EVERETT – People are singing the blues on Hewitt Avenue.
And, oh man, that’s a good thing.
Every Wednesday, musicians of all types, from boogie-woogie to Chicago style, from Bayou-inspired to New York slick and polished, from acoustic to melodic metal, gather at Monahan’s Great Food and Spirits to take the stage and belt out the blues during an open amp jam session.
The result has been a packed house with high-caliber players like former world champion harmonica player Jim McLaughlin queuing up on a long list, waiting for a turn at the mic.
It’s worth the wait, for the players and the patrons. It’s like being in Pioneer Square in Seattle. Actually, it’s better – the music’s just as good, there’s no cover charge and no I-5 drive.
The blues have hit the Hewitt strip and it’s working.
“There really hasn’t been any good place for people to do an open mic in downtown Everett and this is kind of special,” said Willow Stone Freeland, a member of Monahan’s house band. “And you never know who is going to pop in. I’ve been amazed.”
One of those quality players who pops in is Mary McPage, of the Mary McPage Band.
McPage, who lives close enough to walk home, says she’s loves being behind the blues in Everett.
“It’s supporting local blues and supporting my neighborhood and both are important to me,” said McPage, “and playing the blues to people who really appreciate it.”
It’s an understatement that Mark Monahan is delighted about how the blues are being received on Hewitt.
“I’ve been told you can’t burn the blues in Everett. It ain’t going to work,” Monahan said. “That’s what made me do it. They said to me, ‘People are afraid of Hewitt.’ Blahdeblahblah. And now this place is packed on Wednesday night.”
Some of those people who told him he was crazy included his accountant and his lawyer. Don’t even think about it, they said. They warned that the prior establishment, which also had music, attracted a nasty clientele made up mostly of criminals and crackheads.
Monahan changed that, but not without a lot of muscle. He kicked the crackheads out, redid the second floor into a balcony and added a pool table. Then he ran the place for 30 days before closing on the deal.
Monahan, a savvy businessman who had formerly owned Saucy’s, a chain of 80 pizza stores throughout the mainland U.S. and Hawaii, wasn’t going into anything blind.
“You’ve got to nose around and do your research,” Monahan said. “This is not a dart-shooting thing.”
Monahan spoke recently during a break before the dinner rush. He gave a short tour of the changes he has made, talked about future changes and then pointed out his pride and joy: a $20,000 smoker.
Monahan, 53, who comes from a long line of Irish cooks, said even though the blues rock at his place, the food must, too. He chose to serve smoked meats -chicken, Louisiana hot links, ribs – combined with homemade cornbread from a family recipe, and potato salad.
The end package is that the food and blues turn out tasty and substantial.
“It’s not just that I have a business mind,” Monahan said. “I like people. I get a real rush when someone tells me the food is good.
“When you leave home for entertainment, you want the whole evening event. You want good food and good music. You don’t want a bad burger and greasy fries. Even if the blues are good.”
The blues are consistently that at Monahan’s. That’s because Monahan did something else right: He hired Willow Freeland, who plays harmonica, Paul Quilty on bass guitar, Mike Wright on regular guitar and Randy Miskulin on drums as the house band called Unbound.
Freeland and Quilty have been in the music scene for years and know lots of good players. They said the buzz is also out that Monahan is hiring good bands to play on the weekends, like the Mary McPage Band, and overall keeping the quality at a high pitch.
“It’s like the Phoenix rising out of the ashes,” Freeland said. “This is my community and I want to really help the community that supports and nourishes musical growth. It’s been a challenge, but it’s been a kick, too.”
Arts writer Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424 or goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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