August 2014 VOCAL Showcase #277
August 2014 VOCAL showcase #277
What started out as a rather sparse crowd picked up as the night wore on. At least half the audience were friends of the performers and half VOCAL members and guests. Tonight’s line up included as openers, Guy Gorman, and Torch, followed by featured performer Claudia Carawan.
Guy opened his mostly folk styled set, playing acoustic guitar and mouth harp with the song “I Smile Like a Dummy” which described how totally lost he felt when confronted by a woman. The key line which expressed his position was “you’re so cute, I go mute”. “Holiday in my Head” pretty much is self explanatory, if you can’t take a real vacation, use your imagination. Sample rhyme “want/Vermont”. This song was followed by “Love Makes The World Go Round” and “Wishful Drinking”, A polka with a Hungarian title (which I think meant “I’ll be back”) followed with a story about love in Budapest. “I Wash the Dishes” an homage to the house husband who does all the chores to please his lady drew some chortles from the males in the audience. A rockabilly tinged tune “Roswell Rock” was a tribute to a bunch of dancing aliens. A big crowd favorite “I’ve Got to Have Some Music in My Life” created a positive response and the last tune “God’s Got It” seemed to offer an uplifting message that no matter what difficulties you are going through, God has the solution. Overall, Guy demonstrated a wide range of topics and styles in his set.
Next up Carol Torchelli, known as Torch, took the stool with her acoustic guitar to present a set of her original songs. “Come to Virginia” described the beauties and benefits of living in Virginia. “Whenever I’m Thinking of You” was a melancholy song about an ex lover whom the singer hoped was also thinking about her. the song “Major Dad” was crafted out of the singer’s personal experience with a nephew making the transition from the service to civilian life and moving into a new life. Uptempo “Swinging and Swaying” has the audience swaying along and “Tossing Like a Salad Over You” had the audience mulling over the meaning of the metaphoric title. “Don’t You Slow Me Down” was a declarative song with a little whistling interlude that was Torch’s version of a harmonica. The last song in her set was a tribute to her father and all those who have passed, which requested “Save a Place For Me In Heaven” and was delivered in a very heartfelt manner which resonated with the audience. Her set was enthusiastically received as she closed.
The featured performer of the night, Claudia Carawan took over and brought along her friend Lucy Kilpatrick to help out on keys with some of the tunes. Mainly Claudia would be considered a pop artist. First up “Let Love Lead the Way” featured Claudia on newly learned guitar and Lucy on keys.”Refreshing” led the crowd through the many ways to cool off or lift your spirits, such as a dip in the ocean, or seeing a rainbow after the rain. Switching to the keyboard, Claudia presented “I’ll Carry You” which put forth the idea that “when I was young you carried me (as a child), but now that you’re old ( and unable to function) I’ll Carry You.” After “Possibility” she switched to ukelele on which she had just learned a few chords. and gave us a singalong song “It’s Alright, It’s Okay” which was a light breezy tune about “nothing but rainbows” ahead. On “Lenore” every rhyme was an “ore” rhyme which took the conceit to the extreme. “Joy Rising” was an uplifting song based on something Claudia had seen celebrating the last Oprah show. Show stopper of the night was her solo keyboard rendition of “Now You Know” which was a beautiful ballad full of heartwrenching imagery about what might lay ahead after death and for those that have gone on (like her dad) they now know what is on the other side (of life). Switching back to stand up vocals, with Lucy on keys, she did her theme song “Fearless” about her approach to living saying “I’ll make my life a work of art.” As an encore and the last song of the night. Claudia gave us “Yellow Brick Road” which lets us know that everything we need is here at the end of the road. All in all, with true feeling and depth, she demonstrated her versatility in composition and singing with excellent material.
