On The Rocks

The Worcester Phoenix
October 12 - 19, 2000

[On The Rocks]

Opening up

A Bill McCarthy open-mic show is like a scheduled free-for-all

by Brian Goslow
"Are you singing tonight?" It was an innocent enough question, seeing as the barmaid had spent the past month and a half observing a constant parade of Tuesday-night performers coming through the doors of Ralph's Tavern. But having not gotten up on stage since the Gidgets left Rick's covered in watermelon in 1985, I had to break the news I was only there to observe Bill McCarthy's weekly open mic.
The omnipresent McCarthy hosts open mics two -- sometimes three -- nights a week (not counting a monthly full-band open-mic showcase at G. Willickers). Despite the fact he's still recovering from injuries suffered when a drunk driver bulldozed through a red light and into his station wagon after a gig in Framingham, McCarthy comes through the door, his sore knees carrying the weight of his JBL sound system.
McCarthy began hosting the Tuesday-night open mic three years ago at Bennigan's in Framingham. Subsequently, it's been held at Tom Foolery's in Westborough, the Black Orchid in Shrewsbury, and Squire White's on Greenwood Street in Quinsigamond Village. He also hosts open mics at G. Willickers in Shrewsbury on Wednesdays and twice-monthly Thursday-night open mics at the Canoe Club in Mendon.
"I'm blessed with a loyal group of talented musicians who seem to enjoy my set-up and performing," says McCarthy. "I let them know where the open mic is being held and they beat the path to the door."
Ralph's Tavern is a good fit for this pick-up show. "I've been friends with Kenny Bovey, the owner," McCarthy says. "Russ Mullet, Sean Fullerton, and I have been playing there a couple Fridays a month for four years, so when the Black Orchid closed, I contacted Kenny. He was enthusiastic about trying something new."
The recently remodeled neighborhood bar and restaurant sits between the 111 Chop House and the Wonder Bar on Worcester's legendary Shrewsbury Street. Established in 1934, it's rumored to have the city's longest running liquor license. Musicians, who perform in a tiny 15-by-20-foot performing space (actually a back room) bordered by Harrows dart boards and Massachusetts State Lottery vending machines, look out at a slender auditorium, maybe 30 feet long. It isn't as bad as it sounds, considering the open mics aren't necessarily meant to attract large crowds but to serve as a place for musicians to fine-tune their craft.
While the line-up is scheduled in advance, McCarthy tries to accommodate anyone who comes to play. He stays in contact with the roughly 40 musicians who perform regularly at his events via the Internet (www.angelfire.com/ma2/openmcc/).
Shortly after 7:30 p.m., Debby Rao, her long blonde hair almost down to her waist, wearing a love-bead necklace, an orange tank top, and blue jeans, takes the stage, apologetic for having gotten lost on her way in from Milford. Along with selections from her recently released CD, The Looking Glass, and its predecessor, Mirror Ball, she covers her favorite females artists. "I can't believe the exposure I'm getting [performing at the open mics]," says Rao. "People are hearing my stuff, I'm selling CDs, and I get to try out new material."
Before performing "Crystal Ball," Rao, who was labeled, "The Queen of Heartbreak Songs" by the Noise, asks if she was playing to a ballad or a rock crowd. One audience member announces with a loud holler, "Rock and roll!" It's the start of an interactive evening that includes the customer singing (in tune no less!) the backing vocals to "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks ("One of my idols who started it all for me," Rao says) and supplying the drum beats (slapping the bar) for "Where Did We Go Wrong?," and an "only-in-Worcester" exchange about a show the following evening by ex-Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille and his new band Samantha 7 at the Station in Warwick, Rhode Island. Two C.C. DeVille fans in the same building? Maybe at a Big '80s convention . . .
K23, who consist of guitarist Scott Young, wearing a bootleg Grateful Dead sweatshirt, and his fiancee, Melissa McClay, follow Rao on stage. They've driven in from Brighton for their 20-minute set. Young is a veteran of the McCarthy open mics, having regularly appeared with Liniment; McClay is following through on a longtime desire to perform. "She wanted to sing for a while, and it's an opportunity to do it," Young says, adding that he's teaching her to play guitar as well. McClay, who delivers soft haunting vocals, is dressed in a black leather jacket accented by her long brown hair. She holds her beer as a safety prop.
"It works for her because she gets a chance to sing in front of people," says Young, who hits some tough notes, vocally and instrumentally, during Richie Haven's "Handsome Journey." The hard slashes he gives his guitar strings to give the music its marching beat throw the instrument out of tune, but it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of hearing a '60s protest song rarely performed live.
Many of the evening's entertainers arrive late, but McCarthy sticks to the schedule of half-hour sets. He joins Mike Hulme, who's gone from being an open-mic rookie to a regular performer at places like Rocco's in Marlborough (where he appears on October 21), to contribute the backing vocals for Tom Petty's "The Waiting Is the Hardest Part" and Barenaked Ladies' "Brian Wilson." Even cover acts need to try out their material in a setting where a paycheck isn't on the line. Hulme's wife, Tracy, joins him to belt out the backing vocals to John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" ("Ain't that America . . . oh yeah!") and the Indigo Girls' last great hit, "Shame on You." Sha-la-la-la-la.
Tom Coveney reminds you of the thousands of other would-be guitarists who never perform outside the sanctity of their living rooms as he plays songs by Three Doors Down, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Despite his having some obvious problems with the chord changes to Nirvana's "Penny Royal Tea," no one in the crowd snickers. "We're all there to support one another," says McCarthy, explaining that most of the open-mic crowd realize how tough it is to play in front of an audience.
"Many [of them] have gone on to `real' gigs, and the crowds can be tough and indifferent since they're there trying to get drunk or laid or both. The Open Mikers are a little shocked when they go from the `friendly' open-mic audience into the real world. But life is hard."
McCarthy's gatherings have introduced a lot of performers to their future bandmates, including McCarthy's own. "I met Sean Fullerton at Tom Foolery's," says the host. "When Russ Mullet went into double-secret-semi-retirement, Sean and I started playing out together. The Jennifer Lee Band has had several bandmates gleaned from the open-mic roster, including Phil Flaherty, Deb Call, Len Rabinowitz, Tony Swindol, and Steve Byrne. Dan Villani, violinist extraordinaire, and his lovely wife, Rose, who plays double bass, have jammed with several performers and have settled into Haggis' latest lineup."
Coveney is followed by North Worcester Country's Acoustic Illusion, whose Scott Laliberte, wearing a Pedro Martinez T-shirt and shorts, trades off vocals with Rich Laliberte, who utilizes a tambourine for rhythm and a Liam Gallagher-esque cockney accent for effect. Their material includes the Dave Matthews Band's "Stay," the Counting Crows' "Mr. Jones and Me," Harry Chapin's "Cats in the Cradle," and not surprisingly, Oasis's "Wonderwall" -- without the fake Manchester accent. You can see why they've found success getting gigs in the Fitchburg/Leominster area.
As the night nears its end, one of the Ralph's Tavern regulars beaks into song himself. Who knows? Next week, it may be his turn to take the stage.
"There's never a dull moment," McCarthy says, declaring the motto for his event: "Open Mic: you might've been a headache, but you never were a bore."

Brian Goslow can be reached at bgoslow[a]phx.com.