Every first and third Friday of the month, Art Truckee in the historic Brickelltown district welcomes talented locals and visitors to share their performance art.

One by one, performers take center stage at the art gallery as audience members order beer, wine and enjoy a variety of ensembles.

“We have seen such a positive response from the community; we were over-booked by two or three hours on the first Friday event so we added another Open Mic. Night on the third Friday of each month,” said Michelle Erskine, co-owner of Art Truckee.

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Erskine said the owners’ goal is to offer a completely different kind of venue at Art Truckee.

“Our Open Mic. Night is really cool because about half of the performers are working, paid musicians, and the other half are performing some for the first time. There’s a really high quality of talent on display here,” she said.

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One performer was Adeline Wood, a local who said she saw some children performing at a recital, contacted their parents and they held their first rehearsal 10 days before the Open Mic. Night as the newly formed band, “The Eyeballers”.

“I’ve been making music most of my life as a closet musician but Open Mic. is great fun, just the joy of it is so special. And making music with the kids is wonderful,” she said.

The boys who performed with Wood are part of their own garage band called “Kai and the Monsters”, made up of Rowin Springsteel, 12, Cormac Springsteel, 10, and Liam Jones, 12, and their lead singer, Kai, who couldn’t make it to Open Mic. Night.

The boys said they practice every Tuesday from each others’ garages or in play rooms.

The Art Truckee performance was their first Open Mic. Night and the crowd cheered with excitement after they threw down their classic rock tunes.

Peter DeMattei is a performer, who attended Open Mic. Night, and said the opportunity to get exposure as a new musician is invaluable.

“This gives young people the opportunity to get out in front of an audience. The event is just really inspiring for the community,” he added.

One of the evening’s impressive young performers was Sierra Bohnet, a 17-year-old singer-songwriter who also played piano and the ukulele during her performance.

Bohnet was accompanied on stage by her father playing acoustic guitar as she sang her heart out, performing three songs including two of her own original works.

Her song entitled “Pretending” was inspired by the recent shooting in Las Vegas and served as an outlet to put her emotions to music.

“I was touring USC during the Vegas shooting and everyone was on lockdown. We were rushed into a church and I saw all races around me. This song is my way of venting to the world and to the government, you could say,” she explained.

Her father, Steven, says his daughter has always been musically inclined.

“She’s always been singing but when I heard her singing with vibrato at age five I knew it was special. I used to sing to them at night but I can’t even sing with vibrato so I don’t know where she picked that up from at age five,” he said.

Cassandra Walker is a features and entertainment reporter for the Sierra Sun. She can be reached at cwalker@sierrasun.com, 530-550-2654 or @snow1cass.