In the spirit of the concert season, Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe will host a festival-style show Saturday night right in Carbon County's own backyard.

At 8 p.m., musicians will take the stage for an acoustic evening during the venue's annual Summer Jam.The lineup consists of The Day Rubies and Craig Thatcher with his acoustic project "Akustiko," composed of bassist Wade Leonard, drummer Don Plowman, and a handful of talent including violinist Nyke Van Wyke, pianist Cliff Starkey, guitarist Brett Andrew and Dick Boak of Martin Guitars."This is the first one. We are hoping to expand it next year to grow into a five- to six-band show," said Vince DeGiosio.Jim Thorpe based-band "The Day Rubies," is a gospel- and soul-influenced duo. For the show, vocalist Christine McGorry and guitarist DeGiosio will be joined by saxophone player Kyle O'Brien."We'll play a mix of originals and re-imagined covers. It's definitely going to be an eclectic mix," said DeGiosio.The 135-year-old theater holds 360 seats and continues to undergo renovations to keep the venue fresh."We put in new balcony lights. We are going to revamp the stage and add more eye candy," said DeGiosio."We always knew it'd be a great music venue. People come out to support it. We've definitely brought eyes to Jim Thorpe through music," said DeGiosio.Chunker-favorite, Thatcher and his "Akustiko Band," will headline the night's festivities."I call it 'Akustiko' when it's the acoustic show. I got the name from a friend in Italy," Thatcher said.The Martian Guitar-sponsored musician says the venue is perfect for the unplugged sound that the six-piece group will create."When it's in a setting like the opera house, there is a nice clarity with acoustic. We're able to do things we don't normally do," Thatcher said."An original of ours, 'Before I Go,' is much better suited for acoustic. A song like 'Here Comes the Sun' works either way, but I prefer that tune acoustic," said Thatcher.According to the frontman, Plowman will accompany the group with light percussion and make use of a Cajon or box drum."It brings a whole different aspect to the music."An acoustic violin, duo guitars and auto harp will be in the mix to round out the notes filling the 1881 building."The auto harp was a big folk artist thing in the '60s, but it'll be played quite differently," he said.Thatcher began playing in Jim Thorpe over 10 years ago after a visit to the area."I saw the theater while I was working with Seth Web. I told him 'I'd really like to play this place.' Our first show had 75 people. We worked with the opera house and built up an audience over the years," he said.Thatcher said the crowd can expect band originals, like first album title track "Because of You," and covers ranging from the Allman Brothers' "Sweet Melissa" to Eric Clapton's "Running on Faith.""We do our own brand of music. We do songs in 'the style of' and add our own inflections," Thatcher said."What we like about the opera house is we can connect with the audience. We want it to be more like we're playing in a living room versus isolated somewhere," he said."We are 100 percent behind the opera house. When we first started they had folding chairs. They're making strides and we want to see them move upward. We're committed to Mauch Chunk because they gave us our first shot in the area," Thatcher said."It's really great because not a lot of people get to hear him in that environment," DeGiosio said of the featured musician.DeGiosio promises the evening will be "an intimate summer festival with a lot of energy."Doors open at 7 p.m., with music to begin at 8 p.m. Tickets for the Summer Jam can be purchased at the box office or online at mcohjt.com.Tickets are available 24/7 on the Opera House website,

www.mcohjt.com, by visiting SoundCheck Records in downtown Jim Thorpe from 10 AM to 9 PM, or by calling them at (570) 325-4009, or simply by coming to the Opera House at 7 PM when doors open. The show begins at 8 PM. The Opera House box office is open from noon to 5 PM, Monday through Friday at (570) 325-0249. The facility is open from noon until 5 PM on show days, and tickets are available for most shows at the door at showtime.