To describe tonight's Regent Theatre concert as a culmination of Alistair Burns' efforts over the past few years is somewhat misleading.
Sure, the show is the result of his passion to promote an eclectic range of Dunedin songwriters, but it is just one component in an ongoing plan.
You see, the concert also marks the release of the 17-song compilation On the Horizon: Pages From Dunedin, as well as opening an extensive national tour that stretches to Whangarei before winding up at Chicks Hotel in Port Chalmers on May 17.
The tour party includes Matt Langley, the Paper Planes, Hana Fahy and Casey Sharpe, as well as additional acts in some centres.
On tour, the performers will remain on stage throughout each show, taking turns with their material and collaborating when required.
The album, recorded between May 2007 and March 2009 at open-mike concerts at Dunedin's St Lees Café and Backstage venues, reflects a particular slice of Dunedin music.
The songwriters featured are: Langley, Sharpe, Fahy, the Paper Planes, Tono, Tim McCartney (Knives at Noon), Matt Bodman, Julian Temple, the Alpha State, Sunley, Nadia Reid, Kristin Macdonald, the Fea St Hustle, Andy Gibson, Raylee Bradfield and Burns.
Burns, who left Auckland four years ago to study at the University of Otago, initially planned to produce a studio album of Dunedin musicians, but the pressure of a law degree (completed earlier this year) precluded such an approach.
Instead, he opted for a collection of live recordings, though that also had its challenges.
"It's really hard doing a live album ... so much stuff can go wrong," Burns said, adding nervousness was a factor for some performers, though "some are experienced enough that they can have a reasonably good time".
"At the Backstage, the first night we had 34 acts. You've got two songs and it's quick-fire. For some people, I realised I'd have to give them a bit more time. St Lees was approached differently. People were made comfortable."
In the past few years, Burns has been privy to the musical growth of those who have stepped on to a stage at the open-mike nights he has organised.
"People have a perception of open-mike nights, but it was a really incredible night we had going every Tuesday for three years. Numbers up to 20-25 per night were standard.
"Not all of the best acts [on the album] turned up on one night, but I used the nights as a way of recording the album.
"All, bar Kristin Macdonald, who is 15, took part in open-mike nights."
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Tex Houston, whose production credits include the Clean and the Verlaines, Pages From Dunedin has been largely self-funded (though with the help of a Creative Communities grant) and is the second release by Burns' label, Horizon Music NZ.
It follows a 2006 compilation of Auckland-based artists.
"There is a bit of irony there in that an original music project has pretty much been funded through covers gigs.
"I played well over 100 covers gigs last year and put money aside knowing this project was going to potentially cost me $10,000," Burns explained.
Burns, who leaves for Melbourne at the end of the month "to make a relationship work over there", plans to return to Dunedin regularly.
The fact he has pressed 1000 copies of Pages From Dunedin is a statement of commitment, he says.
"I think it's a good scene. I really love Dunedin and have grown pretty attached to it.
"There is enough going on that you can be excited, but it's a small enough scene that I could make myself known within a year.
"There are always new people coming in. With the open-mike night, people would just turn up.
"Matt Bodman just turned up one night wearing a beanie and a backpack.
"He got up and played and it was like, `Where did you come from?' A lot of the CD was picked like that.
"Coming from Auckland and not being part of the scene ... I've noticed everyone wants to capture this old scene.
"Why focus on that when you've got heaps of exciting new bands and songwriters? "That's why I wanted to put this album out.
"Let's showcase something that is happening now."
