“Evil” cannot be stopped.
Chris Evil, that is.
On Tuesday, February 7th, Chris “Evil” Guaraldi brought his Open Mic events to the Dipper Café in New Bedford’s north end with a robust turnout from musicians and music fans alike. The shows will be held every Tuesday evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. and they are free.
“We got a great response for our first night,” Guaraldi says. “The winter time is usually very slow so this was encouraging.”
The open mics allow musicians to perform up to four songs. While most of the performers play acoustic guitars, Guaraldi says the floor is open to artists of all stripes, including poets and spoken word performers.
Located at 1367 Purchase St., near Clasky Common Park, the bar is owned by two local hardcore punk musicians, Josh Gagne and Ryan Packer. Gagne is the vocalist and Packer is the bassist for the local band American War Machine, while Packer doubles as the bassist for the Boston-based band, Slapshot.
“We’re a neighborhood bar and we want to support the local community,” Gagne says. “Me and Ryan are both active in the music scene so of course we’d support live music at our bar. Unfortunately, we don’t have the room capacity to support five-piece electric bands, but at least we can have acoustic music here.”
On the first night of the Open Mic, Guaraldi got the evening started with a set of acoustic songs, followed by Dartmouth folk performer Joanne Doherty. She was followed by Westport songwriter Jake Perrone and New Bedford’s Cassie Lee, who both did sets of original songs.
“I like the feel of the room, and I thought the night went really well,” Perrone says. “Chris’s sound system sounds greatand a good crowd showed up.”
Perrone, who is currently fronting the band Secret Joy, talked about the unique advantages that playing at an open mic brings.
“Open mics are vital to songwriters,” he says. “It’s different from an hour-long show – you’re only up there for 20 minutes, you just go up there and see what happens. For me, open mics are a good opportunity to hone my chops and get comfortable onstage and experiment with new songs. It’s a great way to develop your craft, and a good place for new musicians to get their start. It’s a good place to network and build friendships with other musicians.”
“There are great opportunities to being active in any music scene including an open mic circuit,” Packer says. “I’ve personally made many industry connections that have been extremely helpful just by hanging out and being part of the scene.
“Open Mics are great for musicians and comedians because it keeps things simple,” Packer continues. “There’s no stress of booking agents or begging your friends to jump on a bill. You can come down and hone your craft and get some experience and exposure in front of a live audience.”
Guaraldi began hosting open mics in 2008 at the Bridge Street Station club in Fairhaven, currently called Rasputin’s. Within two years he relocated to the Pour Farm Tavern in downtown New Bedford before having to suspend the events due to COVID-19.
“We’ll host open mics as long as there is interest from the artists and audience,” Gagne says. “Chris is the perfect guy to host the night cause he’s done acoustic nights before and is active in that community.”
Guaraldi also books live shows at Pour Farm Tavern one Saturday a month, often including his band, Blood Feeder.
“When the pandemic situation began to improve, I had a lot of friends telling me to bring back the open mics,” Guaraldi says. “I got my start in music playing at the Open Mics at the New Wave Café in 2001, so I know that they’re needed in this area.”
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