An intimate crowd shuffled in slowly and began to occupy round tables as the dimly-lit room filled with light chatter. Silhouettes danced over artistic portraits of John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Albert Einstein while artists took their positions on stage.

Students and community members came together in the Bell Memorial Union basement Thursday to support each other’s various talents. Associated Students Productions hosted its first Open Mic Night in a new event series.

This new open-mic series aims to give people the opportunity to share whatever talent they desire. This week consisted of music only. But all acts are welcome. The event featured five performances total, with a mix of solo artists and bands.

Students cheered on their peers as soulful music radiated throughout the small room. Most of the intimate crowd stayed until the end of the show—hearing a mix of electronic, acoustic and indie-rock music.

Based on the variety of musicians showcased in this series, it looks to be an ongoing display of new talent and show of support for the artists on campus. Watch for the next in this series and stay tuned for The Orion’s next Artist of the Week as it will feature a musician from this event, Chase Avalos.

Grant Schmieding can be reached at [email protected] or @G_Schmieding on Twitter.