MUSIC Matters was founded with one main principle in mind: unite the campus through live music performances. Nine years later, MM still strives to be a platform for both local artists and national acts to share their music with the University of Michigan community. Our Talent and Concert committee has been working diligently at bringing performers of all kinds to Ann Arbor and just this month MM hosted a live music event at Good Time Charley’s and the pop duo Icona Pop at Necto Nightclub.
On September 19th, MM brought together four local acts for “Party on the Patio” at Charley’s. The good-weathered September night allowed members of the Ann Arbor community to relax on the Charley’s patio and enjoy musical performances from Winnie, Ryan Werner, No Fun Haus, and MEBO & Miri Elle. All of the acts were either current or former University of Michigan students, and each showed their individuality in their set.
Winnie was the first artist to take the stage and treated the audience to original songs as she sang and played the guitar. During one song, she confessed that she was still in the midst of writing and was going to read the lyrics off her phone. Her vulnerability and pure talent shone through and she set the night right on track.
Up next was another former U of M student, Ryan Werner. Ryan serenaded the crowd with a variety of covers whilst playing the guitar. Ryan has performed in multiple Ann Arbor locations, including the popular artist venue The Blind Pig.
Our first band of the night was popular Ann Arbor group No Fun Haus. The Michigan native band consists of four U of M seniors who have been performing throughout Ann Arbor and playing frequent local shows. They plan on releasing their full LP in January 2020, and MUSIC Matters cannot wait to support them in their new release.
Capping off the night of performances was MM’s very own Miri Elle who joined forces with MEBO for an incredibly soulful set. The duo are a part of OSSI Music, an Ann Arbor based music collective that aims to provide soundtracks filled with creativity and meaning to its listeners. Just last week, Miri Elle released her debut EP ‘April’ and MUSIC Matters is proud to support her in her musical endeavors, as well as her work as a member of our organization.
In addition to organizing an event for students, MUSIC Matters also kicked off the year by bringing a national act to Ann Arbor. From having their 2012 hit single “I Love It” on the Hot 100 Billboard chart for 29 weeks straight, to opening for artists like One Direction and Katy Perry, Icona Pop brought powerful, vibrant energy to Ann Arbor when they performed at Necto Nightclub on October 3rd. With the help of Ignyte Events and Necto, MUSIC Matters brought the Swedish electro-pop duo to campus for a night of lights, music, and dancing. The show started off strong with opening acts from DigiMark, Selina Style, and Disc Jockey George, and capped off the event with a Icona Pop DJ set. The duo takes pride in their ability to create a disco-pop environment for their fans, and they were able to successfully pull off an amazing show. The night ended with confetti flying through the air as the club sang along to Icona Pop’s greatest hits.
We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings and what talent from the community MUSIC Matters is able to bolster and support. As long as artists share their music, MM will always be working to create a platform for their expression. Whether it’s nationally recognized artists or up and coming passionate student-performers, MUSIC Matters gives a platform to share music and create memories.