Opelika restaurant Eighth & Rail provides a chance for local musicians to try their hand on stage as well as meet and perform with other local artists.
The restaurant hosts The Benjamin Sessions, an open-mic night every Wednesday starting at 7 p.m.
The stage is open to all performers willing to play. Sign up begins at 6 p.m.
The event is free for musicians and audience members, and it is a great opportunity to see some local musicians in action.
Musical styles vary greatly, as do the ages of the performers. Most sets consist of no more than three people, though the end of the night turns into a jam session with the night's performers switching instruments and joining each other on stage.
Alaina Guzman has been hosting the event for the past two months.
"It gives musicians a chance to play with people they never would play with," Guzman said.
Performers include Guzman, Sylvia Novak, Jackson Gafford, Doug Knight, Scott Ashcroft and Grammy-winning producer Larry Mitchell performing with his group The
Larry Mitchell Trio.\0x2028
Guzman said its nice having different generations all on stage together.
Performers are given roughly 20 minutes to perform, though that isn't an unyielding limit, depending on the number of performers in a given night.
Novak said this is one of the few places in the area where someone can get onstage and play. Her performances consist of original material, as well as a few popular covers on both acoustic guitar and fiddle.
Gafford, an 18-year-old Opelika High School graduate, performed a number of songs, sometimes playing multiple instruments in the same song, aided by a sample board to loop one instrument behind another.
Gafford performs at Eighth & Rail every week, usually with Josh Jackson, another Opelika High School graduate and local performer. Jackson records works under the Fiery Crash moniker.
Both Gafford and Jackson perform a number of original songs, by themselves or as a duo. The two are occasionally backed by drummer Trenton Hilyer.
"This kind of stuff is happening in garages all across the country," Guzman said.
Guzman herself performed a number of original songs, singing and playing piano. She was eventually joined by many of the night's performers, accompanying her on different instruments.
Performers jammed at the end of the night, playing instruments ranging from guitars to saxophones to electronic sample boards and even a melodica, a hand-held, mouth-blown, keyboard.
The stage is located in the back of the restaurant, slightly elevated and lined with old wooden doors on the left and right walls. The restaurant provides excellent acoustics for the performances.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
