Monday, Apr. 14, 2008

Good Art, Good Music and Good Coffee

By Bethany Lee

This Nor Cal musician is bringing both art and sounds to the Richland music scene.

Manager of the Hardback Cafe inside of the Richland Hastings, Jessie Beverly is doing amazing things at the age of 23.

After becoming the manager of the three-year-old store, she began bringing together local artists and musicians in a weekly showcase called Art Sounds.

Every week a local artist comes in and posts their artwork. Local and neighboring musicians come in and perform on occasion, drawing in big crowds at the Hardback Cafe.

"I'm originally from California, and where I'm from, local art and music is a huge thing," Beverly explained. "It's kind of like a mini-Seattle where I'm from, so it's always coffee, art and music that's going on."

Local artists that have graced the Cafe walls include Jordan Chaney, who paints portraits of celebrities, and Judy Adams, who paints with watercolors. Visitors can currently take a look at Chaney's work, which is on display this week.

Musicians that have passed through are Garage Voices, Joe Smart and From the Dust.

Plenty of folk singers have taken the mic here, but the place dabbles from anywhere between acoustic to rock. 45th Parallel has been known to frequent the venue.

"My goal is to reach not just the younger crowd of people but also the older generation, too," Beverly said.

Upcoming shows involve Amy Blue from Portland, Ore., Garage Voice from Seattle, and Songs For Sleepers from Richland.

Drawing in a full house every weekend has gained them some notoriety and given coffee houses some credibility once more.

Beverly's special talent that is sure to get their place buzzing is her Latte art, a crafty ability where she creates designs on top of the espresso-based drinks, giving it some flair. She hopes to train the rest of her staff to do this in order to give the Cafe a distinguishing signature.

Soon, the Kennewick Hastings will be jumping on board as well and begin promoting the local art and music scene. Beverly is in the works with them to start bringing in photographers and artists, and hopefully showcase a couple solo artists and bands.

Starting at the end of April, 2008, the Cafe will begin hosting local "Celebrity" visits, where they will bring in special guests from the Tri-Cities and have them learn about coffee and raise money to donate at the end of the day to the charity of their choice. This gives local "celebrities" a chance to give back to the Tri-Cities and get to know their fans and community.

With the power of one, Beverly has turned Hardback Cafe into a well-known art and music venue within a year. Fans of the unconventional hot spot can expect bigger and better things ahead. Just when coffee houses were getting a little pretentious, Hardback Cafe proves that good coffee, good music and good art never goes out of style if done properly.

Artists and musicians may pick up an application to showcase their talent at the Cafe, or on their MySpace.