Anchorage Music Co-op to Launch Concert Series

Anchorage Music Co-op and Out North Contemporary Art House announce the much anticipated kick off of it’s new Artist Showcase Series. Beginning January 26th, on the fourth Thursday of each month, the Music Co-op will bring a featured artist or band to the stage, away from the bar chatter and without the hum of an espresso machine in the background. These showcases will provide a long overdue bridge between the overflowing local talent and audiences that don’t seek out live music at typical Anchorage watering holes.

This grassroots start-up expects these shows to sell out based on the theater’s limited seating (capacity is 110) and the fact that the Music Co-op is attracting the interest of the top names in the local scene. The Artist Showcase line up is booked solid through May including top notch performers like: Melissa Mitchell, Emma Hill, Evan Phillips, Kass Smiley and Meg Mackey.

To be selected for a showcase, the artist must be an Anchorage Music Co-op member. This membership organization is a group of independent musicians seeking to support local artists in their development while creating performance opportunities. The group is an Art House Resident under the collaborative umbrella of Out North, taking advantage of Out North’s well established links to the community and their intimate theater, an untapped magical listening room.

“The Pre-launch show, with Marian Call, completely sold out,” said co-founder Lonny Gransbury. “Not bad for an unknown venue in an off the beaten path part of town.”

“I think Anchorage is exploding with local talent at the moment. There’s not enough places for musicians to play. Bars in town don’t offer music until often 9 or 10 pm. This is too late for anyone with an 8-5pm job and kids that are tucked in by 8:30,” says Laura Oden, another a co-founder of the new organization.

The Music Co-op is designed to link these dependent groups: musicians that want to play, and an audience that wants to listen. Another group often left out of the local music scene is the 14-21 crowd. By all accounts, the under 21 group has a capacity to listen, support, buy music and spread the word about up and coming artists, but they’re left out in the cold if they want to see live performances. The Out North venue is an all ages show, unless otherwise specified, and provides discounts to Music Co-op members and students.

The January 26th launch has been embraced by the Anchorage Folk Festival as a part of Anchorage Folk Week. This show will feature three outstanding musicians, Melissa Mitchell, Emma Hill and Seth Boyer playing in a round robin style with each singing a song or two at a time. All three of these performers will play their own original music with cunning melodies and jabbing lyrics.

The Anchorage Music Co-op is starting from ground zero and is looking for corporate sponsors and radio support. One such corporate sponsor that has already helped get the co-op off the ground is Bella Boutique, who is underwriting sound engineering for the January showcase.

Anyone, whether they are a musician or a music listener, can join the Anchorage Music Co-op by simply going to the Out North website and making a $15 donation with “Music Co-op” in the description field. The $15 annual membership fee gets members into shows at a discounted rate. Membership funds cover sound engineering, so that shows can be professionally produced and recorded and marketing so that materials can be professionally designed and printed.

To check out upcoming shows, visit their website: anchoragemusic.org.

Artist Showcase Series
Thursday January 26th 2012, 7pm
Out North Contemporary Art House / 3800 Debarr Road, Anchorage, AK 99508

Tickets $15/$10 in advance at Centertix.com
Discounted tickets for Anchorage Music Co-op Members, students
All Ages Show

These photos were taken of a recent performance. More via their facebook.

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