Local bands to hit the stage at Midnight Coffee session Friday

UPDATE: Midnight Coffee has been moved to the Raleigh Playhouse and Theatre on Neville Street due to a power outage. The event will still begin at 7 p.m.

————————————

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - If you’re looking for a fun way to kick off the weekend, the Beckley Art Center’s (BAC) music program will host a Midnight Coffee session Friday evening.

The event serves as an opportunity for local bands to play new music for the community. WVVA visited the art center on Johnstown Road to speak to one of those bands.

“Seeking Altitude” started playing together in February of last year, but they’re not just a new band; they’re a young one! Most of their members are still in high school. The band’s lead singer, Max Phillips, finished his freshman year on Thursday, drummer John Moore is heading into 11th grade and guitarist Morgan Blake will begin high school this fall. The band’s bass player is Seth Hughes, Director of Performing Arts at the BAC.

The band says Midnight Coffee is a great way to expose their music and meet new faces. They will be performing songs from their debut EP.

“I think it’s really important to, you know, to be able to write the music and then get people involved,” Phillips shared. “Actually, we write the music for the people, so to get them to be able to hear it is great and see the reaction and see what they like. It’s always a lot of fun.”

“It’s just a big privilege to be able to play music for a living and that wouldn’t really be possible without people from the community coming in to listen to that music...that allows us to keep doing what we’re doing here,” Hughes added.

Midnight Coffee will start at 7 p.m. on Friday. There is a $10 cover charge that will benefit the music program. Other bands in the lineup are Elsie Kay & the J’s, Routine Days, The OYBs and Wizards is Crazy.

Click here to learn more about the BAC’s music program, music lessons and its upcoming music camp.

Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.