The Rancho San Diego Open Mic is a small affair. Hidden away in the back room of the quaint restaurant, The Greek Sombrero, a number of musicians file in and out, shaking hands, sharing stories, and of course, playing music. It is in this unassuming place that some of San Diego’s hidden gems shine through.
For the past two months, the Rancho San Diego Open Mic has settled down at the Greek Sombrero. After losing a spot at a Starbucks, the Greek-Mexican restaurant opened its doors to the performers and they seem to have found a new home.
The Rancho San Diego Open Mic is a small affair. Hidden away in the back room of the quaint restaurant, The Greek Sombrero, a number of musicians file in and out, shaking hands, sharing stories, and of course, playing music. It is in this unassuming place that some of San Diego’s hidden gems shine through.
For the past two months, the Rancho San Diego Open Mic has settled down at the Greek Sombrero. After losing a spot at a Starbucks, the Greek-Mexican restaurant opened its doors to the performers and they seem to have found a new home.
The Greek Sombrero represents all the great qualities of the fine city we live in. The diverse culture is personified in the unique blend of Greek and Mexican foods. The laid back nature of the surf town is displayed in its cabana-esque rooms with low warm lighting. And the talent of the city is displayed in its patrons.
The Greek Sombrero is the perfect place for this group of musicians to showcase their talents and they welcome the quiet nature of the building. It allows their music to take center stage. And that is exactly what happened this past Saturday night.
Within the Rancho San Diego Open Mic community is a humble group of musicians who have developed some deep connections. A family.
These musicians are friendly and passionate. Unlike many coming up today, these people are not in it for the money; they play because they love the music.
One such musician is the quiet Tom Shaddox.
Within this building, his name carries weight. As the day progresses, people mutter and whisper about Shaddox’s incoming set as something to look out for. But Shaddox does not boast and blab. He is not one to showboat. He is an old-fashioned good ol’ boy. A true talent without any of the flair and swagger.
When Shaddox straps on the guitar and gets behind the microphone, he lets himself go and shows who he is.
Shaddox, a self-defined alt-country musician, is a singer-songwriter who performs throughout the East County. Shaddox has frequented the Rancho San Diego Open Mic on and off for the past three years and he finds the modest nature of the group welcoming.
“You meet a lot of nice people,” said Shaddox. “These people are mostly hobbyists. Nobody is serious enough to want to make a living at it, so it is just kind of fun.”
Music is nothing more than a relaxing way to pass the time for Shaddox, but it has become so embedded into his life that he could not imagine being without it.
“It’s something that I’ve done all my life. Sittin’ on the back porch or on the couch or with some friends. I’ve had two sons and both of them are musicians and we sit around on holidays and play music,” said Shaddox. “It’s just kind of a way of life, I guess. It’s something that I’m interested in just like somebody might be interested in car racing or duck hunting. For me, it’s the guitar.”
That passion showcased itself when Shaddox took the stage. Through covers of “Don’t Turn Out the Light” by Robert Earl Keen, “Once in a Very Blue Moon” by Nanci Griffth, and Chris Knight’s “Cry Lonely”, Shaddox displayed a true talent. Whether it was the effortless guitar playing or the perfect country qualities of his voice (one part Willie Nelson and one part Merle Haggard), Shaddox definitely lived up to the hype.
One of the highlights of his set was an original song based on the Jon Krakauer book, “Into the Wild”.
The song chronicles the story of Christopher McCandless, the protagonist who Shaddox describes as “a kid who just might have gone the wrong way”. Shaddox’s passion for the book came through in the performance.
“Did you think you were mother nature’s child?” sang Shaddox. “When you walked into the wild.”
Shaddox, like many of the other musicians at The Greek Sombrero, was quiet and humble in his demeanor, but when it came time to perform, the message was loud and clear. And that message read: Tom Shaddox, talent beyond compare.
His fellow musicians could not help but agree. Mike Mills, harmonica player, said that Shaddox is “a pleasure to listen to.”
Steve Wyrill, friend to Shaddox and fellow musician said that Shaddox is “one of the best singer-songwriters we have in this group.”
Teri Hoffman, coordinator of the open mic, echoed the sentiment saying he is one of her “favorite singer-songwriters of all time”, noting that he had not even brought his best work to the stage that Saturday night.
The Rancho San Diego Open Mic meets every Saturday from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Greek Sombrero.
