Kensington Unplugged recently made it to their first anniversary. This was a project that happens at Supermarket every Tuesday starting at 7pm. This was their 54th show.
The concept is simple. You take young up and coming singer/songwriters and you give them a stage to present their songs and stories to a live audience. Who knows when the next great folk artist will emerge from this platform.
This evening, I was able to see a handful of hopeful and emerging artists try out some of their new material. They would gather on stage 4 at a time and take turns singing their songs. What I enjoyed about this presentation is that each artist brought their own flavour to the stage. The themes they chose were vast and emotional. There were songs about, break-ups, coming home and using social media to challenge corporate companies, (Which means it’s a protest song).
The artists I caught live were:
Atileo, who not only sang but is the host of the unplugged series.
Mr Kyle Music
Mike Cox Jr, ESQ
Alvin Presley
Maggie Rae
Taylen
Holly Claussis
What I noticed was the professionalism and respect each of them showed to each other. When one artist was done their song, the next artist had to come up with a song that would help the flow of the performance. For example, if one song was heavy with sadness, the next singer would change the emotion and may do something lighter or funnier. It was nice to see such a collaborative effort for such young emerging artists.
Every Tuesday night they choose 16 performers to get on that stage. It is run like a shift. There are 4 players for a shift, and each shift is about an hour. There are 4 shifts.
If you are an acoustic player and have been thinking about singing to an audience, this is a great way to get your feet wet and start your own musical journey. In fact, I met a singer who I met at a networking function, and he was at the beginning of his journey. It was wonderful to see him on that stage and performing his material.
So, how do you become part of this well woven community?
The answer is simple. Simply go to their Instagram page and sign up to be part of a future line up. Here are two links to get you there faster.
www.instagram.com/kensingtonunplugged/
Sign up here: Supermarket – Kensington Unplugged – Google Docs
Unplugged at the Supermarket:
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