MUSIC - MARCH 12 , 2003

‘Red-Eye Live:’ All-ages nights at Espresso Royale

By CHRIS WARDELL

We’ve all heard the complaints from our underage buddies about the lack of places for an underage person to hear local music. You can count the places on one hand — and that’s spotty at best. Cafe Latte has shows every now and then. On most nights The Temple Club is 18 years of age and up, but some may not be able to afford the price of admission. Now another venue has entered the underage show market.

Two weeks ago, Espresso Royale started its new Saturday night concert series dubbed aptly enough “Red-Eye Live.” The first week featured noted singer-songwriters Wally Pleasant, Peter LeClair, Keith May and Carmen Paradise. “It was a fantastic evening of music done with the entertainers taking turns performing and ending with all four musicians singing together. It was a lot of fun,” said the show’s creator Lacy Frain.

Frain is hoping that the concert series will catch on for people looking for an alternative thing to do besides the normal weekend brew-ha-ha.

“I do hope that the all-ages setting provides a haven for those who can’t or don’t want to go to a bar,” Frain said. “It’s also a non-smoking atmosphere for anyone who loves live entertainment but hates the carcinogens. Perhaps even the ‘power study’ people get a Saturday night off once in a while. Or at least take advantage of the perfect opportunity for a two-hour break from the books.”

Besides singer-songwriters, Frain hopes to bring in a variety of other eclectic acts. Digital music, drum and bass, hip-hop, avant-garde, rock – all is fair game. The café also features frequent poetry slams and open mic nights.

“I want to have a very wide variety of acts. My own musical preferences are pretty eclectic, and I would like to represent every area of musical taste,” Frain said. He also hopes to pick up where Vinyl Addict left off in offering fans of hip-hop another venue to see DJ and MC battles.

“Last Saturday we featured Bassghost (Doug Burda) of the Soundscape Collective with a few special guests,” said Frain. “It was no doubt a melee of drum and bass, experimental hip-hop. I do want to represent every area of music we can.”

He already has a couple more shows scheduled with The Giveaway later this month and the first show in April featuring The Rattling Wall Collective. If anything, Frain hopes Espresso Royal can become synonymous with a good place to catch music.

“I just hope that Red-Eye Live becomes recognized as a place to go on Saturday nights when you want a relaxed, intimate setting and an evening with your favorite performers,” he said. “I’d love to be able to put up a flyer of a big red eyeball and have people instantly think of our shows.”