August Showcase
August VOCAL Showcase
August 21, 2017
The 313th Consecutive Showcase of Original Songs
Last Monday evening, the VOCAL group met once again at O’Tooles for another night of wonderful performers. Artists for the night included Torch, Steve Effinger, and Martin McNeil. Torch led off the night, followed by Steve, and then presenting the stage to the night’s headliner, Martin McNeil.
Torch performed six songs to start off a wonderful evening of music. Some songs included: “We Are Virginia,” “Come to Virginia,” and “Major Daddy.” Her first song one that she has recently finished, and decided that the crowd at O’Tooles would be lucky enough to hear it performed! Lucky we were indeed because it allowed us to get a bit sentimental about our lovely state of Virginia, which people at times can tend to forget what a wonderful place we live in. Torch, using her magnificent musical talents, allowed the audience to recognize many wonderful qualities Virginia holds through song. The next song, “Come to Virginia,” also represented the people and places one could find during a trip to Virginia. This upbeat song spoke highly of the residents of Virginia, and how the southern hospitality is always great! Virginia is a great place to visit for its sights, people, and overall atmosphere. Lastly, “Major Daddy” was a hit with the audience for its representation of the military lifestyle. It should be noted that it is written for her nephew who serves in our great country’s military, and he deserves a big thank you. Anyone who risks their freedom in order to protect ours should most certainly get the respect he or she deserves. Torch, please send a big thank you to your nephew from the audience of O’Tooles!
Second to perform that evening was Steve Effinger! He entertained the audience with six of his original songs. Steve’s songs covered a variety of topics, and hit many emotions throughout the crowd. Some songs pulled at the strings of the heart, while others left listeners feeling cheerful. Everyone comes to these showcases of course to hear what wonderful music artists like Steve have to showcase, but to also have a bit of fun as well. All of Steve’s song throughout the evening contributed to creating a welcoming and fun atmosphere at this month’s showcase!
Lastly, but certainly not least to perform was Martin McNeil! Martin was the night’s headliner, and what a great one he was at that! The crowd was rocked by his songs about life, love, and everything between. Songs of his included: “Is That What You Want,” “Candid Town,” “Apothecary,” and “Save a Prayer,” but that is just to name a few of the songs played for the audience. In total Martin treated the group to eleven of his original songs that evening. Throughout his entire performance Martin was a joy to be around. His songs provided great entertainment, with fantastic beats to get everyone in the mood for a good night. At times he would slow things down, but never dulled the atmosphere that he had created once up on stage! It truly was a wonderful experience to hear him perform after enduring an extremely long day of travel. I believe I can speak for many folks when I say that it would be incredible to have Martin come back and join us once again here in Richmond, Virginia.
Once again, thank you to all of the performers for taking time out of their evening to come perform for another great audience at O’Tooles last Monday. Keep checking in for more details about the upcoming VOCAL meetings and showcase for September. Next month John Ellis will be the showcase’s headliner for the evening! Other performers have yet to be named, but stay tuned for more information through the blog and newsletter.
