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Friday,
November 15, 2002
Happy anniversary! Tin Angel celebrates decade in business
By CHUCK DARROW
Courier-Post Staff
In
the overall scheme of things, 10 years isn't a long time to the
portion of Second Street that runs through Philadelphia's historic
district. After all, the neighborhood's been a nightlife hub since
Colonial-era revelers traded King George III jokes over mugs of
ale at City Tavern.
But
in the context of contemporary nightclub entertainment, where
there are no guarantees a room will stay in business 10 weeks,
much less 10 years, a decade is significant. Which is why the
folks at the Tin Angel are spending this month marking the milestone
anniversary of their intimate "listening room."
Since
it opened at the dawn of the grunge era, the 115- seat space on
the second floor of the Serrano restaurant has gained a loyal
following among area music fans. They appreciate the Angel's cozy,
grown-up atmosphere as well as its booking policy, which has given
customers the chance to enjoy such artists as the late Laura Nyro,
Donovan and Richie Havens in an ultra-intimate setting.
"They
have the type of acts we like to see, singer- songwriters,"
says Lisa Santangelo, a 38-year-old saleswoman from Cherry Hill.
"It's very relaxed, very enjoyable. A great place to see
music."
Santangelo,
who has been to the club a handful of times, is the kind of person
Serrano co-owner Rich Machlin had in mind when he decided the
space could be a viable concert venue.
Machlin,
50, had grown weary of raucous rock 'n' roll clubs where he spent
what he felt was an inordinate amount of time worrying about having
beer spilled on him by tipsy patrons. He and Serrano co-owner,
Jude Erwin, "wanted a place people went and really listened
to the artist," he says. "It was intended to attract
(an older crowd) rather than the 23-year-old the Khyber Pass (a
neighboring rock club) would have."
The
partners also sought a musical concept that would mesh with their
upscale restaurant, which opened in 1985.
Initially,
says Machlin, his musical vision was somewhat more modest than
what it turned out to be. "I thought we'd have a local folk
performer up on the stage," he says.
But
that was before veteran Philadelphia music promoter Larry Goldfarb
was introduced to Machlin and Erwin. Goldfarb, 62, recognized
the space - a long, narrow rectangle - would be a perfect venue
for singer-songwriters who, at the time, were getting lost in
pop music's rush to embrace hip-hop and grunge.
"There
was a need for an intimate room with real good sound and a restaurant
downstairs that would give (people over 25) a real experience
they would enjoy."
Since
then, the Tin Angel - whose name is a pejorative term for folk
singers coined by a former roommate of Machlin's - has thrived
with its dinner-and-a-show formula. And it's become a favorite
of fans and those they come to see.
Cinnaminson
resident Chris Bleiholder, 36, enjoys the club's sophisticated-bar
ambience. "There's nobody barfing in the aisle, or getting
stupid drunk," he says.
However,
Bleiholder, adds, the room's coziness can sometimes work against
it.
"If
it's a standing-room-only audience, you're a little ` sardined'
in," he says. But other than that, it's really nice."
The
Tin Angel has also garnered plenty of fans among performers.
"(Club
manager) Hollace (Detweiler) and (sound engineer) George (Pierson)
are the `face' of the Tin Angel to me," says Tin Angel regular
Glenn Tilbrook, who co-founded the ' 70s British pop-rock band
Squeeze. "They've been consistently nice. The crowds have
always been very warm to me. It's quite a lovely room."
Local
folk-rock icon Kenn Kweder describes the Tin Angel as "one
of the few civilized rooms in Philadelphia. It's just first-class,
from the sound man to the (rest of) staff. It's a real pleasure
to work there."
If
you go
The
Tin Angel is at 20 S. Second St., Phila.
For
information and a schedule of upcoming shows call (215) 928-0770.
Reach
Chuck Darrow at (856) 486-2442 or cdarrow@courierpostonline.com
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