A once-live music series has evolved in the hopes of bringing the local scene closer together.
Born out of the monthly Jam Sessions at Fergusons Downtown, the new Jam Unplugged series moves things online, giving people the chance to discover new local music in the comfort of their own homes.
The series was inspired by NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts and features a podcast, blog and a filmed performance. Local artists Mike Xavier, Meg Dafantem, Charlie Muse, Cameron Dettman and Berlin (of America’s Got Talent) have already performed for the Fergusons’ Downtown project.
“Local musicians who aren’t able to perform live at the moment have a platform to get in front of new audiences,” according to a news release. “And the community has the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the local music scene.”
Producer and director Eric Camacho has been a part of the jam sessions since they started nearly five years ago. He says he had the idea to shift to an online model after Fergusons cancelled live shows due to the pandemic.
This week’s session features singer and guitarist B’yana Srithong, with each new Jam Unplugged drop on Friday.
“We had live music here before the shutdown, so it was an idea to push more music out anyway we could,” Camacho says, “It’s just all of us collaborating together. We want to highlight people.”
