Troubadour Lounge Concert Series Set to Rock the Powerhouse

Kevin Williams

The Troubadour Lounge will kick off a concert series at the Powerhouse on Tuesday, May 3 from 7-9pm. The concert will feature the Oxford-based group Dirt Road Sages, Arkansas band Cletus Got Shot and local singer/songwriter, David Shirley.

Admission cost is $5 at the door.

Sponsored in part by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the Troubadour Lounge series seeks to showcase local musicians and songwriters in a family-friendly environment, according to group co-coordinator and Ole Miss psychology student, Donovan McCain.

“We like to focus on more acoustic songwriting and things of that nature”, McCain said. “We tend to feature a lot of local artists.”

Although Troubadour Lounge usually features acoustic and folk music, Arkansas band, Cletus Got Shot, will sing a little different tune in Tuesday’s show.

“The group [Cletus Got Shot] is a fusion of folk, protest songs, and punk rebellion, so we are looking forward to seeing how they will do that”,

McCain said.

A Different Atmosphere

By emphasizing local artists and a musical genre that leans more towards acoustic song writing, folk songs, and an almost coffeehouse type atmosphere, Troubadour Lounge strives to create a concert experience that focuses on what they feel is most important: the music.

“We want people to be able to come in and appreciate some of the more subtle genres of music, such as acoustic song writing and really be able to sit and listen and hear the quiet spots and not have to compete with other people having conversations”, McCain said.

According to McCain, the idea for Troubadour Lounge emerged from his love of the Oxford music scene and a desire to provide an atmosphere that would best showcase some of Oxford’s local musicians.

“It was just an idea”, McCain said. “When you go out to a bar it’s louder and it’s usually electric [music] and that’s fine, that’s great, but also I was thinking it would be really neat if we had some more venues.”

Although Tuesday’s concert may seem to start and end sooner than most (7-9pm), the earlier time is to make it easier for people with tight schedules, hectic jobs or family responsibilities to be able to attend.

“It’s just a very relaxed atmosphere and we hope people just come in and enjoy listening to some new music”, McCain said.