Coffee shops used to be places where people gathered for more than just their lattes.
They used to be hubs of performance and music.
Jeff Neufeld would like to see those days return - and he's starting his quest to make it happen at the Blenz in uptown New Westminster.
The singer-guitarist from Burnaby happened to be strolling by the coffee shop at Sixth and Sixth when he saw a notice in the window advertising for someone to volunteer for open mike nights. He went in to find out more - and now he's hosting weekly open mike sessions.
This week's session is set for Thursday (April 17), but after that the event will be regularly on Wednesday nights. The nights are definitely a go until the end of May - and hopefully beyond that if everything works out.
Neufeld will be opening the nights with a set of his own classic roots, country and rockabilly music, then opening the floor to any performer who wants to take part.
He's using Facebook as a tool to help organize the nights, giving performers a chance to sign up in advance - and giving him a chance to check out their music ahead of time to make sure it's a good fit.
"We're really open to all different kinds of music," he says.
His criteria are that the music be acoustic (or acoustic with pickup) and that it be family-friendly.
"Swedish death metal might not be the best fit," he suggests with a smile.
He'll even have some spots saved for young performers - from the 10- to 15-year-old age range - to get their turn in the spotlight, even if it's just for one piece they've been working really hard on.
Neufeld, who's now 45 and the father of an 11-year-old, can remember well what it was like to be a young musician. He started his career as a drummer at 14, and one of the highlights of his young life was having a chance to perform with honour band at Expo 86.
"That really stuck with me," he says. "There's this kind of real thrill of doing what I want to do and having other people listen."
He wants to pass that on to other young musicians.
"It can be a life-changing experience for a lot of people," he says.
He's hoping the evenings will attract a wide range of musicians - those who might have gone on to pursue careers in other fields but who still perform on the side, those who are hoping to break through into the professional world, and those who are already established performers.
Neufeld - who by day runs a licensed family daycare in Burnaby - knows how important open mike nights can be for musicians looking for a way in to the world of live performance.
It was open mike nights at New Westminster and Burnaby venues like the Orange Room, Myles of Beans and O'Reilly's Coffee - all of which have since shut down - that gave Neufeld a place to develop his own performance skills.
"For me personally, it was huge," he says, noting that it's critical for musicians to have a chance to perform for an audience. "That's what musicians need to make that step to get out of the basement."
And it's not just about the musicians. He also wants to offer a family-friendly night out for people who want to enjoy music but who aren't into the bar and club scene.
"There should be places you can hear music as a 40-year-old father of kids," he says.
He's also hoping the nights will appeal to local seniors, since so many live within walking distance of Blenz - and, he notes, the kind of music he plays, like old Hank Williams tunes, appeals to that crowd.
"You don't get a lot of people playing that," he points out.
And, with a variety of local musicians bringing their own sounds to the stage, there will be something to appeal to all listeners.
"It's a real opportunity for people to get out and hear some wonderful music that's local," he says.
Neufeld notes there's still something special about live music that just can't be replaced by listening to music on computers and mobile devices.
"Picking up a real instrument and playing, the joy you get from that - you can't beat it," he says, adding the same is true for the audience. "There's something about live music. When you hear someone really play a real instrument, and singing, it's such a totally different thing."
The open mike sessions run from 7 to 9 p.m. at Blenz at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street. This week's session is on Thursday, April 17, but following weeks will be on Wednesday nights.
For more information, or to sign up as a performer, check out the links at www.jeffneufeldmusic.com.
