Harking back to my post of yesterday about the songwriting scene around NYC, last night I attended the lovely and still relatively new Christopher Street Coffee House, a monthly songwriter’s gathering which includes an open mike and featured performances by top local and touring songwriters.
It takes place at the beautiful Saint John’s Lutheran Church at 81 Christopher Street in Manhattan, and is hosted by my good friend and fabulously talented singer-songwriter Meg Braun. She is friends with the Reverend Lyndon Harris who helms the Thursday night monthly series and has been super-supportive of this venture!
This evening featured Penny Nichols, the founder of Summersongs, which if you read this blog regularly you’ll discover is a terrific songwriting retreat/camp held twice each year both in the Catskill Mountains and near Santa Barbara, California. Penny’s songs are always so beautifully written and her voice is like “buttah,” as they say — her set included several from a new album she released last year inspired by a recent struggle with breast cancer.
The evening also featured one of my favorite guy performers from Summersongs, Glen Roethel, who hails from Long Island and is one-third of a folk trio called Gathering Time; The awesome Mark Dann also chimed in on bass and John Redgate on piano/mandolin.
I played a tune at the opening open mike…and I can definitely say this is a new and wonderful community for songwriters. So if you’re in NYC, come on down to the next one…September 10 at the Christopher Street Coffee House.
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I am kicking myself that I had to be stuck out of town. Pen and Glen and Mark and John – had to have been a blast. Thanks, Sharon, for this great report. I'm gonna be home and tuned up for the Sept. 10 coffeehouse you betcha.
T Bo
Looking forward to joining you folks next month – it sounds like a great open mike..
Thanks, Sharon! Note to all songwriters: Christopher Street Coffeehouse is beautiful, sounds great, has a fantastic and juicy gigatic open-mic, and is run by two of the nicest hosts around: Meg Braun and Rev. Lyndon. DEFINITELY be a part of this new movement. Oh, and it sounds GREAT there! Have fun