Performing for a receptive crowd is what keeps Ryan Smith going.

Ryan Smith, a musician from Columbus played at Grumpy Dave’s in downtown Bowling Green last night.

“I’ve always been into music,” Smith said. “I was drawn to it when I was very young.”

Smith, who attended Otterbein College, near Columbus, started performing acoustic shows in 2004 after graduating from school.

“My first shows were hit or miss,” Smith said. “It took some time to get to a point where I didn’t suck.”

In addition to his acoustic solo concerts, Smith also performs with his band, Ryan Smith and The Agency.

After performing in only solo appearances for a year, Smith decided to start a band with friends Kevin Dutton, Eric Cochran, Kerry Stewart and Felix Alvis.

The sound of Ryan Smith and The Agency, as opposed to Smith’s solo act, is based more in rock and roll, Smith says. The same songs are performed in both his solo act and with his band, but are just interpreted differently.

“I like them both,” Smith says of his two acts. “The songwriting aspect of the process is what I dig.”

Although mainly performing in Columbus, Smith said he also enjoys playing in college towns like Athens and Bowling Green.

“Bowling Green is great because I love the vibe,” Smith said. “Playing in place like Bowling Green is more special than playing in a big city.”

Felix Alvis, the drummer of Ryan Smith and The Agency, is happy to be part of the band.

“These are some of the best musicians I’ve played with,” Alvis said of his bandmates. “We’ve turned into a retro funk rock band.”

Alvis says promoting a band is easier now than it ever was, because of Myspace.com and other sites.

“Before Myspace it was harder because you had to cold call bars to get a show,” Alvis said. “You still don’t make any money, but it’s easier to get a show now.”

For Smith, getting the music to people is the main goal.

“It’s not about being a rock star,” Smith said. “I want to play for a packed room that is receptive, even if that room holds only 20 people.”