When COVID-19 shut down the Chief Theater, Steamboat lost more than a stage — it lost a tradition of bringing singer-songwriters into an intimate space where the music came first.

This Saturday, that tradition returns with a familiar face in a new home at Wildhorse Cinema & Arts, as the venue begins a monthly songwriter series organized and led by longtime promoter Arty Smith. 

The series is also playing a key role in the venue’s broader push to feature film screenings, live performances and the visual arts under one roof.

“We’re not trying to invent the wheel,” said Dagny McKinley, executive director of nonprofit Undiscovered Earth. “We’re just happy to be a home for something that was created and so brilliantly done through Arty, and through Scott Parker, at The Chief.”

Wildhorse’s new direction has included a focused effort to diversify its performance lineups while continuing to show first-release movies. That diversification includes mystery movie nights, storytelling, comedy and sensory-friendly screenings in collaboration with Harmonie House, along with exhibits in partnership with the Yampa Valley arts community.

One advantage of the venue, in McKinley’s eyes, is that its performance spaces are built to foster close connections between artists and audience. 

“Our tiered seating means every seat is a good seat,” she said. “The speakeasy space feels like you’re right there with the band.”

McKinley added that the venue’s seats were among the most comfortable in Steamboat Springs, a sentiment Smith echoed.

Smith ran the Chief’s Songwriter Series for seven years and in the process helped foster creation of a loyal audience around it. 

“When I drive by the Chief and see the empty marquee, it’s still sad,” he said. “When Dagny reached out and asked if I’d be interested in bringing a songwriter series to Wildhorse, I was excited. It’s a comfortable place to watch a show, and it’s going to be a really nice place to see a concert.”

After the pandemic forced a shutdown at the Chief, Smith said the crowd that had grown to love the series dispersed but didn’t dissolve. During that time, he kept in touch with the artists he had booked from around the world over the years. When Wildhorse called, he reconnected with those networks and began to rekindle what he saw as a key component of the Steamboat Springs music scene.

“I called everybody I knew and got a lot of responses and enthusiasm,” he said. “Musicians who play around the country love Steamboat Springs and they loved playing at the Chief. They were very excited to hear there was a new venue available.”

As a result, Smith has created a series that will host monthly shows through spring, all of which will be sized to Wildhorse’s intimate performance spaces. 

“I’m not going to be booking bands there,” Smith said. “With 125 seats in the bigger theater, that’s still pretty small. One thing we want to do is keep ticket prices affordable. It’s important to us that it’s both community friendly and affordable.”

McKinley echoed that objective. 

“Our goal is that it’s accessible to anybody who’s interested in coming to see it so it can be a fun night out and not break the bank,” she said. “The goal is that people start looking for it every month.”

Smith stressed that the atmosphere at the Chief is one that he aims to continue at Wildhorse. 

“Sometimes I, as a listener, get a little frustrated because I’m in a crowd where socializing is a big part of the event rather than actually listening to the music,” he said. “At Wildhorse, when you go to the show, you are there to listen to the music, not to hang out and party.”

The next announced date is Boulder songwriter Rebecca Folsom on Sept. 13 in the larger theater. Smith said additional bookings are in the works through April.

Saturday’s opener will feature Texas singer-songwriter Kelly McGuire, whose songs blend Gulf Coast storytelling with what Smith describes as laid-back narratives.

“I’d book Kelly anytime he’s available,” Smith said. “He’s influenced by Jimmy Buffett, but he’s his own artist. He connects with audiences in such a genuine way.”

For McGuire, the magic of a performance comes from the intimacy of the space. Having played the Chief Theater years ago, and countless house concerts across the country, he has grown to love venues that allow the audience to truly listen. 

“Some of my best shows have been with small crowds,” he said. “When all the seats are facing one way, like a theater, people know why they’re there.” 

That listening-room atmosphere, he added, allows each lyric and story to land with the kind of focus that big festival stages can’t always produce.

McGuire is returning to Steamboat for the first time since his Chief Theater performance. He sees Wildhorse Cinema as a natural fit for the songwriter tradition he values and the Steamboat vibe that he loves.

He will also bring paintings for a companion exhibit, with time after the performance to talk about his visual art as well as the stories behind his songs. 

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to see a really good songwriter in an intimate setting,” Smith said.

The Songwriter Series performance with Kelly McGuire is 7-9 p.m. Saturday, at Wildhorse Cinema and Arts, 655 Marketplace Plaza. Tickets are $20.

For more information on the performance or Wildhorse, please visit WildHorseSteamboat.org/Home.