I recently attended an open-mic night at Lenora’s in Hackensack, hosted by the Legion of Groundhogs. Run by Somers Steelman a couple of Wednesdays a month, a bunch of acts get together to perform in an intimate environment with no stage to separate the listeners from the players. Musicians of all ages get together to play covers and originals alike, as well as just jam out on their instruments while you and your friends can proceed to get smashed. The music ranges anywhere from rock to funk to hip-hop, featuring artists such as (the) heavy cut, Rob Deech, and DADA DOOM. A seemingly new institution, this open-mic night is a great chance for artists and fans of music alike to either perform new material or get trashed and listen to your favorite songs, including covers of Beat It by Michael Jackson and Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Every so often MCs will grace the stage and freestyle or perform originals with the aid of the Legion of Groundhogs family band (a backing band that will assist in playing alongside any artist that wants to perform and also plays an array of covers and jams). Usually populated with highly talented performers and a pretty steady influx of customers, this location is the perfect place to woodshed a new song, open your mind to a variety of different style of music, or just socialize and have a good time. Located near Poitin Still in Hackensack, right on Kinderkamack Road (as it becomes Johnson Avenue), you can’t miss it.
If you are interested in performing there, you can contact the Legion of Groundhogs at their website (http://legionofgroundhogs.com), otherwise just be sure to bring your friends and dance, or even stop by with an instrument if you want to hop on stage for a song or two. You can also get more information regarding Lenora’s and any specials that they might have on specific days at their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/lenorasbar). You can also keep an eye out for the Legion of Groundhogs at Liberty’s in Nyack, which is right across the state line (right on Knickerbocker) and easily accessible by any Bergen County residents. Also, sometime in the near future, keep a look out an event sponsored by the local businesses of Bergenfield should be hosted by the Legion of Groundhogs at an, as of yet, undisclosed location in Bergenfield, and you can expect a plethora of talented artists to be performing all sorts of material. Basically, the Legion of Groundhogs is slowly but surely proving themselves to be a force to be reckoned with and indispensable part to the future of the live music entertainment industry.
