FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2025.
It was a “wonderful evening in the neighborhood” of Truckee Artist Lofts. At the 9848.Gallery last night—“The Love of Music” showcase opened. Artists of all medias were in attendance. The room was filled with music as only our beloved Brandon GR8 as DJ can do — a professional providing an upbeat atmosphere with song choices that just make your body move to the rhythms. His talents as a master DJ in the background as well as the performance coach in the foreground are noticed by even the youngest and shyest of participants. He has a way of moving around through the room with microphones in hand enhancing and catching even the subtle nuances that create resonance — arranging the lighting. All of this goes into making people feel comfortable, begin to open up, and start talking and getting to know each other. The space is filled with the heart and ‘rhythms’ of Brandon GR8 —it is his “style”.
The first person that stepped up to the mic was our own Cori Elba as her ‘Rockstar Self”, singing originals from her recently released CD Her lyrics are; quirky, hysterical, very funny, sometimes critically comical, bringing the audience surprise, breaking into unexpected laughter. Cori is an 'original' -- a combination of poet, punk humor, acoustic guitar musician. She is also a talented illustrator and her humor pours out of her caricature artistry hanging on the walls next to her. An artistic talent expressing her ‘life’ thru art and she shares with us—beautiful woman, flight attendant, illustrator artist, musician, and more-- she brings a global humor to her performances.
Then there was ‘BE”. He stepped up with harmonica and guitar for his set of original acoustical guitar songs,—one about ‘don’t feed the bears’ and response “but it makes a great video” -lyrics of parody on the tourists that come to the wilderness areas and step into unknown dangers. He sang several other songs keeping the audiences attentions.
Another surprise performance with an ‘open mic’ flare, followed with Rose, an youth in residence —who performed a solo storytelling session, and then accompanied by Brandon GR8T who encouraged her to do more with the impromptu opportunity turned into her song about ‘freedom” and learning to ‘wave her flag” encouraging the audience to join in song.
Brandon is, indeed, a trained producer and performer who sees to the details of what it takes to support a performer at the mic, as well as setting the stage of encouragement and providing musical accompaniment of all genres with his "music machine" and providing stage lighting with the backdrop of large format canvases—originals by Sarah Horton, Cori Elba, and Brandon GR8 himself who is also a multi-talented artist. Musician, visual artist, and hip hop dancer known travelled worldwide —throughout the evening one could catch him on the dance floor doing his unique moves, clearly reflecting his years of practice and performance on-stage.
Other walls were covered in portraits of past singers painted by Christopher Paddock, “invited visiting artist” that travels throughout California landing here in Truckee for early spring from Napa.
Other visual artists on display were Sonia Breuch, Rosie Cadoux, Joanne Corso, Niara, and Donna Snow—These four host weekly Thursday “Artist Experiences” and have worked in the background to curate the showcase, pulling together all of the dangling details into an ‘organized’ event. All who ventured out on our snowy evening and attended received a warm welcome, food and other refreshments by our team of dedicated residents.
The ‘Love of Music” showcase runs through March 30; and on Thursdays from 4-8 are the best times to catch the magic impromptu performances of local artists as they drop by our 9848.Gallery space for ‘Open Mic.’