A single flickering street lamp keeps the mood right at the joint, while the combination of housing and commercial buildings keeps the area quiet. The contour of the street is highly domed and the curbs are tall, which is only important if carrying passengers or stumbling in the dark. The place gets cookin? at 8 p.m., and most of the seats are taken by 8:30 p.m.
The gig is called the Sol Collective, and it is on 2574 21st St. in Midtown. The venue caters to comedians, poets and singers who converge to perform at the ?only honest open mic in the city,? according to promoter Andrew Bell, 28.
Bell, a schoolteacher during the day, and the master of ceremonies, organizer, writer and webmaster for the event at night, says, ?I?ve dreamt and visualized of a place like this since I was 16 years old.? Bell added. ??When I found out the Sol Collective existed I knew I would do anything to be a part of it.?
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There is a lot more than entertaining going on here. ?This place keeps kids off the street,? says Bell. ?They get to do something they love ? We teach values, networking, practical skills and how to get paid.?
Although the Sol Collective is a nonprofit organization, run with the help of donors and state program funds, the message it teaches is self-sufficiency. This is one of the reasons why the venue attracts stars like Ana Tijoux, whose Grammy-nominated music has motivated Sol Collective artists.
There are also businessmen involved in the program, like record producer Jay Clark, who is trying to spread the word about the talent in Sacramento. ?It?s hard trying to make it in the entertainment business,? says Clark. ?I try to help these artists network, to get exposure and be seen.?
Clark has built a website, truevibz.com, for artists to showcase their work. Visitors to the site can listen to music from local artists, like Defeye, aka Andrew Bell, as well as hear other artists from around the world. ?It?s like Pandora,? Clark explains. ?You go to the website and pick the type of music you like and it will stream to your device ? This type of collaboration allows artists from, let?s say, Europe, to work with local talent ? The whole process is meant to give the artists exposure.?
Another reason for artists to use the site is to win prize money for their efforts and work. Clark holds a competition each month and participating artists can win $1000.00 if they are chosen by the most fans.
?We want to support the artist,? Clark says. ?Our goal is get the artist found ? the money is an incentive to get on the site and get music uploaded in order to share it with other people.?
The Sol Collective has created a dedicated following of volunteers and patrons over the past year or so, who work to make this event a success. Brain Baptista, a startup record producer, is one of those volunteers. ?I was at the show when Andrew (Bell) asked for my help,? says Baptista. ?And I?ve been here for over a year now.?
Baptista, who manages the sound engineering at the show, is also a producer and owns a record studio at his house. ?I would ultimately like to have my own record label,? says Baptista. ?But that is a ways off; for now I am trying to get exposure through my website, alienlogik.com, and to let people know I can help them record their stuff.?
The Sol Collective provides workshops, seminars, a sound studio and lots of room to help kids interested in pursuing a career in the arts. ?We want to give kids a platform, an outlet to hone their craft,? Bell says, ?and we want to encourage people to come out and see this talent.?
The audience and the artists take away valuable lessons each time they perform and see other people work the stage. Song artist Gabe Moctezuma, 20, performed at the event and said, ?I have not laughed this much and had so many chills in a long time.?
Programs like these offer both entertainment and life lessons for people who want to follow their passions. However, money oftentimes is the lifeblood for nonprofit organizations. Projects like the Sol Collective and others that have volunteers like Bell and Baptista paving the way can use the community?s support. Bell encourages people to go to the website www.solcollective.org and give a donation at the link justgive.org. Proceeds go to the Sol Collective project, according to Bell.
The next show is Monday, Dec. 3, at 8 p.m., at the Sol Collective on 2574 21st St in Midtown. But, just as a warning, show up early ? the place gets packed.
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