Posts Tagged ‘Matt Manion’
July 2025 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
July’s musical performers were new member David Orcutt, and veteran VOCAL member, Bill Kaffenberger.
David Orcutt
David was first up. He is a relatively new member of VOCAL. His style of playing was consistent strumming throughout his songs. He began his set with “The Fix You’re In” a song which posited the premise regardless of circumstances “you’ve got to believe in something”. “Prize” was a paean to love, in which the singer promised “I’ll never stop loving you”. Next song was “Friends Are to Find” and this was followed by “Friday Night Blues” which was an uptempo blues jam that capped his short set.
Bill Kaffenberger
Bill is a long time VOCAL member who has been living in L.A. for a couple of years, but has returned to Richmond to settle down. One of the highlights of the evening is Bill’s grasp of lyrics. He has a great ear for words. “Little Old Man” told the tale of a homeless man living on the streets of D.C. and unfortunately froze to death. “What Am I Doing Sitting Here On My Hands” questions choices we make in life and one needs to find one’s place in the world. “Girl Down On The Lane” who, through her ghost, remembers the fair and the images that were created by it. Next in the set was “Lonesome Rider” which has the singer roaming about, trying to find a place to belong “don’t let your life slip away” he cautions. “She’s So Real” is a fatal attraction song where the singer goes for a smile a million miles wide. Bill takes on the 60’s in “Little Boy Blue” a song filled with oblique references to characters who populated the 1960’s, perhaps suggesting Kennedy’s assassination was an inside job. Going back to his youthful days, “Lubber Run” depicted carefree days when there was time to spend fancy free following streams and walking along the railroad tracks waving to the train engineer as it roared by. Next in his set was “Sun Is Going Down” otherwise known as the Sink Hole song which is where it ended. “Maybe By Then” relates to the loss of a casual affair ruing “she wasn’t meant for me”. Imagining the hypothetical is something many of us do, and In “If I Ask You To Dance” would be one. The singer sees a lovely lady across the room and imagines just that. “Magical Days” incorporates the memories of youth remembering “the world we grew up in a long, long time go.” Final song in Bill’s set was a tribute to “Someone Greater Than You Or I” which wonders at the creations of Jesus like rainbows, mountains and the cry of a new born baby.
Showcase Photos
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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello, John Ellis, Norman Roscher
June 2025 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
On a warm pre-summer's night, three dedicated songwriters got together to present an evening full of music and camaraderie. The venue was O'Toole's pub. Matt Manion, Matthew Costello and Mark Daniel were the musicians, and this is what they presented.
Matt Manion
First performer was Matt Manion, who's a long time VOCAL member. He began his set with a take off of a Chuck Berry song titled "If Rock and Roll Had a Name" which was an apt tribute to the innovator whose style and creative efforts were so imitated by other bands. Next: "Sit By and Stand By" recited the travails of a airline passenger waiting around for his plane to be called. . Next song was "I Ain't Old" was a plea to the listener that he's not old, just a little bit worn and bruised from life an still young at heart. This was followed by "Now I Know" a sad tribute to a friend lost to suicide. Two tribute songs followed in memory of Brian Wilson ("Surfer Girl") and Sly Stone ("Everyday People") in which the audience was invited to sing along. "Don't Stand By Me" was a song in which the singer fears for his life when performing on stage, as one of his band mates has been cheating and he thinks there may be retaliation Lastly: in "Playing On My Dobro" the singer bemoans his hectic working schedule and finds relief in playing music for some comfort and consolation.
