Headwaters Coffeehouse & Open Mic

Description

Get out on April 1 for the first live music of the spring! Headwaters Open Mic and CoffeeHouse reconvenes on the First Friday of April at 7pm. Held in downtown Bemidji at Headwaters Music & Arts (519 MN Ave NW), this monthly community gathering offers a friendly open mic opportunity and welcoming environment for folks to listen and perform. Expect to enjoy fabulous performances by community artists and warm cups of coffee as April’s featured performer, Antonio Arce takes the stage with his guitar. Sign-up begins at 6:30 or by email to jjhgaard@gmail.com. Antonio Arce moved to Northern Minnesota about three and a half years ago with his wife and their seven rescued shih tzus. He says he began playing locally at Brigid’s Pubs open mics “to get away from all of them,” an activity that he has missed since COVID-19 and the ensuing pandemic shut down such events. Antonio learned to play guitar when he was 11 years old from his father. The oldest son of a professional musician, they always had guitars at home. He remembers his father’s performances in Salta, Argentina, the city where Antonio was born. Learning guitar started as a practice but quickly formed into an obsession. Although Antonio picked up the guitar very quickly he was not careful enough to learn the names of the chords. For that matter, he doesn’t know the names of the notes in Spanish or English either. So Antonio basically learned to play by ear not knowing the name of one cord or note from another. Antonio’s main repertoire is Música Romantica (Romantic Music) in the genres of Boleros and Trova. He loves to explain his songs, so people might feel the message when he performs. You can hear Antonio’s love for his music and guitar paired with his thoughtful explanations on April 1. Held on the first Friday of most months, the Headwaters Open Mic offers a welcoming and supportive community for musicians and spoken-word performers. All ages and skill levels are encouraged to sign up for a 10 to 15 minute set. Admission is $3 per person or $7 for families. Coffee & treats are available for purchase courtesy of Aurora Waasakone. Headwaters Open Mic and CoffeeHouse is a volunteer-led community event. You can contact John Henningsgaard at 218.444.9845 for more information.