Music

Javajazz: No java, no jazz, lots of rock

Coffee Grounds

By Shea Serrano 

Mike Leibovich is hanging upside down from the ceiling by his goddamn legs. O.S.H.A. would not be pleased.

The keyboard player for Sherwood, a California-based band signed to MySpace Records, Leibovich is keen to try pretty much anything onstage, but this rafter-swinging feat is a rare gem, and the situation must be ideal for him to perform it. A venue with actual rafters helps, too.

"The crowd was awesome tonight, I thought we'd give 'em something in return," says Leibovich in between signing autographs and posing for compromising pictures amidst a crowd of teenage girls. "And this place has rafters — that's kinda important."

Sherwood is just one of many nationally touring acts that Javajazz (2502 F.M. 1960 East) has brought to Houston. Others include Delilah-loving Chicagoans Plain White T's, soft-core punk band From First to Last and the surprisingly sexual Say Anything.

Tennessee pop-punks Paramore, recent Grammy nominees for Best New Artist, have also visited the concrete-floored establishment with black-and-white ceiling tile. The fire marshal, Javajazz discovered, is apparently a fan.

"[The show] was oversold, over capacity, and it was so hot girls were passing out," says owner Linda Sporkin. "The fire marshal came. There were maybe 20 cop cars and I don't know how many ambulances. They said it looked like a war zone. We were shut down for two [or] three months."

Shut down? Yes, sort of, but nowhere near that long. Javajazz really only shut down — as in closed completely — for about a week, explains Sporkin. She and her son decided to move the music outside to an adjoining courtyard while the necessary construction upgrades were made inside.

That type of ingenuity dates back to Javajazz's inception. Like most rock concert halls, it opened in 2001 as a coffeehouse and antique shop in Old Town Spring. When one band's performance inside the coffeehouse drew a crowd of more than 100 kids, Sporkin's son decided a change might be in order.

"The band showed up, moved all the antiques to a little place that we had, all these kids showed up and my son said, 'We're in the wrong business,'" she recalls. "It just evolved from there."

Still an alcohol-free establishment geared toward supplying younger rock lovers with an intimate viewing experience, Javajazz's September 2006 move to its current location more than quadrupled its size; the venue went from 900 square feet and a makeshift stage to nearly 4,000 square feet and a spacious 16-by-32-foot stage.

Javajazz also lacks an official dress code, although showing up in something other than a snug T-shirt referencing some early-'90s TV show, an even snugger pair of Levis and hair in your face is sure to draw a "pff, whatev" look from the young crowd.

But other than its cool-kid dress code, Javajazz's vibe is less cliquey than that of most all-ages locales. It even has its own apparent farm system of employees.

"[Linda and I] probably know 50 percent of the kids that come here," says co-owner Mike Kelly. "Kenton [Luff] is our general manager. He used to be a regular here. A lot of the kids volunteer to help out and eventually become employees."

Scott Peele is another one. "I [already] work 60 hours a week as a hydraulic technician," he says. "I work here too just because I like to see the place open."

So basically, Javajazz is like Central Perk from Friends. Without the laugh track. And mainly for minors. And without food or coffee. And located in a strip center. And instead of one of those chalkboards with the special written on it, they spray paint upcoming show dates on the walls.

As a matter of fact, let's just scrap the Central Perk reference altogether. Last Call

Some people are not meant for greatness — sorry, that's just a fact of life. But as a member of the mediocrity guild, Nightfly is always willing to assist his fellow C-minus­ citizens. This week, one of our own — Monica the Merch Girl, with three years experience hawking T-shirts and such for Oakland-based Sherwood tourmates the Matches — agreed to share three tips on how to attach yourself to a popular band without any real work: Work their merch booth.

1. You need a strong upper body. Those muscles will help you lug around both the boxes of merchandise and your parents' disappointment.

2. Don't hook up with the band. Unless they are totally hot, or totally famous.

3. Don't be too attached to showering. This will also help with the previous tip.

See if you can attach yourself to an up-and-coming band at one of these live-music venues: Last Concert Café (1403 Nance) — Hook up with a band and score some bomb-ass enchiladas; Sam's Concert Pub (5636 Richmond) — Just be sure not to latch onto a cover band because, well, they're a cover band; Walter's on Washington (4215 Washington) — Do not park in the wrong parking lot. They will tow your shit. Bitches.