Local musician and writer Jacqueline Routh (pictured) is convinced the local music scene is on the verge of something big.
“I think there is a potentially historic scene of musicians who are right here,” she said. “And 10 or 15 years from now, people are going to look back and say, ’Holy sh—t, all these people are from Long Island?’”
There’s just one problem, as she and friend James Skidmore see it.
“There’s limited options to hear this music for people who don’t drink or party at night,” Routh said. “Or just have young kids and can’t really go out.”
Now Routh and Skidmore, who both write music columns for greaterpatchogue.com, are teaming up to use the perpetually crowded Toast Coffeehouse to showcase what’s going on in the local music scene.
Every Wednesday, Toast will only be playing music from artists in Suffolk and Nassau counties, and perhaps some Brooklyn and Queens, through its speakers.
The tracks will play through the entire day at Toast, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
[Editor’s note: This is not live music, at least not yet.]
“I can’t think of any other place that’s ever done anything like this,” said Skidmore, who spent well over a decade booking acts at Brickhouse Brewery before taking over as the Toast GM earlier this year.
There will also be a featured artist each Wednesday.
This week Toast is featuring Quarter Horse, along with Bryan Gallo and his christmas album, Santa Songs, because of the holidays.
“Maybe their songs will play a bit more often than the others,” Skidmore said.
Routh has already created the playlists, and is reaching out to other local acts about featuring them.
“They’re really excited,” she said. “And Toast has that organic crowd any day of the week, so this makes it easier for a different demographic of people to hear what ’s going on. And, it’s not a bar. The nighttime stuff isn’t for everyone so people are being excluded, even if it’s not intentional.”
Routh will be hosting on Wednesdays at the breakfast and lunch spot, and working to help spread the word about the musicians, either by informing diners who might inquire, or display some CD’s or concert posters.
They will also continue to showcase local talent through greaterpatchogue.com, where Skidmore writes the Criminal Records column and Routh authors In Tune.
The music columns appear on a semi regular basis.
