Daily Inspiration: Meet Ryan Shea

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Shea.

Hi Ryan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
Our little venue is the natural progression of the music we have been presenting and the community we have been building at our restaurant. For most of a decade, we have been serving delicious vegan food in a positive and accepting space full of plants and good energy. Before our venue opened in October of 2022, we presented live music at least twice a week during the warm months but were unable to accommodate the performances in our indoor space during the winter months. Now that North Star Lounge is part of our family of businesses, we are able to present live music and entertainment four nights a week all year round, 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has taken some time to figure out which varieties of performance establish a consistent draw. Our weekly Bluegrass and LGBTQ nights have built strong, engaged communities of regulars and performers, while other themed nights have had less success. As a new business, we will undoubtedly continue to learn more lessons, but for now, we are leaning on a tremendous pool of local musical talent to bring in excited and friendly people to our space. For decades Ann Arbor has been home to many renowned and popular musicians, and we are lucky to operate within such a strong local culture of art and music appreciation. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I play upright bass in the house Bluegrass band, the Pontiac Trail Blazers. Each week, we bring in a different local musician to play with us as our guest for the evening, and each week, we play for a full room of people enjoying the music and fun energy. 

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
While a technical proficient performance will appeal to small group of initiated individuals, a performance that is fun and engaging to the audience will appeal to a larger and more diverse group. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nstarlounge.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northstarlounge/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northstarloungea2