Open Mike at Judy's Java & Fire House Cafe

A truly cultural experience . . .

Passing by the large front windows that used to be the bay doors of the old firehouse at 215 North Street in Elkton, Maryland I could see that the place was full. From here with the door closed, passersby could hear a gravelly almost angry sounding voice of a young man with a blue guitar. The patrons were listening intently. There really wasn't much choice. Ian McCamant was just a tad on the loud side.

"Medium cappuccino with a shot of amaretto and double shot of espresso." The young lady behind the counter leaned forward to indicate that she needed to have the order repeated. I did so and she went right to work on the concoction.

Smiling, leaning over the counter again, she said, "You can have a seat if you like, I will bring it out to you."

A quick scan of the room revealed four empty seats in the house. Three at a table near the front and way too near the speakers of the small PA system, one lone chair at a small round table all the way at the other end near the exit. 'A good spot.' I thought.

My cappuccino, (a true work of art that tasted as good as it looked) arrived and was presented with another smile.

Ian (who, by the way, would have been pleasurable to listen to had the volume been a bit lower) finished his set and the host, Rick Rogers introduced another young man, in a tux, named Luke Arbuckle. Rick announced that Luke would be making his public guitar debut with a rendition of Ludwig Van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. After getting settled and plugging in his Epiphone ES-335, he began to play softly and a bit timidly at first. All talking ceased. Everyone listened intently. The performance was not flawless, but it was breathtaking. The applause when he finished indicated that almost all present were of that same opinion.

Luke was followed by Box Turtle Bob. Now, this was typical coffeehouse, open mike music. Bob's guitar style was unique to say the least but enjoyable. Not everyone listened. Some did, some talked, some laughed, some walked outside to enjoy the evening air and a smoke. Bob said that he would be back next week. I too will come back again. I may even bring my guitar.

A final note: If you are a patron and you enjoy this sort of venue, be a patron and spend a little. Nothing is free and you don't find a place like this every day. A quick look around at the tables on Friday night told me that even though a good time was had by all, the proprietor Kathy Wareham could barely have paid the light bill and the excellent help with the proceeds from the 6:30 to 8:30 open mike spot. A real shame because the coffee, tea and the service were great. The next time there, I will have a meal. Check back in a few weeks for an honest opinion of that meal at Judy's Java & Fire House Cafe.