Long-Awaited Reno Public Market Opens With Marty O’Reilly

Photo by Sam Ray-Johnson.

The long-anticipated Reno Public Market is here, complete with local vendors, a food court and a small stage for performances and events. The venue held its Grand Opening last weekend, and over four days the venue attracted over 12,000 people. It felt like there were that many people there too as attendees of all ages and styles filled the entire bottom and top floors. There were barely any seats left when we arrived, but we managed to grab a bird’s-eye view from upstairs. 

My only complaint of the night was the venue itself – several people in attendance told us the audience was too loud and it was way too claustrophobic. I don’t know if there are any sound work improvements the place could make to reduce this, but even for me it was a pretty triggering environment for those with sensory issues. One girl came up to us shaking, saying she had to put in her earbuds to help calm her down. My partner has issues in crowds like that too, and he had to leave the event early because of it. Hopefully in the future it won’t be as busy, but if any of you have problems in populated environments, this is not the space for you. 

I’ve seen Marty O’Reilly before, so I was excited to see him right here in my hometown. I have a wonderful memory of him at the Hangtown Music Festival in 2019 – the California power shutoffs to prevent wildfires happened in the middle of his set, but he jumped off the stage into the crowd and kept playing. Everyone gathered in close to be able to hear the band, and they continued to play an acoustic show for us despite the circumstances. I’ve never forgotten that, and so when I saw his name on the list for this Grand Opening, I did a little jump for joy. 

Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra is hard to pin down genre-wise. I would say they're in the realm of roots music; they’re not bluegrass but not Americana, not necessarily indie but not folk either. With smoky vocals, an incredible violinist and rhythmic standing bass, the group has a stage presence that’s truly a gift to witness. You can feel the soul each member puts into their performances, each of them taking the time to interact with one another without missing a single beat. Marty O’Reilly himself is something special – you know what I mean when you see it. You can tell he puts his whole heart into every note, hangs on every word and crafts each song with a finesse and grace that only comes with the mastery of an art form. 

Despite the overwhelming crowd noise of the Reno Public Market, Marty O’Reilly wowed and enchanted us all night. Amid the chaos of old couples chit chatting, little kids spinning around in the walkways and dozens of people jam packed at the bar, laughing and drinking and being merry, O'Reilly's voice carried over the crowd and soothed our souls for an evening of joy and friendship. It was the first event in a while that’s garnered that many attendees, and it was truly something to be excited about. 

I can only hope that O’Reilly brings his Orchestra back to the Biggest Little City again soon, and this time I’ll be in the front row. 

To listen to Marty O’Reilly And The Old Soul Orchestra, visit their Spotify profile here.