Caffeine Madness
by The Vickster
There’s something important happening. Can you feel it? Have you got your finger on the pulse? Are you experienced? Pay attention, this:
Throughout the ages, from before recorded history (and, indeed, that which brought about the recording of history), the role of the creative person, the ARTIST has been the hallmark, the indication of cultural and societal development/advancement. Aside from the tools of war, it is artists who provide the markers by which we trace our path as a species, be they storytellers, singers/songwriters, painters, writers, jewelry makers, or the fruits of any of a dozen or so related pursuits.
It is the artifacts and paintings on tomb walls that allow us a glimpse of the glories of a hundred ancient cultures. The stories of scores of holy men and prophets, collected together, give us the books around which the major religions of the world rotate. The tradition of storytelling was so strong in ancient Ireland that nothing was written down until well into the Middle Ages. Bards and songsters have almost always held honored positions in ancient societies, often ranking with the priests and shamans in being VIPs of the first order (immediately after the ruling class, that is).
Societies who attempt to ignore, suppress, or subvert their artists do so at their own risk. Two of the more spectacular political failures of the 20th century, Nazi Germany and the U.S.S.R., both tried to strictly regulate art (only approved art could be produced) as a means of exerting control over the populace as a whole. Art also suffered in the United States of the Reagan/Bush administrations. The current political climate may be more hopeful, but then we’ll have to see.
It is artists who provide the markers by which we trace our path as a species.
Anyway, even in the most repressive political situations those who practice creativity, the ARTISTS, at both grassroots and other levels have been irrepressible, even if they are confined to hedgerows and basements and backrooms. The human need to create, to express, is inextinguishable.
Nowhere is this level of creativity and expression more vibrant and alive than in the coffeehouses. Here is where some of the most influential people of this or the next century have taken, or are taking, or are about to take their first baby steps toward changing their worlds, and possibly changing ours in the process.
Take a good look around you the next time you enter one of these dimly-lit, smoky establishments. That unkempt fellow over there in the corner nursing an espresso, gazing into the middle distance and then scribbling madly on a dog-eared legal pad just might be the next Hemingway or Ginsberg. The guy sketching the woman singing on stage with the guitar may become the next Warhol or Hockney, and the woman herself may turn into the next Joni Mitchell or Exene. For that matter, what about you. Yeah, what about you? . . .
This month we are presenting the first in an occasional series that will allow you to get to know one of today’s coffeehouse performers a little more in depth.
This month’s featured artist is Bradley Ditto. Ditto, 34, is a contemporary folk singer, songwriter, and musical showman who is relatively new to L.A.’s music scene. He’s been seen around town lately, playing a repertoire of his own tunes in coffeehouses and clubs. Hailing from showplaces all over the U.S.—from Syracuse to Santa Cruz (where he once opened four sold-out shows for Neil Young and Crazy Horse), he will be releasing his third album (on CD), called Daydream, this month. Bradley mixes country licks, the lyrical sense of folk, the soul of rhythm and blues, with an undercurrent of rock and roll. His unique and always enthusiastic vocal presentation falls outside jazz or folk, but incorporates both of those styles. He is truly a one-of-a-kind contemporary artist, and a shining example of the kind of seemingly limitless talent that abounds on the coffeehouse scene.
Next month: What really goes on at open mikes.♦