Charles Theatre brings country talent to town

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

A rising talent in the country music scene was featured in Charles City on Thursday, April 10, as Jordan Beem performed a live concert at the Charles Theatre.

Playing a mix of covers and original songs, Beem kept the crowed engaged throughout the two-hour concert, encouraging the audience to sing, dance and even add some tambourine accompaniment in front of the stage.

“Charles City, you’ve got a hell of a crowd,” said Beem during the show. “You guys party and you listen, and that’s fantastic.”

The Des Moines-based musician was recently named the 2024 IMA Country Music Artist of the Year and has played at the Iowa State Fair and opened for artists such as Trace Adkins.

Seeking live talent to bring to Charles City, theater board member Chuck VanGuilder sent Beem an e-mail asking him to perform at the theater.

Bringing live performers to Charles City has been a long-standing goal for the theater board, which has been working to facilitate new entertainment options for the venue outside of its regular movie schedule.

“I think it just brings a different life to the building,” said Tami Vetter, a former board member who volunteered to help during the show.

“It brings a lot of people from a lot of different communities here,” said board member Robin Macomber.

The event was a resounding success for the theater board and Beem, both putting on a show that received positive reception from the community.

“I think it’s awesome,” said audience member Tom Wholers. “He was great. I’d go watch him anywhere.”

Turnout for the concert was strong, an encouraging sign for board members as they gauge demand for similar concert events in the future.

“I was glad to see the turnout,” said board member Mike Tracey. “It has been our vision to have something like this for the community.”

Beem said his booking at the theater has already sparked interest in the venue from other performing artists he knows, helping get the word out about the Charles Theater.

“This was so fun. We loved every second of it. This is one of the better crowds we’ve had in a while,” said Beem. “We really want to come back sometime.”

Beem may be booked for the rest of the year, but the board is working on bringing him back to town for another show. In the meantime, they are considering future shows and will be thinking about who to invite and how often to hold concerts for the community.

“I’m very happy with out it turned out,” said Tracey. “Everybody enjoyed it and is asking for more.”