Audience Takeaways:
“I want to volunteer at Boise Hive. I watched some of their videos on youtube and am plannign to attend an event. I'm going to attend some free BSU music events! I also want to support the speaker who had an album coming out.” — Attendee
“Just thinking about the music industry as more of an ecosystem and all the pieces involved. I'm a musician myself who has just released an album and just learning more about that piece of the puzzle has been really illuminating. So many things to think about!” — Attendee
“I plan to do a few actions that came from the panel:
1) I go to a lot of shows, but I'll do my best to go to one a month where I know nothing about the artist.
2) My friends and I are going to set up a book club-like music talk once monthly where we come together and talk about new finds we've had. As a part of it, one assignment will be for all to come with one local artist or song.”
— Attendee and local music supporter
Who defines boise’s sound?
Thursday, July 10
Inspiration Ally
Downtown Boise
217 S 11th St.
Boise, ID 83702
Austin, Nashville, Boise? On July 10th, we’re turning up the volume on one of our city’s most powerful assets: its music scene. From concerts on top of the US Bank Building, Alive After Five, to Treefort Music Festival, music continues to shape the sound of Boise. We want to know what’s working, what’s missing, and what kind of music city do we want to be?
We’ll be joined by venue owners, performers, producers, city leaders, and local legends for a candid conversation about the future of music in Boise: from talent pipelines, music accessibility, venue logistics, and the value of a good soundcheck.
In this conversation, we’re asking what we can do to support Boise’s music scene. That might mean showing up for a local show or donating to a youth music program, maybe hosting a backyard concert or just picking up that instrument gathering dust in the corner.
Whether you’re a frequent patio listener, diehard Treefort-goer, part of the musicscape, or the lone dancer side stage at Alive After Five… this one’s for you.
Meet Our Panelists
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Greg is the Programs Director at Boise Hive, where he plays a pivotal role in nurturing the emerging Boise Sound. Through initiatives like ‘Live at the Hive,’ Greg provides a platform for local musicians to showcase their talent, while also curating Idaho’s largest video repository of the current Boise Sound(s), featuring over 200 concerts and 450 bands. The Hive is also proud to host the only regular public Jazz Jam in the city and is a founding member of the Boise Synth Society.
With a diverse background in engineering and music, Greg co-founded Foresight Technologies, an early digital music company, and has composed for various films and projects. He was an integral part of the Boise music scene in the early 1980s, performing with The Commonauts before relocating to Seattle, where he contributed to the emergence of that city’s vibrant music scene during the pre-grunge era.
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Jesse Blake Rundle is a songwriter, film composer, and the owner of Mixed Metaphor Studios, a boutique recording space in Boise. At the studio, he has produced a wide range of projects across indie rock, folk, americana, and country, creating a collaborative environment where artists are encouraged to take creative risks. He also hosts a monthly songwriting circle for local musicians, offering space for community, feedback, and artistic growth.
In addition to his work as a producer, Jesse is an active songwriter and composer. His fourth studio album, Wait, Sky, will be released in July on Doe Records. He also composed the original score for Stockton to Table Rock, which won several festival awards and premiered at The Flicks in Boise in 2025. Jesse works closely with Doe Records, based in Portland, as both an artist and producer, contributing to the label’s growing influence in the regional music scene.
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Dr. Amanda Ashley serves as the Dr. Thomas and Marilyn Beck Professor in the School of the Arts and Professor in the School of Public Service at Boise State University. She also directs the School of the Arts, where she advances interdisciplinary learning, arts and creative scholarship, and community partnerships. Holding a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Ashley’s research and engagement explores arts economic and community development. Her recent projects focus on arts and cultural planning, the importance of creative placemaking and belonging, the evolving role of higher education institutions as cultural anchors, and the development of creative city policies and governance frameworks. In 2024, Dr. Ashley published, “The Creative Economy: Arts, Cultural Value and Society in Practice” where she and her co-authors champion everyone’s right to an “artful life,” and unveils the many contributions of arts, culture, and creativity in our communities.
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Eric Gilbert is a co-founder, CEO and Director of Programming at Duck Club Entertainment in Boise, ID - best known for building Treefort Music Fest. Duck Club Entertainment also produces concerts in various venues in Boise year-round as Duck Club Presents, and runs a boutique booking agency as Duck Club Touring. In 2023, Duck Club opened a new state-of-the-art concert and event venue in downtown Boise called Treefort Music Hall and its accompanying rooftop bar Hap Hap Lounge, as well as taking over operations of Shrine Social Club. These moves quickly expanded options for people of all ages to experience music and other events in flourishing downtown Boise.
Built off of years of DIY touring and being active in the music community at large, Gilbert and his team hold a strong focus on community building, artist discovery and advocacy, and a passion for creating a niche within the business side of music that keeps them inspired. Maintaining a home in the cultural frontier of Idaho has proven fertile ground for their fresh and collaborative approach. Gilbert also hosts a weekly radio show called Antler Crafts on community radio station Radio Boise 89.9 FM, is back to being an active musician playing keyboards in a new band called Floating Witch’s Head, and is a father of a crafty 11-year-old daughter named Vera in his latest collaboration with his former bandmate and life-partner Lisa Simpson.