MSU alumna Kristen Plater wanted to take a break from the Boston music scene to visit East Lansing for a couple of weeks. But she didn’t want to end up with nothing to do while she was here.
“This is what I do because I love to play,” she said. “I wanted all my friends to see me since I’ve written a lot of new songs.”
Plater will perform a free concert with Detroit-based artist Tamara Bedricky at 8 p.m. today in the Phillips Hall basement.
New to the music circuit, Bedricky is considered by many to be one of the hottest up-and-coming solo acoustic performers to hit the music scene in a long time. With her fresh style of guitar-driven music, she is jump-starting clubs across mid-Michigan.
Mark Miagza, assistant hall director at Snyder and Phillips halls, played a large part in putting the show together. He created the Common Grounds Coffeehouse in the Akers Hall basement and coordinated it for three years.
“They were good performers for us, and I thought they deserved to play,” he said. “I knew the bars wouldn’t pick them up, so I thought I could swing it here in the building and the management was very supportive of it.”
Plater said she wrote most of the songs she now performs in Boston while she attended MSU.
“I would do a lot of open mics because I didn’t have enough material to do an entire gig,” she said. “I think I have a fair amount of people who know me and have seen me sing out there.”
Plater has played at many venues across Michigan, including Detroit-area bars, the Common Grounds Coffeehouse and Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing. She was a Lilith Fair finalist, as well as the 1998 MSU Coffeehouse Talent Competition winner.
Plater moved to Boston after graduation to pursue her career in folk-punk music.
“It’s not really folky. It’s much more upbeat than that,” she said. “Out in Boston I have a bass player and a drummer and I might be getting some people together last minute (for tonight’s show), but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Miagza said Bedricky’s music is a bit more gritty, more along the lines of Sheryl Crow. She has performed with such acts as The Murmurs, Brenda Kahn and Rose Polenzani.
Miagza has seen both musicians perform before and was impressed with how they handled the crowd.
“The times I’ve seen them, they’ve captivated an audience really good,” he said. “They really engage the crowd.”
Miagza has high hopes for the show.
“(People should expect) quality songwriting, good performances, good guitar playing and an overall night of good music.”
The show is free and starts at 8 p.m. today in the Phillips Hall basement.
