My Monday evenings will never be the same! I went to Room 5 to see Paris Carney. Unfortunately I was only able to catch the tail end of her set. BUT I stayed to see what was next and was in for SUCH a treat! Turns out Monday’s at Room 5 is Songwriters in the Round. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, it’s where several singer-songwriters (in this case four) will all sit up on stage and take turns singing their songs. What always blows me away in these situations is when one of the singers will be debuting a brand new song but by the end the rest of the musicians on stage will have filled in harmonies, piano, bass, drums, harmonica, etc. despite the fact they’d never heard it before. Reminds me of one of the reasons why I love music so much…it’s just so dynamic and so accessible.
Anyway, this particular Monday, the round consisted of a couple of my fave LA crooners, Lelia Broussard and Chris Pierce, as well as a newcomer to Room 5, Medi, and the guy who throws this whole shin dig every week Joel Eckels. They were all quite good, especially when they played with each other. I especially enjoyed hearing some new songs from Lelia and anything done by Chris Pierce, whom I think I appreciate a lot more when he plays in this format.

 I also must comment on the venue itself as it was my first time there. The chairs rank as some of the most comfortable I’ve experienced at a music venue (next to that couch at Steel City Coffee House in Phoenixville, PA and those big chairs at Milkboy Coffee  in Ardmore). Not only were they comfortable, they were fairly plentiful for most of the evening. For Paris’ set it was a bit crowded and this venue is not as pleasant when you don’t have a seat as there isn’t much excess room to stand.

Room 5 sits atop a restaurant (Amalfi Ristorante) and therefore has a full and delicious-looking menu. I was able to taste their caprese sandwich and it reminded me of Cosi (to the uninitiated, this is a very good thing). Their desserts also looked quite tasty and will definitely be my target for next time (they have crème brulee!!).

All in all, a perfect way to spend a Monday evening. Hopefully this was the first of many Monday Songwriters in the Round to come!!

 ~ Kristen