Your local PBS station is doing something you might not expect. It's what they call Think Out Loud. Think Out Loud isn’t any one thing, because it’s actually about…well, you. You can step up to the mic and do more or less what you want. Jennifer Herrera is KLRN’s Community and Engagement Manager.
“We have an open mic night. It’s held every other Tuesday at Rosella Coffee House. It’s kinda geared for the millennials, the younger audiences here. We invite any type of performer. So far we’ve had a lot of musicians come out. Some slam poets have come out as well. And also a few comedians.”
If this doesn’t so much sound like the Masterpiece Theater crowd, that’s not by accident.
“We have a group here at KLRN comprised of a lot of younger staff members called the '501 Creative.' What we’re trying to do is kind of open up KLRN to a new audience of younger, professional millennials. We’ve held a Sherlock sneak peek at Olmos Pharmacy. We’ve done Downton Abbey screenings at a few Santikos Theaters.”
My question was will any of this make it to your TV?
"We hope that a few of the performers will be invited back into the studio and maybe record some sessions. Right now we’re gauging what kind of performers we’re getting and kinda picking the cream of the crop.”
For now though, it’s all live performance. So exactly who gets the mic?
“We open it up to anybody willing to perform. We’ve had teenagers come out. We’ve had performers in their 50s and 60s come out. The event starts at 6:30 and it goes to 8:30.”
If you’re wondering whether or not you can afford to come..."It’s completely free."
Think Out Loud happens Tuesday, May 19th at Rosella. We've more here.
