Updated: February 25, 2009, 5:36 pm

Local Musicians Kick Out Acoustic Jams At Crossroads Coffeehouse

By Colin M. Graham

Klyph Black and Brian LeClerc played a rendition of "Dire Wolf" by The Grateful Dead and "Waiting for a Sign," an original written by Black.

East Hampton - The Springs Church Community Center was rocking last Saturday - albeit in an unplugged sort of way - as local musicians gathered for the first 'all acoustic' Coffeehouse hosted by Crossroads Music in East Hampton and The Springs General Store.

Christine Clark and Dave Eagle playing "Picture" by Kid Rock.

The event took place from 7 p.m. until roughly 10 p.m. featured nine acts, and culminated in an open jam at the end of the evening, where everybody was allowed to come up and play - whether or not they had participated in the earlier show.

"It's a really laid back and relaxed atmosphere here," said Crossroads Music owner Mike Clark. "It's really meant for everyone to get together and have a fun evening, while giving something back to local charities at the same time." The small fee at the door is $10 for audience and $5 for performers.

Among the performers were Clark's wife Christine, who sang several songs with Walter Moller and then with Dave Eagle, and their two boys Steven and Christopher Clark, who along with their friend Dylan Carozza, closed out the evening with a rendition of Frank Zappa's "Joe's Garage," getting the audience singing along before jamming into "The Weight" by The Band.

Also playing that night were Michael Weiskopf and Anthony Liberatone from the "The Lost Keys," a local band that will be playing at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on Feb. 28. They seem to have generated a following already since most audience members were aware of the date.

Colin M. Graham, Herb Lane, Johnny Mascali, Jr., and John Mascali playing a tribute
to John Mascali's brother Joe, a New York City firefighter who was killed on 9/11.

One particularly good duo came in the form of Klyph Black and Brian LeClerc, who started their two-song set with "Dire Wolf" before going on to one of Black's original numbers "Waiting for a Sign," which was an absolutely beautiful tune.

John Mascali, a Sag Harbor firefighter, performed a song he had written entitled "American Heroes" about his brother Joe, a New York City firefighter who lost his life on 9/11. Accompanying Mascali was his seven-year-old son Johnny on the conga, another member of the Sag Harbor Fire Department on lead guitar, and Herb Lane on the keyboards. Mascali's song was deeply moving.

Paul Hamilton was one of the only solo acts that evening, playing two classic tunes that held special meaning for him: Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin'" and "Old Man" by Neil Young, both of which he did ample justice to.

In the end, the Coffeehouse wasn't about mind bending solos and showing off your musical prowess; it was more about sharing music with friends and the community. Perhaps not everyone that night sounded like a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, but everyone had fun, which is really what playing music is all about.