Previous events

Join Marika Straw & friends for an intimate house show at The Peach Pit (Julia's house) in Woodfin! Amalia Grannis, Sage Christie, Aaron Price, and Moon Lady Music will share songs (and/or poems!) centered around the theme of hope. The show will close with a feature on Marika's debut album, "Love, the Heartache." You will be invited to sing along to "Dreaming of Another World" and "Dear Heart" on the baby grand.

Sliding Scale $15-25 at the door, no one turned away for lack of funds. RSVP to marika.straw@gmail.com for the address.

Performer Bios & Web Links:

Amalia is a multimodal performer whose verses are centered around the human experience, exploring nuance, and turning toward our shared discomfort. They endeavor in their work to bring honesty and reassurance to their listeners. IG: @acgpoetry

Sage Christie (they/he) is an Asheville-based songwriter, baker, and short king. In a nod to their genre-defying songcraft, Sage’s debut album Little Deaths was the only trad folk record named in the Top 10 of 2025 by local hardcore blog This World Scares Me. Sage relishes every opportunity to invite listeners to cry, laugh, marvel, and probably cry some more. Website: https://sagechristie.com/ IG: @sagecrispy

Moon Lady Music is our host for the night and this is Julia's FIRST house show!!! (Thank you, Julia!) Moon Lady is a new project by musician and artist Julia Peach. Blending together the styles of Courtney Barnett, Fiona Apple, and Hayley Heynderickx, the music is emotionally specific and intense while still maintaining a surreal and whimsical view of the world. IG: @moon_lady_music & @juliapeach_art

A long-time song maker, Aaron Price is grateful to the many opportunities to be had in WNC for making music inspired by the natural beauty all around. A specialized accompanist, Aaron enjoys providing music for meditations, ceremonies and yoga classes. He also improvises music with poets and improv comics, and works as Music Director at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church. Website: https://aaronprice1.bandcamp.com/album/voyager

Marika Straw’s music is like the sacredness of light filtering softly through stained glass onto velvet. Warm, welcoming, inviting. Vulnerable, intimate, soulful. Dynamic and healing, their music draws listeners through questions into affirmations. Sing along or get lost in Marika's gorgeous voice and lush rhythms. Marika returns to the Asheville area for one performance only to share songs from their debut 2025 album, "Love, the Heartache". Website: marikastrawmusic.com IG: @marikastrawmusic

The Wallowa Valley Music Alliance is having their 20th season of Tunesmith Night, a showcase of original music. Each concert features three songwriters sharing their original work in a round-robin format, at the historic Odd Fellows Hall, 105 NE First Street, Enterprise, Oregon The unique listening space provides an up-close and intimate experience for both audience and performers.

Doors open at 6:30pm with music starting at 7pm. Admission is $10. Beverage service available. All ages welcome.

Get on your gay Halloween heartbreak for this interactive “Love, the Heartache” album release house show at my friend Nimisha’s in Eugene, OR!

Saturday, October 25 Gather 5:30 pm Music 6-8 pm Bonfire & S’mores 8-10 pm $15 suggested (plz come whether or not you can pay! this is a community event!) RSVP’s requested (and required for the address) to the contact form on Marika’s website

Marika Straw’s “Love, the Heartache” album focuses on the intimate, sometimes painful, parts of loving and attempting to love. This show is primarily for queers who want to name, witness, and let go of grief around queer love and open up heart space for hope and healing. In addition to the music, Marika will hold space as the “Queer of Hearts” for attendees to get up on the mic and share stories or poems. Angsty poetry and/or darkly humorous stories about failed/mourned queer loves are especially encouraged! After the show, weather permitting, we’ll gather around a bonfire. Attendees will have the chance to burn letters, griefs, old ghosts, and anything else they need to burn, and then sweeten their hearts with s’mores.

Attendees are encouraged to wear black or costumes. This event will be outdoors, weather permitting. Bring your own chair or a blanket if you’d like.