Matthew Costello
Matthew, VOCAL president, presents densely populated songs with characters and events. "3 Days In 69" presents retrospective of events that happened in that year, Woodstock, for example. "The Artist That Hung The Moon" (John Atkinson Grimshaw) paints a picture (no pun) of the detailed brushwork and imagery that this artist was able to create capturing the stillness of night, deserted streets and moonlight. First crush is a subject many of us may remember when we were in our younger years and this is the subject in "What Is Happening" The thoughts that go through one's mind when confronted with the object of one's affection is what constitutes the essence of this song. "Does she like me when she smiles at me?" "I want to hear her whispering my name" are a couple of them. In "The Shadows of September" Matthew is reminiscing about the eerie atmosphere created by the looming change of season in the songs of that whisper in the night which in fact may linger till November. Another singalong song was the classic "Digging For Elvis" tune that harkens back to a standard in Matthew's repertoire. The singer desperately tries to regenerate the King with myriad searches and drives around with a clone sticking up through the car roof that gets confiscated by the police. The chorus line "digging, digging, digging" is an invitation to singalong. Finally: "Walking Willie" is a depiction of a character who perambulates through the singer's hometown, who eventually passes on but whose ghostly figure populates the fog and causes the singer to wonder if Willie still has got some place to go.
Mark Daniel
Mark is a returning VOCAL member after a few years sabbatical. His set was propelled by a lot of upbeat songs and energetic guitar playing. "White Picket Fence" is a tale of an abandoned farm with pictures of rust, decay and brokenness. "Church That Use To Be" this time a broken down church with elements inside like a rusted piano with strings hanging down, bring back memories of what used to occur there,, the choir singing, weddings, the hymns that were sung. Next was "All I Need" and then "Heroes Across The Oceans Of My Mind" was a tribute to those who have served in the military and were not afraid to face danger or go into battle. "Cherokee Road" included tales of travail along the "Trail Of Tears" when native Americans were forced to leave their home reservation by the army for relocation far away. "The Devil's Water" is a euphemism for alcohol and this song reminded us what effects it can have on the user. Can opposites attract? Could be,. In "That's What I Am" the question is debated between the singer and a possible love interest. "Franklin" is a town south of Nashville that was a stop in the Civil War for respite and recuperation. In "The Church That Used To Be", church sign hung down and needed repair, sinners needed saving and people tried to get along. But, in it's time, it served it's purpose. "I thought you had a heart of gold" but you told me you had a "Heart Of Stone" and so that was the dilemma facing Mark in this song about different conceptions of who people are and how they act. Unfortunately: stone won out. Last song in the set was about "The World's Richest Man" though it wasn't about money that made him rich. It's the things in our lives that we don't stop to appreciate that provide richness. Views of mountains, rivers, eagles soaring high above, seeing storms rage across deserts and the smell from the ocean's breeze, these are some of the things that make us rich.
Once again: A varied selection of songs and musicianship filled the evening with enjoyment and variety.
Showcase Photos
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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello, John Ellis, Norman Roscher
March 2025 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
The March 2025 VOCAL Showcase was on the 24th, adjusted to make way the previous Monday for O’Toole’s famous St. Patrick’s Day celebration. This showcase featured Dean Broga and Matt Manion, two seasoned songwriters and VOCAL stalwarts.
Matt kicked off the show with “VCU Veteran”, written decades earlier when he entered the local university as a freshman with the typical insecurities at an unknown environment but excitement about college experiences. At first, the singer explains, he “majored in sexuality” but eventually “got to find strength in my sensitivity.” A more recent “Necessary Trouble” tune came next, sparked by an appearance of Congressman John Lewis at the christening of Arthur Ashe Boulevard a few years back. The singer realizes “time and tradition can be foes, not friends” and that “[you] may be called to rock the boat” in standing up for the less privileged. “I Ain’t Old”, a co-write with Glen King, featured Matt’s subtle and unexpected chording supporting a declaration that the singer feels “just a little well used [because he] has been around a while but keeping [him]self the same.”
“A Little Crabby” focused on Cape Hatteras and a conversation with a blue crab skimming across the shoreline’s bottom. “May I lay in your ocean” was the request along with “don’t be afraid of me.” Next up the rocking beat of “Man’s Man” told of who Matt’s next song was looking for, seeking someone who will “be there” as opposed to having a list of specific qualities. “Last Man on Earth” detailed feelings of isolation and lack of connection against a rhythmic chord pattern and exuberant melody. “Little Vanities” concerned the ways the subject can “show me yourself” and recognized “times we think we’re smiling don’t make up for the times we’re sure we’re not.” Matt wrapped up with “Jump Start My Heart”, directing his love interest to “jolt me with desire, ignite the fire.”
