Karen Ponzio Photo
The Don’ts.
From the stage at Cafe Nine, Kriss Santala of the Don’ts looked out over the happy-hour crowd on Friday evening. “This is just so great,” she said from behind the mic. “We’re gonna do this every month from now on. Keep your eye out for it.”
Santala wasn’t just talking about the club’s weekly Friday evening show, but a practice since March of devoting one of those shows a month to female singer-songwriters in an event called Women in Music Happy Hour.
Every Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cafe Nine provides a few drink specials, a bit of food to enjoy — and a free show from 5 to 7 p.m. Santala bartends each week and often books the musical acts that play on the stage at that time. Occasionally she is a part of one of the acts herself. She sings solo with her guitar and with jazz bands; she’s also a member of La Tunda, The Hickups, and most recently, The Don’ts. It was at a showcase of female musicians during the happy hour on St. Patrick’s Day that Kriss played with some former bandmates and friends, and according to Santala, that night was “just so cool” that she decided to start a monthly female singer/songwriter event.
Friday’s Women in Music Happy Hour showcase featured The Don’ts, Kamryn Harmeling, and Donna Santala, and if the size of and responses from the crowd was any indication, this was the place to be to begin the holiday weekend.
Donna Santala (Kriss’s sister) began by expressing her gratitude for being a part of this “ladies’ night” and then launched into a request and a dedication, both of which garnered much applause and appreciation, as did her next song, a Lucinda Williams cover. She was joined on the following song by Barbara Shepard, a member of The Don’ts, and on the song after that by Shepard as well as sister Kriss. The threesome sang “I’m Always Amazed,” a song Donna said she wrote “a long time ago”, though it sounded fresh and timely as harmonized by these three. Donna’s singing and guitar style was reminiscent of the folk singers of the late ‘60s-early ‘70s, emitting a strength and passion for the music and the message.
Harmeling.
Kamryn Harmeling, a singer/songwriter based in NYC, had also performed at the first showcase in March. Her vocals and guitar playing were intimate and immediate as though she was bringing her music directly to each person there and revealing a secret with each song. The responses to her music were plenty and positive, people held enraptured by her raw and personal performance that cut through the chatter and noise of the ever-filling room. Harmeling mentioned that she is currently working on a new record she hopes to have out within the next month.
The Don’ts are a new band that includes three former members of The Who Whos, a band that played throughout New Haven in the ‘80s and ‘90s: Kriss Santala on vocals, Barbara Shepard on vocals, and Bruce Crowder on guitar. They were joined by Loralee Crowder on vocals, Shellye Valauskus on guitar, and Dave Hurd on bass. Shepard joked that they “haven’t had a lot of practice,” but based on the ongoing enthusiastic cheers of the near-capacity crowd and elation from the band members as they played, it appeared that these seasoned musicians knew exactly what they were doing and were enjoying it.
Even as the noise level of the bar grew, the band went from song to song with increased audience participation and response. Maracas and shakers were passed around to members of the crowd at one point, making the music an even larger and more involved group effort. At two different points musician-audience members played bongos with the band. Shepard’s banter with the audience confirmed that this was a crowd resplendent with colleagues and friends, all eager to cheer her and the band on. When they played their final song, “It Pays to Advertise,” it was clear that these musicians and old friends had endeared themselves to everyone with their three part harmonies, solid musicianship, and spirited personalities.
It was, as the Don’ts sang at the beginning of a three-day weekend, “a jolly time for a holiday.”
Cafe Nine’s Weekly Wind Down Happy Hour happens 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Friday, with a different musical act each week from 5 to 7 p.m., free admission, tips accepted and encouraged for the bands. See Cafe Nine’s schedule for more information. The next Women in Music Happy Hour features Kath Bloom, Terri Lynn, and Flo Ness.