Artspeak Radio with Ty & Joel Melgren and Erik J. Pearson

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, December 28, 2022, noon – 1pm CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd talks with Ty & Joel Melgren owner Flagship Books and musician Erik J. Pearson.

TY & JOEL MELGREN, Flagship Books- Flagship Books is the culmination of the vision of two brothers, Joel and Ty Melgren. With more time on their hands due to the pandemic, the pair decided to turn a passion of theirs—reading—into a business venture by opening a small space in North Kansas City’s Iron District in March 2020.
“We had people saying we had a good selection, and we had a lot of fun working together to find books that people would have a good time with,” says Joel Melgren. “We thought about how we could continue to make it work and sustain the momentum we were able to build in the shipping container.” The answer was expanding to a larger space in Kansas City, Kansas, where the brothers live—making the booksellers the first to independently own a bookstore in KCK.

Welcome to Flagship Books!  A neighborhood bookstore located in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood. Offering a wide range of books, games, puzzles and much more. Hours of operation: Wed-Thurs 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM Fri-Sat 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Sun 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
We hope you’ll be able to visit us in person at 600 Ohio Ave in Kansas City, KS.

ERIK J. PEARSON- To define a specific date and time when an artist steps into their calling is difficult; impossible even. But, when they listen closely, they discover the nature of their sound.
The creation of Erik J. Pearson’s captivating style of instrumental guitar is a road of twists and turns. Various stages of life brought numerous different mainstream musical endeavors. Eventually, his soulful and unique fingerstyle guitar playing took center stage.

With twenty years of musical education, Erik’s pieces exude deep emotion and memorable melodies. His authentic songs attract both fans of the guitar and those who simply love a good tune. They are enticing to all who hear them. His youth-filled years were a breeding ground for new experiences and fresh opportunities. He joined a metal band, performed in a church band, played as the frontman for a folk-guitar duo, and even made a flash appearance in the singer-songwriter scene. One ill-fitting hat after another was sorely placed on his head during this season of self-discovery.

Through every discovery and detour, Erik’s love for the guitar rang deep in his spirit. The natural talent he possessed was noticed by many and finally, accepted by himself. The path of the picker was his destiny. He’ll never forget the day he was first introduced to fingerstyle guitar. Watching Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac play something gorgeous and inspiring on the live concert “The Dance” changed everything. This initial exposure paved the way for two decades of dedicated musical consumption and an unwavering commitment to musical education. Aside from remarkable rockers like Buckingham and Knopfler, Erik also considers Leo Kottke, Bert Jansch, Andy McKee, Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel, Michael Gulezian, and Jon Gomm to be among his greatest inspirations.

Mostly composing at his home in Kansas City, Erik writes guitar music with a pop structure and melody that will hook you. With every new piece he produces, the goal is to ensure listeners are immediately feeling something, and afterwards, humming something. Fans of both fingerstyle and classical guitar will appreciate the hidden melodic gems that weave together to form the eternal treasures of his music. His intentional focus on melody, groove, and emotion delivers a tune that simply can’t be played only once. The initial listen is only the beginning. The refreshing melody lasts forever.
Bandcamp:
https://erikjpearson.bandcamp.com/

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/erikjmusic
www.erikjpearson.com

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