"I sum up my music as snap tappin’ folk pop," John Sontag said last week. "That doesn’t really work, but that’s what I use."
The snap tappin’ Hoboken-based singer/songwriter – who also uses the term "adult contemporary" to describe his sound – is currently hosting two evenings a week of acoustic music entitled "Coffee Table Music" at Park Pastries in Hoboken. On Wednesdays, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., the quiet coffee shop turns into an open mic establishment as Sontag invites fellow singer/songwriters to share the stage. On Fridays, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m., Sontag schedules a series of acts.
"There is no sound system, which has made it quite interesting for some people," Sontag said. "You have to compete with the cappuccino machine."
To allay any potential interference, Sontag asks the counter clerks to bang the coffee grinds in time with the music.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Sontag, a singer/songwriter who has been compared to Neil Young, Kris Kristoferson and David Crosby – "It’s all because of the vocals. I’m a tenor." – moved to Hoboken 12 years ago.
"I moved here because of ‘Kitchen Table Music,’" he said. "’Kitchen Table Music’ was an open mic night hosted by Tom Vincent from the Big Galoots, which used to take place at Live Tonight, which is now the Whiskey Bar. I had met Tom at another open mic and he invited me to play his, and that’s why I moved here. I always say, ‘I was invited to Hoboken by Tom Vincent.’"
Since living in Hoboken, Sontag has released a CD entitled One More Midnight, performed locally at Maxwell’s and the Goldhawk, and opened for major talents like Lowen & Navarro, Aztec Two-Step and Richie Havens in New York City.
Back in the early ’90s, when Park Pastries was located on Park and Eighth streets, Sontag used to perform at the restaurant Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons. In early February, Sontag began the series again. Along with his gig at Park Pastries, Sontag also hosts a songwriter’s open mic night at downtown in Manhattan.
"With bars, it’s a lot of hit and miss," he said. "Sometimes it can be really loud. [The customers] have a beer and get out of hand."
Of course, performing at Park Pastries has its own complications. To triumph over the cappuccino machine, Sontag is looking into some kind of small sound system.
"We like the charm of the place and the intimacy," he said. "But we’re looking into something very small to help with the sound reinforcement situation."
And according to Sontag, business is starting to pick up.
"So far, most of the people who have come out are old acquaintances of mine, working their craft," he said. (Like, for instance, Tom Vincent, who performed on March 1.) "But I’ve already had one guy come form England," he added. "So the word’s getting out." q
Park Pastries (517 Washington St., Hoboken) is hosting its Coffee Table Music Series on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., and Fridays from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. For more information call (201) 830-1020.