UNDERGROUND MICROPHONE

Jacob Cole, Host
Jacob Cole is a professional musician, drummer, teacher, world percussionist and proud father.  Rooted in Northeast Pa, he has been playing music since the age of seven and has been teaching for over 10 years.  Jacob is a Berklee College of Music graduate and has had the incredible opportunity to play with some of the finest musicians.  He hopes he can either inspire or move you through his music.  Music is his way to meditate & give back to this world; it is his soul’s gift.  He loves to perform and teach others to do the same.

Jon Ventre, Bass
Jon Ventre is an accomplished, Electric/Acoustic bassist out of the NE Pennsylvania region. In the last 14 years, he has performed in almost every position available in the professional music world. From Showband’s and Symphony Orchestras to National Festivals and Night Clubs.  Aside from being self-taught, Jon has studied under internationally known solo bassist Dr. Sandor Ostlund. Most of all Jon attributes most of his musical accomplishments to the many wonderful musicians he has had the pleasure of working with throughout his career.

Shawn Caden  
Multi-instrumentalist Shawn Caden started his musical career in the shockingly, electric, city of Scranton Pennsylvania; pursuing music in his late childhood, he taught himself along with neighborhood friends. Since then, he’s studied with some noteworthy musicians, such as: Christian Gratz, Jack Bordo, Jim Buckley, and Anupama Bhagwat. Along the way he’s branched out into an eclectic mix of genres, ranging from Jazz and bluegrass to Hindustani classical music. Shawn has been seen in the past working with such outfits as: Spaceman, The Lumber Truck, The Scranton All Stars, and Rogue Chimp. He eagerly awaits the opportunity for creativity and expression in collaborating with new faces, or even old acquaintances, on new endeavors in the music world.

Currently a freelance musician, he works with such bands as Jung Bergo, The Hydration Concept, The Crackers, and the Uphill String Band.

Mark Woodyatt
Maestro Woodyatt, a classical violinist at heart, has developed his own menthol and approach to practicing and performing, as he has studied with many extraordinary teachers throughout his 32 years playing music. He teaches advanced improvisation to select students and has taught master classes in improvisation and cross-genre approaches to techniquee and fiddle playing in the United States of America and Europe. As a musical arranger, educator, clinician and producer, Mark is involved in a wide variety of projects and collaborations, performing sometimes up to three times a day in Northestern Pennsylvania.  He performs as a soloist, has a one-man show, and is a regular member of various rock, folk, Celtic, Scottish, and jazz duos, trios. He is musical director of Jami Novak’s Inner Space Project, fiddler and mandolinist with Dave Brown & The Dishonest Fiddlers, electric violinist and lead synth perfomer with Rogue Chimp, Gypsy Jazz Quintet, The Electric City Swing Septet, and has participated in numerous one-time performances of experimental bands. One of these was Earthlings -an electro-Gypsy-Jam collaboration with members of Dopapod, Lotus and John Brown’s Body. Mark is working on finishing numerous jazz, world, bluegrass, rock, Fusion and meditation projects, and posts new music on a weekly basis on his soundcloud page. www.soundcloud.com/mark-woodyatt/tracks

Jami Novak
Regarded as one of NEPA’s most versatile and sought-after percussionists, Jami Novak has enjoyed a long career spanning over three decades.  Jami is the original drummer for Americana, Jamgrass megaband Cabinet, where he enjoyed 10 years of recording and touring the world. Jami lends his guided rhythm to top area bands such as Dave Brown & the Dishonest Fiddlers, Village Idiots and others.

He has also had some fun working on his own – Jami Novak’s Inner Space Project, an eclectic improvisational band that performs off-the-cuff songs flavored with dub, soul, funk and psychedelic fusion. It’s been said he is “a drummer who knows what’s around every corner.

ABOUT UGM:
Underground Microphone is NEPA’s premier LIVE performance series which features our region’s finest talent. Each week we bring you an exclusive up close and personal lineup of poetry, comedy, music and more!  Voted 2017’s Best New Event by readers of Electric City, Underground Microphone offers the unique experience that honors the Weekday Warrior!  Reward yourself with an evening out downtown or a quick drink and entertainment after work.

Located in the Lower Level, the Raymond Hood Room is transformed into a listening room café where artists and their work are respected and supported. This very special space is named after the architect who designed the Scranton Cultural Center in the 1920s. Hood is widely known for his Art Deco and Neo Gothic design style which is evident throughout the entire building. Nationally recognized works include 30 Rockefeller Plaza, American Radiator Building, Daily News, The Emporis, Tribune Tower and The Ocean Forest Hotel in Myrtle Beach among others.

Doors open at 6:00 PM and entertainment starts at 7:00 PM!
No Cover – Cash Bar for 21+ – Valid ID required
Exceptional Entertainment — Classic Atmosphere

Artists: For anyone interested in performing: there are no rules. We encourage free form prose, poetry, stand up, improv and original music. It’s the perfect space to test out new material or projects.  For information on how you can become involved, contact Maria at marias@sccmt.org or (570) 346-7369 x102.

Guests: Please be reminded that since this is a performance space, we do ask that you keep the conversation to a whisper.  We recognize that this is a social setting, and there is ample lobby space for interacting and networking.

Sponsored by United Gilsonite Laboratories and LT Verrastro. Supported by Lackawanna County and the PA Council on the Arts.