The Kootenay Association of Music Performers, or KAMP, is already having a busy summer loaded with live music, and member Dave Prinn hopes the ride continues.

Every Friday KAMP has been enjoying larger crowds at Ali Baba's Lounge at Finnegans Pub, they're "homebase," as they make a name for themselves throughout the community at various events and fundraisers.

KAMP was organized by Prinn, Van Redecopp and Rod Wilson to assemble a group of musicians to respond to the common complaint that there was no live music in Cranbrook. KAMP has proven the naysayers wrong in a few short months by collecting a group of dedicated musicians to rock Finnegans every Friday night.

"Our biggest commitment is to foster the growth of music in the Kootenays, and I think we're being very successful with that," said Prinn.

KAMP was organized in part to help non-profit organizations who wanted to find entertainment for fundraisers but didn't know where to look.

"A number of people have called to say they really had no idea where to look," said Prinn.

Since it began about four months ago, the concept of KAMP has taken off and many musicians and new residents have joined the growing list of performers.

"We've been continuing to recruit," said Prinn. They have found new artists in new residents, attracted musicians they already knew and formed a solid lineup of musicians that regularly take to the stage on Fridays. "Some of them will be playing in the very near future at Finnegans."

This month alone KAMP is performing almost every weekend besides their regular Friday nights. They entertained Canada Day celebrators at the Spirit Square, played Sam Steele Days, they helped raise money to purchase wheelchairs at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital last weekend, this weekend they performed at the first Farmer's Market in Cranbrook and next weekend they will rock the Cranbrook Garden Club's 13th Annual Open Garden. Six artists will perform at six different gardens throughout Cranbrook.

Prinn says although KAMP is not a free musician for hire service, they will help out at the occasionally community event or fundraiser, or help negotiate with their bill of talented artists.

"We are not free musicians available to play anytime, anywhere for nothing," said Prinn. But he says for example, "if the cancer society asked us to play a 45 minute set at the Spirit Square, I'm sure we'd do that."

What Prinn really wants to stress, is that the Friday night jams at Finnegans have great potential for fundraisers of all kinds.

"There's a good opportunity for a good venue for live music," said Prinn.

Last weekend's wheelchair fundraiser, held in part with Harley Davidson of the Kootenays, Kootenay Kwik Print and New Pro Fitness, helped raise the money for a new wheelchair at the EK Regional Hospital.

"We raised $636, which is enough to buy a wheelchair," said Prinn.

"It was a great turnout, the place was packed from 8:30 to 1," Prinn estimates the audience swelled to about 200 people, young and old. "It was just spectacular."

Prinn says if an organization wants to use the Ali Baba's Lounge nights to raise money, they can tailor the music to be more suitable to that kind of organization, if need be. Anyone interested in using the Friday night jams to raise money can contact Tom Shypitka at 420 7665.

Prinn hopes that the influx of people interested in utilizing KAMP for their events continues throughout the summer, and into the future.

"Hopefully it's the front of a wave that will continue to grow," said Prinn. He urges any organization looking for entertainment for an event to contact himself at 919 9136, or other organizer Van Redecopp 421 0010. Performances by KAMP members go on every Friday evening in Ali Baba's Lounge at Finnegans Wake Pub.