Eddie's Attic Open Mic Shootout XXXI Concert Review
Last night, the bi-annual performance of the Open Mic Shootout took place at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA. Eddie’s Attic, one of the premiere music venues in the Southeast, holds an Open Mic contest every Monday night, weeding through some 20 hopeful contestants. Some have promise, some are rough, some are downright awful — think American Idol’s city tour. Regardless, it takes a lot of courage to hop up on that stage and show the world what you have to offer. The weekly winners advance on to this bi-annual Open Mic Shootout where 23 up-and-coming artists battle it out for the $1000 prize and the notoriety that comes along with being a winner of the Shootout. Past winners include John Mayer and Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland), and the Attic has also helped launch the careers of the Indigo Girls and Shawn Mullins. To prove yourself on that stage won’t guarantee you fame, but it will prove you possess the talent to compete with the big boys.
The competition plays out in a single elimination format where each musician goes head to head with one of their contemporaries. The winner of the melodic duel advances on to the next round. The contestants are thrown onto the bracket at random so you might have a few subpar musicians get a little further than they should whereas two seasoned veterans may duke it out it in the first round. Its all comes down to luck of the draw. This Shootout provided us with a consistent crop of quality musicians. You had a highly curious vaudeville act (Blair Cummings), a Randy Newman wannabe (Max Beizer), the Jonas Brothers (10th Concession) as well as a broad assortment of musical styles and flavor.
Just as important than the crop of musicians is the quality of the judges. This was the seventh Shootout I’ve attended, and I can say that in past competitions there where certain judges didn’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. In some instances, I truly think they pulled some of these people off the street. This year’s set of judges had solid musical credentials, and overall there were only two instances where the better musician failed to advance out of 44 matchups. Most importantly, the best musicians certainly rose to the top.
The final 4 did represent the best four musicians of the competition — The Honey Dewdrops, Zaib Khan, Kelly McFarling and Chelsea Lynn Labate. Zaib Khan had a very full-bodied sound, backed by a guitarist that would have made Santana proud, and a maturity in Khan’s voice. In the early goings, I thought we would be seeing him in the finals, but a poor song choice got him bounced in the round of 4. Kelly McFarling was in town from San Francisco and had a large following of family and friends in attendance. Her ax of choice was the banjo and played very thoughtful, exacting songs. I’m not a huge fan of the banjo, but her song compositions and subtlety made it work brilliantly. McFarling ended up falling to the eventual winner of the competition. The Honey Dewdrops were a married duo that reminded me a lot of the country-folk group Eastmoutainsouth. They weren’t necessarily the best of the competition, but they were as consistent as a metronome. You just had the feeling they could have played on all night long while still producing the same high-quality sound. I’m very happy to report that the winner was Chelsea Lynn LaBate. Her voice is one part Regina Spektor and another Jolie Holland. Her songwriting was spot on in her ability to create a mood and construct clever lyrics that stick with you long after the song wraps. LaBate was easily the most talented musician in the room last night and deserve the accolades that come along from winning this prestigious competition.
In all, it was a very enjoyable night of music. The musicians were top notch, the judges advanced the right people and the smoke-free, respectful atmosphere at Eddie’s Attic was priceless as always. If you are looking for the best singer-songwriting has to offer, be sure to checkout Open Mic Shootout at Eddie’s Attic, hosted every June and November. Buy your tickets well in advance though because in an intimate listening room like Eddie’s, it will sell out.
Grade: B+
Concert Date: November 27, 2009