MARQUETTE, Mich.—The new Beaumier Coffeehouse Series at Northern Michigan University will feature monthly performances by acoustic musicians from throughout the Upper Peninsula. The first event, with Scotty Alan and the Chanteymen, will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9, in the Peter White Lounge of the University Center.  Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Coffee and lemonade will also be available for a small donation.

The series is an extension of the Upper Peninsula Folklife Festival coordinated by the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at NMU. It is funded in part through a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Alan is a Marquette native who has performed as a singer-songwriter for nearly 25 years locally and throughout the United States and Europe. He was recently in Los Angeles recording his latest CD, “Wreck and the Mess,” which should be available in the next few months. It was produced by Bernie Larsen using Lucinda Williams’ rhythm section, David Lindley and other well-known musicians.

The Chanteymen is an ensemble based in Marquette. The group’s music has been compared to artists such as Andrew Bird, Sigur Ros, The Mountain Goats, Leonard Cohen and The Misfits. The Chanteymen have released an album and an EP, both on the Grand Rapids "SELF-SATISFIED" label.

The Beaumier Coffeehouse Series will continue on April 23 in the Peter White Lounge with artists to be announced at a later date. For more information, contact Dan Truckey at 227-1219.