Good music at The Good Work Collective

July 3, 2011

Good Music at The Good Work Collective
By Kristi Kates
The Good Work Collective’s mission statement says it all about the new arts and music organization housed in a funky old building in Traverse City’s Old Town:
“From art showings, to live music, to culinary events, to meeting spaces for local non-profits and community groups, The Good Work Collective is a welcoming environment where individuals and inspiration meet. We’re not a think tank. We’re a do tank.”
Born in 2008 with a goal of being a “steward of the arts” in Northern Michigan as well as in Bozeman, Montana, Porterhouse Productions supports musicians and artists with a finesse not often seen in the more casual “Up North” environment.
Founded by Sam Porter and Abby Walton Porter as a dual-state entertainment production company, Porterhouse recently expanded its reach with The Good Work Collective, a ‘gathering space’ for everything from concerts, art displays and grass root projects to brainstorming sessions and artistic collaborations.

AMBITIOUS ARTISTS
While Porterhouse focuses on more well-known artists, the Good Work Collective assists local and regional talents who they feel are also heading in that direction.
“(With Porterhouse), we support national touring acts, and we also collaborate with and support local and state musicians and artists,” says publicist and organizer Beth Milligan. “The concert series at Good Work Collective is primarily focused on showcasing the latter.
“The series is designed to connect audiences with some of the best musicians in the state for one-of-a-kind, storytelling performances,” she adds.
Future Focus Media, a local production company, is often on-hand to capture the concerts with HD cameras, producing videos that musicians can use for marketing and promotion.
“A majority of the concerts feature singer-songwriter and acoustic acts, but we’re open to featuring all different types of genres in the series,” Milligan says.

DISTINCTIVE SOUNDS
The 2011 summer series is already underway, with acts ranging from regional bands and local performers to East Coast and downstate Michigan imports.
“I’m excited about each one of our July acts for different reasons,” Milligan enthuses, “Levi Britton (July 8), who has a strong hometown following, has been turning heads with his new band Stolen Silver, so we’re excited to hear his new sound. Caravan of Thieves (July 7) is a raucous, high-energy show that should get the Cherry Festival visitors shaking and grooving. Jetty Rae (July 23) is a hometown girl gone good. And Kyle, Nathan and Marty (July 29) are bringing their unique sounds up from downstate for the first time together, so audiences will be in for a brand new experience at that show.”

LOCAL CONSIDERATION
The Good Work Collective plans to take the sting out of the long Northern Michigan winter months with programming that will continue year-round. The building also serves as the home base for the Porterhouse staff and team, as well as some of the Porterhouse events
It’s also the future site of a 1,000-seat concert venue and restaurant slated to open in June 2013 as a partnership between Porterhouse Productions and 2Mission, owners of restaurants including the Blue Tractor, Jolly Pumpkin, The Shed, and North Peak.

The Good Work Collective is located at 417 South Union Street (between 7th and 8th Streets) in Old Town, Traverse City; visit them on-site for a show, or stop by their website at www.porterhouseproductions.com for show dates, tickets, and more.