A disco ball hangs off a piece of wood above the left side of the entrance to Ramble Tamble. A neon sign glows through from the outside window and deep red lights combine with the navy blue walls to create a warm bath of color.
Eight people sit around the bar, watching the performers; old men sing folk songs about Bellingham and a younger man covers Bob Marley.
On Sunday, April 7, Ramble Tamble hosted its tenth open mic event.
Tom Langen, owner of Ramble Tamble and the person responsible for the Ramble Tamble open mics, explained that business can be a bit hard to drum up and he hoped the open mics would bring in a good Sunday crowd.
“Sometimes it’s a party,” Langen begins, explaining that the turnout and type of performances can vary.
Ramble Tamble, located at 1313 N. State Street in downtown Bellingham, has been hosting open mics since Feb. 4, 2024.
Langen is a long-time music fan and previous performer. He is working on getting the permit for a back room connected to Ramble Tamble to start throwing larger concerts.
A view of Pete Ruble and another performer playing on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at the Ramble Tamble open mic. This was the tenth open mic this year. // Photo by William Morton
Pete Ruble, host of the open mic on the first, third and – occasionally – the fifth Sunday of the month, said that everything fell into place. Ruble came to Ramble Tamble hoping to book a show but since he was an “open mic veteran” according to Langen, Ruble ended up becoming one of the open mic hosts.
Ruble has been going to open mics for 10-15 years, and according to Ruble, the Ramble Tamble open mics have been going smoothly.
"Occasionally you get larger groups, talking over performers, but for the most part, people are respectful," said Ruble.
Alexander “Major” Sterm was one of the musicians performing at the April 7 open mic. He has been playing music for 17 years.
The April 7 open mic was the first time Sterm had performed at Ramble Tamble.
“Open mics are about dipping your toes in and mingling with the community at a lot lower of a pressure,” Sterm said.
Ramble Tamble is one of the many Bellingham venues hosting open mic events.
Sterm explains that you never know who you’ll see performing at an open mic, saying, “It’s kinda the best art walk every week.”
William Morton (he/him) is a third year news and editorial major reporting about city life for The Front this quarter. Outside of school, he enjoys playing the banjo and attempting to read Finnegans Wake. You can contact him at williammorton.thefront@gmail.
