Music at Ila

Ila on Main Street,
where bands play in a cute little nook
with their backs to the big window

A potential new music venue announced itself during Friday's Artwalk.   The duo of Steve & Michaela McLain inaugurated music at Ila, a downtown restaurant that opened about a year ago, and at the end of the gig, Steve asked, "Wouldn't it be great to have a new music venue in Fairfield?!"

Well, of course, we'd love it!   Steve encouraged musicians in the audience to support the notion by talking to . . . I didn't catch who he said.   But after bouncing from the hostess to the bartender to the owner, I found myself talking to Sharon Stinogel.   She's intrigued by the idea of hosting live music in Ila.   She said, "We've never been open this late," (it was nearly ten) as her eyes sparkled in appraisal of the roomful of happy customers.

I gave her our band's card and added our names and phone numbers.   Ila is a lively place and they care about good food.   I'd love to play for their eaters, drinkers, and makers of merry. 

Sharon Bouquet
as Captain Switch

Just before I spoke with Stinogel, I saw her speaking with Sharon Bousquet.   Bousquet wore Halloween regalia ~ Captain Switch  ~ charming in a roguish sort of way with a dusting of shadow for a beard.   I hope she'll play at Ila, too.

She snapped this photo of her costume on Thursday night.   When I saw her Friday, the beard extended all along her cheeks into sideburns. 

Monster Bassist Duffy

I've been wondering how an Open Mic feature set of Burnt Sugar might sound with minimal to no drums and only core players on stage.   I got my chance to hear a really cool rock/blues/folk/country/reggae band tonight as the feature at Open Mic ~ no drum kit ~ so I checked it out.

Bassist Tim Duffy of the
Jefferson County Green Band
(and guest player with 
Burnt Sugar Blues)

Cafe Paradiso's Wednesday night Open Mic featured the Jefferson County Green Band, who promoted an "unplugged" set although each of them had at least one mic or amp, sometimes two.   They did not, however, have a drummer.   Bassist Tim Duffy held down rhythm in fine form.   Most of their songs were new, some from their latest album Great Spirit (including the title cut) and some from their next album (as yet unnamed).   Duffy spends most of his time brokering hotels while living in Cedar Rapids, 95 miles away, so he heard JCGB's newest songs for the first time at 5 pm . . . four hours before taking the stage with the band.   This man is a master!   Tim Duffy monsters the bass!

Lead singer Steve McClain sounded buoyant and the 45-minute set was full of easy, happy vibes.   Fatherhood looks good on Steve ~ radiant, actually.   His wife, Michaela, sang two songs with the band ~ one was a really beautiful calypso version of Islands in the Stream (sung in 1983 by Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton) . . . calypso because they "had to spice it up."   Mmm, scrumptious.

The Green Band will be at the Neil Young tribute at Red Rock tavern tonight, Thursday night.

So . . . I'm excited about doing a feature set for Open Mic sans drum kit.   We have some songs that would be perfect.   :)

*** Update: Friday 12:02 am ~ I changed Tim's career info above to hotel brokering.   He handed off hotel management last summer.