New Moon opens doors, mics for local musicians ready for their moment to shine
Between the funky floors, decadent pastries, variety of beverages, and jungle-esque entrance, the cozy cafe is a well loved spot among Oshkosh locals. Every Tuesday night, New Moon fills with thirsty ears eager to enjoy the voices of the community. Anyone can let their light shine, creating a safe environment and diverse live music experience.
Brent Grinwald volunteers to kick off the event and manage the musicians. He helps transition from person to person, and ensures everyone gets the chance to step on stage.
Grinwald specifically takes pride in the consistency of New Moon’s Tuesday open mic sessions. This repetition gives locals something to count on and look forward to during dull weeks in need of tasteful music paired perfectly with a drink of choice.
“Before COVID shut it down for a bit, this was one of the longest running open mics,” he said. “At a lot of other places, open mic nights come and go.”
On Tuesday, May 7, Austin Scott participated in the New Moon open mic for the first time. However, he is very familiar with bar gigs making him no stranger to the stage.
“I love having a break from the big stage and coming to a small cafe because I get to sing quieter songs and I don’t have to scream as much,” Scott said. “I’m able to rest and do nice vocals.”
However, Scott enjoys any opportunity to showcase his voice and talent. He craves the electrifying, upbeat feel of big, crowded venues just as much as he appreciates the more tranquil New Moon.
“I just helped open for a sold out show in the middle of nowhere in a barn which was so much fun” he said “There was a lot of energy and it was just so big, I love big performances,”
Scott sang many covers at the open mic, including Lana Del Rey and The Lumineers. His angelic voice truly transformed the songs and made them his own, and the vibe was warm and comforting, appropriate to pair with piping coffees and teas.
“For covers, I like a lot of soul music, and music from the 50s and 60s. I also like Lana Del Rey a lot,” he said.
In addition to these covers, Scott shared an original song that he wrote about a friend. Despite being relatively new to creating original music, his song energized and impressed the crowd.
“I’ve been singing all my life, but I found my passion for music in choir. Then, about a year and a half ago, I picked up the guitar and that’s when I started writing my own music,” he said. “I’m just like every other song writer with about a million songs that are half done, but right now I probably have seven or eight complete ones.”
Scott writes music designed to get crowds on their feet.
“My friend who I normally play with is a banjo player, and she usually says that she plays a yard sale of folk music, which is really upbeat and encourages people to dance and clap their hands. That’s the same kind of energy I channel in my own original music,” he said.
One of the most beautiful parts of open mic night is seeing the potential the aspiring artists have for their future. Scott continues to work hard to release music under his own name.
“Right now and for the past six months, I’ve been working on getting out singles and then releasing an album for the permanent record,” he said. “In my future, I’m hoping to become a real musician, tour, and play on stages.”
22 year old Lamar Walker is relatively new to the music scene. Walker has several songs released under the stage name “Lil L.A. Marz,” but only recently made his debut in front of a live audience.
“Last week at the open mic was the first time I performed in front of a crowd,” he said. “The adrenaline rush was amazing, I loved it.”
Throughout his entire life, Lamar Walker listened to music often and dreamt he’d be a star. He’s able to breathe the fantasy to life on the New Moon floor.
“As a child, I would go around listening to Michael Jackson and I thought I could be the next Michael Jackson,” he said.
Now, with the variety of genres incorporated into his original beats, Walker’s dream is making progress towards reality.
“I perform a blend of R&B, disco, and hip hop. I’ve made probably two hundred songs by now and sharing them with others makes me feel great and so accomplished. I haven’t sung any covers yet, but I definitely should in the future,” he said. “I just want to showcase my singing more, and create a community and fanbase here in Oshkosh.”
Oshkosh West senior Jake Christofferson attended the open mic night for the first time, and was pleasantly surprised by the wide range of talent and music genres.
“I’ve been enjoying it a lot, there’s a variety of different people here and it’s nice to have live music,” he said. “I think it’s really important to support local businesses and artists because building a sense of community is really important and supporting local people is how you grow relationships.”
As a passionate singer himself, Brent Grinwald stresses how important it is to give local artists the chance to grow their confidence in front of a crowd. Oshkosh may be a small town, but there are many people with big aspirations glowing inside of them.
“I think it’s important for us to have an outlet to express because our community has plenty of talent,” Grinwald said. “I think it’s a good place to test out new material, and self expression is oftentimes justification in itself.”
by Jazmine Blustin
Published May 20 2024
Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue VIII