House Blend Band closes with Age of Aquarius

The House Blend Band, created by Old Oak Coffeehouse owners Michael Tomich and his wife, Patty Machen, closed out the summer concert season on a beautiful summer night in downtown Niwot with another stellar performance featuring family members, guest artists, and the baristas who work at Old Oak.

A crowd of several hundred people, young and old, brought lawn chairs and enjoyed the music, together with the spaghetti house special from Old Oak on a warm evening, where the threat of rain resulted in only a few droplets.

The concerts, which have been held once a month during the summer, have brought a mostly local crowd, including many of the volunteers who work at Rock & Rails on Thursday nights during June, July and August.

"Wasn't that wonderful," exclaimed Niwot resident and R&R volunteer Lisa Rivard, who brought out of town friends to the concert. The band features Tomich on vocals, keyboard and guitar at various times, while Mecklin adds a viola or mandolin to many songs.

The concerts are sponsored by the coffee house owners, along with funding from the Niwot Local Improvement District. All of the tips go to the musicians in the band, other than the owners.

The grand finale was an unrehearsed version of "The Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In," with all of the baristas joining in on vocals, along with trumpeter Eric Ottem and saxophonist David Mitchell. The musicians, including Paris Tomich on lead vocals, Andrew Bunin on bass, John Lawrence on drums, and Derek Olson on guitar, didn't miss a beat as the rhythm changed mid-song, finally leaving audience members wondering how the band would finally end it.

Alas, it wasn't the finale, as the band then played an encore of "Love Train," with most audience members joining the train on the dance floor.