Take one of Jax’s most diverse and talented artist communities, add one of Jax’s newest cafes and one host who has been shaken and stirred but is still standing, and you get the Singer Songwriter Spotlight
The community is 5 Points. The Cafe is Rain Dogs. The host is Dave Garrett.
Five Points is the point of convergence of Post St, Lomax St and Margaret St. with the iconic 5 Points flashing light in the center. You don’t stop if you’re on Park Street, except for pedestrians! With its eclectic and artistic residents, and a neighborhood of tags, murals, tattoo parlours, fashion boutiques, antiques stores and bars and bars. I realize I listed bars twice, this is 5 Points, stay with me. All of that goodness makes 5 Points one of the most concentrated commercial developments in Jacksonville, a title it has worn in true bohemian style since the great fire.
Rain Dogs. If you immediately think, Tom Waits, good on you!
“Inside a broken clock, splashing the wine with all the rain dogs
Taxi, we’d rather walk, huddle a doorway with the rain dogs
For I am a rain dog, too…”
That alone screams, perfect spot for an open mic. But I’ll add words from Co-owner, Christina Wagner, “A riverside cafe that celebrates our artists, musicians and visionaries while feeding your face with healthy local fare, brews and wines.”
Dave Garrett; Musician, US Army Veteran, one time homeless man with a story to tell, one he tells in his music. Dave is a gregarious man who wants to help others tell their stories with their music as well.
His desire to help others tell their stories, or rather, sing their stories, is what lead him to Ask Christina and Rain Dogs Co-owner, Ian Ranne about starting an open mic, a different kind of open mic, at Rain Dogs. An open mic where the spotlight is on the artist’s’ original songs rather than a cover of someone else’s.
Christina and Ian, realizing that their vision for Rain Fogs and Dave’s vision for the Singer Songwriter Spotlight complimented each other said, hell yeah!
The rest is history.
If you’ve been looking for a chill, laid back, welcoming environment to play or listen to original music, the Singer Songwriter Spotlight at Rain Dogs is the place you’ve been looking for.
Every Wednesday night, beginning 9 pm-ish, look for the sign up sheet.
Rain Dogs
1045 Park St
Jacksonville, Florida
(904) 379-4969