Concert showcases local musicians

The house will definitely be rockin' when Amp Media Group of Sisters presents its 2010 Artist Showcase Concert this Friday, January 29 from 8 to 10 p.m. at Three Creeks Brewing Company.

All proceeds go to benefit "Together For Children," a children's program adopted by Amp Media.

Owner/Producer Tom White promises a rich evening of country and indie rock music highlighting his company's latest talent lineup. Amp Media and its own independent label, Outlaw Records, has six local recording artists currently signed to the label, five of which will take part in the concert event.

"I have two male artists and three female artists that will be onstage with the band. A. J. Engstrom and Ethan Allen King are country rockers from Bend, and Anna-Lisa, Angie and Beth are more indie rock/country style," White said. "We'll do a two-hour show, and each artist will sing four to six songs, with Ethan doing a longer headlining set to close it out. He's the most experienced of the group and has been on tour with some major acts before."

King thinks this is an excellent opportunity for Central Oregon musicians and is excited for Friday's show.

"You don't usually see this kind of thing in a small town, it's usually the bigger music cities like Seattle, Nashville or L.A.," he said. "Tom has the vision to procure rural talent and develop it."

"It's gonna be a great night," said White. "There'll be a full band with fiddles and slide guitars. Wade and the whole crew at Three Creeks have opened their doors for this event and been great supporters. I will have a few of my friends in the music business in town to take a look at the performers."

Amp Media Group was started in 2004 and owns its own full-service recording studio located in Sisters. They offer a host of professional services that allows recording, mixing, and mastering with their own studio band. White can promote artists with their private record label, publishing company, and artist management company.

"Everything's done in-house," said White. "We even have our own graphics designers for album artwork and Web page designers. We're very palatable to the medium-to-large music distribution companies in that we're already all set up and can provide a whole array of different artists and options."

Beth Gengenbach, a familiar face behind the bar at Sisters Coffee Co., is one of the featured performers. She came to Sisters this fall from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with her brother and best friend. This will be her first showcase concert.

"I'm a little worried but thrilled too," Gengenbach admitted. "I'm doing five songs with all sort of an indie rock or blues theme."

Gengenbach started singing and doing musical theater when she was seven.

"I even played Peter Pan at the State Theater and got to fly. That was pretty sweet," she said. Gengenbach was introduced to Tom White through a co-worker. "The experience has been fun but also kinda nerve wracking. I'd never been involved with a group of musicians like this. They're all really good and we support and encourage each other when it gets stressful."

Amp provides a little piece of Nashville right here in Central Oregon, assembling the pieces of a potential career in music by teaching a broad foundation of business skills, interpersonal communication guidance, and the type of sound advice necessary to make it in a demanding creative world. That business part of the industry is a vital component.

"It's a tough, competitive business," White said. "Maybe two percent or less ever make it out of the bar gig stage."

The comprehensive program includes advanced marketing and social networking tools rooted in the digital age. All their artists are set up with their own MySpace and Facebook pages, Twitter account and YouTube channel.

"We're the full meal deal. We teach them to not only be able to write and sing, but also how to dress, act, and develop patience," White said. "That kind of artist development we do a lot of is something the Big Boys down south don't want to deal with. It's too expensive."

White moved to Sisters 10 years ago from Dallas, Texas. He has experience touring as a musician and a promoter. White's wife, Cheryl, manages Amp's Artists Services Department.

"With her years of experience in business management and dealing with people, she is well suited to keep the entire company running and all of our projects on track and on budget," said White.

"I have a lot of industry executives coming in from out of town for the show, and many other music friends and acquaintances. It's gonna be a fun night, totally laid back with all kinds of music, some of it danceable, but all good," smiles White.

The showcase concert starts around 8 p.m. The event is 21-and-over only with a $5 donation going to the "Together For Children" charity. Three Creeks Brewing Company is located in the FivePine Campus. For more information contact White at Amp Media Group at 541-420-7975.