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One thing to know about jamming and open mic nights: in Tauranga and the Mount they mostly happen on Wednesdays. Mostly.
So, I donned my Secret Squirrel hat and Danger Mouse eye patch and checked it out...
First stop The Matua Bar, nestled quietly on Tilby Drive. It’s a small welcoming room, one wall enlivened with classic rock posters. They recently removed the pokie machines – good call.
Trevor Braunias Band at The Matua Bar. Photo: Sally Garner.
“Midweek Marmalade” starts at 6.30pm, hosted by two acoustic guitarists and a bassist, who sometimes perform as the Scallywags come Friday. If a jam session is where people spontaneously play together and an open mic night is one where singers perform with a house band or by themselves, the Matua sits in the middle, leaning open mic.
Laid-back vibe
That night Gary Harvey was trying a couple of new tunes and others sang with the band. There was a friendly laid-back vibe. The Matua also has music Friday nights, from duos to bands, and Trevor Braunias has been leading jazz and blues sessions on Sundays.
Over in Bureta at Jack Dusty’s Ale House it’s a change, big and bustling after the intimacy of The Matua, and undergoing a revamp. In recent weeks walls have been hung with a collection of interesting guitars and other instruments. The look is now Hard Rock Cafe, Tauranga.
Open mic starts at 7pm, hosted by the Big Bladder Band. It is so busy singers are confined to two songs. There’s the odd original – Bill and Kim Ward did a couple when I was there – but mostly it’s favourites, singers bringing charts for the band and being roundly applauded.
Open mic night at Jack Dusty’s. Photo: Sally Garner.
Hats off to Jack Dusty’s for championing live music: cover acts Saturday night and Sunday afternoons and an eclectic range, from old blues to guys with backing tracks, on Saturday afternoons. The biggest night, surprisingly, is Monday, when the massed ukulele group led by Jill Leighton regularly packs the place.
Dark, loud, cooly chaotic
Across to The Mount, where The Voodoo Lounge jam kicks off at 9pm. This is completely different: a cramped dive bar, stage squashed at one end and tables on the pavement. It is dark, loud, cooly chaotic, with an under-30s student/backpacker feel.
Music leans to funk and groove with some very good players and singers, and it’s much more alternative-musician-oriented; things don’t really fire up till after 10pm. At weekends they also feature DJs and eclectic indie bands.
But wait, there’s more... The second Wednesday each month, 7pm at the Sport Fishing & Game Club it’s the long-standing blues jam with house band Chill Factor. It’s not so much a jam, more a showcase, three songs each, so popular you need to register to play via the Facebook page.
And at the Mount Social Club, where they have regular jam sessions Tuesdays, the last Wednesday of each month is the Tauranga Jazz Society’s Jam, which I’d highly recommend: outstanding players, young and old, and a great vibe. Best to book – it does get busy.
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