Rainforest Coffee Co. Open Mic Night

By Rachel Masri
Sep. 22, 2008

APOPKA, Fla. - Open-mic night at Rainforest Coffee Company, located off state road 436 and Hunt Club boulevard, is a newly established event for the residents of Apopka and the greater Orlando area. For those who wish to shake off the stress of a long Monday listening to local musicians and poets while sipping lattes, it is the perfect getaway.

One of the regular musicians, Fred Frick of Longwood, is a buoyant and outgoing performer in his mid fifties who loves to play at Rainforest. Having originally suggested the idea of an open-mic to the owner, David Wax of Longwood, Frick naturally volunteered to be one of the first on stage.

“I told him that the place is perfect for an open-mic Monday to bring in the business,” Frick claimed with a large grin. “He told me to bring my guitar and start it.”

Frick has been playing multiple instruments since second grade, starting on the violin, moving to the clarinet and eventually ending up on guitar “out of sheer boredom.”

“There was always music in my house,” Frick chuckled, nursing his cup of coffee. “We had an organ and several guitars in the house. Of course I had to choose instruments that we didn’t own to start on.”

Frick enjoys playing music as a fun pastime, no longer taking it as seriously as he once did. His band broke up in the 70s after making a few albums that “didn’t go anywhere.”

“I decided it was time to buckle down and get a real job,” he explains. He now owns two businesses, a plant nursery in Longwood and an irrigation landscape company off of state road 46.

“I was most definitely a hippy at one time though,” Frick admits. “I was a demonstrator of pretty much every controversial thing you saw on the news during those times.”

Frick’s large smile is contagious to all who watch him play. Chris Suscheck, Frick’s neighbor and good friend, always enjoys attending his casual performances.

“I love the personal atmosphere,” she says. “He makes everyone feel like his friend. He is so funny and entertaining.”

The atmosphere throughout the night is extremely warm and homey. Wax enjoys walking around chatting with customers and handing out the drink orders, while performers invite those sitting near to cant along to the songs they know. Wax has thoroughly enjoyed hosting open-mic for local artists, giving them a place to showcase their talent and earn tips while they attract plenty of coffee-craving customers.

“Business has been great since we started open-mic night. Everyone loves to watch people like Fred perform,” Wax says.

So if you’re looking for a casual hang-out spot to loosen the tension of your Monday, or an interactive place to showcase your artistic abilities, Rainforest Coffee Co. is the place to be.