September 2019 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
The September 2019 VOCAL Showcase took place at O’Toole’s Irish Pub, and also served as our three-times-a-year Open Mic event. Quite a few loyal original music lovers appeared for the performance.
Norman Roscher, MC, opened the evening on keyboards with a medley of two of his fine songs Waiting for the Moon and Within Your Eyes.
Newcomer Dean then delivered a lovely, tender love song Falling from Love. Jersey is a fine tale of moving to the big city, but regretting most of it. Wishing he was in Montana instead, as he felt lost in the canyons of the skyscrapers in the city.
Another recent VOCAL visitor and local RVA singer-songwriter, Dirty Metal Lefty, then took the stage with two cool tunes, Forecast (it’s gonna be cold!) and Ain’t No Friend of Mine, a bluesy number about someone she thought was her friend who had her back, but then things changed!
Steve Nuckolls then took the stage with two of his creations Sunrise and Praying for a Rocky Top.
Gene and Gayla Mills performed a mighty fine set of bluegrass/Americana with awesome guitar and bass work and stellar harmonies. From running from a Hurricane to the Virginia coal-mining country, they cover all the territory of songs folks can relate to.
Jim Puckett brought us Things Happen Fast, an ode to living in the fast lane and what will result. Alayna is a true story about the remarkable life of a midwife who lived 100 years ago in the Virginia mountains. When the War is Over longs for peace and an end to the loss and destruction going on around the world.
Keely Burn then lit up the stage with Lightning, an in-your-face song of unrequited love. My Friends in High Places takes on the postal service for delays in delivering a long-awaited parcel from a friend in Singapore. Plant Your Flag on Me is my fav, beginning with unusual but very alluring whistling (are you scared of what I’m made of?).
VOCAL President Matthew Costello closed out the show with a re-worked, very evocative Love Will Find the Way, and then delivered the familiar, crowd-pleasing Digging for Elvis. He then turned to keyboards, and play Subway to Brooklyn, a very creative/descriptive tale of two lovers in the big city.
Another very fine evening indeed for original music lovers!
