Local musicians will perform on Pine Street Plaza every Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. this month. You can listen to bands like Paradox and Down to Embers for free on Main Street, all thanks to the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Pullman Association.

Music on Main has been happening since 2018, and some people have been performing before the event even had a name, such as Jill Freuden, the vocalist for Paradox, said Marie Dymkoski, Pullman Chamber of Commerce executive director.

Dymkoski loves music, she said. Her personal favorite way to listen to music is at a small venue with good music and good company. 

This is why she helped to set up Music on Main, which hosts local bands like Solstice, as well as solo performances from people like Jill Freuden and Andru Gomez, she said.

At its core, Music on Main is about community engagement. The performers and hosts of the event encourage anyone interested in music to come by on any Thursday this month. 

Tonight, Jill Freuden, Pullman Registrar Office assistant registrar, is performing solo acoustic guitar, she said. 

The following week, Andru Gomez will perform, and the week after that, Smith and Reilly will as well, Freuden said.

“I think in this season, there are always some [shows] that are way better attended than others, so it depends on the musician or the band itself,” Dymkoski said. “This has been a really really good season.”

Both Marie Dymkoski and Jill Freuden agree on the good quality of the performances. The event has done well due to the people involved, and its popularity has only grown since its start in 2018.

“Fifty people showing up when it’s ridiculously hot out just shows how successful it’s gotten … But the good news is that even when it’s hot, it’s shaded,” Freuden said. “It’s definitely very community-based, and you see your friends, and neighbors, and all kinds of people there.”

Thanks to sponsors like the Gladish Community and Cultural Center, musicians have been able to provide free entertainment to community members, Dymkoski said. 

The Chamber of Commerce pays the bands,  so no one is expected to perform without compensation, she said.

If you want to support local musicians and hear good, family-friendly and open-genre music, then come by Pine Street tonight at 5:30 p.m.