Kildareʼs in West Chester has proven to be a hot spot not only on the weekends, but also on Tuesday nights, drawing all types of crowds for their ever-popular open mic night. Hosted by the barʼs house band The Space Monkey All-Stars, the open mic night is now surviving its second year, and if there is one thing that it has proven, it is that the longer the show lasts, the larger the crowd it attracts. Bringing in weekendsized crowds, the two-yearold bar has done its job in making a fun-filled night for nearly anybody who attends: musicians, or music lovers who just want to hear good music ranging from classical rock to the blues. If you are lucky, you might even catch some original music by some of the townʼs local talents.
“It is just a great atmosphere to play in,” said Brad Eldred, a veteran musician at the open mic. “This is the one open mic that I will not miss.” The Space Monkey All- Stars show their unique sounds and talents, covering classic and modern rock tunes for about one hour before beginning the openmic.
When the house band is done playing, the local talent is then showcased throughout the nights. Anyone who sings, plays an instrument or both is welcomed on stage for a threesong or 15-minute time slot.
“I am happy it came out the way it did,” said Brian McNally, vocalist and guitarist of the house band. “We work really hard to try and make sure the players and the crowd have a good time.” The band is also very accommodating to anyone who plays, balancing the sound nearly perfectly, helping to make even beginners sound like professionals. They also handle everything with a patient attitude, making even the most complicated of performances within reach.
For beginners, it is also a great place to start because of the crowd. Some places have crowds that do not clap no matter how good a person performs, but with this crowd, the opposite is true, and at the same time it is not surprising to hear a slew of compliments from the audience when someone is finished performing.
To make things more interesting for the crowd and the musicians, house band percussionist Ryan Cummings leaves his percussion set available for anyone to play. There are also two microphones available for dual vocals, and for those who play guitar, the possibilities are endless.
The bar has great appetizers and also features a drink special of $2 Bodingtons and Yuengling drafts for those who are ofage, and the service is just as immaculate as the music.
The bar also currently headlines a contest in which the open mic participant with the most reaction from the crowd gets awarded a gig at Kildareʼs which takes place at a later date.
“There is always so much talent here,” says house band guitarist Brian Nash. “It is a great thing if we can be a help in them getting paying gigs.” And why not help out if you are virtually the best open mic in the area?
Kildareʼs brings in larger crowds than any other open mic in West Chester and some real raw talent. This open mic has also been around longer than most in the area, and Kildareʼs is one of the newest bars in town.
The bar proves to serve great entertainment and specials seven nights a week, but this one night in particular seems to be an obvious success for everyone, and the sign-up sheet does not lie.
If you wish to play the open mic at Kildareʼs, it is suggested to arrive no later than 9:30 p.m. and to be ready right away. The list fills up completely within minutes of when they release it, and nine out of ten times there will be people playing all the way up until 2:00 a.m.
Those who are not playing, you can show up anytime, enjoy the specials and the music, and are guaranteed to walk out with smile.