Pete’s Candy Store is a bar and concert venue in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. Originally starting as a lunch counter and as the name suggests, a candy store, the bar has now become a staple for anyone from hobbyist musicians to up and coming songwriters. The venue, having a history in the neighborhood since the 60s, boasts the likes of bands like Lake Street Dive and Vampire Weekend performing inside their walls. Now, there are musicians of all ages attending events like open mic nights and songwriting brainstorming sessions.
There are always several characters that inhabit any open mic night. They represent the fabric of a community around the bar, but also at large. Here are a couple that came to Pete’s Candy Store on Sunday.
One of the first of the night, the Girl with Her Guitar captivated the audience with her confident and thoughtful voice paired with the string of her guitar. As the most confident of the night, she earned some of the loudest cheers.
The Swedish man on his “open mic night tour” was an artist that struck up a conversation with me after his song. He said that he was debuting his music at several bars across the northeast and was considering coming to the States. His song earned a respectable amount of attention, and scattered praise.
The Old Crooner captured the attention of the predominantly younger audience. He had a repartee with the host, who chastised him for bringing an instrument that he wasn’t allowed to bring. The croons of Willie Nelson seemed to possess him, as he repetitive sang about drugs in a motel.