Lights, camera, music! Now in its third season, Wareham Community Television’s “On Stage with Mantis” transforms the station’s studio into a concert venue that features top performing artists from the regional music scene.

Premiering in 2009, the show was one of the first programs broadcast on Wareham Community Television. The show’s creator and host, Mantis Khiralla, said he began designing the show’s format while he was working in television production in Los Angeles and heard about the new community television station launching in his hometown of Wareham.

In addition to his background in television production, Khiralla is a veteran of the Boston music scene. While growing up in Wareham during the 1980s he worked as a lighting engineer for music venues in Boston.

“The show is my way of putting the two together,” he explained. “And, it entertains the town.”

Over the past three years, “On State with Mantis” has drawn big-name performers, including two members of the band Boston. He said most of the acts that come to the show are longtime friends.

“If I want to see a concert I just booked them!” Khiralla said with a laugh.

That was the case on Thursday, August 25, when Martha's Vineyard-based Entrain performed on the show.

Tom Major, the drummer of the six-piece band, is a former neighbor of Khiralla's.

The internationally touring music group has performed together for the past 18 years. Major said of all the places the group has played, Massachusetts is by far the best.

“This is our home base we have to give back to the community,” Major said.

Entrain performed an hour-long set of the band’s globally-inspired riffs.

“I’m not sure what our musical style is. ... We’re a funky, world, jam, ska, reggae, rock stew,” said Major.

Entrain will perform locally again at Wareham Crossing on Saturday, September 17 for the second annual Braveheart Awards. The event will be commemorating the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks while collecting care packages for the troops and honoring everyday heroes.

"On Stage with Mantis" is now halfway through its 13-episode season. It is broadcast on Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Comcast channel 9 and Verizon channel 30. The show is also streamed live online at www.warehamtv.org. An encore presentation of the show is aired Saturdays at 11 p.m.

Past episodes can be watched online at http://mantissociety.tripod.com/OSwM/Index.htm.