Local musical artists now have the chance to perform in an intimate space at Live at the Underground, USC's newest music venue.
Hosted by the Music Industry Studies program in the Russell House basement, the Live at the Underground team aims to provide a unique listening experience for students and be a platform for local artists, Katheryn Ailes, one of Live at the Underground's marketing directors, said.
“We really want to have something that caters to everybody's interests,” Ailes said. “(We want to) give (artists) a place where they can come and practice performing at a very low-pressure environment in front of their peers.”
Student artists will have the opportunity to perform on Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Russell House venue.
At Unplugged Cover Nights on the first Wednesday of every month, artists will be able to perform 10-minute sets, and applications are open on Live at the Underground's Instagram page.
One artist who took advantage of Live at the Underground's opening performance on Feb. 14 is first-year music industry studies student Jeremiah Hardison, who goes by the stage name MATTEUS!.
Hardison said the venue was the best environment he had ever performed in due to its atmosphere and acoustics. He said the venue's location in Russell House is a plus, as it's helped him present his unreleased tracks to an audience of his peers.
"It's your chance to expose yourself to as many people as possible," Hardison said. "That's where everybody is."
First-year music industry studies student Luis Melendez, who goes by the stage name LUCK!, also performed at the first show. Melendez praised the venue setup.
"(My performance) was a lot more up close, and it felt more real," Melendez said. "I think it'll give us a platform and an audience. It'll help us build a fanbase."
Ailes said she was pleasantly surprised by the turnout of the first show and she has her sights set on maintaining the venue's early success.
“We were over the moon about (it). But obviously, a successful first show doesn't mean an overall success,” Ailes said. “This is something that (sponsors) Gamecock Entertainment and Carolina Productions and Russell House really want to be a long-term thing.”
To maintain student engagement, the team plans to introduce theme-specific nights. Ailes said country and heavy metal could be on the list of upcoming themes.
The Live at the Underground team also has plans for new visual elements in the venue to express these monthly themes, Ailes said.
“We have a lot of plans for it, as far as what we want it to look like and how we want to decorate it,” Ailes said. “So it is as visually appealing as it is, hopefully, to the ear."
To involve more local bands, the team has deemed the second Wednesday of every month a “Hometown Throwdown,” where local bands that are local, but not necessarily USC affiliated, can perform.
Ailes said she hopes to involve students who perform well at open mic nights as openers for larger bands.
The Live at the Underground team also plans to host regional touring acts on the last Wednesday of every month. Ailes said she hopes to secure acts that students might be unable to afford to see at other venues.
“(Concert tickets) aren’t getting any cheaper,” Ailes said. “It’s really difficult for (students) to get access.”
These acts include artists such as the Broken Speakers and Opus and the Frequencies, who have already performed at the venue.
The next performance in the venue is an Unplugged Cover Night on March 13, moved to the second Wednesday of this month due to spring break. Students can attend the free event using their CarolinaCard.