Open Mic Night: Chilmark Potluck Jam

West Tisbury's own Alex Karalekas has his shingles out again. That can only mean one thing: It's time for the singer-songwriting talent of this Island to come together in the big room of the for a Chilmark Potluck Jam.

Karalekas has a pretty solid line-up for this Saturday, April 2. According to him, "The new moon brings people out." And if that doesn't work, he's hoping to draw crowds with such well known names as Nina Violet, Isaac Taylor, Phil Da Rosa, Milo Silva, Eric Leuning, Adam Lipsky, Jelly Bone Rivers, Gregg Harcourt, Mary Wolverton, Karalekas himself and many more. He's also added some new names to the Potluck Jam scene, such as Tom and Ella Buchert, Steve Hart, Walter Malsch, Jason Nichols and Keao Flux.

The Potluck Jams were started by Karalekas and friends back in 2007, and have been a regular Chilmark event ever since. They've featured some legendary performances, as well as some legendary eats. "Tommy O always brought a full bushel full of West Tisbury oysters," said Karalekas, referring to Tom Osmers, who passed away last May and was a regular attendee of the potluck.

Over the past four years, the potluck has ebbed and flowed from a standing-room-only crowd to just a few dedicated fans and back again. According to Karalekas, losing people like Maynard Silva, the Vineyard's own legendary blues guitarist and a regular potluck supporter, who died in 2008, and Osmers were tough on this core group of performers.

"We all felt pretty rocked and shocked when Maynard and then Tommy passed away," said Karalekas. "It was a young event already and they were our elders. It took a lot of the wind out of our sails."

But that wasn't enough to stop Karalekas from continuing to gather as many musicians as he could every few months.

We managed to grab him between his tireless travels around the Island confirming with artists and putting up his legendary shingle posters to find out what makes him work so hard for another Chilmark Potluck Jam.

What is special about the Chilmark Potluck Jams?

They’re free and give all local artists, unsigned or signed, a chance to play and be heard, with a great sound system and a great acoustic environment.

What type of music do people usually play?

There’s a two-song limit. It’s generally a folk thing and we get a lot of blues mixed in. It’s a singer-songwriter type of showcase.

Have there ever been any surprise performances?

Kate Taylor’s come and performed at a lot of the jams, and Willy Mason comes when he’s here. You kind of never know who is going to show up. You’re definitely going to see the folks on the list, but there are always four to five people who show up and ask to play, and I usually don’t say no.

What is one of the strangest things that has ever happened at a potluck?

I guess Milo [Silva]. Milo every time he plays.

What is one of your favorite potluck memories?

Probably early on when we first started and we couldn’t believe how many people came out. The more people that come, the more motivated I am to do it again.

What kinds of food do people usually bring to the potluck?

The food is always super good. All the best dishes usually make it up there and it’s always great, healthy stuff.

What songs will you be performing?

I feel like I’ve evolved enough that I’d play my songs in front of anybody these days, and I haven’t always felt that way. I’m probably going to perform all new music, stuff that hasn’t been heard yet. I got a good burst of writing done in that last little bit of spring we had.

Do people dance?

People sometimes dance. But for the most time it’s pretty acoustic. When Ballywhoo was doing their thing, people danced. Keao Flux plays electronic music, so we’ll see what happens with him.

Why do you think it’s important to keep having these potlucks?

It's a labor of love, really. I’m trying to give the Island singer/songwriter a place, keep the community alive and get everybody together. We can’t just make bonfires and get together down dirt roads anymore like we used to.

If someone wants to sign up to perform, what do they do?

Friend me on Facebook. Showing up is good, but it’s always a curveball, especially with a long list like the one we’ve got for this show.

For those who’ve never been to one of these, what should they expect?

Come expecting a display of local songwriting with a vast array of taste. Generally it’s a broken-down, acoustic, pure, bare-bones version of song. It’s lots of yummy free food and typically good, mellow people.

The Chilmark Potluck Jam takes place at the Chilmark Community Center on Saturday, April 2 from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Admission is free with a dish. Donations are welcome.