The Great Room of Traer’s Ripley United Church of Christ Parsonage pictured on Wednesday, June 26, during the new music venue’s inaugural open mic night. More than 90 people showed up for the event, packing into the first-floor rooms, onto both porches, and on the patio. PHOTO BY JIM COPPOC

TRAER – The Great Room of Traer’s Ripley Parsonage at 513 Fourth Street ought to hold about 25 people, plus a small stage. At least that’s what Lay Minister Jim Coppoc and his partner Lindsey Christie thought. After all, how many Traerites are really going to show up on a Wednesday night to support a local music show in a non-bar setting with nothing but down-home vibes and root beer floats on tap?

As it turns out, the answer is far more than anyone expected. By the end of the evening on June 26, more than 90 people had crowded into the pastor’s home, overflowing every room on the first floor, both porches, and the patio. And both the open mic performers and the featured songwriter, Katie Sires of Katie and the Honky Tonks, showed up ready to give the audience what they came for.

The ‘house concert’ movement has been part of American life as long as America has had houses. But over the past few decades, this trend has taken on the flavor of indie songwriters building up the folk tradition and reminding us all of the value of live, local, do-it-yourself talent. The Parsonage series in particular aims to bring together everyone from the two-year-old who opened with “The Wheels on the Bus” to experienced professionals playing original music in a way that everyone can share their talent, support each other’s efforts, and learn and grow as one local scene. To that end, each month of this series will also bring a regional talent like Katie Sires to the stage to offer both inspiration and a taste of what a great songwriter can feel like in a real ‘listening room’ environment.

A while back, Ripley United Church of Christ made the conscious decision to become a “mission oriented” church. While Sunday worship is still thriving, and attendance is growing, the larger focus of the church at this point is “to serve God by serving others.” Currently, this means engaging in community festivals, sewing scores of quilts for the needy every year, using member contributions to support worthy charities, hosting Traer’s weekly Alcoholics Anonymous open meeting, and of course providing this new opportunity for local talent to gather and music lovers to support.

The next few months at The Parsonage include Robert Yeltman on July 24, Chris Patterson of Great Caesar’s Goat on August 29, Rob Maharry of Catfish Murphy on September 18, and the Cedar Valley’s own legendary songwriter Uncle Chuck on October 23.

Katie Sires of Katie and the Honky Tonks performs at The Parsonage in Traer back on June 26 during Ripley United Church of Christ’s new open mic night. The monthly event is part of the congregation’s recent decision to become a ‘mission-oriented’ church. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE SIRES/FACEBOOK

Every show is pay-what-you-can. Start time is always 6:30 p.m. All ages and levels of experience are welcome.