Dean started his set with “Falling From Love” describing how you can experience falling in love also as your life falling apart when all your attachments realign with the “love of [your] life.” “Jersey” was the lover in his next tune who he encouraged to change life around with him because “we’re moving out of this canyon and I don’t want to hang on to our blues.” The singer looks ahead to a better place and time with Jersey alongside. “Rodeo” told a story of a cowboy who encounters a woman with whom he was “meant to be” and who urges him, “Let’s ride.” The next composition, “Sailor’s Heart”, was his response to a writing challenge that required a story about a trip taken. He assumed the identity of a working seafarer who was on a ship carrying timber from Portland to Spain and who preferred time on the water. “A sailor’s heart is always home on the sea”, he declared. His final “She’s” laid out the tale of a woman searching for love but who wants to “lay down somewhere she can hang around, won’t be found.” In any relationship, this woman eventually will be “long gone.”
Showcase Photos
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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello
December 2024 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
VOCAL Showcase Review
The Virginia Organization of Composers and Lyricists “Holiday” Showcase on December 16 at O’Toole’s seemed more like a party of longtime friends and featured some of VOCAL’s most stalwart and accomplished members.
John Ellis
Master of Ceremonies John Ellis (also VOCAL VP) warmly welcomed the attendees before kicking off the show with his chimey “Winter Solstice” instrumental, which featured beautiful opening arpeggios and some assertive strumming in the main section. Claiming his favorite season of fall next, “Autumn Hours” celebrated time passing more languidly in that period where “peaceful nights clear my mind.” A romantic scene followed in his “Me and My Baby on a Cold Winter Day” with its solid rock chording and blues feel, singing he would “keep the fire blazing” in his expressive baritone. He closed with a lament in a story about a wayward woman who put him “In My Place” despite the fact he “tried to give you something you can’t replace.”
Glen King
Award-winning songwriter Glen King stepped up next, using keyboards to underpin his tunes of love and celebration. “New Year’s Eve With You” took the holiday at the end of the year as the time “I’d like to hold you tight, feel your love inside me” and evoked street scenes in Times Square as a way of pointing out his longing to be closer to his lover. “Rocket Woman” used that Scottish colloquial for a beautiful woman to praise his lover, singing “baby, you’re the best in show.” In a nod to the season at a different time of the year, “Christmas Came Early” was a thankful lyric about “one little present” that was a “wonder in a blanket, a new born boy.” Glen closed with “Nobody Else Comes Close”, described as a love letter to his wife who delighted in “bringing out the child in me.”
Russell Lawson and Matthew Costello
Impromptu showcasers followed with Russell Lawson presenting “Dear Santa” and Christmastime” and Matthew Costello wowing the crowd with a spirited rendition of “Digging For Elvis” that had the audience loudly singing the well-known chorus.
Glenda Creamer
Glenda Creamer’s set opened with her charming “The Cookie Exchange”, a story of self-discipline amid seasonal treats where “I don’t want to eat Christmas Cookies no more” was a hard aspiration to keep. Her next tune described the regrettable effects of “Those Magazines” she read, from recipes to exercise to self-examination that had her “getting in more trouble than I ever seen.” Her tuneful and expressive “Don’t Be Frightened, Mary” included Matt Manion singing the male roles in the story of Mary’s Annunciation and the fearful message that she would bear the Son of God.
