www.roanoke.com

The new Studio Roanoke is planning to host music events. The joint will primarily be for theater, but the studio's Todd Ristau says that it will be available to a variety of performers. Find out more about the new spot at myspace.com/studioroanoke, or e-mail the space via info@studioroanoke.org

Ristau shared this e-mail, which he sent in response to a musician's query:

>We’re planning on having three different types of musical offerings.  Our space is very small, so I think that we are going to be primarily acoustic in the space.  Any loud drumming or amplified music will be overpowering in there.  It is only a 50 seat house, about half the size of the Waldron Stage at Mill Mountain Theatre.

>On the third Tuesday of every month we’re planning to have something called the Acoustic Lounge.  There will be four local singer/songwriters who will each have a 15 minute set, followed by a brief intermission, and then a round robin signup for up to 10 other singer/songwriters to perform a single song each.  After that, we’ll leave the space open for a kind of free form jam session and mixer with the audience.  Admission will be $5, no pay to musicians, and the four “headliners” get in for free that night.  There will be different headliners each week.  We did something like this up in Charlottesville and it was extremely popular with audiences and local musicians alike.  These will start up in April, we hope.

>We will also be doing an Acoustic Roanoke series, similar to Volume (which I ran at Mill Mountain Theatre).  This will be two musical acts, one at 8 and one at 9.  This will be four times a year, and similar to the lounge, but with only two acts and no sign up for emerging singer/songwriters.  This will be established artists and we’ll charge $10 at the door and split the gate with the two bands.  It isn’t great money, but it is a little better than playing for free and a wonderful way to develop audience outside of the bar scene.  These could start any time…It all depends on who contacts me and what dates get selected.  Generally the first three weekends of any given month are free, although we’re thinking of saving the first weekend of every month for presenting a touring theatre show, so 2nd and 3rd weekends might be best.

>The third offering is a concert style show with one band.  This will most often be as a fundraiser for the theatre, as we’re not really set up as a music venue and we are committed to keeping our ticket prices at $10 for everything we do.  Except the lounges and No Shame, which we do for less.  Even split of the gate.   Frequency of these concerts depends entirely on proposals we get.

>The other option would be to rent the space, which we do at a rate of $400 in 4 hour blocks, but that also requires paid staff be present and you have to pay them an hourly wage, so really, the first three options are a better bet.

>As I said, we’re not likely to do a lot of loud music in the space—I know that we’re bigger than Kara O’ Kane’s was but I am more worried about liability for perforated ear drums than they were.  We will emphasize acoustic music of all types, all styles, all genres (an unplugged punk night or heavy metal night would be a really exciting thing to do and fit our mission perfectly).  Also, because there is so little opportunity for young people to hear live music, our music shows are all going to be all ages.  We don’t have an ABC license yet, but I’m thinking that even when we do, it might be soft drinks only in order to have maximum opportunity for young people to enjoy the music.

...  please circulate this information to any other musicians and songwriters in the SW Virginia region.  We’re hoping to involve as many different types of artists in our space as possible.  And if it makes a difference, nobody is going to make much money at these prices.  We’re operating on a sweat equity community theatre all volunteer workforce model.