At the beginning of the month, Aug. 1, Stages.Live announced the official launch of its Northwest Arkansas free community events and local streaming music player events. 

 

As a community-events app, Stages.Live serves to tip artists and help venues and musicians book gigs. Stages.Live is currently patent-pending in its method: Touch Play, the local musicians’ streaming player, builds playlists of original and cover music videos of local artists. 

 

“Stages.Live is creating new fans of local artists and their music,” Rick Bray, the coinventor and cofounder, said. “Until now, there hasn’t been a good way for communities to get to know their local artists. Radio and Spotify create fans of recording artists, and those fans fill arenas. Stages.Live creates fans of local artists, and those fans fill the restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries where they play.” 

 

“We’re trying to help local talent make a living doing what they love, without having to leave home to chase the dream. Musicians, comedians, poets, it’s for all local performing artists,” Bray said. 

 

The events manager for Downtown Bentonville Inc., Tracie Kivisto, says that she found herself using Stages.Live to find things to do. 

 

“I decided to make it official, and we’re now using it for Downtown Bentonville Inc.’s events beginning with the Aug. 5 First Friday,” she said, “Stages.Live offers an innovative and powerful way for us to book artists, promote our events and promote Downtown Bentonville businesses. It’s a game-changing app that makes my job easier.” 

 

The pre-populated and ready-to-go app no has NWA starter profiles that are being claimed for more than 120 local Artists and the Venues where they play, according to the news release. Stage.Live is also preparing to launch in more than 26 major markets later this year. 

 

“I’ve moved all of my events to Stages.Live because it’s so much easier for our fans to follow us. Fans tip us, watch videos, buy tickets, plus the app’s booking feature is great,” Jenna Melnicki, NWA local musician and star of the touring Amy Winehouse Experience, said.

 

“NW Arkansas is our home, and it all starts here,” Bray said. “but Stages.Live is designed to be a global app that’s local everywhere. We want every town to view Stages.Live as its hometown app to find things to do, discover local talent, and become fans of their local music.”

 

 

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