Low 5 returns for another round of rooting for the underdog
Call it a very very organized open mic night
Low Five in the Lounge, hosted by Tom Cheshire (West End Motel) and Justin Sias (Starfighter), is a new night that goes down every first Thursday of the month in the Star Bar’s downstairs vinyl lounge. Cheshire and Sias organize five stripped-down sets by established local bands, as well as a few unheard-of newbies. Cheshire calls it “a very very organized open mic night.”
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The Low Five night kicked off last month, and for this second go around Emily Kempf of the recently paused Back Pockets will perform with fellow Back Pocket Gage Gilmore.
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Percussion will be limited to pretty much just drums and a snare with brushes, but don’t think the Star Bar’s lower level is turning into a quiet coffeehouse. “Obviously it’s the Star Bar downstairs, it’s a lively atmosphere. People are doing shots and it’s going to get loud,” Sias says.
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Sias and Cheshire both express an anything goes attitude about the shows. The bands have their own idea of what they’re going to do, and they’re all doing something a little different than their normal routine. The only requirement is the set structure: Each set has to feature four original songs and a cover for the closer. “I did a piano version of ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ by LL Cool J,” Cheshire adds when talking about last month’s event.
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Both Cheshire and Sias are slated to play again this Thurs., along with Kempf and Gilmore, Bryan Malone of the Forty-Fives, Bon and Jon Allinson of Abby Gogo and Joseph and Kathryn of Walk from the Gallows.
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Ideally, the lineup will change in the coming months. Seasoned artists will take up most of the bill and test the waters with new material. But two performers who haven’t performed for much of an audience before will also be part of the show. “We can build up their confidence and do something good, because that’s what we do,” Cheshire adds. “We root for the underdog.”