It’s been almost nine years since local bluegrass/blues musician Sid Tozer and some of his like-minded friends started getting together for monthly music sessions at the Coldstream Women’s Institute Hall.
Many guitar strings and cups of coffee later, the community sing-along and jam has seen its name changed to the Coldstream Coffee House, and it’s still going strong thanks to its slew of dedicated participants, audience members and volunteers.
Held on the third Saturday of every month from September through April, these “open mics” welcome musicians, spoken word artists and singers to the stage to perform their mostly original material in a casual atmosphere.
Although the coffee house has seen a change at the helm, when Tozer handed over the administrative reins over to local guitarist Manfred Harter back in March, 2010, many of those familiar faces keep coming back, and it’s not just for the coffee.
“We’ve had many headline on our stage this past year, most notably The Creeks, with local music-maker Bob Oldfield and his gang of pickers, the family band of Incanto from the mountains of Chile, and Pauline Kyllonen, who is a local singer-songwriter and has graced the stages of Merritt (Mountainfest) and further western hot spots,” said Harter.
Often found warming up the crowd on his guitar before the main stage performances begin, Harter says it’s the volunteers and sponsors that are attributed to the coffee house’s success.
“Some of the audience members themselves along with the performers have volunteered for the setting up of chairs, handling the door and the food concession, and the co-ordinating of performers,” he said. “These volunteers have been different every time, but are familiar faces and have played when there has been an occasional shortage of musicians.”
The coffee house has also been known to give back to the community.
Last October, donations were received to assist Lumby trucker Alex Fraser, who was viciously assaulted when trying to help a motorist.
Harter has special plans to cap off this season’s coffee house, with a change of date and venue.
On Thursday, April 28, the coffee house will move from Coldstream to downtown Vernon to the 500-plus seat Towne Theatre (also home to the Towne Cinema.)
“This is a call to all past Coldstream regulars, pickers, singers, poets and story tellers,” said Harter. “(Towne owner) Gerry Sellars has given me the OK to experiment at the Towne Theatre for the last show of the season, thereby giving people in the downtown part of Vernon who do not have cars the opportunity to see the unexpected adventures of an open mic.”
And as always, the microphone will be turned on for anyone who wishes to perform, albeit in a much larger venue than the Women’s Institute Hall.
“The presentations by the open mikers may be shorter for this last show, perhaps playing two numbers instead of the usual three,” said Harter, who will cohost the event with fellow musician Kyllonen.
Featured entertainers will be two members of Vernon’s very own Maritime Celtic band Cod Gone Wild, front man Andrew Mercer, and percussionist Chad “Rhino” Carter.
The coffee house will also welcome back past anchorman Tozer, who will be looking after stage equipment and sound reinforcement as regular sound-man Chris Edwards is unavailable, said Harter, adding he will also take the opportunity to thank local corporate sponsors who have contributed to the coffee house this past season.
“Centre Dry Cleaners, Wentworth Music, Teri Schmauder from Manulife Securities, Pierre Goyette from Speedpro Signs and coffee from Voets Coffee have provided a variety of goodwill for the entire year. This will be an opportunity to thank them during a moment between open mikers,” he said.
The Coldstream Coffee House takes place Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m. at the Vernon Towne Theatre, 2910-30th Ave. Sign-up for the open mic is between 6 and 6:45 p.m. and admission is $5.
