Mic Dropped from p15 Tatsch was a regular at Opening Bell Coffee before moving to Austin. He produced Jack- son’s Goodnight Moon and is set to produce Jackson’s impending album, one that has been in the works for eight years. As he did with Owen, Jackson has brokered introductions be- tween Tatsch and other promising artists who have come through Opening Bell’s doors. Tatsch has also produced works for Cameron Matthew Ray and country star Maren Morris. And while Jackson’s health problems, which he keeps private, were a prominent factor in his decision to step down, it was the loss of camaraderie that came with Tuesday night’s crowd that ultimately prompted Jackson to quit. “We lost a lot of our regulars,” Jackson says. “We went from being a juggernaut of an open mic, where nobody could knock us down, to basically just another piss-ant open mic.” After the pandemic lockdown in 2020, Opening Bell Coffee was forced to adjust its store hours to remain viable. That meant closing earlier and moving the open mics to Saturdays. For over a year, Jackson lobbied for the open mic to return to Tuesdays. The Satur- day events, which were meant to be tempo- rary, proved to be too much on his body and meant giving up carpentry jobs he did on the weekends. He estimates a $300 loss in pay every Saturday he would host. “[Hall] was timid, to say the least, about going back to Tuesday nights,” Jackson says. “When she went back to Thursday nights ... I was a little less enchanted. When I con- fronted her about it, she said we may never bring Tuesdays back.” For Hall, Saturdays are fine. Considering Opening Bell is an all-ages venue, the after- noon event works well for parents and chil- dren. She says the artist time slots continue to fill. “Tuesdays were popular before the pan- demic and we attempted going back to Tuesdays for a solid month and people just didn’t come out,” Hall writes in an email to the Observer. “It’s been a very rough two and a half years with this pandemic, and we changed our hours so many times trying to find a good balance. It didn’t make sense to open late on Tuesdays when we close at 3 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.” Jackson’s impact goes beyond the base- ment of the old Sears Roebuck building. As the self-proclaimed Simon Cowell of Dallas music, he spread an invaluable wealth of knowledge that has launched careers and steered artists in the right direction. Dallas indie pop artist Remy Reilly visited Opening Bell with her father for the first time at the age of 13. Like many other par- ents of aspiring artists, Reilly’s father knew Opening Bell’s open mics were a safe place to introduce children to the music scene, where they could receive constructive criti- cism and sharpen their skills. Most young artists are nervous about performing. Jackson calms their fears by welcoming them to the “family” and making sure the audience cheers. Jackson spotted a star when he hosted 16 2 Reilly for her first open mic. He knew she was going to “be something,” he says. Mike Brooks By 14, she was a regular, even having a birthday show at Opening Bell. Reilly recently played her first interna- tional show, and she credits Jackson for in- stilling lessons that have guided her development. “He would say don’t change for other people, and he said that for anything, not even just music, but also friendships, rela- tionships, anything, just always stay true to you,” Reilly says. Reilly’s father, John Nicholson, chimed in on the Facebook comments under Jack- son’s parting note. He fondly recalled Jack- son’s “sour disposition” and the tongue-in-cheek teasing he and Reilly gave Jackson for his surly tendencies. That dispo- sition, however, melts away as soon as the host warms up to newcomers. “People he liked, he would kind of harass — he would do that to me on the regular, and I would chase him off,” says singer-song- writer David Crandall. “One day, he came up and did that and I said, ‘That’s it!’ I grabbed him and threw him on the ground and kind of roughed him up a little bit. It happened to be right around his 50th birthday. After that, every birthday, he would tell the story to anyone who would listen, that I beat him up on his 50th birthday.” Jennie Samuell, known musically as Phoenix Hart, has been touched by Jack- Carson Lewis (above) performs at an open mic night at Opening Bell Coffee, which has hosted some of the area’s most talented artists. son’s influence in more ways than one. Jack- son is a guiding influence in her worship ministry at The Parks Church in McKinney. As a mother of four, Samuell appreciates Jackson’s mentoring of young artists and credits him for raising her — musically speak- ing — along with artists such as Glitter and singer-songwriters Josh Cooley and Emme- line Miles. Jackson gave Miles her first show at Opening Bell alongside Samuell, Cooley, Meredith Dodds and himself. Miles remem- bers that experience was life-altering. “It was like someone had set the forest on fire,” Miles says. “All of a sudden, I knew ex- actly where I needed to go and exactly who I thought I was and exactly what I was meant to be doing.” For Miles, it was the caliber of the audi- ence that cemented her future. The patrons of Opening Bell were singers, songwriters and artists who shared their vulnerability, refined their craft and celebrated together. Music was the unifying force; Opening Bell was their home; and Jackson was the foun- dation that kept them all steady. “He’s been the father of the musical com- munity at Opening Bell,” Miles says. “Every- Mike Brooks one knows him, and he knows everybody. He makes those connections.” Today, Miles teaches music to adoles- cents. Until recently she frequented the open mics with her students to watch the man who ignited her musical passion and to present them with the same opportunity that catapulted her career. She knows that for Jackson, “Everybody’s talent is valid, ev- eryone’s song is valid” and respect is a must. Through her podcast Journey of a Song, Miles wants to continue building a commu- nity centered on songwriting. Jackson was her first invited guest. It wasn’t only new artists whose sound evolved thanks to Opening Bell’s open mic. “It changed my style more than any- thing,” Jackson said on the podcast. He di- verted from jazz to folk under the influence of Opening Bell regulars. The shift would produce his most celebrated work. “Some bands who I respect tremen- dously in the music business around here said that that song ‘Goodnight Moon’ was the best song they’d ever heard by a Dallas songwriter,” Jackson says. An Opening Bell barista was the muse for “Goodnight Moon,” the single. The song be- gan as a melody that rang out on the stage as Jackson plucked his guitar during down time. “That sounds like a lullaby,” Jackson re- members her saying. Their many late-night conversations would find their way into Jack- son’s 12 meticulous drafts of lyrics for the tune The song debuted, unbeknownst to the au- dience, on Opening Bell’s stage one evening. Eight years after its release, during the days of lockdowns, Jackson says he submit- ted the song to the Dallas Songwriters Asso- ciation. In January 2021, they awarded first place to “Goodnight Moon” in the singer- songwriter category. “I think it’s my best yet,” Jackson says. “Now I have to try to top that in the back of my mind, and that’s my problem. My dedica- tion to open mic put all my stuff on the back burner, so I could put everybody else on the front.” Tracks are laid out for an upcoming al- bum. They have been, for years. A bout of writer’s block has kept them from seeing the light of day for eight years. “His dedication to it [open mics] has sometimes led to a bit of a writer’s block,” Tatsch says of Jackson. “Hopefully, we can finish this record now that he can focus more fully on it, but it’s all just kind of gonna be in his time and what he wants to do.” The focus is now inward. Jackson is pri- oritizing finishing his album. “What I do is write. I’m not going to be a performer. I’m not pretty enough, too old, and my music is meant for a generation that’s dying,” Jackson says while chuckling. Hall plans to continue the open mics as scheduled on Saturday afternoons. Antici- pated rotating hosts including Kristy Kru- ger, John Lefler, Septien Entertainment, Emmeline Miles and others. “He’s built something bigger than himself that will last long after he has stepped down,” Miles says. “He’s instilled in all of us those val- ues of community and encouragement so that we can continue to pass that on. That doesn’t have to die with Steve stepping down. That’s something we can all continue to do for each other and for the music industry as a whole.” MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 AUGUST 18–24, 2022 DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | MOVIES | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | SCHUTZE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS dallasobserver.comdallasobserver.com