Matt Manion
Matt kept the stage for his own set that began with “Hotel by the Highway” where the singer encountered a live band and observed a group of fellow travelers who enticed him to join in unanticipated dancing and socialization. A brief tune called “Give the Gift” featured some of Matt’s interesting chording and exhortation for listeners to give the gift of forgiveness to others. The final “Sit Down for Standby”, a retelling of the wait imposed on a traveler at the conclusion of a journey home when money was short and only the bargain of standby would get the singer home. John Ellis sat in on lead guitar for this mid-tempo rocker and added tasty melodic phrases among the lyric.
Norman Roscher
Norman Roscher topped off the bill with his customary showmanship and charisma, supported by John Ellis on guitar. Despite being hampered by a couple of fractured fingers (hence the appearance of Ellis), Norman delivered enthusiastic renditions of some of his favorite compositions. “Me and You and Baby” included some lively scatting over John’s solid playing in a song that combined elements of fancy from Mother Goose to fairy tales. “You and Me”, a warm description of a couple whose dating had just begun, emphasized the affection and companionship the singer felt and wanted the lover to feel. “Waiting for the Moon” incorporated an impressionistic set of scenes, evocative language and very compelling guitar lines from Ellis, to describe a world in which someone was waiting, was the “we” the singer…a couple…a group? Finally, he sang “All I Want For Christmas” where he longed for “a little less bad news” to create a “happier holiday.”
A group of showcase musicians then led the audience in a sing-along through a few of well-known seasonal favorites, concluding the December showcase on a high note indeed. Merry Christmas, everyone!
Showcase Photos
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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello
November 2024 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
The November 2024 showcase featured two of VOCAL’s most talented writers, Matt Manion and Carol “Torch” Torricelli. An intimate and attentive audience added to the magic of the evening.
Matt kicked off the evening with God’s Rhythm, a plea to God to help him find his rhythm, move his wooden feet and shape his clumsy body. The Royal Roach Hotel was born while spending a working summer in southern Louisiana and residing in the “lavish” Royal Hotel. The roaches and other critters were included in the cheap rate so I guess you get what you pay for! If That’s What it Takes is an interesting and current them where we wonder if it would take an alien invasion for us earthlings to finally unite in a common purpose (don’t hold your breath…). Necessary Trouble is an older tune of Matt’s touting the need to occasionally rock the boat in order to effect positive change. The song was born after hearing a speech by the late Congressman John Lewis. He then treated us to the heavenly Blue Springs Hideaway. This is a signature tune of his recounting the peaceful and beautiful experience of a mountain getaway in southwest Virginia. Job Hunting Blues is a sign-of-the-times number where you have to “show what you’re made of” prior to getting hired. So grab that cup, head to the restroom and there better not be a trace of anything we don’t want! He then delivered Jump Start My Heart, a “witticism” of Torch, asking his lover to get that muscle pumping, jolt me with desire. You got the spark so jump start my heart! Matt ended with another signature tune Life Can Be Funky on the Pamunkey, featuring Torch on guitar and harmony vocals. It’s a lazy, dreamy ride down the river taking in all the sights and sounds Mother Nature has to offer! Way to go, Matt!
