An Excuse to Drink on a Tuesday

Evan Wilson, music booker at Brickroom knows that smaller markets like Southern Oregon are notorious for off-night performances, as musicians work their way to and from weekend gigs in larger urban areas.

Still…

“It’s crazy how many sleepy, singer songwriter types we’ve had interested in booking Tuesdays,” he says.

So he went with it.

Starting July 7, Brickroom is launching Lyrics and Libations, a free weekly singer/songwriter Americana series picked from the gold constantly being hurled at his inbox. Wilson expects to have plenty of local acts as well, and to pair them up with touring bands, but cut and above the open mic scene.

“We’re trying to get really legit acts, not just some Joe Schmo singing covers off the street,” says Wilson.

The series launched on July 7 with vagabond songwriter John Craigie, who earns frequent comparisons to Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot..

The lineup is currently being filled out all the way to Sept., and may or may not include grammy-nominated artists that Wilson may or may not be keeping under wraps until confirmed.

“We want to do something early week that Brickroom’s dinner crowd will be stoked about instead of repulsed by,” says Wilson.

Of course, Ashland’s music scene hardly suffers from a shortage of people strumming acoustic guitars downtown. But Wilson feels this series can help up the game with the old Field of Dreams theory. Give art a home, and it will flourish.

“For the locals, having a built-in event in their heads will help cut through being bombarded with Facebook events,” he says. “But eventually everybody knows that Tuesday nights, you can get a drink and it’s not too crazy.”

And if nothing else: “It’s an excuse to drink on a Tuesday,” says Wilson.

“Cause all the songs are about whiskey?” The Messenger asked.

“Er, to ‘enjoy libations,’ I should say,” Wilson corrected himself. “It’s not a dive bar.”

Full disclosure: Though no longer involved in its operations, Evan Wilson is the founder of The Rogue Valley Messenger.

Lyrics and Libations

7pm, Tue., July 7-Question Mark Question Mark Question Mark

Brickroom, 35 N. Main St., Ashland

FREE