Davis Odd Fellows host ‘Thursday Live!’ concert series

Broken Compass Bluegrass had a full house at the Odd Fellows’ lodge at the most recent performance

On Feb. 5, Broken Compass Bluegrass, a Northern California-based string band, made their Davis Odd Fellows debut at the Odd Fellows’ “Thursday Live!” concert series. “Thursday Live!” is a free, donation-based concert series hosted by the Davis Odd Fellows every first Thursday of the month.

The “Thursday Live!” concert series has grown from its beginnings. The free concert series began 16 years ago, with the Odd Fellows now having hosted close to 136 shows. Juelie Roggli, vice president of the Hall Board of the Davis Odd Fellows and co-chair of the music committee, explained how the concerts got their start.

“In the beginning, we solicited local musicians who were mostly friends to play,” Roggli said. “When we went to shows, we would talk to bands we liked, who we thought would be a good fit. As we have grown, word has traveled that the Davis Odd Fellows is a good place to play and bands are now contacting us to play. They love the attentive and enthusiastic audience we draw.”

While the concert series’s popularity has grown, the Odd Fellows’ goals for the event have stayed the same. Roggli continued to explain that “Thursday Live!” is curated to benefit musicians and the community.

“‘Thursday Live!’ is not a fundraiser,” Roggli said. “100% of the donations go directly to the musicians each month. All we hope to achieve is to bring community together to hear good music and enjoy themselves.”

“Thursday Live!” hosts a variety of different bands and genres of music month-to-month, with music ranging from Americana to bluegrass, rockabilly, Celtic rock, Western swing or country. Most recently, the Odd Fellows featured the band Broken Compass Bluegrass. Kyle Ledson, the mandolin and guitarist for the band, explained Broken Compass Bluegrass’s sound.

“We are a string band with bluegrass and jamband roots,” Ledson said. “The play on our name is intentional. We don’t fit into the traditional bluegrass or jamband box. [...] We improvise when playing live. No song will be performed the same way twice.”

The recent “Thursday Live!” event featuring Broken Compass Bluegrass had attendees packed inside to the door. There was such a large turnout for the band that volunteers had to turn people away at the door once capacity was met.

Ledson explained how it felt to play for such a large, excited crowd.

“It’s so heartwarming to feel this loving support in Davis,” Ledson said. “And as performers, there’s nothing better than a full room that is engaged, dancing and feeding us back the driving energy that elevates a show.”

While “Thursday Live!” provides a space for musicians, it also creates a way for live music to be more accessible for Davis community members as a donation-based show. Ledson explained how events like “Thursday Live!” benefit musicians and attendees alike.

“‘Thursday Live!’ is a free event,” Ledson said. “Live music should be accessible. It is a leap of faith to work for tips as a musician, but the generosity of that Davis crowd came through and we’re grateful for that as well. It takes a lot of time and work by volunteers to make great events like ‘Thursday Live!’ come to life.”

With support from the community, “Thursday Live!” concerts will continue next month. On March 5, the Odd Fellows will host the acoustic Celtic rock duo, Caliban, at the Odd Fellows lodge. The duo will perform a blend of music on fiddle, mandola, mando-guitar and accordion.

For more information on upcoming concerts, visit the Davis Odd Fellows’ website.

Written By: Gia Loomis — city@theaggie.org