THE February Open Mic night at the Bermuda Folk Club featured some familiar performers — as well as a few first-timers to gracing the Old Colony Club stage. Veteran performer — and Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening — Jeanie Flath opened with a rousing cover version of Joanie Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi — with its haunting chorus "They paved paradise to put up a parking lot" — before making way for another Folk Club regular.Mike Cacy was once again in rare form and although he usually performs solo, on Sunday he teamed with another consummate performer, Val Wallace. The duo performed the Stan Rogers tune Field Behind The Plow followed by the ballad from the Titanic soundtrack,>My Heart Will Go On.

Cacy's solo set demonstrated his humourous side — "I'm a salty old man and I have the songs to prove it" — and featured his versions of Tom Waits Mr. Seigel followed by Gram ParsonsI>Sin City. His intense act finished with Jimmy Reeds, another Tom Waits' tune.

Making her sophomore appearance at the Folk Club was singer/songwriter Jackie Ayres, who had a new band comprising Oliver Grant on keyboards, Caroline Eaton on Cello, Sheldon Bean on drums, Dennis Eldridge on guitar and Mike MacPhee sitting in on bass.

Ayres has been busy working on material for her upcoming album following her breakout singRed Hot.

Her latest song Runaway is a catchy tune that grows on you and definitely has potential. Ayres (or "The Girl With The Golden Pipes", as she is also known) is well on her way to being a force to be reckoned with on the local music scene.

Her band Raising Cane may not be a household name even among BFC members but attendees at the weekend Open Mic session concurred the band raised the roof during their performance. They ripped through two Beatles classGet Back and Come Together before making way for a BFC newcomer.

Alex Richard Bartlett was definitely nervous when he took to the stage but he was performing before a patient and forgiving audience who whistled and cheered for him when he seemed to doubt his ability.

Opening up with Lyle Loves If I Had A Boat. Bartlett didn't need Lovett's big hair to win over the audience. In fact Barlett's three-song set suggested he should be more than able to hold his own as a solo artist.

There's an old musical cliche that goes: "If you miss practice for a week you will notice, miss it for two weeks and the band members will notice and if you haven't practiced longer then the audience would notice". And it's a truism that haunted a few of the acts at the Open Mic session, for instance the duo of Andrew and Jennifer Perry. Andrew struggled with his opening number but soldiered on to finish the song but not without a few hiccups along the way. But he played his next two numbers without a hitch.

The next act was the trio of Ilana Dean, Georgina MacDonald and Mike MacPhee who made their BFC debut as a trio (each have performed there with his or her own bands).

Ilana performed a "Newfy" favourite, the appropriately titled Song from Newfoundland and the trio rounded out their set with Norah Js' Wake Me Up.

The final act was Raising Cane sans Ayres as Eldridge found himself pressed into service as the band's lead guitarist and vocalist.

The band reeled off tried and true tunes such as Mustang Sally, Proud Mary <and Walk of Life. Oliver was also on double duty as he filled in as the bassist during the band's game attempt at Honky Tonk Woman. The band brought the evening to a close with theatles I Saw Her Standing There, which wasn't half bad. With the ongoin in-take of enthusiastic and talented new members, the BFC's future seems to be assured.