An evening of music that will fit anyone’s budget takes place this weekend at the Peter White Lounge in the University Center.
The Beaumier Coffee House Series, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, will be hosting a two-hour long performance by George Knight and Paul Dornquast from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5.
“We try to focus on people who play original music,” said Daniel Truckey, the director and curator of the Beaumier Heritage Center. “We just pull all the works out so people can listen to some great song writers and performers.”
Truckey said although the shows are free to the general public, there are still cookies and drinks, and that donations are welcome.
Knight, who currently lives in Gwinn, Mich. has played in several events around the area and across the world. He has been performing for over 40 years and much of the music he writes and plays are the result of people he has met and life experiences according to a press release. He also has his own band, Bordertown.
“It was unique,” said Kerry Yost, a singer, guitarist and songwriter who has been featured in the Beaumier Coffee House Series earlier this year. “You have an audience that was really diverse. There were students and faculty. It’s nice to have that variety.”
Dornquast has 25 years of solo performances behind him, as well as being in a few Marquette bands like the Plaid Billygoats and Orange Whip.
Beaumier Coffee House Series debuted in April 2011 and has featured over 10 different groups including The Chanteymen, Red Tail Ring and many others. Two musicians or two groups of musicians play during each event, which is typically split between a two-hour session. The series is part of the Upper-Peninsula Folklife Festival.
“It’s a great way to see what we are doing on campus,” said Erin Astle, a senior entrepreneurship major. “It’s a good time. They have cookies, coffee and we pull all the couches out so people can enjoy a concert. It’s a good way to connect the two communities, Marquette and NMU.”
Astle is a marketing assistant for the Beaumier Heritage Center and said she enjoys attending these events.
Admission is free and donations can be made at the event. For more information on Saturday’s show or future events, call the Beaumier Heritage Center at (906) 227-3212, or email them at [email protected].
