Roger Houdaille and his band mates will be adding a new beat to the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale's cultural scene. The trio, who make up Ex Norwegian, will be bringing their brand of power pop (with classic and indie rock) to the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale. It's a first for both the Miami-based group and the museum.

Ex Norwegian is a hot newcomer to Third Thursdays, a concert series that combines a rotating array of local entertainment with admission into exhibition areas. The band's appearance Thursday marks the debut of indie rock at the free monthly program, said Roberto Santiago, the museum's director of communications and strategic marketing.

The timing couldn't be better. Ex Norwegian's performance coincides with the approaching school year. Organizers are anticipating the band will attract plenty of students, adding yet another demographic to their goal of introducing the community at large to the museum.

A fan tipped the year-old band to the event, said Houdaille, who plays guitar alongside bassist Nina Souto and Arturo Garcia on drums.

``We've been itching to do these different venues,'' Houdaille said. ``We're flattered they invited us. We jumped on it.''

Along with watching Ex Norwegian, you can tour the visiting exhibit, With You I Want to Live, up until March 22. Visitors can view the permanent collections, too.

Ex Norwegian joins a growing list of musicians playing jazz, jazz rock, classical, flamenco and Broadway show tunes at the museum. The shows have been a resounding success, drawing an average of 300 people per month, according to the museum. The highest turnout was 700 guests for the Beatles tribute band, Anthology, Santiago said.

The eclectic lineup has been an incentive to draw the public inside the museum. Drinks are available for purchase at the lobby cafe and wine bar during the Third Thursday events.

``It's a relaxing evening for the entire family,'' Santiago said. ``We want people to come and fall in love with the arts and find connections with family and friends.''

When approached by Ex Norwegian, museum organizers listened to the group's songs on MySpace and liked what they heard. Having contemporary music and contemporary art is a good match, Santiago said.

``We were impressed,'' he said. ``It's a perfect fit.''

In September, the museum will host a Third Thursday event featuring an open-mike night with poetry, spoken word, music and comedy. In October, there will be a joint program with the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Santiago said.

From November through February, Third Thursdays will focus on the Norman Rockwell exhibition. The entertainment portion will remain free, but there will be an admission charge to see the Rockwell collection. A fee is required to cover the cost of bringing the exhibit to the museum, Santiago said. After February, the series will revert back to free entry and entertainment, he said.

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