Above photo courtesy the Kansas Department of Commerce Facebook page.

Could the Lieutenant Governor of Kansas be a local music fan? It appears so, as a bunch of Lawrence musicians have been performing in his office lately. It’s all thanks to the “LG Desk Concerts” (similar to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts) on KTWU. Every week they’ve been airing episodes featuring local musicians such as Son Venezuela, Maria the Mexican, Kelley Hunt, and Bad Alaskan.

KTWU, PBS, & the Kansas Arts Commission coordinated Lieutenant Governor David Toland’s idea to showcase the arts in Kansas and the economic impact music has on the state. “For every $1 spent on the arts in Kansas, the state sees $9 generated in the local economy,” says Alex Williams, of Bad Alaskan, who was featured in the most recent episode. “This particular program seemed to really lean into the Kansas Art Commission’s position within the Department of Commerce. Their interview questions focused on community impacts.”

You can watch the episodes online at KTWU’s website.