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<\/a>Greg Theilmann \u2014 frequent performer and multi-instrumentalist in local indie pop band Hills Like Elephants, among others \u2014 summed up the allure of the increasingly popular destination for Monday night live music: \u201cThere is, simply put, nothing else like it in San Diego.\u201d<\/p>\n
He may be right. To truly understand its Country Club, we need to take a look at the Tin Can itself. Over the past few years, the place has established its role in the city\u2019s music scene with its nightly lineups mixed of local bands and out-of-town acts; musicians that either love the intimacy of smaller rooms, haven\u2019t made the leap to larger stages just yet, or simply enjoy drinking craft beer out of cans in a fun, inviting setting \u2014 perhaps all three. Whatever the reason, performers and audience members alike check their egos at the door. The place honestly just ain\u2019t big enough.<\/p>\n
When Patrick Conway and Justin Rodriguez bought the Tin Can in late 2011, they wanted to do something special on Monday nights. Before that point, they were both part of a small group of San Diego musicians who made up the original \u201cCountry Club,\u201d a motley crew of friends playing in each other\u2019s back yards and front porches. Two years ago, the owners decided to bring the party to the stage, along with a $2 whiskey shot special.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe came up with the format \u2026 and just rolled the dice,\u201d Conway recalled. \u201cBack then, it didn\u2019t seem like there were too many of us interested in classic country and folk music. I remember River City, Golden Red, Silverbird, The Western Set, John Meeks, The Silent Comedy, Blackout Party and a handful of others playing music rooted in that style, so those were the people we reached out to first \u2026 it really gained popularity through word-of-mouth, with minimal promotion on our end, and organically became what it is today.\u201d<\/p>\n With more than 25 regulars now, the club may have grown in membership, but the ideology remains the same: Artists rotate on and off the stage, share one microphone, one acoustic guitar and play their hearts out. To close out each night, players form a song circle onstage for a celebratory group sendoff. However, to troubadours hoping to just walk in one night and take the stage by storm: Expect to pay your dues.<\/p>\n \u201cThe [Tin Can Country Club] is not an open mic,\u201d Conway explained. \u201cIt\u2019s genre-specific \u2014 we\u2019re not about elitism, just preserving the integrity of what we\u2019re doing.\u00a0 Most nights, performance priority goes to the Country Club members who have been coming regularly for the longest. We put new performers onstage during the Showcase night, which is the last Monday of every month. If someone is interested in what we\u2019re doing, the best thing to do is just show up a few times and check it out, but don\u2019t expect to get onstage your first night.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to first-timers, Theilmann implores them to keep it real: \u201cThe kind of modern music that people refer to as \u2018country\u2019 and \u2018folk\u2019 are not really played there. You know, pop country \u2014 Mumford and Bums \u2014 that music is played to appeal to the widest audience possible. People can play whatever they want \u2026 but if you sing about drinking hazelnut lattes and feeling sad that the barista hasn\u2019t accepted your Facebook friend request, you will most likely not get back onstage.\u201d<\/p>\n Lovelorn millenials aside, the performers involved week in and week out nab a nifty reward for continually contributing in the form of a freshly pressed slab of wax. To ring in the yearly anniversary of the club\u2019s existence, Conway books time on the Tin Can dime at Citizen Studios in La Mesa and with the help of engineer\/producer Daniel Crawford (guitarist in local alt-country band Blackout Party, and also a club regular), records a collection of songs performed by various Country Club members. Last year, the album sold out. This year, they\u2019re currently on sale at the venue (and come with a digital download card to boot).<\/p>\n![\"Greg](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Greg-Theilmann-at-the-TCCCweb-e1412962814445.jpg\")
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<\/a>For Theilmann, the annual vinyl release is the one of the more obvious reasons why the club stands out: \u201c[The record] is actually the clearest indication that this is so much more than an open mic. That was my first time pressed on vinyl, and for me that\u2019s a lifelong dream.\u201d<\/p>\n