Emily Wood and Emily White
Boulevard Place Café, 4155 Boulevard Place
Friday, May 9, 7 p.m., $5, all-ages

Abi Tapia
Indy Hostel, 4905 Winthrop Ave.
Saturday, May 10, 7 p.m., $5, all-ages

Some talented singer-songwriters will perform a little south of Broad Ripple this weekend. Friday night features Emily Wood and Emily White at Boulevard Place Café. Even though their names are similar, this is the first time they’ve shared a stage.

“We might have to wear name tags,” Wood said. “I have frequently been confused with her because of the striking similarity in our names.”

Wood, who calls Indianapolis home, has been playing guitar and performing live shows for 10 years. At age 7, she picked up her first instrument, bluegrass fiddle, and although she can’t play the violin anymore, that style left an impression on her at an early age. “My shows have gained the reputation of being a light mixture of heartbreakingly sad songs with a smattering of standup comedy,” Wood offered.

The Chicago-based White has been playing guitar and writing songs since she was 12, but only started sharing them with others about eight years ago. “My shows are fun and high energy, but intimate as well,” White said. “I tend to be a storyteller and like to involve audiences when possible, but not in the sing-along way. I like to make people laugh because some of my songs are not all that uplifting!”

Wood promises that Friday night is “going to be a great evening of music and friends at Indianapolis' most cozy venue.”

The next night, Abi Tapia, from Austin, Texas, is playing a solo show at the Indy Hostel. “I'm a songwriter and my songs tell stories about traveling, working, figuring out your place in the world and, of course, love,” Tapia said.

A neologism on Tapia’s guitar strap — “wanderlusty” — sums up her love for the endless tour. “I love traveling around, driving and playing music,” Tapia explained. “Just this weekend, I was in New Mexico and Colorado, going from dry desert to high, snowy alpine forests and finding nice people all along the way. It's really heartening to find that there are so many regional differences and local businesses thriving all over the country.”

This is Tapia’s first trip to Indianapolis: “I’m excited to visit. I have driven through so many times and I am really happy that I'm going to get to stop this time!”