Watch a video of Anthony Michael Ariolla performing at 6 Degrees Coffee House.
Freedom of expression is a founding principle of our society, but how often do we all engage in it? One last bastion of unfettered expression is the open mic, a chance for anyone to share a few thoughts or songs, taking turns with the amplification.
Far from political soapboxing, an open mic night—like the one available Thursday nights at 6 Degrees Coffee House and Eatery in Orcutt—is a chance for musicians, poets, or comedians to share their art with each other and anyone else who wants to listen.
The open mic night on Jan. 5 at 6 Degrees was sparsely attended, but those there were appreciative of the attraction. Anthony Michael Ariolla—the event’s emcee—was on the microphone, strumming a nylon-string guitar and belting a Dolly Parton song, while folks at the tables there ate, listened, and chatted.
Kim Tuttobene cheered with enthusiasm between songs and bites of her dinner. She said that Ariolla had performed most of the night, even taking a request.
“He played me Chris Cornell, ‘I Am The Highway,’ he rocks!” she said. “I came here when [6 Degrees] first opened, and it’s developing an atmosphere, I love it.”
That was a slow night, Ariolla explained, which isn’t the norm at 6 Degrees on open mic night. He has performed there most Thursdays ever since the open mic started a few months ago, he said.
On slower nights like that, Ariolla doesn’t mind entertaining, but there is no telling who might walk through the door, he said.
“We get random people who might come in like once, they’re not regulars who come all the time, and I’m surprised by who comes in,” he said. “Last week there was a girl who was 15, and she did a song and sounded so good.”
Ariolla is always ready to give up the stage to a visitor or a regular contributor to the open mic. Sometimes singers use their phones for a backing track, he said. The speaker system that Ariolla brings has a Bluetooth interface, he said, so phones can hook up wirelessly to back someone up.
Off-the-cuff collaborations can happen too, he explained.
“Around Christmastime there was an older gentleman who did a lot of Sinatra stuff, and there was one song he couldn’t find on his phone,” Ariolla said. “So I just grabbed my guitar, I said, ‘I know what you’re trying to do,’ and we jammed a little together.”
The weekly open mic at 6 Degrees Coffee House is a chance for artists of many stripes to share their work, Ariolla said. Musicians have mostly dominated the scene, but poets are welcome too, he said.
The regular event definitely has room to grow, people just need to make it part of their weekly habit. Grab some food, a drink, and enjoy (or make) some music.
“This area, Orcutt, I think it needs music,” Ariolla said. “There’s not a lot of places you can do this, and they let me!”
Interim Managing Editor Joe Payne has performed at many an open mic. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 12-19, 2017.
