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Of all the towns in Montgomery County, Takoma Park is the one most frequently associated with the arts. Singers, dancers, actors and visual artists of every kind call this funky burg home. When it comes time to put on a concert, however, Takoma Park-based performers have had to find venues pretty far afield — until now.

"Lots and lots of musicians live in Takoma Park," observes singer songwriter Cletus Kennelly. "It's a really artsy town. It's strange, but there is no music venue there."

That's starting to change. Kennelly, nominated for six 2008 Wammies (Washington Area Music Awards) along with his musical partner Lori Kelly, says they are preparing to take part in a new concert series right in Takoma Park. It's a traditional coffeehouse setting — no alcohol — with easy access to Metro. The location is Contradiction Dance Studio, which makes perfect sense to anyone with a feel for Takoma Park's musical traditions.

"The Institute of Musical Traditions is a very successful, long-running concert series presented by the House of Musical Traditions, which is a music store in Takoma Park," Kennelly explains. "This new series is a spinoff from that series. It's called IMT's Next to the House Concert Series."

Admittedly, the name is a bit of a mouthful. But the House of Musical Traditions, an instrument shop and musician's mecca right next door to Contradiction Dance Studio on Westmoreland Avenue, has been around since 1972. And the IMT concert series, founded by David Eisner, is a huge component of the music scene in Montgomery County and beyond.

But it's held in Rockville — and Eisner sees a need for a venue that's smaller, more intimate and closer to home.

"There's a lot of really good but unknown artists out there," says Eisner. "We wanted to give a stage to some of the people who wouldn't draw enough of a crowd for our IMT stage."

Eisner envisions future concerts that incorporate the work of the area's many visual artists and artisans into multimedia exhibits with music. And he says it's a way of showing gratitude to the people who keep the House of Musical Traditions going.

"It's a way of giving back to the Takoma Park community," he says, "and to everyone who supports the store."

Takoma Park has been without a live music venue since Taliano's restaurant closed nearly three years ago. But now there are plans for two new restaurants right near the house-next-door venue, and a few months ago, the time seemed right to launch a new series.

"When the House of Musical Traditions moved off Carroll Avenue to Westmoreland [a year ago], David Eisner and I talked about the dance studio next door," says musician Billy Coulter. "I said ‘That'd be a great place to perform,' but he took the ball and ran with it."

And Coulter is beyond delighted that he did. Nominated for 11 Wammies this year — "I'm almost embarrassed by how many," he stammers — for his work with his two bands, Billy Coulter Band and Natty Beaux, Coulter lives in Takoma Park with his wife Maggie, a Wammie winner for her role as his manager.

"They kind of roll the sidewalks up early in Takoma Park," he laughs. "But you'd be amazed at how many Wammie winners live in Takoma Park."

Coulter hopes that many of those musicians and their fans will support a concert series that's close to home. And he's extra excited about the caliber of the restaurants that will be calling his town home, like Roscoe's, a wood fire pizza restaurant, and Avenue Oven, featuring Chef Gillian Clark from Colorado Kitchen.

"Gillian's fantastic!" he says. "When Maggie and I heard she was coming to Takoma Park, we were like ‘Wow!'"

The food will be a draw, but Coulter, who will perform with Cletus and Lori in a round robin style concert on Saturday, is excited about the opportunity to get back to the roots of his music.

"There are songs I don't get to play in a bigger venue, more intimate songs," he says.

And because he'll be onstage with Kennelly and Kelly, Coulter promises "a bit of variation.

"I put this show together with David Eisner," he says, "and Cletus and Lori were my first choice. I love their voices."

"Billy's fan base is probably different from mine, more rock and roll," Kennelly says, but the friends are happy to cross-pollinate their audiences and offer a musical hybrid of sorts.

Still, it's location, location, location: Coulter is happy to play at a venue so close to home. And Kennelly is pleased that a new series is beginning as other performance opportunities dry up.

"The arts seem to be the first thing that gets cut," he says. "So this is a neat new venue in a lot of ways."

Cletus Kennelly, Lori Kelley and Billy Coulter will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday as the launch of IMT's Next to the House Concert Series at Contradiction Dance Studio, 7012 Westmoreland Ave., Takoma Park. Tickets are $12. Call 301-754-3611 or visit www.imtfolk.org.