Why is it important to support a local music scene? This is the question that Ames Auditorium Bandshell and Community Center Manager Craig Kaufman plans to answer.

On March 3, Kaufman and the Ames Auditorium will kick off its first ever “All Iowa Arts Showcase.” This concert series will consist of five dates, spanning over the months of March and April.

Each night will showcase two artists, one that is local to Des Moines and another that is Iowa based. Art and concessions from Iowa based artists will be available in the lobby during the event.

“We wanted to pair someone that is from here with someone that is from out of town, to give people a chance to build relationships,” Kaufman said on his goals of the concert series.

Kaufman is planning this event for the growth of the Ames City Auditorium.

“The auditorium has been underutilized since it opened,” Kaufman said.

Originally the Ames High School in 1881, the auditorium has seen many renovations over the years. It was not until 1990 that Ames city personnel moved into the building, creating what is today known as City Hall.

There are many links to the building’s past as a high school. The building contains many parts of the original school, including the basketball court, artwork on the walls and, of course, the auditorium.

In the future, “[The auditorium] hopes to offer full seasons of music, dance, theatre, film, lectures and educational programming,” Kaufman said.

The auditorium only hosts a few events every year. Available to seat over 800 people, the auditorium is one of the biggest performance halls in Ames, aside from Stephen’s Auditorium.

“The hope is that [the auditorium] can grow from this event,” Kaufman said.

Not only will the stage be utilized at the All Iowa Arts Showcase, but all parts of the auditorium will be in play. Plans are to have local artists host their artwork in the lobby during the event for sale. Local concessions will also be served by the Lockwood Café from here in Ames.  

The lineup for this year will be:

March 3, 2018 at 7 p.m.: Patrick Tape Fleming (Gloom Balloon, Poison Control Center) & Ryne Doughty

March 10, 2018 at 7 p.m.: Ben Schrag and The Cautionaries & Dan Tedesco

March 16, 2018 at 7 p.m.: Bitter Canyon & Matt Woods

April 13, 2018 at 8:30 p.m.: Jen McClung & Elizabeth Moen

April 20, 2018: Evan Campbell & Patresa Hartman

The first concert date will be March 3 at 7 p.m. This concert will feature Patrick Tape Fleming and Ryne Doughty.

Fleming currently performs in two bands, Gloom Balloon, and Poison Control Center. Fleming is the sole songwriter for Gloom Balloon, while Poison Control Center is a 4-piece rock band that all the members collaborate on.

Gloom Balloon just released their new album, “Drying the Eyes of the Goddess of Gloom Underneath the Stars and the Moon,” last September. Fleming gets a lot of his musical influence from bands like the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and now his son, Nilsson, who just turned 2 years old back in January.  

Fleming has lived in the area for over 18 years but has only been to the Ames Auditorium three times. Agreeing with Kaufman, Fleming talks about how the space has been “underutilized” for many years.

“I love playing in people’s living room to small crowds … I got to open for Obama in Ames during his last election cycle,” Fleming said.

Ryne Doughty is a roots-americana musician from Des Moines. He brings to the stage a unique mixture of passion and energy. Telling stories of love, loss and work, his fourth studio album, “Date Night,” is now available. “Date Night” displays more stripped-down folk sounds than his previous album, “Under the Willow Tree.”

His first band back in high school, Luube, drew a lot of influences from Greg Brown and John Prine, two American folk songwriters. He continued to study music and attend school. Right after graduating from the University of Iowa, Doughty packed up his bags and moved to Boulder, CO to fully focus on writing music.

“It’s important to feature local artists because they are the people who actually make the scene great” said Doughty. No stranger to Ames, Doughty has performed at the M-Shop, DGs, London Underground, Mother’s Pub and Alluvial.

“To do [songwriting] for a living, even at this regional level, is a dream come true,” Doughty said.

More information on the All Iowa Arts Showcase can be found on the Ames City Auditorium Facebook page or on the City of Ames Calendar.