There's no doubt that Kenji Akimoto is nervous. It's the first time that Aki-moto, the owner of Gaia's Fair Trade in Gibsons, will sing in public and his songs will be in Japanese. He is the opening act for last Saturday's Wild Bistro and Bakery Coffeehouse. He smiles and paces nervously.
"Just remember," Wild owner Ian Backs tells him reassuringly, "the audience wants you to succeed."
He is absolutely right - the audience at this monthly coffeehouse is warm and receptive. They toy with their toffee ganache, sip their lattés and applaud. Akimoto is gentle in his stage presence and with his guitar; most are intrigued by this encounter with true world music, songs about ladies and lives, all in Japanese.
It is musician Bonar Harris, organizer of the musical line-up for the coffeehouse, who first heard Akimoto singing in his store and encouraged him into the spotlight. Harris also works the sound controls and introduces the acts, along with Backs and Wild co-owner Kera McHugh, to make sure the evening is pure grassroots entertainment for the 30 or so people who drop in and pay their $10 cover charge.
Next up is a Vancouver act, Drew Camp, who introduces his dad, Coast resident Roger Camp. The duo launches into songs from Drew's CD, Left to the Imagination; the two show great ability on harmonies, and the original music rocks. Camp's song-writing style is reminiscent, in a '60s kind of way, of John Lennon. Towards the end of the set, we hear an original song from Roger who sports a Bob Dylan T-shirt and powers an even more driving beat. The audience gives up its biggest round of applause of the evening.
Backs uses the interval between acts to read his poetry. What's a coffeehouse without poetry, particularly verse from the "after the marriage breakup" segment of one's life? The part-time actor reveals a dramatic flair.
Vocalist Charlotte Wrinch is next on stage. She sings complex, original lyrics about the Egyptian god of darkness in a wispy, youthful voice."Children, love and the planet," is what she likes to sing about, she tells the audience. For this evening's coffeehouse, she performs with Barry Taylor who has abbreviated his drum kit to what he can comfortably travel with on the bus. Wrinch on guitar and Taylor on percussion make for good listening.
On Feb. 28 they will host a third anniversary special evening offering dinner and old-time bluegrass with the Billy Hillpickers. Prior to that is a Valentine's evening special. Pamela Messner and Fraser Blackley will be joined by spoken word artist Dream Soda (Linda Shearsmith), Maria Stevenson of the Music Makers and singer/songwriter Tone Indbryn, plus a special night owl late set with Bonar Harris and wife Niv performing a few scorching torch songs. There's also talk of having an Oscar party tentatively scheduled for the big movie night, Feb. 22. Reservations are needed for these events. Call 604-886-1917 or see www.wildbistro.com.
Musicians wanting to perform can contact Harris by email at [email protected] or phone 604-886-4893. He's looking for all kinds of entertainment, usually on the second Saturday of the month: music, poetry, rap or beat, book readings, script read-throughs, short films and you name it. That's the nature of a coffeehouse.
