Marshall
Nico
Mark and Chicago Red
Dan Castle
Dan Castle and Alison
A Night in a L.A. Rock & Roll
Mecca
Tucked next to the landmark
Canter’s Deli in Fairfax Avenue, was a tiny, dark and nondescript bar. It’s not
that great if you consider the atmosphere or the drink selection or the layout
of the bar. Right beside the bar was what looked like a raised surface that
stood for the stage, a couple of speakers and a couple of hard lights to
illuminate it and maybe six tables for patrons—that’s it. But some serious
musicians had passed through this hidden gem called the “Kibitz Room”. The
Doors, The Wallflowers, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers had come and hang
out here and maybe played a song or two. On Sundays local musicians would
religiously come here to play on open mic. My friend, Independent Film
Director, songwriter and musician, Dan Castle said: “This is one place where
you don’t have to be what you don’t wanna be”.
I must be the dumbest person to
converse with about Rock & Roll, I wouldn’t know the band, the name of a
song, the lead singer, what year which member left, but I know beautiful Music
when I hear it. All musicians who performed on open mic wrote their own songs
and boy do they have talent. Blues, Country, Folk, Bluegrass—they played it
unrehearsed, unpolished but with heart and soul. I was very, very fortunate to
have heard the music of Mark and Chicago Red. Blues was something I would skip
while scanning radio stations but when I heard those two played I became a
convert. Nothing like hearing Blues played live in a jam session—like how it’s
intended—It made me imagined hanging out in a porch in Mississippi on a lazy
Saturday afternoon. Dan Castle and Alison played an unrehearsed Country/Blues
song raw. Alison’s voice was dripping-wet-sexy and it was hot with passion like
a sticky, steamy, South Carolina summer.
“I come here every Sunday. This
is church for me and most others. Most of these musicians probably didn’t
matter much to the outside world” Dan Castle said somberly while we were
walking back to our cars. I thought to myself that maybe…maybe these musicians
probably didn’t amount much to anything…but in the Kibitz Room they were
demigods. Dan Castle was right, people go to perform in that bar not to be what
they don’t wanna be.
Written by RG in the spirit of
spontaneity.
“I couldn’t jam with a guitar but
I could at least try to jam with them with words”.
For the Musicians who come to Canter’s
Deli, Kibitz Room, on open mic.
4/15/14. Correction on my post on A Night in a L.A. ROCK AND ROLL Mecca. Alison and Dan Castle performed "Take Me Home" by Concrete Blonde. It was not written by Alison.
All photos and Article are copyrighted
Copyright 2014 RG Los Angeles Stories
Also see:
www.SurvivorsBook.blogspot.com
www.3RPhotography.blogspot.com
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