In 2000 Mikey's Coffeehouse in Poway, CA (a bedroom community just north of San Diego) was a going concern. It was run by a slightly hyper, 50-something fella named Mike who, for his love of people and music, worked from 7am to 7pm as an electrician, then came to his coffeehouse/performance space and worked from 7pm until 2 in the morning. He did this for 6 years, 6 days a week. But in October of 2000 word got out that if he couldn't come up with $7500 to pay off the balance of his start-up loan by the end of November, he'd have to close.
Joe Rathburn, a friend of Mike's and a singer-songwriter who played once a month at Mikey's, promised he'd help if he could. He promptly emailed his fan list explaining the situation and asking for donations to keep Mikey's open. He also asked his fellow San Diego area singer-songwriters to contribute a song apiece to a compilation CD that would be sold to benefit Mikey's.
Well, the short story is, the pledge drive was a success and the $7500 was raised in time! The doors were kept open. A wonderful CD was made and proceeds from sales went into an account to help in future financial concerns of Mikey's.
The success, however, was short lived. After only 6 months, Mikey's lease was up for renewal, and because of complaints from other tenants of the strip-mall where Mikey's was located, the landlords chose not to renew Mike's lease. This left Mike faced with moving to a new location or quitting. Due to pressing family matters, and the overwhelming costs of relocating, Mike chose to hang up his life as a barista/patron of the arts.
This brings us to the present and the remarkable CD that came from the Mikey's Coffeehouse experience.
During the 6 years Mikey's was open, it played host to a plethora of talented artists. Some were one shots, some who had regular nights at Mikey's, or those who came back for several performances over the years. They all felt at home in this community-oriented venue. It was a meeting place for AA, NA, PTA, ASPCA, BBB, loners, couples, students, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, aspiring singers, perspiring singers, inspiring singers, and every form of family entertainment imaginable.
Joe Rathburn picked from the cream of the singer-songwriters who passed through Mikey's for this CD. Their careers are more vital today than in 2000 when the CD was made. This is why, after Mikey's closed, Joe just couldn't let the CDs stay in storage, and why they're available to you now.
One of the original supporters and participants in the Mikey's coffeehouse experience was a man named Doug Millward. He was an integral part of the place, hosting an open mic night, performing (he being a fine fingerstyle guitarist) and being supportive of both the experienced and up and coming artists there; So much so, that a plaque was made and placed on the back wall of the stage, dedicating that stage in the name of Doug Millward for his selfless dedication to Mikey's.
In 2002 Doug was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and embarked on an extensive regimen of treatments including a bone marrow transplant. Doug lost the fight on June 14, 2003. All proceeds (after shipping & handling charges) from the CDBaby sales of this CD (it's exclusive outlet) go to benefit The City of Hope National Medical Center (www.cityofhope.org) for Cancer Treatment in memory of Doug.
If you've ever wondered what kind of talent there is in San Diego, or if you just love a CD chock full of great songs and artists, this one's for you.
Check out the list of the artists from the CD below, and then visit their websites. But, above all, buy this CD.
John Katchur - http://www.hiddenagendamusic.com/katchur/
Berkley Hart - http://www.berkleyhart.com/
Dave Beldock - http://www.woodenangelmusic.com/
Peggy Watson - http://peggywatsonsongs.com/
Peter Bolland - http://www.peterbolland.com/index.html
Jim Earp - http://www.guitar9.com/rosewood.html
Dave Howard - http://hiddenagendamusic.com/
Dani Carroll - http://www.danicarroll.com/
C.J. Hutchins - http://www.guitar9.com/guitarmusic9/outofthesehands.html
Dan Connor - http://www.danconnormusic.com/
Carlos Olmeda - http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Carlos_Olmeda/
Cici Porter - http://www.wholenessproject.com/archives/cat_amusic.shtml
Mesa Blue - http://sdam.com/artists/mesa.blue/
Sven Erik-Seaholm - http://www.kaspro.com/intro.html
Steve White - http://www.stevewhiteblues.com/
Eve Selis - http://eveselis.com/
Frank Williamson - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/5/frankwilliamsonmusic.htm
D.R. Auten - http://drauten.com/feature.htm
Joe Mersch - http://sdam.com/artists/joe.mersch/
Joe Rathburn - http://www.joerathburn.com
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