June 2016 VOCAL Showcase
The June 2016 VOCAL Songwriter Showcase took place on Monday, June 21 at O’Toole’s Irish Pub. This was VOCAL’s 299th consecutive monthly showcase! A large, enthusiastic audience of original music lovers came out to see some mighty fine VOCAL writers: Guy Gorman, David Atkins, and Glenda Creamer.
Guy opened the show accompanied by acoustic guitar and harmonica. Gonna Do It Right brings a very positive spin on life, love, and happiness. I’m going to Celebrate was another very uplifting, harmonica-driven, up-tempo number, expressing thanks for all the blessings from above. Bicycle Bell is a Guy favorite recounting the fun and satisfaction of riding around the town on your bike and announcing your presence with the bell. Some Harmony brought a shout-out to the late VOCAL member John Lephardt, who passed away recently. He was there in spirit throughout the evening, buoyed by the music of Guy and others. Blue Light Me was reflective of much of the daily news we hear about today. I Wash the Dishes is a definite crowd favorite for Guy, with the audience offering some stellar harmony/refrain to his clever lyrics. Kudos for the Apple Music airplay! He left us with I Just Had to Have Some Music in my Life, indicative of Guy’s being, featuring him in a Carl Perkins/Elvis Presley “leggy” posture as the mic stand began to drop. A true showman to the end!
Longtime VOCAL member David Atkins then took the stage with Sing Their Own Song, an ode to all the songwriters out there pouring their hearts out for the world to hear. Definitely a crowd favorite of David’s! Wishing You Were Here is a tale of love gone bad taken with a shot of alcohol. Might be some cheating and a drunken grin involved! Another crowd fav of David’s is the House on Leeksville Road, an intriguing tune that takes us on a journey back in time to a house that once was home. When a Woman Smiles just keeps me smiling and wishing I could remember all the words. Definitely a feel-good song from this fine tunesmith! David left us with Put Down the Phone and Drive, a number most of us should be able to relate to, whether it’s witnessing texting, applying makeup, or even brushing your teeth while driving!
Glenda Creamer took the headliner spotlight with her finely-crafted creations. She opened with a few tunes in her “hot suite” which included Old Men (think I’m hot) – how come you didn’t think that way when we were in high school? I Just Get Dumb in the Sun and Open the Door and Let the Cool In were two other heat-flavored creations. I’m Looking Forward to Tonight was a very lovely, tender ballad recounting the story of “catching the eye” of a future lover, eventually leading to marriage and happiness ever after. All That I Have is a cool, touching song of commitment and dedication – through sickness and health, fire and flood. Pocket Treasures is an early Glenda tune which always resonates with the crowd, as most of us can relate to these “riches” – tiny bells, rattles, ticket stubs, flowers, etc. Glenda brought out the country with Country Kids Should Play in the Mud, a favorite pastime for a lot of rural folks. Lament was expressed with All The Good Times are Gone, but she then moved on to a positive blues number I Fell Down Last Night (when you fall down, just get your butt back up!). She then shared her songs inspired by the life of Jesus, which were included in a recent musical she wrote. Wedding Song offered sound spiritual guidance to one who is at a crossroads, unsure of which road to take. This Wine included a lot of audience participation (there may have been some wine involved with that, as well…). While Moonshine Sky was not about the life of Jesus, it did keep with the theme of wine, a cool song about a moonshiner trying his best to keep his dark business thriving in the underground. She returned to the theme of Jesus’ stories with The Splendor of King Solomon, and ended the night with How Could He Be So Beautiful, recounting the tale of Jesus knocking on the door and her letting him into her life. Way to go, Glenda!
