I was invited by Hipnosis Magazine to an event they called “Hipnotized – Art Showcase and Open Mic”. It took place at the RodeoRistra Lounge located at 230 Washington Street in Hoboken, NJ.
I walked in and said a few niceties to the girl at the door as she miscounted my change. Oh well, I figured the extra dollar could help to support this new endeavor. So I just smiled and walked down to the basement where the musical portion of the evening would be happening. Eugene was the host band for the evening. They were finishing up their first set as I walked in and they were in good form as usual. I recognized many of the on deck talent as being former regulars of the now defunct Liquid Lounge.
Fat cushions atop ottomans on wheels and candles added a sense of comfort not normally found in a Hoboken bar. Brick walls filled with interesting original photography and a steel girder laced with black light running through the center of the purple ceiling completed the picture. A few typically drunk Hoboken girls did manage to temporarily spoil some of the mood. They huddled around the little bar, drank Coors Light or Corona or some shit like that and sang N’Sync or Backstreet Boys or some shit like that and laughed while folks were trying to perform. After some hearty choruses of “shhhh!!” from the rest of the crowd, their jamboree came to a close.
During a short break between performances, I made my way back upstairs to check out the rest of the joint. I’ve been struggling to find a concise way in which to describe this place, but its eclectic design has made that refreshingly difficult. Normally a bar or club falls into a precise pigeonhole like ‘rustic’ or ‘modern’ or ‘art deco’. Not the Ristra however. It somehow has found a way to borrow from every one of those categories and then some without losing an ounce of charm or style. The overall design of the space works remarkably well with its animal skin partition near the entrance, modern sculpted bars topped with glass, American Gothic sandalwood chairs around tables dressed in white cloth, large red pulled taffy lanterns strung along the center of the a cobalt sky ceiling, Velcro white lights accent the edges, colorful glass tulips shined delicately above the main bar and heavy dark wood, brown leather sofas in the back lounge. All of this is housed in a beefy wood and brick structure.
I went back down to the basement to catch some of Eugene’s second set. When they finished, it looked as though all of the talent in the room had already done their thing and the night was winding down. But what happened next was something for which I’ve always had a craving. A few people, who had just come in from the cold for a cocktail, not knowing about the open mic, asked if they could perform. No contrived attitude and no expectations. They just got up and put themselves on the line for us to scrutinize. What followed was a delightfully chaotic string of a capella performances, poetry and humor.
Ever since the Liquid Lounge, once home to what was by far the best open mic night in the area, had changed ownership, I wondered whether anyone could take its place. The gang at Hipnosis is determined to keep alive the spirit and integrity of the original art and music scene in northern NJ. They were already off to a very good start with a decent track record of shows at other area clubs. However, I think that “Hipnotized – Art Showcase and Open Mic” may just prove to be their finest achievement. It combines this very impressive setting of the RodeoRistra with an open-minded spirit of creativity that is often lost in other venues. Keep up the good work guys.
