Kirk Thurmond (right) on stage with Nick Snyder (left) for Boarded Up Foundation’s community event “Mic’d Up.” Photo: Jessica Waffles
Labor Day in the heart of Deep Ellum was filled with joy and music at Louie Louie’s, featuring a concert presented by nonprofit Boarded Up Foundation.
“Mic’d Up” featured a substantial lineup of local artists, including Kirk Thurmond, Remy Reilly, Ryan Berg, Rodney and the Recliners, Chaz Marie and Quinten Hope. Fundraising and awareness were at the forefront of the night, giving local music supporters a chance to get to know the team behind Boarded Up Foundation and their mission of supporting local independent artists.
Louie Louies is the home of Boarded Up Foundation, which began in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Chaz Marie (with raised hand) on stage at Louie Louie’s for the “Mic’d Up” community event. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Chaz Marie was one of the featured artists for Boarded Up Foundation’s community event. Photo: Jessica Waffles
The Boarded Up Foundation merchandise booth raises funds to support the programs offered by the nonprofit. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Boarded Up Foundation’s journey began as a response to the pandemic-induced closures of businesses in Deep Ellum, where musicians heavily rely on performing for their livelihood.
Founded by Ron Wilson and Joey Hamende, owners of Louie Louie’s Piano Bar, the foundation quickly evolved into a nonprofit with a singular mission – to provide free resources and opportunities for music artists to find their footing in the industry.
One of the T-shirt designs available for purchase featuring local musicians. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Luke Callaway on drums at Louie Louie’s for the “Mic’d Up” community event. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Ryan Berg (right) performed original music at Louie Louie’s for Boarded Up Foundation’s “Mic’d Up” event. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Ryan Berg is one of the artists featured in the nonprofit’s video series “Boarded Up Music.” Photo: Jessica Waffles
One of the cornerstones of their mission is to offer complimentary resources, including live music videos, website building, and internships. These resources empower artists to create demos for future venues, secure scholarships, and explore employment opportunities, all without any cost to the artists or the public.
The event shed light on the internship programs available through the Boarded Up Foundation – offering college and high school students invaluable hands-on experience in various aspects of the music industry. From audio and video production to live music photography, artist relations, public relations, social media marketing, songwriting, and performance presence, these programs are preparing the next generation of music industry professionals.
Ryan Berg played songs from his album The Velvet Ears. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Nick Snyder backed up many of the sets on guitar at Louie Louie’s. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Remy Reilly performed with her band’s guitarist Jon Fig, who also has his own band – Midnight Thirty. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Remy Reilly played her latest releases “Avalanche,” and “What Do Ya Know,” as well as unreleased original music. Photo: Jessica Waffles
The flagship program of the foundation Boarded Up Music seeks to support artists with a wide range of resources.
This program focuses on three crucial pillars of independent music – Production, Promotion, and Preservation. When an artist is selected as a recipient, they receive a series of professionally shot live music videos, high-definition 4K recordings, and promotional materials.
Boarded Up Music’s YouTube channel currently has 222 videos and over 23,000 subscribers. Some of their popular videos include “What Your Love Does” by Ryan Berg, “My Marcie Don’t Like The Show” by Skinny Cooks, “Mother Blue” by Jacob Furr, and “Lay Down & Die” by Jake Quillin. You might say it’s turning into Dallas’ own version of Tiny Desk, but with local artists and a killer stage.
Remy Reilly is in the studio this week recording new music. Photo: Jessica Waffles
The crowd was nearly full at the Boarded Up Foundation’s event supporting local music. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Remy Reilly’s next full band show is September 16 at The Epic in Grand Prairie. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Kirk Thurmond’s powerhouse stage presence enlivened the energy on stage at Louie Louie’s. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Kirk Thurmond’s latest singles “Strangers” and “Campari & Soda” are streaming everywhere now. Photo: Jessica Waffles
As of now, Boarded Up Foundation has supported over 50 local music artists on their catalog of Boarded Up recipients, including The Dirty Shirts, Retrophonics, Electric Tongues, Kazu Tanaka, and many more.
Their dedication to the music community is evident through their continuous efforts to provide artists with the tools they need to succeed, all free of charge. It’s endearing to see the all the work their team is putting into lifting up independent artists as well as teaching the next generation the tricks of the trade in the music industry. It gives hope that Dallas will continue to be a place that breeds some of the best artists in the world.
Learn more about supporting this nonprofit as well as applying to be a Boarded Up recipient on their website. Find info on events at Louie Louie’s on their Instagram page.
The Boarded Up Foundation mission is to provide complimentary resources such as live music videos, website building, and internships to empower the journeys of those seeking success in the music industry. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Kirk Thurmond on stage at Louie Louie’s. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Louie Louie’s co-owner and Boarded Up Foundation co-founder Ronnie Wilson on stage. Photo: Jessica Waffles
James Kirk Hampton (aka Coach) on stage for the end of the night jam at Louie Louie’s. Photo: Jessica Waffles
The end of the night jam at Boarded Up Foundation’s event “Mic’d Up.” Photo: Jessica Waffles
Jessica Waffles is a freelance photographer/videographer and regular contributor to KXT.
Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