Marika Straw will be playing original songs for piano and voice, as well as some classical and jazz, at the La Grande Farmers Market. Free & all-ages.

Marika Straw’s music is like the sacredness of light filtering softly through stained glass onto velvet, or entering into your own private meditation. Warm, welcoming, inviting. Vulnerable, intimate, soulful. Dynamic and healing, their music draws listeners through questions into affirmations. Sing along or get lost in Marika's gorgeous voice and lush rhythms, and feel free like water.

Stylistically indie pop/indie folk, Marika's classical piano training shows in their songs' intricacy, power and presence; their jazz background in a subtle stylistic flair. Strong dashes of Regina Spektor and Sara Bareilles pair with smatterings of Fiona Apple, Vanessa Carlton, Greta Morgan, Sufjan Stevens, Coldplay, and CAKE. Marika has also been compared to Ingrid Michaelson, Cat Power, and Tori Amos.

Doors open 30 minutes before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.

The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.

Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.

Enjoy the songs of "Love, the Heartache" (and a few more) at none other but Marika's Gunkles' (Gay Uncles') house in Beaverton, Oregon!

This show will feature a social hour with snacks and likely wine from 5-6 pm as people arrive and settle into the space. The show itself (6-8 pm) will elevate Marika's music on Marek's Vintage 1929 "Heirloom" Steinway B grand piano! There may also be a special guest on bass and vocals!

$20 (but let us know if this is financially inaccessible to you & if so we will figure it out). RSVP (required) by filling out the contact form on this website and pay at the door.

Come enjoy my originals at the Lostine farmers market! 5-7 pm :) Free music, tips welcome!

Come listen to Marika Straw's intimate, soulful songs for piano and voice while supporting Generation Peace, a program of Oregonian organization Fields of Peace connecting children in rural Oregon and the West Bank. Marika's rural queer community organizing work and their new album "Love, the Heartache," released July 11, embrace both the heartache of caring in a broken world and the hope emergent in dreaming and creating new futures. Listen, sing along, write a note at the grief altar, and transmute your grief in a broken world into solidarity and hope.

50% of proceeds will go to Fields of Peace: https://www.fieldsofpeace.org/ Tickets in advance and at the door are $10 (link to purchase to come soon!).

This venue is all-ages until 9 pm, at which point minors will be asked to leave. Thank you for understanding!

Join queer singer-songwriters Marika Straw & Sage Christie for a heartfelt evening of originals! Ages 21+. No admission fee, tips welcome :)

Come celebrate the release of "Love, the Heartache" - Marika Straw's first full-length professional album of their songs, featuring Dani Savage. Enjoy a heartfelt and vulnerable show, communal singing, and the "Friend Chorus." All-ages. Sliding scale $0-20. This will be your first chance at purchasing the CD and the day the album is released!

Marika Straw originals - 30 min set as a part of Lincoln City PrideFest! All-ages, no admission fee, tips welcome. :) Lincoln City PrideFest runs from 12-5. Catch all sorts of incredible performers all afternoon long!

Marika Straw will play their original music for piano and voice, as well as perhaps a few classical pieces, at the Wallowa County Farmers Market. All-ages and no admission fee, but tips welcome. :)

Marika Straw's original music for piano & voice at Rose City Book Pub, ft. Dani Savage on vocal harmonies. This will be a fun & informal show with some sing-alongs. All-ages. Admission will be collected at intermission, sliding scale $0-20.

Join Dani, Marika, & AJ (the "fruit snaxxx") for a rerun of the Rural Queer Open Mic at Mt. Hood PRIDE! (Event is from 10-1; RQOM segment is from 11-12.)

Bring your music, poetry, dance, drag, karaoke (yes, we will have a karaoke setup), comedy, skits, or anything else you would like to share! There will also be opportunities for communal & anonymous participation.

Check out some stops from last year's Rural Queer Open Mic tour at @ruralqueeropenmic on Instagram.

We can't wait to see what you bring!

All-ages. Free event; portion of proceeds from sales go to the Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/