It’s been awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to prop out a new local Detroit band. This time I headed out to my favorite lesser known dry cafe in Oak Park, Berkley Coffee, to catch a little folk rock Americana courtesy of Poor Player.
In their own words, Poor Player is “all about finding the roots beneath the rubble, the green beneath the ruin, the country blues in the pothole concrete, the folk in the effed up, and the beauty in the city gone to seed.”
How could I possibly resist?
We sat in the front row, slightly house left, right next to about ten times more sound than was necessary. The fine guitarist above spent much of the in-between times trying to find a way to balance it and avoid a persistent buzzing feedback.
But you know what? Their folksy rocksy music was great — both energized and honest. The audience was engaged and pleasant. Meanwhile, the venue continued to deliver on the alternate bar habitat front: I actually found an N/A beer on their shelves that I liked, and switched to because drinking another glass of chai at 9PM would probably not do wonders for my equilibrium the next day.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — Berkley Coffee is a rising star. I shall return.
Shot on Pixel 6 Pro.
Muttering Retreats 