From "bongs and dongs" to songs, the dungeon-esque exterior of The Big Easy in Petaluma used to front an adult store and head shop, but now operates as a bar and music club.
When you head down a narrow Petaluma alley and step into a low-ceilinged, subterranean jazz joint to attend an event run by the "The Secret Song Club," you can't help but feel like you're participating in something covert.
Organizer Drew Pearce will tell you the only thing secret about The Secret Song Club events is their location, but the regular monthly Thursday showcase at The Big Easy is not a secret in any way, despite its alleyway location and the venue's speakeasy vibe.
The Big Easy owner Roger Tschann has been involved in music in Petaluma since he was young, playing in different bands and producing recordings and demos before the era of home recording.
It's not an easy thing to keep a bar open these days, but Tschann has weathered the pandemic and shifting fortunes in Petaluma while other watering holes in the town (such as Kapu) have not been so fortunate.
The night we were there, patrons could look from a painting of Roger hanging on the wall to the man himself, keeping them well-hydrated from behind the bar.
Musicians and their guitar cases flowed into the underground club, taking seats at the bar, in the booths lining the walls, or at the tables scattered in the middle of the room.
Secret Song Club Big Easy Open Mic & Showcase has two featured acts but begins with open mic performers who have signed up in advance.
Promptly at 7pm, Grant Gibbs took the stage, kicking things off with his two original songs, "Pick Me Up" and "Marissandra." Grant is one half of the songwriting duo behind Jack and the Tall Guy, a north bay folk-rock band that's been knocking around since 1995.
Next up in sequence were two Robs. The first was Rob Fowler, whose twang-inflected songs drew on regional themes and personal narratives. I didn't catch the first song, but the second was "Stanislaw County."
The second Rob of the evening, Rob Shaw, took the stage with his resonator guitar, delivering two thoughtful songs: "Faces on the Train" and "Welcome to Your Journey."
As the applause died, host Drew Pearce came to the mic to say, "The Starling in Sonoma just closed — and it's nice to see some of those players are migrating over here."
One of those performers who frequented The Starling was Harri Wolf, who took the Big Easy stage next.
"I was at an open mic in Seattle and the scene there reminded me of that bar in Star Wars, which inspired me to write this song. This is 'No Love Lost Cafe.'"
"Folks you never heard of, singing songs nobody hears"
Harri's second song was a troubadour piece, "Stain of a Song on Your Lips."
Then it was my turn onstage. I kicked things off with "Walked a Mile," then dropped into the more pensive "Empty Circus."
One of my musical heroes, and half of the powerful songwriting team behind The Musers, Megan McLaughlin, followed my set. I was more than a little relieved not to be the one following her. Megan gave us the 70s-tinged rocker "Kiss Me in San Francisco" ("This song is a little different than the stuff I usually do," she shared), before launching into the exquisite "Superbloom," a song the band intends to include on their forthcoming album.
Ryan Woodard, a deft hand at the guitar himself, had nothing to be concerned about following Megan's set. Ryan shared the stage with Buddy guy at the tender age of 11. It’s no surprise that Guitar World Magazine described his playing as “jaw-dropping.” According to his website, John Mayer was so taken with him that he gifted Ryan a Martin guitar.
Ryan opened with an acoustic version of his song "Should've," followed by "Better You."
Local performer Larisa Roberts was next. She glided onto the stage in a long, flowing outfit and gave us two originals: "Underestimated You" and "Cover Songs."
"Which is not, as you might think," she said, referring to the latter, "a cover song."
Larisa has a sweet lyrical voice, reminiscent of Joan Baez, swaying her way through her set, her soft thumb-strumming a pleasant accompaniment to her breezy songwriting.
I had a chance to briefly chat with Larisa about her project, "Paddy's Barrel," where she performs as a trio with two Spanish musicians: Manuel from Madrid on guitar and Iñaki on accordion.
Their next show is as the featured act at HopMonk Sebastopol Open Mic on April 21. Sadly, it will likely be the trio's last performance for a while, as Manuel and Iñaki are headed back to Spain.
The open mic portion came to a close, and Parson Jones took the stage as the first of the two featured artists.
"I think I'm very close to becoming a Secret Song Club Exclusive Artist," began Kerry (whose name is neither Parson nor Jones).
"I think 90% of my gigs have been Secret Song Club shows — shall we make this exclusive?"
Most guitarists put their pedals on the floor where they can stomp at them if needed, or at least qualify for the shoegaze genre. Not Parson Jones, who keeps all his effects machinery at waist level — where, in my estimation, they are far more prone to insubordination.
His set included "My Feelings," the Bobby Caldwell song "A Thing for You," and "Everything I've Known Is Wrong," before moving into "Mysterons" by Portishead. It was impressive how a minimalist arrangement — looped beat box, electric guitar, and voice — could fill the room so completely. The set gestured toward a "head" theme but, perhaps for the best, didn't follow through with any Talking Heads or Radiohead covers. Instead, Kerry's final song was from Jamie Rydelle.
The final featured artist was well worth the wait; Kyra Gordon is a force of nature.
It's hard not to grin listening to Kyra's music. Her clever lyricism is as captivating as her powerful voice. I first met Kyra at one of Michael McNevin's infamous Mudpuddle jams in Niles, where she shoehorned herself behind a keyboard and practically shook the antiques off the walls with her singing.
Kyra met her husband Brad — who was behind the drumkit that evening — while looking for cigarettes at a health retreat. Her first song, about being stuck in a car in the snow, drew the crowd in. She then revealed her next song was originally an entirely improvised piece, before getting the room going with "Greetings from East Texas."
"The town in the song is Claude, Texas," she explained. "Which is not actually in East Texas, but West Texas — it's just that 'East Texas' sings better. See for yourself." I had to agree. My favorite line from the song:
"Jesus and germs are everywhere"
Her next song, "California," was dedicated to native-born Californians:
"fog wraps me up in dreams, your forest bathes me in dappled beams"
She finished with her divorce song, Burn It Down.
"I am not, have not been divorced — but anyway," she laughed.
Then, at the end of the night, Drew Pearce returned to the mic one last time and invited Sarah Larkin of The Real Sarahs to close out the evening in what he called the "after-hours mic." I was poised to leave — and found myself unable to do so, caught by Sarah's stunning voice and excellent songwriting.
I was lucky enough to get an after-hours driving tour of Petaluma courtesy of my host for the evening. I'm very much looking forward to returning — and to taking the The Big Easy stage again as half of the duo Second Hand Fortune, who are booked as featured performers at Secret Song Club Big Easy Open Mic & Showcase's July 16 event.
Secret Song Club Big Easy Open Mic & Showcase is a perfect open mic for those who appreciate a good listening room — and have always wanted to sit in a subterranean 1920s speakeasy booth, sipping a strong cocktail while some of the Bay Area's best talent takes the stage.
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