ENFIELD — At a time when many listeners lament about a lack of good music, the No Cover Café Songwriter Series is proving the opposite.
Held monthly from September through May at The Zone inside the Hazardville United Methodist Church, the not-for-profit series is dedicated to showcasing original songs performed by the artists who wrote them.
For host and organizer Paul Cappa, the mission behind No Cover Café is deeply personal — and decades in the making.
“How many times have you heard, ‘There’s no good new music anymore?’ This question has bothered me for years,” Cappa said. “It’s out there, it’s just not supported by local radio or venues. I’m speaking from firsthand experience.”
A songwriter for nearly 50 years, Cappa spent much of his musical life performing with New Earth, a band he formed with his brother Jerry in 1997.
“We intended to only perform original songs,” he said. “For years, New Earth was the only all-original band in the area.” When he discovered the Olde Church Acoustic Series in Rocky Hill — founded by former bandmate Mike Wilcox and his wife, Kate — Cappa was inspired. “After attending a show, I was blown away by the reception. I was hooked. In the back of my head, I kept thinking, ‘We need a show like this in Enfield.’”
The idea took root after a chance encounter. Shortly after retiring in 2024, Cappa ran into neighbor and musician Sherri Miarecki, who invited him to a show at the Hazardville United Methodist Church. When he and his wife Jane arrived, they met friends, the pastor and saw the facilities.
“I thought, ‘This is perfect,’” he said. As they drove home, Jane turned to him and said, “This is what you’re looking for; you should do it.”
With guidance from Kate Wilcox and organizers of the Olde Church series in Meriden, Cappa built No Cover Café around a warm, listener-focused format. Each show features three artists with two breaks, giving musicians time to switch equipment and audiences time to connect.
“The audience is there to listen and learn,” he said. “Experienced performers know to discuss their songs.”
One defining feature: 100% of door donations go directly to the artists.
“This No Cover Cafe Songwriter Series is about the artists,” Cappa said. “Our main goals are to provide a venue with a large built-in audience and compensation that makes it worth performing.”
Feedback, he noted, “has been very positive from both the community and the artists,” with crowds growing from 15-20 attendees at the start of the first season to nearly 50 by its finale.
Between sets, the church’s Fellowship Hall becomes a community hub, with tables for artists selling merch: “shirts, hats, stickers, coasters and CDs. Remember those? They’re coming back!” And plenty of time for conversation. One memorable night featured an all-women lineup: Seat of Our Pants, The Sawtelles and Jeannie Murphy.
“I could tell everyone enjoyed themselves,” Cappa said. “The bulk of the audience stayed and chatted.”
Artists are selected through a combination of networking, scouting and social media. Cappa looks not for a specific genre, but for soul.
“As long as the artist can capture the audience, I’ll find a spot for them,” he said. The series has also introduced an “Emerging Artist Stage,” offering newer performers a low-pressure opportunity.
As No Cover Café enters its next season, Cappa hopes to expand audience outreach through increased online visibility and a growing monthly music newsletter. Ultimately, he says, newcomers should expect something unique.
“The No Cover Cafe has a fun, relaxed atmosphere. We have a listening audience. Unlike a bar, people are focused on the artists and not chatting during the performances,” he said.
For both performers and listeners, No Cover Café offers what so many music lovers crave: a place where original songs and the people who write them are truly heard.
For more information, visit nocovercafe.com.
