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Updated: February 19, 2009, 10:56 am	Share    Print    Email

Arrows of Fire performed at Crossroads Coffeehouse at the Springs Church Community Center off Springs Fireplace Road at Old Stone Highway. Photos courtesy of Crossroads Music

East Hampton - If you've been looking for an outlet for your inner rock star, but the Talkhouse hasn't been returning your calls, then it's high time to load up the van with your band and your gig bag and head to Crossroads Music's monthly Coffeehouse.

Held every month from early fall until late spring (this year the schedule started in November and runs until May), with teen and adult shows alternating each month, the Crossroads Coffeehouse takes center stage at Springs Church Community Center off Springs Fireplace Road at Old Stone Highway. The venue was created three years ago as an opportunity for local musicians to get up on a stage and play to a live audience. Crossroads provides some of the more major equipment like the sound board, drum set, monitors and some amps so musicians can basically just plug in and play.

"We continually heard from people coming into the store that they wanted a place to play," said Crossroads Music owner Mike Clark, "but there's really a lack of places to do so out here unless you're capable enough to play at the Talkhouse. We figured that we'd try to pull something together for the average player who wants to get up and play in front of a live audience and sing into a microphone so we came up with the idea of doing a monthly event designed to support local music and to provide funding for local charities at the same time."

"We continually heard from people coming into the store that they wanted a place to play," said Crossroads Music owner Mike Clark who organizes the monthly jam sessions. Photo by Colin M. Graham

The shows are held on Saturdays from 7 p.m. until around 11 p.m., and charge a $10 cover, all of which goes to either the Springs Food Pantry or to the Kris Dalene Music Scholarship Fund at East Hampton High School after Crossroads Music and the co-sponsor of the event, the Springs General Store owned by Kristi Hood, have recouped their expenses for the night.

"It wasn't developed as a money making opportunity," said Clark. "We basically only started charging a cover to help keep the crowds down. If it were free, we worried it would get a little unruly but that hasn't been a problem."

The next show, which will be taking place this weekend on Feb. 21, will be a slight departure from previous ones as it will be a strictly acoustic show with more of a coffeehouse feel. According to Clark, they are constantly experimenting with the events and trying new things to keep it fresh. "We're setting it up more like an 'MTV Unplugged' situation where the performers will be down in the crowd and we're going to put some couches in there and make it more casual. We change it up a lot just to try different things to see what works, hopefully this will work."

Judging by the fact that the majority of the open spots to perform were filled at the beginning of this year, it has been working, drawing a surprisingly diverse spectrum of musicians. "We've had Latino bands, we've had a guy playing classic guitar with a flautist, and we even had a pan flute band from the Andes. We get some good variety," remarked Clark.

Going forward, Clark has plenty of ideas to jazz up the program including theme nights, like a blues night or a Hendrix night, where the bands are only allowed to play in that style. They have also just confirmed several dates to host the Coffeehouse in the newly renovated John Drew Theater at Guild Hall.

"We're actually having a Teen Night there in June, and obviously it'll be a bit more formal than the regular Coffeehouses," Clark elaborated." We also have a couple of dates in May and then we'll pick it back up with one night a month in the fall so we'll be able to get some local bands in there to play."

Even if you're not a musician, it's worth the drive to see both emerging and established musicians in addition to people who just love to play music. "It's been amazing. People just want to play - all they need is a place to do it," Clark explained. "Some of it is good and some of it is O.K., but it's always fun; that's the difference."

The Jam Bandits brought down the house.

 • For information on the Crossroads Coffeehouses, contact Mik Clark at Crossroads Music at 631-907-4838 or visit www.crossroadsmusic.vpweb.com.

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