Stories by VIVIENNE WONG
alltherage@thestar.com.my

NEED a break or a little pick-me-up in the middle of the week? Why not reward yourself with drinks and a delicious meal with your friends while grooving to smooth soul/R&B tunes that are sure to take your mind off work?

The weekly Cover Me night every Wednesday at Laundry Bar in The Curve, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, will see four local acts performing soul/R&B covers of popular songs, with some jazz and funk thrown in for good measure.

In April, Greg Ramanado and Serani Trio will be alternating every week with Fazz and Christian Theseira, and they promise smooth renditions of songs by the likes of James Moody, My Bloody Valentine, John Mayer, Daft Punk, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, U2 as well as some original tracks.

Feeling groovy: Greg Ramanado sang his own version of Eric Clapton’s Change The World, Daft Punk’s Get Lucky and an original song, Gypsy Girl.

So, how did it all start?

Theseira, a performer at clubs and pubs since he was 17, had always wanted to pioneer a night dedicated to genres such as neo soul and R&B because there wasn’t a scene for that kind of music in Malaysia. So, when Laundry approached him to do something new for its Wednesday night slot, he saw an opportunity to show people what soul/R&B is all about.

“Laundry wanted to do something new,” said Theseira, 28. “So, we pitched them our idea (for Cover Me) and they liked it. They thought it was something new, entertaining and fun.”

But Cover Me night isn’t just about covering songs.

“We also play original songs. I feel that in order for people to be accepting of your covers, you have to give them songs they like, but in your arrangement of the song. Because once they think that you’ve done justice to a classic song and delivered a solid version of it, they are more open to your original music and think that you can probably write your own music as well,” he said.

With this new stage, Theseira thinks that it is a good platform to interact with other musicians, to express your art, gain media exposure and of course, have fun.

According to Tengku Shila, marketing manager of Chaswood Resources, Cover Me night is one of Laundry’s initiatives to expand its platform and provide local bands and artistes the opportunity to be discovered.

With the good music sorted, all you need now are drinks and food. If you drop by between 4-9pm, you can take advantage of Laundry’s happy hour promotion. As for food, you can order anything off Italiannies’ menu, which is located right next door.

Their starters are priced from RM26.90 to RM39.90, while their salads, pizzas, pastas and steaks range from RM15.90 to RM59.90.

For more information on Cover Me night and Laundry Bar, head on over to the Facebook page www.facebook.com/LAUNDRYBAR.