Anyone willing to play a tune is welcome to Music Mondays at An Sibin, an Irish bar in Inman Square. And so they come, men and women, young and old, in collared shirts, tattoo collars or drag makeup. They trickle in around the 6 p.m. start time, settle into chairs and listen as a featured act performs in a corner by the window. Soon the set will shift from performance to possibility.
Guitarists, accordionists, vocalists, even complete newcomers to playing live drift on and off stage. More often than not, performers from different backgrounds end up jamming, making friends, and forming new collaborations.
Music Mondays was started in 2024 by Phoebe Angle, a local standup comedian and event organizer. “I want the arts to succeed and I want people to be happy,” she said. Her format – a booked show with an open mic – was shaped as much by logistics as by philosophy. Early Monday evenings allow musicians and restaurant workers to participate, while giving neighbors a place to stop after work. That timing also makes it accessible for people with families or early commutes the next day.
“I hoped that it would meld into a fun meeting of minds for people in different industries, a rare thing in a city often segregated by class and trade,” Angle said.
The idea was inspired by time she spent in Ireland. “At bars in Ireland, they have events called “diddlys” where local musicians play traditional Irish music. Other people often arrive with instruments to join the booked act,” Angle said.
The event she hosts at An Sibin is not focused on traditional Irish music. But, she said, “it is very much in the spirit of that Irish music culture. I really wanted to create a community who feel comfortable to join each other and support all levels of skill. Some regulars started very new to music and are now playing with 40-year veterans, getting advice from them, joining them at different venues.”
Angle’s combination of a booked show with an open mic started out as a sporadic event, before evolving into a weekly hub for musical exploration. Hosted by musicians Matthew Golub and Tim Carey alongside Angle, it has quietly reshaped a corner of Cambridge’s music scene.
“What makes An Sibin’s show unique is it’s really focused on the people already in the neighborhood and part of the community,” said Klaus Dukes, a former employee of Inman Square Wine and Liquor and one of the first featured acts booked. He returns regularly to join in the jam.
That sense of accessibility has incubated local talent and unexpected collaborations. One regular, Nate Rogers, has turned from Inman neighbor to city-wide celebrity. “He started here and now plays all over town. He’s very recognizable, everybody knows ‘Tall Nate,’” said Cal Senn Cadotte, An Sibin’s co-owner.
The diddly also produced the intergenerational, interracial duo Deadwater Siren, singer Sirena Wanders and guitarist Bryan Murphy. Murphy has a decades-long music resume, while Wanders had a corporate job with a side gig as a burlesque performer. She first came to the diddly as a bar patron, where she met Murphy.
“An Sibin is so encouraging in the way that it is set up,” said Wanders. “The bartenders really encouraged me [to sing].” Wanders and Murphy listened to and respected each other’s craft and later connected to collaborate professionally over Instagram.
Murphy, too, noted how unusual this environment can be. “It started small, which is key,” he said. “For somebody who’s been playing in bands for a really long time, it’s refreshing.”
The communal ethos is enhanced by the commitment of the hosts. “I’ve been to about 20 open mics in greater Boston,” said Golub. “More than anywhere else in the city, I feel An Sibin is building a community, and I really wanted to be part of that.”
Golub and Carey bring different backgrounds to the stage. Carey is a seasoned older musician, while Golub is a younger Berklee-trained player. When their crowds overlap, Angle said, unexpected combinations emerge across experience levels and genres.
Behind the scenes, the model depends on the bar’s commitment to keeping the space available. At a time when many music venues have closed or scaled back live programming, often due to square footage constraints or financial pressure, that support is a rare gift.
“It’s all thanks to the bar wanting it there,” Angle said. “It’s not a huge money maker, but it does make the bar and the neighborhood cooler.”
Senn Cadotte is direct about his commitment. “I’m proud to be creating community and proud to host,” he said. “My hope is for this event to become a hub for forming local staple bands. Who knows, maybe the next Bob Dylan starts here,” he added with a smile.
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