Joe Harvard
Open Mic Host - Aug 2004

Had a different kind of night recently at the recently rocking new Wonder Bar’s open mike night. It seems to be a different KIND of open mike alright, w/name brand local talent mixed in with the off-the-street musicians, running a gamut from airtight, breathtaking, and soaring to mutely hilarious and once or twice, just horrible.

But first the breathtaking and airtight: It all started at the end of a steamy, cloaky kind of dogday summer Wednesday that saw Britney Spears’ video crew on the Convention Hall side of the boardwalk, w/800 Asbury cops cordoned up and hanging around giving one the assumption they all knew where Britney was except you; Plus, we heard news that E street drum legend Vini Lopez has teamed back up w/SOAP guitar prodigy Ricky DeSarno, while the Slydells aped BJ Thomas, teased The Bird, and The Legend’s horn played on…

Incidentally, we wrote this in a semi-heat drenched haze, as July’s oppressively warm air just squeeee..ezed out word after word, like dripping verbs from a toothpaste tube.

I just had to flip you that analogy; anyway, The Wonder Bar’s Wednesday night Open Mike is gradually becoming the scene to be in on Wednesday nights down in The ‘Bury; starting w/an eclectic mixture from this night’s musical host, Joe Harvard (guitarist from Dragster, Mark Prescott Band/Saint soundman). Joe whipped thru an obscure to bell-ringing medley of tunes by the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, and himself in his own warm, personable style, which made one feel like they were sitting in Harvard’s living room, spinning some tunes and passing the dutchy. Joe will be playing the Saint at The Ween DVD party next Wednesday Aug. 25th.