IF YOU SING:What: Open Mic NightWhere: Funk ‘n WafflesWhen: Wednesdays at 8 p.m.To register: E-mail showcase.fnw@gmail.com

It’s the oldest act around – just a guy and his guitar.

Last night, local venue Funk ‘n Waffles held an acoustic showcase, which featured The Traditional Ensemble from Onondaga Community College and Jonathan Stark, a singer -songwriter from Syracuse University.

The showcase was hosted by Larry Hoyt, a local folk singer and songwriter who hosts ‘Common Threads,’ a radio program on WAER that features traditional folk music. Hoyt also opened the show.

‘Folk and acoustic music is really kind of hidden in society,’ Hoyt said. ‘I’ve always been a big support of that kind of music, especially being a songwriter myself.’

Hoyt kicked the night off with two Bob Dylan covers, in honor of Dylan’s performance this Monday at the War Memorial at OnCenter. He played the popular tunes ‘On A Night Like This’ and ‘Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You.’

‘I like Dylan’s songs because he paints a picture,’ Hoyt told the crowd. ‘You can visualize what’s going on.’

The audience was appreciative of the familiar songs. Some sang along with Hoyt.

Hoyt’s deep, booming voice sounded nothing like Dylan, but he put a new, twangy twist on the 1970s folk hits.

After Hoyt played some original material, which sounded much in the vein of traditional country and folk music, The Traditional Ensemble from OCC took the stage.

The Traditional Ensemble consists of 10 students from the community college in Syracuse, who rotate show to show. At last night’s incarnation, there were three members present, who played mainly cover songs of old bluegrass hits.

‘We have some original songs, mostly covers,’ said Pete Hawley, a student at OCC and leader of The Traditional Ensemble. ‘But everything we play pretty much has that old bluegrass sound.’

The trio, rounded out by Jason Borisoff and Jeff Bouck also from OCC, started their set with a spirited cover of Woody Guthrie’s ‘Wreck of the Old ’97,’ complete with a mandolin solo by Borisoff.

The Traditional Ensemble’s set segued from frenzied country songs like crowd-favorite ‘Garbage,’ originally by Pete Seeger, to more down-tempo songs, like an acoustic rendition of Grateful Dead’s ‘Friend of the Devil.’

‘I liked ‘Wreck of the (Old) ’97,” said John Gleason, a Syracuse resident. ‘I like the acoustic experience. I like the changes that happen when they’re playing live.’

The Traditional Ensemble was at its best when playing slow, acoustic folk ballads that showcased Hawley’s made-for-twang vocals.

Bouck’s upright bass added an organic sound to the group while Borisoff’s mandolin gave the songs a little extra bluegrass sound.

Hawley formed The Traditional Ensemble simply by playing his guitar in a hallway at OCC. Gradually people joined him in playing, and now the group has a practice room and plays every Monday.

‘The group is made of groups of people who can play well, people who have been classically trained and people who have no experience,’ Hawley said. ‘We had a guy join who just started learning to play the ukulele, and he’s learning with us.’

Borisoff, who is also in the bluegrass group Boots ‘n Shorts, also was playing his guitar in a hallway when Hawley wandered in and began to play the harmonica.

‘We just kept playing, and here we are,’ Borisoff said.

After The Traditional Ensemble came Stark, a junior music industry major at SU.

Stark played to an audience of family and friends, many supports from the marching band, where Stark is the drum major.

Opening his set was the classic cover song ‘Yesterday,’ which suited Stark’s deep, soft-spoken voice.

Stark also played standard cover song ‘Layla’ by Eric Clapton. He was joined by SU sophomore Peter Fenger on the bongo drum, which added a new twist to an old favorite.

Between cover songs, Stark also showcased some of his original material, including heartfelt acoustic ballads that Stark sung passionately. He introduced ‘3,000 Miles,’ a song about a relationship between a girl and a soldier in Iraq.

‘I love his lyrics,’ said Laura Bialek, a freshman elementary education major. ‘They’re lyrics you can relate to, that everyday people can relate to.’

Stark and Fenger played an upbeat rendition of Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ and closed the set with crowd favorite ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ by Johnny Cash.

‘I’ve seen him play downtown a bunch of times, (and) I like his style,’ said Ashley Smith, a sophomore music education major. ‘I like his originals; he writes really clever and cute lyrics.’

Stark’s voice began to fade as his set ended and was met with loud applause. Hoyt closed out the show with an original song and another Johnny Cash cover, ‘Ring of Fire.’

Though the crowds were small, the intimate environment lent itself well to the acoustic style of the musicians, all who were clearly passionate about the music they played.

The no-frills acoustic tradition rang true as Hawley sang Johnny Cash’s old words: ‘I’m just a singer of songs.’

Published on October 4, 2007 at 12:00 pm