Torch then took the stage with Matt accompanying her on her first tune We Are Virginia. This is a very beautiful and descriptive song about all the wonderful places in Virginia, from the Carter Fold birthplace to the Chesapeake Bay. She continued with a similar state theme with Come to Virginia, a song she wrote and performed for a trade show years ago. It depicts all the great reasons to come to our great commonwealth! Roads In-Between Us recounts the time when she was living in New York but all her friends were moving away so she was constantly thinking of the roads and miles between them. Speaking of close friends moving away, her next song was inspired by her New York boyfriend moving to Florida and having a passion for horse racing. He also happened to have a passion for cooking, so she wrote I Wish I Had a Horse Name Fresh Garlic, with all the images of following him in the horse-racing circuit and meeting in the winner’s circle! Paha Sapa is a Lakota Indian name that translates to “come tour with me”. This is a magical song depicting all the beautiful sights and wonders of Mother Nature around Rapid City, South Dakota. Swinging and Swaying is a signature tune of Torch’s with a dreamy, jazzy feel as she sits on the back porch, a full moon and fireflies accompanying her as she misses her “new squeeze” lover. I Know That You Know describes the communication (or lack thereof) between two lovers when they know they’re in love but are afraid/reluctant to actually say it. Tossing Like a Salad is another “missing my lover” theme where she just happens to be in the kitchen making a salad but is wondering why she hasn’t heard from her man. Highway To Your Heart is a really cool tune co-written with Glen King. He’s a trucker out on the road on his way home so all he can think about is heading for your loving on a highway to your heart! She then delivered another Glen King co-write called Give Me the Simple Life, a story of peaceful enjoyment of a vacation spot with a travel trailer in front of a lake. Descriptive lines like “only one station on this TV set” and “a hundred miles on my rocking chair” depict the scene. People Need Each Other was written during the Plague (Covid) and she dedicated it to Matthew Costello for all his efforts in keeping us together during that trying time. Truer words couldn’t be spoken! Ode to Thanksgiving is a fitting tune in honor of this important holiday that is squeezed between Halloween and Christmas and therefore is often overlooked. Way too much hustle and bustle during that time of year in my opinion. Torch ended her set with a very beautiful rendition of the Irish Blessing, for which she wrote the music. This is in the Public Domain and Torch did a wonderful job of making it “hers”. Great set, Torch!
Thanks to all who came out to enjoy some excellent original music!
Showcase Photos
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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello
January 2024 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
After a week's delay due to weather conditions, The January 2024 VOCAL Showcase got back on track at O'Toole's on the 21st. Despite the delay: There was a packed house ready to be entertained by the night’s songwriters. Performing this week were two veteran VOCAL songwriters, Jeff Wagner (with his wife Sherry) and Matt Manion.
Matt Manion.
To begin the night, Matt went up first and began his set with an old song, "Things Have Changed" which related the story of a liberated woman who decided to go out on her own. This was followed by “Don’t Stand By Me” one from his catalog, depicting the anguish a band member feels when one of his mates is fooling around and he fears a jealous husband will shoot the guy while he’s standing next to him on the stage. “Getting Old is Getting Old” relates the emotion the singer feels as the title says, and “a long life could be considered a luxury”. Early Richmond was the seat of slavery and in “Devil’s Cafe” we get a picture of what it was like to live in those times. This was followed by “Forget Yourself” a song about forgetting yourself. Cranking up the tempo, Matt rocked out “Playing On My Dobro” though, not on one. Next tune “If That’s What It Takes” asks the listeners to me less self-involved and think of others in a collective way as “us” and not “’you and me”.
To finish his set, Matt revived one of his classic rock tunes “Thank You Chuck Berry” which as the title implies, is a tribute to the late great guitar and blues player.
Jeff and Sherry Wagner
Jeff and Sherry make up a husband and wife music team, though Jeff sometimes solos, at showcases. Tonight, both playing guitars traded off songs during the set.
First up “She Was Raised on Sad Songs” one of his standards, about a woman growing up on music that matched her life conditions. Sherry took a turn and gave us “Fierce Friendship” depicting the depth of commitment one can evoke when there is reciprocation. Jeff continued with “Ghost Rider” an eerie tale of imagination and then gave us “Play From The Heart” a moon shiners lullaby and life tale. Sherry followed with “Soft Petals”, a lovely song about flowers that flourish with sun and air and give you a beautiful garden to love. This was followed by “the Devil’s In The Details” and then an epic song about “The Old Guard”. Based a real life experience, Jeff relates the tale of four of his friends who have grown up together and the paths their lives have taken. Some of the lessons they learned appear in the lyrics. “we have seen our share of life” and “we suffer no fools”. Good advice. Lastly, “Musicland” presented the audience with a musical tour Jeff and Sherry took of Nashville and the sights and sounds it offers. Music being the main thrust with people singing everywhere even “someone singing in the sheets”.
A great night of music, friends and food.
Showcase Photos
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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello and Norman Roscher
December 2023 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
