Mondays – Akron – Acoustix Cafe For this month’s open-mic spotlight your faithful Buzzbin correspondent visited the Acoustix Café in the Ellet neighborhood of Akron. Open since October 1, this new venue serves up live music six nights a week, as well as food, beer and liquor. Colin John, “The Transpacific Bluesman,” hosts the open-mic every Monday. Signup starts around 6:30 p.m. for performance slots of three songs each. At 7:00 p.m. John warms the stage up with his own set, and the music continues until 11 p.m. “With Colin, and the musicians he attracts, the level of musicianship is set pretty high, but it’s still very open and friendly whatever your talent level,” said one regular performer, who goes by Uncle John. Jarrod Reynolds, another regular, added, “It’s great to hear Colin play, the atmosphere is great and the stage is awesome. When you’re up there you feel like a star. It inspires me to be a better guitar player.” A major feature of this venue is its superb acoustics. The sound is clear and enjoyable from nearly any spot. Owner Rob Morrison cites his lifelong enthusiasm for acoustic guitar-centered roots-type music as the motive behind opening his club, and the predominance of folk and blues-flavored acts reflect that. However, all styles of music are welcomed, as are electric instruments, within reason. Cleveland singer-songwriter Gary Hall performed at the December event I attended. “This place already has a good core of non-performing fans who show up just to listen,” he said. “It’s a really cool blend of music scene and social scene.” Uncle John sums it up fairly well, as he explained: “You can walk in here for free, spend a few bucks on a beer, and get way more entertainment value than from most $20 concert tickets.” The Acoustix Café 662 Canton Rd., Akron 44312 Phone: 330-858-3951 www.acoustixcafe.com –Joe Porter