After 5: Randy Bacon's photography gallery doubles as concert space

Art, that is.

The place began as a studio and gallery, showing Bacon’s photography as well as works from other respected photographers. That’s the static.

Driven by Randy’s – and wife Shannon’s – love of music, the gallery added a new dimension nearly three years ago: live performances by a wide range of musical artists. That’s the kinetic.

They call it Gallery Sounds at the Monarch Art Factory.

“We started out featuring local talent,” Randy Bacon recalls. “And in March of 2005, we had our first national act, Six Parts Seven. That kind of started it.”

The Bacons are particular about the kind of acts they book, but that doesn’t mean they have limited themselves to one particular genre.

“We want to bring in bands that are true artists in their own right, whether it’s punk, or a singer/songwriter or somebody that’s on the avant-garde side,” Bacon says. “We try to keep in that vein of acts we feel are really doing something that has the musical spirit we like.”

That philosophy, combined with a setting that is conducive to listening to music, has struck a chord with performers and audiences alike.

Dale McCoy, a founding member of the band Fools Face, recently played a show at Monarch Art Factory with Bob Walkenhorst of Rainmakers fame.

“The coolness of the Bacon Gallery made me want to do the show. It’s kind of a cross between a coffeehouse, an art museum and a performance art space. It’s a nice blend of environments,” McCoy says. “You walk in and there are two hundred candles lit. It’s a nice vibe. People are there for the music … and there’s no (cigarette) smoke.”

It’s the atmosphere and the attitude of the people who work at the gallery that keeps the artists coming back for return engagements. A March 9 show will feature Headlights, a band that played at last year’s SXSW Showcase at the gallery.

“We loved playing at the gallery,” says Headlights front woman Erin Fein. “We’ve been on the road for a really long time and did our first tour in Europe this February. Randy’s really got a special place in Springfield.”

Fans notice the difference in atmosphere as well.

At 55, longtime music aficionado Jim Lewis has been going to live shows since high school in venues that range from frat house basements to nightclubs to arenas to stadiums and festivals. His first show at the Bacon Gallery was Yo La Tengo’s January performance.

“It was great,” Lewis recalls. “You could hear everything. Everybody was just paying attention to what was going on onstage. If you were there for the music, it was fantastic. There were no obstructions.”

Lewis also notes the intimate setting gives the musicians a chance to have real interaction with the crowd.

“In between songs, the band took questions from the audience,” Lewis adds. “We got a lot of impromptu information, not only about the band, but about their philosophy of life. It was a lot more than just going to a concert. There was that communication between every song.”

Upcoming Shows

Shows, which are open to all ages and most often begin at 7:30 p.m., are at Randy Bacon’s Gallery Sounds at the Monarch Art Factory, 600 W. College St. Call (417) 868-8179 for more information.

More details and song samples are at www.gallerysounds.net.

Feb. 23 – Jets Under Fire with special guests Starrfadu, $7

March 1 – Ha Ha Tonka (formerly Amsterband) with special guests Jesse James Wax Museum, $8

March 8 – Von Bondies, $12

March 9 – Evangelicals with Headlights, $8

March 14 – A Day Away CD release show with special guests The Whitest Light, $12 (Ticket holders will receive A Day Away’s new CD.)

March 17 – Crystal Castles with special guests Health & Blackbox Revue DJs, $8

April 1 – Xiu Xiu with special guests Thao Nguyen & The Get Down Stay Down, $10

April 15 – John Vanderslice, $10

April 22 – Enon with special guests Singer, $10

May 4 – American Music Club featuring Mark Eitzel, $12