With lights shining and more artists going up to show their talent, Redwood Café was hustling and bustling with busy lines and a hectic atmosphere.  Redwood Café is a place that serves food, drinks and has many different forms of entertainment throughout their hours.  Open Mic night is held at Redwood Café every Thursday where people of any age could perform poetry, singing or a comedy act.

Open Mic performances start at 7 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. while signups start at 6:30 p.m., and the host, Rob Goddu, announced the lineup from those who had signed up.  Goddu started the set by playing a few of his songs, and then announced who will play next.

“Usually, its families and the dinner crowd between 7 and 8 which just create background noise, but the actual crowd that enjoys the music shows up around 8 and 8:30,” said Rob Goddu, the host at Redwood Café’s Open Mic Night and Sonoma State student.  

Goddu has been performing at Redwood Café for the past year, ever since the Northlight’s Café closed and moved to another location in Rohnert Park.  Redwood Café has been hosting Open Mic night every Thursday for about two years, when new management had taken over the café.  Redwood Café loves to support local bands and artists who are aspiring to grow or those who just love to perform.

Redwood Café has an assortment of food and flavor.   With breakfast served all day and a plethora of waffles and coffee.  Redwood Café draws in a diverse crowd of customers, with the younger generations and older generations enjoying the delicious food and the assortment of beverages being served.  For those under the legal drinking age of 21, Redwood Café has many drinking options such as a variety of juices, coffee flavored drinks and smoothies.  For those 21 or older, Redwood Café has many different beer and wine options for those who like to drink spirits. 

“In about two years, I will be touring around Europe to play [my music],” said Justin Brown, a regular at Redwood Café.  A New Jersey native, who moved to Santa Rosa a little over two years ago, has been going to Open Mic night at Redwood Café for the past year.  Justin Brown performed for the first time in a year tonight and the crowd loved him.  Brown is a singer/songwriter and loves to perform John Mayor and Motown types of music.  Brown also has a job building acoustic guitars at a store in Windsor.  

Redwood Café is known to be more of a local hangout during summer time where one can enjoy spectacular food and stellar performances and entertainment. When all of Sonoma State’s students come back for school in the Fall and in the Spring, it becomes more of a student’s lounge and coffee shop.  “The atmosphere depends on which crowd is around and what season it is,” said Goddu.  

Redwood Café does more than just have open mic nights every Thursday. Almost every other day of the week a local band or artist will perform for free or for a small price.  

On one Tuesday of every month, Redwood hosts a poetry slam for women, where women can read their own poetry or others.  Redwood Café has many different types of activities that are held there such as, belly dancing, bands, art shows and more.