There are a couple places around downtown that pretty consistently have live music, and Taproot is one of them.
Taproot is a relatively new bar in Salem. (Some of you may remember back when that spot was "Pete's Place.") It has an interesting vibe to it. It's definitely not fancy or classy but not really a dive bar either (the food is too cultured to call it that). It's probably somewhere in between. The interior is a little cluttered (lending more to the dive bar side of the spectrum) but I like the fact that it's decorated to kind of make it feel like you are outside. It's a long and skinny space with tables and booths up front and a spot up there for musicians to set up, the main bar in the middle of the space, and then a quieter/loung-ier section in the back complete with a random fish tank in the wall aaaannnnnnd a shuffle board table (which can make for a super fun chill night if there's no music to entertain you.) It's generally an easy going place to pass time with friends.
I haven't checked out live music at Taproot enough to give a good and balanced view on what they showcase there. Before the event I recently attended, I'd been there before when the music was super loud and I couldn't last very long because I've reached that fabled age range in your 30s of "loud music drains me." I'd also been there once for an open mic night (which I think is still happening on the first Tuesday night of the month if you want to check it out) which was fairly weird and surreal and suuuuuuuper eclectic. (I can't even accurately describe it, but imagine random people coming off the street to get on the mic with various results, a beatboxer, a poetry guy, some polished musicians, good and bad stand up comics, and laser lights going the whole time).
This time I headed over to Taproot on a Friday night for something I thought I'd like - a night of three musicians from the local Salem music scene each doing solo guitar sets. That sounded up my alley! Plus, it didn't hurt that I have a somewhat biased positive opinion of one of the musicians that I was specifically there to see and support :)
As we took a seat, I checked out the scene. It was a busy night there. It appeared to be the dinner crowd which makes sense because I think Taproot's food is pretty popular. They offer some unique/unusual favorites like poutine, Brussels sprouts, davocados (fried avocados), juices, smoothies, various bowls, etc. The crowd also appeared to be for the most part, pretty young. My friend who came with me and I ordered ginger beer, herbal tea, and later, french fries. And yes even though we're both about 30 we got carded :). Should have expected that with our order!
I've had the service be really slow (hard to get waited on) in the past, but this night seemed ok, so perhaps that aspect of their business is improving.
The night started with Jon Fro up first. He was the organizer of the night and was the opener and closer. He performed some of his original music which has a folksy/bluesy tone to it. I was told that he has the vibe of a modern day Bob Dylan or Neil Young. It was pretty mellow, which is kind of my jam, so I liked it.
He has a CD out that was for sale.
Next up was Jayson Selander. He also mostly performed original music. He has a singer/songwriter vibe and people say that he sounds a lot like Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins. He's a great guitar player and it's fun to listen to his his skilled playing and the melodies he dreams up. I also really enjoy the introspection of his lyrics which are undefined and universal enough to allow for your own interpretation and connection to them, which is my favorite kind of lyric. Besides his own music, he also performed a creative cover of the Beatles "Help" in a haunting, reflective way.
While the first two performed, the dinner crowd (and thus the main crowd) had thinned. I observed that most of the people who had been in attendance seemed to be there to eat and hang out with their friends and that taking in the music appeared to be their secondary purpose. This was interesting to me because my frequent/favorite live music scene, Gov Cup, has a very different vibe where most of the people there seem to be attending TO hear the music.
At any rate, it was time for the last performer to come up and since the dinner crowd was gone, the music could get a little more raucous. This guy went by the stage name "Mr Fredricks Production Company" and the unique nature of his name foreshadowed his musical style. When he first started performing, I sat surprised and couldn't figure out how to classify him! He was definitely a performer and had a lot of energy. He was eclectic; his style changed even within a song. He had some Freddy Mercury/Queen-ish moments. He had some elements of screamo-rock at times. The one word that kept coming to mind was "theatrical." He seemed like a cool guy and his set was definitely entertaining.
By this point, the night was getting pretty late and I had to work the next day (boo), so I took off around midnight as Jon Fro was getting into his closing set to finish up the night. As I walked a couple blocks back to my apartment, I was slightly sketched out by a random guy who told me he could walk faster than me. What? Downtown Salem is weird sometimes.
It was a good night of live music! I'd suggest following Taproot on facebook if you want to see other upcoming events there! (And if you choose to go on open mic night, just make sure you go with an open mind and broad expectations!)
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