The grand re-opening of The Thought Lot last Saturday brought an eclectic musical mix to Shippensburg.
The Thought Lot, 37 E. Garfield St., is a contemporary arts center which features live music and rentable studios.
This past August, The Thought Lot underwent a change in management.
The grand re-opening brought more than 100 people out to support three local bands — Hello Strangers, Pale Barn Ghosts and the Nick Andrew Staver Trio. Each band performed a handful of songs from their most recent albums.
Food and beverages were available for the audience members to enjoy, along with artwork by local artists, which were displayed throughout the building. There was a mixed crowd of people enjoying the relaxed environment, including young couples and small families. Many people who came out brought bottles of wine and cheese platters to enjoy. Mosiac Coffee Co. was also there providing audience members with a caffeine fix.
The Nick Andrew Staver Trio was the first performance of the night, kicking off with “Done With You” off their album, “Blue Wildey.” The three-member band performed a few other songs as the night went on, including “Killin the Blues” and “Walk the Dog.” Both songs were major hits with the audience. Lead singer Nick Staver said, “Thank you, Thought Lot, for tonight’s show.”
He also mentioned the release of the band’s new album, set for next month. The band gave audience members a sneak peek of one of their songs off their new album “Tumble Weed Rose.” The Nick Andrew Staver Trio ended up playing eight songs for the night.
Pale Barn Ghosts was the second band to perform, kicking off their performance with its hit song “Caller ID.” One of the band members said, “I hope everyone is comfortable tonight and getting their drink on.” The band, which is from Gettysburg, consists of four band members, who met at a cemetery where they were each working as electrical technicians.
“This is the first time I’ve been to The Thought Lot and I love it.” said an audience member who was at the grand re-opening with her family and a few friends.
The last performance of the night was The Hello Strangers. “What a great turnout for tonight’s grand re-opening of The Thought Lot,” said singer Brechyn Chace. The Hello Stranger’s first song of the night was “Red River Valley” followed by “Yellow Belly Sap-Sucker,” which was inspired by an old Irish drinking song. Audience members began waving their glasses in the air when “Yellow Belly Sap-Sucker” began to play.
After the band performed their second song, a little girl ran up to the stage and handed one of the singers a drawing. The Hello Strangers band member said, “If we have some extra wall space we should hang this up.” The band wrapped up the night with a song off their most recent album, which brought many audience members to their feet.
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