Truth & Salvage Co.‘s show at Birdy’s in May was one of the best of 2010, and they returned Wednesday (Oct. 6) as part of WTTS’ Emerging Artists Concert Series, with a show at the Creation Cafe on the Canal in downtown Indianapolis. One day later (Thurs., Oct. 7), outlaw rocker Shooter Jennings will perform live in for Studio 92 before his concert at The Vogue that night.
It continues a string of excellent shows for the station, giving spotlight opportunities for roots rock bands. It also give WTTS the chance to brand its 92-3 VIP Room, keeping the concerts private for their listeners, who register online for a seat for a show. Comcast also records some of the performances on video for their On-Demand offerings.
We caught up with WTTS Program Director Brad Holtz, who talked about how Studio 92 has evolved (Band Of Horses, the Doobie Brothers, Train, David Gray and the BoDeans are among the artists who have appeared in 2010) and how the shows at the Creation Cafe, which started in August of this year, will continue in 2011.
NUVO: The show with T&S Co. is part of a partnership you have for shows on the canal. How did that start and how is it going so far?
Brad Holtz: We had done several intimate concerts at Creation Café in the past few years, and we just fell in love with the place. Great staff, good food, and a beautiful setting. When we talked about what makes for a unique listener experience, we thought about these aspects and how performances from up-and-coming artists would complement each other so well. We brought aboard Upland Brewing, and the series was born.
NUVO: What do you like Truth & Salvage Co.?
BH: Our music director, Laura Duncan, has (seen them) and says great things about the band. I like their songs, so when we had the opportunity to bring them into Creation Café for an Emerging Artist Concert, we jumped at the chance.
NUVO: What kind of listeners do you see respond to the bands you work with?
BH: One of the great things about the WTTS audience is that they’re very curious about discovering something new. That’s what this is all about — musical discovery. Over the past 10 years, we’ve had lots of emerging artists play intimate performances — like John Mayer, Jack Johnson, The Fray, KT Tunstall and Matt Nathanson. You never know where these artists will end up, so seeing them in their infancy is a real draw for this musically-curious segment of our audience.
NUVO: How has Studio 92 evolved?
BH: This year, I’ve have seen everything from Band Of Horses singing “No One’s Gonna Love You” to the Doobie Brothers leading the audience into a group sing-along during “Black Water.” Saying those two moments brought chills to my spine would be an understatement. (This year) marks the sixth year Studio 92 has been open, and the notoriety of the artists has consistently increased and the performances are just so consistently high-caliber. We still have a deep commitment to bringing in up-and-comers right as their stars are rising. A couple good examples (from 2010) are Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes and NeedToBreathe.
NUVO:
Is Shooter a good dude?
BH: I have met Shooter once, backstage at Bonnaroo back in 2006. From what I can recall, he was great. But in a formal sense – meaning he’s here doing something with WTTS – this is a first. It should be a lot of fun.
Read NUVO’s Jeff Napier’s interview with Shooter Jennings
WTTS Studio 92 | Emerging Artist Series | Truth & Salvage Co. | Shooter Jennings