Not every musician gets to open for Anna Nalick as one of their first few shows, but Charlotte Dickson and Ethan Gander will do just that on Jan. 25.
Dickson, 17, and Gander, 22 are opening for the platinum-selling singer of “Breathe (2AM)” fame, at The Canyon Santa Clarita.
Of being discovered, Dickson said it was “out of nowhere.” She is a Ukiah resident, but was visiting family in Ventura when a music manager asked her to watch her kids. Soon after, the manager saw Dickson taking pictures for her Instagram and asked her if she modeled. Dickson responded that she didn’t, but she had been singing since she was 9 and performing since she was 12.
The manager, Chelsea Mcevers, ultimately connected Dickson with a variety of artists, but the venue of The Canyon and Nalick’s headlining act appealed most to her.
“My music was more electronic, and Anna is acoustic but I felt I could figure out a way to make it fit,” Dickson said. “I just needed to find someone who could help me with acoustic.”
And thus, Dickson will be coming to the area at the end of the month to perform for her largest crowd ever.
But she won’t be doing it alone — Dickson is also working with longtime collaborator Gander, who has played coffee shops throughout Los Angeles and plans to move there in the near future. The duo have performed at open mics before, but never anything as big as Nalick’s show, Gander said.
“We’re really nervous but really excited,” Dickson said. “This is going to be the biggest one I’ve performed at. The most I’ve performed for is 200 people at a school event.”
She’d picked Santa Clarita over another venue with another artist, and she thought the atmosphere of The Canyon and Nalick fit her and Gander’s vision more.
Gander teaches music through a recording studio and grew up with it his whole life. He plays piano, guitar, bass and vocals.
He said he is excited to come to Santa Clarita.
“I’ve been in the area before, but this time I have my whole family coming,” he said. “I love performing. It’s in my blood. Any time there’s an opportunity like this, I get all hyped up and this time it’s going to be big.”
Doors open at 6 p.m. at the Canyon, with Dickson and Gander’s opening act beginning at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $28, and are available through Eventbrite.com.
The Canyon is located in the Westfield Valencia Town Center at 24201 Valencia Blvd., No. 1351.
