April feels a lot like June in Livermore.
The sun was shining and April showers were nowhere to be seen this Easter Sunday when I made it out to the Sunday Swirl Acoustic Open Mic w/Gabe Duffin.
If it's been a while since you've visited Blacksmith Square in Livermore, one of the first things you'll notice is the construction fences are gone!
The new landscaping is spacious and does its best to stick to the 1914 blacksmith shop building aesthetic of the historic square: a few giant boulders are nestled alongside the new-but-distressed-brick buildings (I'm told there might be a new Italian restaurant going in there in a month or two), the former gravel parking lot has all been paved in, and the chain-link fences are gone, so you can wander the vacant expanse of the square just in time for the good weather.
You will also notice some lines of steel beer kegs and, right down the middle of what used to be the open square, a row of wooden barrels. What's with all the barrels? They are a temporary "fence," I'm told. The powers that be have determined that Swirl and Tap 25, who sit across from each other and share Blacksmith Square, have been told they must erect a divider between their premises to reflect their two separate liquor licenses.
God forbid you buy a beer from one and walk too close to the other! Barrels today, but I'm told there is some other sort of barrier coming in the future.
Let's get something out of the way: Swirl Acoustic Open Mic w/Gabe Duffin is an "acoustic" open mic in aesthetic, not practice. There is absolutely a sound system.
Players can even bring electric instruments, but the intention is to play lighter, more acoustic-guitar-based music...even though those acoustic guitars are plugged into the PA. Even when the weather is inclement and the event is held inside, Gabe Duffin dials the sound in on the excellent sound system with an expert hand.
The afternoon I was there, the "Swirl Jam Band" was setting up early and I got a bit of déjà vu:
it appeared that all the players from my visit just a few weeks back to Pinot's Acoustic Open Mic Listening Room event had showed up as the backing band at Swirl.
Gabe Duffin led the very able players thru a selection of Johnny Cash, among other rock songs.
What with the sunny, warm weather, Michelle Braatz's cold beer from local brewery Del Cielo and her inventive frosé-style wine slushies is the perfect accompaniment to local music. Also, Swirl now offers exquisite organic, sourdough pizzas from Slanging Dough.
I had arrived so early, there wasn't anyone else on the list. Before I knew it, Gabe was calling me to the mic. Even though Gabe invited me to play four songs because the sign-up list, at that point, was relatively empty, I decided I'd rather just play the two songs I'd prepared.
The first was in honor of the recent passing of my kids' grandfather, "The Ballad of Lou McKenzie," a song based on the stories I'd been told about his great-grandfather, followed by a new song I'd written, "Wanting to be Clear."
Up next was local musician, Gordon Wong, who pulled Biff and Dr Steve from the Swirl jam band up for a tidy set of singable, classic rock songs that bounced happily around the sunny brick plaza. I have to admit a little bit of envy for Gordon's white Gretch guitar with the triangle-shaped sound hole. That thing looks awesome.
Following Gordon, was Victoria, who, accompanied by Dr Steve on keys, played Dolly Parton's Jolene.
The fun continued with Steve Faria and his usual excellent selection of covers. Next up was Hudson, a younger player with some older inclinations: his set included a very capable cover of Jim Croche alongside some bluesy songs.
It was Brian McMillan who brought the first Easter-themed song of the day to our gathering on Easter Sunday, "Mighty to Save " by the Christian music collective, Hillsong United.
Up next was a rousing set from Chris (guitar) and Landon (cajon). Chris tore it up with a couple of original hard rock songs on his Breedlove, while Landon kept the serious driving thump going on the cajon behind him. Their set had the entire crowd bobbing their heads along to the tunes.
Chris has been cranking out his acoustic-flavored rock in the tri-valley for years, as his 2006 album Breaking Ground testifies to.
Sitting out on the sunny square patiently awaiting his turn on the mic was local songwriter Richard Lappin. As usual, he delivered a set of intriguing originals.
Richard's first song sat us in the car beside a traumatized man contemplating murder, realizing only then he has followed in his father's footsteps.
As the light dwindled, second-to-last performer, AJ Montalbo, gave us a strong set of country standards as well as one of his originals, "Summer 16."
The final performer of the night was John, who finished off the event by bringing back the Christian theme to our Easter Sunday event with a few worship songs.
Feeling like I'd had a taste of summer in April, I scooted off into the Livermore evening looking forward fondly to more sunny outdoor open mic events in 2026.
The Swirl Acoustic Open Mic w/Gabe Duffin would be perfect for sun-worshipping open mic'ers who love good sound, solid backing players on tap, and need to get home early on a Sunday night.
Click on any photo in this post to see the full, uncropped version.
