On September 8th, the Barge Canal Coffee Company opened its Saturday Night Mic Series with the talents of Joe Mettler, winner of the Ultimate Open Mic Night the last two years. Mettler, a student at local Sherburne — Earlville High School, is also an accomplished script-writer and member of the Drama Club, as well as coach’s pick from his soccer team. Mettler performs original songs inspired by his own experiences. His emotional connection to the songs is evident in his whole-hearted performances.

After playing his part as captain in his team’s soccer game held earlier that day, Mettler still managed to pour his heart into his music from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday night, livening up the cozy Barge with his creative lyrics and strong voice. Catering to the audience’s interest, Mettler gave a brief anecdote about each song and its origins before he began. His opening number, entitled “94 to Go,” for instance, surmised the story of his friend’s moving to Buffalo and then returning home. Mettler continued with “Last Couple,” which he described as a song about “growing up and not trying to keep consistency.”

With the audience gathered close around him in the crowded Barge, Mettler captivated customers with a voice reminiscent of James Blunt and a story-telling ability similar to Dave Matthews. All the while, Mettler modestly deflected praise explaining he was using a new guitar and was a bit rusty. The audience remained engrossed with his energetic playing as Mettler comically paused for dramatic effect during “What Do You Do,” a song about a girl who confused him, after singing the line “Do you stop?”

Another crowd-pleaser was the song “Taylor,” written to ask out a girl who has now been his girlfriend for over 10 months. Mettler displayed his charisma as he mentioning that his girlfriend was blushing profusely in the audience. His song “Circles and Squares” likewise depicted the vision of his friend who sees life through the lens of a camera. Mettler only took one break throughout the evening and finished his performance strongly, taking requests for his last song and finally settling on the popular “Taylor” once again.

Another Sherburne – Earlville High School student and friend Ellen Fagan added her opinion: “It’s something we can connect to. Very original. A new sound.”

Mettler’s mother, performer Diana Lynn, exuded her pride as she watched her son’s routine.

“I just want to say that he is incredible, and he has fused the music that my husband and I have created and brought it to a new level,” Lynn commented. “My son is so bright; he brings tears to my eyes.”