Hansil's Bar & Grill - Oakland N.J. USA

Hansil's has open mics on Sundays and Thursdays. I had heard that this was a good open mic but hadn't been there before. (I actually tried to go once before but got lost and could not find the place. It's on a lonely part of US 202, just west of Oakland, where 202 snakes around some geological stuff.) There were more musicians than patrons but this was a good thing, since the music quality was very good. Especially notable (pun alert!) was a vibe player called Malletman. Evil Dick took the stage third and played three songs (Thoughts of You, Straight Folks Boogie, and Fallin'). We went over pretty well. We had a full five-person contingent, including bass and drums. Malletman played along too. I want to go back to Hansil's some time when I'm hungry and try the Jamaican food (Roti, etc., on the menu). The kitchen is always open, from 11:30AM to 1:30AM.

Jigg's Corner

I didn't have a band rehearsal to go to, so I went up to Jigg's Corner in Butler for the open mic again. Brought my Clavinet this time. The MCs decided to just do a couple of acoustic numbers, including Satin Doll, during which I went onstage and played a soprano recorder solo. Some of the regular musicians were there, plus a band from PA called 50 Amp Fuse. When it came my turn I set up the Clav through one of the house amps and played three songs. I did What's Going On (Marvin Gaye), Golden Lady (Stevie Wonder), Shakedown Street (Dead).