Co-producer George Pham works at Impact 89FM and uses it as a platform to share the concerts on air. With creator and co-producer Isaiah Johns’ technical film experience, they were able to launch the Comma Concerts. 

To get artists to perform, Johns started off using connections with friends. Then he started to ask the performers if they knew anyone else who might be interested to build a network.

“My experience has been overall fantastic working with Isaiah and his crew there, and everyone who’s put it all together,” Lleman said. “They just really do a tremendous job in making you feel comfortable and welcomed. It’s a really great space to exercise your talent.”

Now, any interested artists can send a message to the Instagram account, @commaconcert, to get involved. 

The series originally began with classroom concerts, like when Lleman performed about a year ago. But because of a lack of in-person classes and social distancing regulations, Pham and Johns were forced to reconfigure their setup.

“COVID kind of forced us to get creative which led to going outside of the classroom and different places,” Johns said.

These locations include Barber Love Barber Shop, Ranney Skate Park and Pinball Pete’s arcade. Johns reached out to community members asking to host concerts at their businesses.

“Whenever we do a smaller local business, there’s always a chance for a cross-promotion,” Pham said. “Obviously, we’ll credit them in the description and whatnot so it’s pretty much like a free advertisement, almost, to students in the East Lansing area.”

After listening to samples of the artists’ music, they will decide on a location to film that matches the energy. 

“Brandon Rose, who had just graduated from MSU, was a Jazz Studies major, had just put out an album last summer,” Johns said. “His music is very jazz, soul-infused so I think he brought that energy to the barber shop well.”

Pham and Johns also had to decrease their crew while hosting artists.

“I think our general rule of thumb is the least amount of people we can get there, the better,” Johns said. “We’re figuring out how to do it more efficiently and with less people, which is really cool.”

The featured artists only have the responsibility of preparing their music and the producers handle the rest.

“They just ask you to show up and bring your talent to the front door and just be ready to display,” Lleman said. “Because those guys will really handle everything else that you need. They will make it all catered to you and your performance.”

Lleman also performed in the holiday concert where he sang a duet with his girlfriend. He thinks his involvement in the Comma Concerts has challenged him.

“I realized now more and more I’m inclined to do duets with my girlfriend and harmonizing more and finding just different reaches of music and different genres of music that can kind of fit my voice and our voices in that aspect,” Lleman said.

After shooting and editing the videos, Pham and Johns publish them on Impact 89FM's YouTube channel and Instagram. 

“A lot of Impact’s audience likes the content we put out, and that’s part of the reason we chose Impact as the platform,” Pham said. “It’s live music, so our fans really love that.”

They hope this platform helps encourage listeners to explore a broad range of music outside of genres they’re familiar with.

“Having the new title Comma Concerts where it’s like you can do it anywhere, ” Johns said. “It gives you that extra push when you might not know this artist to be like ‘oh, I’ve never seen a concert in a barber shop before or at a skate park before,' so I feel like it’s a good incentive to give that artist a chance.”

As the series grows, they hope to feature bigger artists like MSU Alumni or performers from across the state.

“I think the main goal, which will follow it to the end, is always to promote talent that people may not know about,” Johns said. “So, local artists and even local businesses — however much we can in the future.”