Bob Ross was right about happy accidents. Since the early '80s, we've been quoting the joyful TV painter, and finding reasons to call mishaps in life "happy accidents." Ogden's Van Sessions was started as one such example. Some would maybe say that shoving an entire band into an '87 Dodge van along with a sound guy is a mistake, but they would be very wrong. It's just another delightful, happy accident.

The first Friday night of each month in Ogden is a night many look forward to—from 6 to 9 p.m., the First Friday Art stroll brings members of the community together to enjoy, admire and appreciate art of all types from their friendly O-Town neighbors. These days, the Art Stroll has a great turnout each month, but in the early days, it was a challenge to establish all of the ins and outs of the events.

The origins of Van Sessions can be traced back to when announcements needed to be made so attendees knew where to go, and how to get their stroll on. Van Sessions co-founder Brandon Long volunteered to be the voice of the Art Stroll, but during those cold months, sitting outside to do it would be no fun.

That's where the '87 Dodge comes in. Having a sound system just for announcements at a fun event is kind of boring, so the Ogden City Arts Advisory Committee (which Long serves on) spitballed about other uses for the van. "What if we had a band come or a musician come and play?" Long asked the committee.

Everyone agreed it was a great idea, but this brought more logistical questions. Where would the van be parked? Would it be too far away from the rest of the events? How do you involve multiple bands, as well as make the necessary announcements?

In order to get more ears on the bands performing, it was decided a show should be made about it in the form of a podcast. "I thought if we're going to have the bands there, I might as well record them," Long said. "We have the equipment to record them, so let's just make it a podcast. We'll call it Van Sessions. ... We recorded with one mic in a van down by the railroad tracks in the cold for years."

Long had radio and podcast experience with co-host and co-founder of Van Sessions, Todd Obendorfer, so he had experience with recording conversations—but not recording full bands. Long didn't have to fret, however; the community has been very helpful with advice and tips. "That industry was so welcoming to what we were doing, and I was shocked," Long said. "No one was ever mad that I didn't know where to put a mic or anything. In fact, the opposite. They were helping."

Things were going well, until the pandemic reared its ugly head (story of our lives, right?). All of a sudden, having a band and Long together in a tight space recording music became impossible. Live streaming, on the other hand, became the go-to during these times, so Van Sessions hopped on the bandwagon—which also meant learning how to record video on top of audio. The performances went from inside the van to in front of the van. "The greatest thing to come out of a pandemic is the fact that everyone's got to pivot and learn new things," Long said.

All of this has led to what Van Sessions is now—a solid, fun production that features incredible local musicians. If you're in Ogden and can stop by the Art Stroll to see performances live, it's fun to be there. But if you can't make it, the astounding production value of the videos will make you feel like you were there.

It's fun to watch local bands playing their original music, but it's even more fun because the bands who show up are having the best time. "Our experience with Van Sessions was phenomenal. It is a great opportunity for local artists to come together and perform in front of an audience, and out of a van!" said Ogden rock trio Imag!nary Friendz. "That makes it ten times cooler. The people at Van Sessions are so warm and welcoming, it keeps making us want to come back and work with them. The idea of all of our equipment and the recording all coming from that van is crazy, and we hope more people get to experience the same thing we did. The way we look at it is that it is similar to the Tiny Desk Concert series, but playing in front of that van is something else."

There are no signs that Van Sessions will come to an end anytime soon. "We'd like long-term to be a music discovery platform," Long said. "Maybe across America with the internet, people could tune in weekly or monthly to see what bands are hot and new coming out of Ogden, Utah. That would be the dream come true. It would be amazing."

The show is open to experienced bands, but those who haven't had as much exposure can still throw their hat in the ring. "We hit a nice pocket there for those that are quality, but they're new, they're fresh. They don't have a lot going on as far as not booking a ton of gigs, but we can give them that opportunity," Long said. The best way to inquire about being featured is to message on Instagram, @vanessions.

At the end of the day, Van Sessions is a lot of work, but every minute is worth it. "When I'm in the van and these musicians are playing and there's a crowd out there and they're digging it, it's like the coolest fricking thing ever, like ever," Long said. "I'm not a musician, I don't play. But I'm literally backstage. I'm right behind them producing it, and I can hear them in my headphones and sometimes I'll tear up. ... It's so fun."

Long story short: Embrace the happy accidents. You never know where they'll lead. Tune into Van Sessions on YouTube (@vansessions) and don't miss another majestic show in front of that iconic '87 Dodge.