ENCORE! Four Additional Concerts Added to the Series

Ondara - 9/06/23

After two weeks of no musical performances within the walls of Gather, Ondara brought a wonderful atmosphere to a rainy evening.

Ondara’s tour manager, Kristin Mastantuono, spoke with Gather’s blog writer, Kira Doman, about their visit to the city.

Ondara returned to Green Bay, this time able to enjoy the booths, food trucks, and people attending the Farmer’s Market. This was Mastantuono’s first time in the city, and the sense of community that enveloped her with open arms shocked and awed her. 

“There was a lot of music at the Farmer’s Market, like a lot of different performers just spread throughout the market, and that was pretty unexpected for us, but we all thought it was such a cool expression of community,” Mastanuono smiled warmly. “The venue and employees of Gather were such a shock as well. Everyone was just so happy to see us, and made us feel so incredibly welcome. It was definitely difficult to keep room in my stomach for both the delicious food at Gather, and the super yummy food trucks.”

Looking down Broadway’s lineup of food trucks for the Farmer’s Market on Broadway, Green Bay has made sure to keep a diverse arrangement of food. Even a picky eater will find something to eat!

“It was really nice to see so much diversity in the food trucks,” Mastanuono pointed out. “There were three main things that really stood out to me, and that was the diversity in the food trucks, all of the different crafting booths and earring stands alone (I got a really cute pair), and the three different musical performers adding to the atmosphere of the Farmer’s Market.”

The rain may have kept this a lower-attended performance, but Mastanuono assures Ondara definitely left with new listeners and fans.

“Even though it was a bit of a quieter performance, we still had new fans coming up after the show, really excited to discover a new artist to follow along with,” Mastanuono commented. “It’s a great way to push the fanbase for artists, and for no cost to the listener is rare. It was really beautiful to see everyone just sit and respectfully listen to the music.”

“We could really feel the community of the city at this performance,” Mastanuono said. “Before the music started, the owners introduced the opener and main act with their children on stage to help, and it really made the room feel like a family. It was very sweet.”

As artists continue to come through Green Bay, performing on Gather’s stage, employees of the establishment continue to hear praises for their dedication to crafting a magical evening.

“It was refreshing and inspiring to see every employee within a venue of Gather’s magnitude, have the same goal of bringing culture, art, and community to Green Bay,” Mastanuono smiled.

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Adriel Denae - 9/13/23

Appleton local, Adriel Denae, ventured her way up the Fox River and into Gather for a sweet evening with an attentive community. Still looking to build her follower count up, Gather was happy to provide a platform for Denae’s acoustic style.

“Walking into Gather before we set up was beautiful,” Denae exclaimed. “It's a lovely environment and the greenroom was especially wonderful! We also absolutely loved the food! The sound quality was great for our setup too.”

“While the audience was small,” began Denae, “they were attentive and engaged with the music and I felt a good connection with them. I wish I could've brought a larger draw and hope to be able to cultivate that with more shows in Green Bay.”

Though the crowd was smaller than some of the other shows, the live feed of Denae’s show being projected outside among the market still brought new listeners in.

“A couple came in off the street as they heard the music out there, that’s such a great idea by the way,” Denae commented, “and they stayed for the rest of the show and spoke with us after, and were really encouraging to us. I wish I remembered what song they came in on. If only every show I played had a farmer's market to interact with! We even walked the whole market and were able to stock up on some groceries and gifts. ”

The staff and owners of Gather aim to provide real attentive care to those who book with the venue, and performers who take our stage for the night are just as important.

“The way that Tommy, Grace, and Jen personally interacted with us was special and memorable,” Denae smiled. “I felt valued and welcomed and they set a tone for real, human connection that helped to make the show feel soulful and connected. I got a sense of shared values and really admire what Gather is trying to build with concerts. We are all lucky to have the staff doing what they do and I felt honored to be there.”  

Not only do artists feel welcome and respected by Gather’s staff, but our partners aim to make the artists feel as if they are the most important guests to set foot on the stage. 

“Jesse's (Jesse Coonen of Harmonic Productions) skill in running sound was exceptional and it was a pleasure to work with him,” Denae said impressed. “I left with a sense of wanting to support and contribute to what is being built there in any way I can as it is a deep enrichment to our community and culture here.”