It’s around 8 o’clock on a Thursday evening, and Joe Stumpe has put together a casual evening of Bob Dylan songs.
It’s an open mic night at The Artichoke, a small bar near Broadway and Murdock. People have brought their instruments and are taking turns performing or jamming in larger groups.
“OK, how about ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,’ ” asks Stumpe, the editor of the Active Age and a well-known local musician. “We have some good singers out there. Nancy? JoAnne?”
By day, The Artichoke is a busy sandwich place with a downtown business crowd and a neighborhood, Irish bar atmosphere. But three or four evenings a week, it’s a place to hear local acoustic music, in a warm, cozy setting where the music is the main attraction.
“It's a listening room, and that's what I wanted,” says Uche Onwugbufor, who bought The Artichoke in 2019 along with Tracy Rutledge. “And, yeah, lunch was great, but the reason that I bought it was for the music.
“It's the first place I ever played as a musician. It's the first place that many of my friends ever played as a musician.”
You could do a lot worse for a first gig. The audience is friendly and there to listen … mostly. There’s food and a full bar after all.
In addition to jams and open mics, there are songwriter circles and concerts where long-time Wichita players perform old favorites and try out some new tunes. Someone in a band may try a solo performance or team up with other players from other genres.
Singer Nikki Moddelmog is currently joining forces with multi-instrumentalist Dennis Hardin and cellist Susan Mayo. LIke so many of the Artichoke’s acts, they all play in multiple configurations.
In the end, though, whether it’s folk songs, a Celtic band, bluegrass or original tunes, Hardin says the audience is always receptive.
“It's like playing a house concert and people do listen, and people are interactive,” he says. “I mean, we can joke, and we can talk back and forth, and it's just … the most relaxed gig around.”
Back at Thursday’s open mic, Stumpe finally has a group rounded up and ready to play. The booths and tables are full, and Onwugbufor is standing at the door with a smile
There are a lot of places to hear local musicians in Wichita – from church basements to quiet restaurants to noisy bars with loud bands and louder crowds. There’s something for everyone.
But if you’re looking for acoustic tunes and a homey, appreciative crowd, The Artichoke is worth a look.
