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At the Crosstown Acoustic Cafe we host various events. We may on occasion hold "Open Mic" nights, and evenings devoted to special guest artists will be called "An Evening With _____________." We hope to hold a few family-style concerts (bring the kids), or sing-a-longs. But the concert we host more often than all the others is called "The Gathering."
The Gathering is Crosstown's main event. It works like this. One featured artist is invited to present six songs, and four guest artists or groups are invited to present two songs each. The fourteen songs are presented in the following format.
Song 1 - Guest Artist 1
Song 2 - Guest Artist 2
Song 3 - Guest Artist 3
Song 4 - Guest Artist 4
Songs 5, 6, 7 - Featured Artist
(Short Break)
Song 8 - Guest Artist 1
Song 9 - Guest Artist 2
Song 10 - Guest Artist 3
Song 11 - Guest Artist 4
Songs 12, 13, 14 - Featured Artist
We also invite an MC to host the evening and introduce each of the artists in turn. We follow this format and variations of it to encourage artists and groups (and those who follow them around) to listen to each other, to learn from each other, and to enjoy a wider variety of styles and sounds. It's more of a family celebration when several performers and their friends get together at one place to listen and share. Our guest artists may come back as the featured artist on another night. The featured artist may return as a guest. And so it goes.
We also encourage each singer to tell about the music, what it means or how it was written. Each song provides a glimpse into the soul of the performer, and these glimpses are part of why Crosstown Acoustic Cafe exists.
If you would like to copy this format in another place, please feel free. We would like to spread the idea of "The Gathering" as far as it will go. We believe many musicians and friends will benefit from an environment where music is shared and enjoyed with other musicians and their friends. | 
