Open Mic Featured Artist May 1st - Tom Rodgers
Frequently described as eccentric, eclectic
or sometimes just "as a little too outside of the mainstream", this
singer/songwriter brings a mix of musical history, locally originated songs and
stylistic oddity to the stage. Whether singing and self accompanying himself with
an acoustic guitar, or playing bass guitar or lead guitar with other artists,
he is well known in the local bay area music community in spite of being somewhat
of a performance "hermit" until recently. A repertoire of music and
stories about the music spanning the late 1800's to today is the core of the performance
material. Specializing in songs written by local or Texas based artists, the catalog
consists of blues, folk, ragtime, folk/rock and also a few jazz standards from
the early 1920's and 30's. Although just back from a stint in central Florida,
working with blues artists like Odell Maxwell and Jimmy Griswald, there is continued
involvement in numerous musical projects with local musicians and artists, including
Mark Zeus from Chicago (now a local transplant), Steve Caliph from Austin, and
various other recent local projects with songwriters such as Galveston's Billy
Bourbon, and great local musicians like Lyn Raggio of Shakedown.
