The Listening Room of Mobile will host a night of original local talent on Sunday, Dec. 10, pairing a live performance from the acoustic trio Slide Bayou with a display of handmade art built from salvaged window frames.
Slide Bayou brings together singer-songwriters Ryan Balthrop, Lee Yankie and Harrison McInnis, three musicians who have each built individual followings on the Gulf Coast music scene. Rather than performing only their own songs, the trio built its live show around reinterpreting each other’s catalogs, trading verses and reworking arrangements into extended, jam-influenced versions of songs audiences may already know.
The group has yet to release a studio album of original collaborative material, but its live sets have become known for spontaneity, with songs frequently stretched into longer instrumental passages that showcase the interplay between the three musicians. For fans who have followed Balthrop, Yankie and McInnis individually, the show offers a chance to hear their material filtered through a different voice.
Alongside the music, the venue will display Balthrop’s ongoing “Southern Windows” art collection. The project began two years ago when Balthrop started collecting discarded window frames from around the region and repurposing them into framed artwork. Each piece uses the salvaged window as a literal frame for Balthrop’s depictions of local scenery, blending found materials with painted or crafted imagery of the Gulf Coast.
The result is a body of work that organizers describe as a fresh take on regional folk art, mixing rough, weathered materials with detailed renderings of familiar landscapes. Pairing the exhibit with Slide Bayou’s performance gives attendees a chance to take in both the region’s visual and musical creative traditions in a single evening.
The Listening Room of Mobile, located at 78 St. Francis St. in downtown Mobile, is known for hosting intimate, seated concerts that highlight singer-songwriters and acoustic acts. Tickets for the Dec. 10 show are $20, and reservations can be made by calling 251-367-4599. Additional details are available at www.thelisteningroommobile.com.