Their coffee isn't my favorite (it's a step below The Beanery) and I don't normally choose it as my hang out coffee shop, but Fridays are something different. Almost every Friday night, Gov Cup turns from a coffee shop into a bar and hosts a live musician or band, usually of the local variety. They have all types of music and it can vary greatly from week to week. I've seen a too-loud rock band (which is kind of an exception rather than their rule), but I've also seen quieter one man shows. My favorite musician that they have back over and over again is a guy named Tim Snider who does some amazing sounds with violin and guitar. Friday nights are usually a fairly mellow/casual vibe, and there's no cover charge. I think they have a full bar, but I'm not sure because I always order off of their unique drink menu that creatively mixes coffee (or other warm drinks) with alcohol. One of my favorite things is when someone orders a Spanish coffee, because it involves the bartender doing some fancy bartending work and lighting the drink on fire.
This past Friday, I pulled up Gov Cup's facebook page and saw that the band scheduled to perform was called "Bustin Jieber." I was skeptical, to say the least. But, they were described as "funk/jazz/rock," and there was a saxophonist on their ad, so that sounded a little promising. I previewed a little of their music online and wasn't quite sure about it, but I decided to give it a shot.
The music always starts at 9pm, but it goes for hours so there's no need to show up right on time. We walked over probably close to 10pm and the band was playing in full force. Warning - It's always a little awkward to enter because the door is right by the stage, so the whole crowd is looking at you as you weave through people and decide where to go. We made our way to the bar and I looked over their menu which includes drinks named after past Governors of Oregon (which I think is pretty cool). The staff was super nice, like normal, and I ordered "The Hatfield," which is one of my favorites.
After getting my drink, sometimes I like to go sit in the balcony and attempt to talk if it's not too incredibly loud, but this time we stayed downstairs and stood to watch the band. It was crowded enough that there were no seats. I observed the crowd and it was the usual mix that these nights in this place bring out. There is always a fair amount of older, near-retirement people along with the younger crowd, which is something I haven't experienced in other night life places in Salem. It's kind of nice!
As we settled in and listened to the band, I was very pleasantly surprised. They were awesome! I have no idea why they picked such a wacky name, but their music was much better and more legit than their name implied. They had a girl drummer, and I am always a fan of girl drummers. (Cue Sarah wishing she was a girl drummer.) The saxophonist was great, and it made their sound so unique. The third and final member of the band was a bass guitarist and we loved him. He really knew how to get into the music. They were crowd pleasers for sure. We didn't stay a super long time, but the part of the set we watched had a couple songs with lyrics, and a couple without that had more of a freestyle jazz vibe. I don't really know how to review music especially on the fly, so I'll leave it at that and say that they are worth hearing if you have a chance.
I sipped my Hatfield (it was delicious like normal) and enjoyed the music until the band's break rolled around, when we slipped through the crowd and walked the short one block walk back to my apartment. Gov Cup, as usual, did not disappoint. Check it out sometime!
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