Gina Leslie has been hosting Sidney’s Saloon Sundays for the last two years. The weekly late-night series features two local bands before Leslie closes out with a set of her own, which often turns into a joyful jam session.

How did it get started?

Dave Hammer, Ric Robertson and I formed a band called Damn Gina. We weren’t established enough to get a gig in the big venues. We found Sidney’s as a place to host us, but wanted it to be a community even...