Showcases

The February 2018 VOCAL Songwriter Showcase took place on Monday, February 19th at O’Toole’s Irish Pub with a quite attentive crowd.

Norman Roscher opened the show with one of his classics and self-inspired Prince of the Trees, a dreamy number that many of us can relate to from our childhoods. The world might be a better place if more of us spent time in the trees! He then entertained us with his newest creation Hyperplastic Polyp. Now this isn’t just your ordinary love song you hear every day (maybe a glove song?). Being a Polyp Farmer allows you to cultivate little clones of yourself. Lost in a Dream is a love song written a year or so ago and was inspired by his friend Jeannie. Mr. Johnson’s Sticky Substance is a little ditty that many local folks can relate to if they keep up with the local news. Just don’t leave your shoes out on the porch! Lady of the Poppy is a very intriguing tune about a statuary in Hollywood Cemetary. She’s so peaceful – is she asleep? He ended his set with another tender love song, Anniversary Song, written for his love Jeannie. With all those beautiful words, she just had to be his man!

John Ellis opened his set with the instrumental A Time Piece. John demonstrates some very delicate finger-picking on his acoustic/electric with this number. He then delivered a new song, Walking With Sharon, another delicate instrumental that had a bit of Spanish classical influence. I’ll Be There for You is a song of resolve, about being there for someone you love (something we need more of). I’m Through is an ode to love lost, a good riddance/Hell-with-you tune. The Last You Could Have Done was to Call, is another love-gone-wrong song, describing the feeling when you hear your partner was seen with someone else. Brother is a minor-key electrified song saying “does she love you like she should”, or are you just hearing the siren’s song? In My Place is another anti-love song, where we had a chance at love until you threw it all away.

Headliner Mark Daniel then took the stage treating us to several of his finely-honed tunes. Big Daddy’s Ride featured some blistering finger-picking on this tune about an over-the-road trucker, and his experiences out and back to his home in Kentucky. I’m Just a Soldier Calling Home is a very moving story about his daughter, a combat photographer in the Marine Corps, and the unique perspective she has in the line of duty. The bluesy I’m On a Love Mission states how he’s trying to win your love, so don’t blame him for what a previous lover did. “Was it the whiskey talking”, the first line of How Can We be Over if We Haven’t Started Yet, may divulge the truth to this mystery – how can it all be over when things appear to be going so well? Mark delivered a mighty fine western swing tune Who’s Sad and Lonely Now. Was there a misunderstanding about how I wear my hat? A new song, You’re the One for Me”, was inspired by one of his daughters and talks of “spoken words I can’t unsay”, “feelings I can’t unfeel”. His next song was written post-breakup, and about trying to get dates – may have been some Facebook involved! What Do You Think of a Man Who Does Dishes includes a man with strong hands and a warm heart, not afraid to do his part. Another love song was revealed: Wherever Your Love Leads Me, ofte”n song by VOCAL member Eddy Kitchen: “Thought I was fishing in Heaven, casting in the Milky Way. Loving You Really Makes Me Groove is another love ditty about loving watching you, and the things you do. Charles City Rain is a cool story from 1939 describing the town suffering from a long drought, and finally getting relief with rains from the Heavens “Lord teach us to pray and send some rain down”. Feeling is Believing is yet another tender love song from Mark, debunking the theory that saying the words “I Love You” is a sign of weakness. Captain is a really cool tune written about his great-grandfather, who never came home from the Civil War. He left home on a sunny day, leaving Mom and a team to plow the land.

That was the end of another wonder showcase of original music!

December 2017 VOCAL showcase:
Ho-h0-ho. It was a Merry Christmas VOCAL showcase at O’toole’s on Dec. 18th. Feat;ured were many of VOCAL’s finest singer/songwriter performers, and the drawing of prizes. As a holiday oriented show, it was requested that each performer do at least one holiday themed song, and to thet extent they did just that. The show was emceed, by John Ellis, who was also the first performer up. He did two songs, (Me and my baby) On a Cold Winter’s Day which touted the benefits of staying inside and enjoying eahc other’s company in comfort from the cold outside. That was followed by an instrumental “Winter Solstice” which showcased his g;uitar picking ability. Matt Manion, on acoustic-electric guitar followed John with three selections, “God’s Thythm” which extolled the virtues of allowing God to be charge of our lives, “Quarter To Midnight” told the story of two strangers who pass in the night on Christmas Eve, and “Thank You Chuck Berry” recognized Berry sa a main contributor to Rock and Roll with many references to his oeuvre, all sung to Johnny B Good. Steve Nuckolls shared two songs “Sunrise” written while jogging, and “When Like Turns to Love” . Glenda Creamer followed Steve with a varied set of songs,
Ho-h0-ho. It was a Merry Christmas VOCAL showcase at O’toole’s on Dec. 18th. Feat;ured were many of VOCAL’s finest singer/songwriter performers, and the drawing of prizes. As a holiday oriented show, it was requested that each performer do at least one holiday themed song, and to thet extent they did just that. The show was emceed, by John Ellis, who was also the first performer up. He did two songs, (Me and my baby) On a Cold Winter’s Day which touted the benefits of staying inside and enjoying eahc other’s company in comfort from the cold outside. That was followed by an instrumental “Winter Solstice” which showcased his g;uitar picking ability. Matt Manion, on acoustic-electric guitar followed John with three selections, “God’s Thythm” which extolled the virtues of allowing God to be charge of our lives, “Quarter To Midnight” told the story of two strangers who pass in the night on Christmas Eve, and “Thank You Chuck Berry” recognized Berry sa a main contributor to Rock and Roll with many references to his oeuvre, all sung to Johnny B Good. Steve Nuckolls shared two songs “Sunrise” written while jogging, and “When Like Turns to Love” . Glenda Creamer followed Steve with a varied set of songs, “”Jesus, Meek and Mild’, “Christmas Cookies” was a humorous song about oveereating cookies, complete with sound effects (nibble nibble, crunch crunch etc). She closed with “After Christmas” a picture of the holiday aftermath. In between sets, prizes were gien to lucky ticket holders who received gift certificates and CD’s. fter the drawing, Mark Daniel started his performance with “When a Soldier Calls Home” which was a touching portrait of what home means, family, kitchen siblings etc. In the next song, the singer detailed what happened when he picked up a hitch-hiker who went on the regale him with a ll the things that makde him”A Rich Man” mostly all the free things we have around us, mountains, trees, storms, eagles and stars, for example. He closed out his set with “Big Daddy Roll On” a tale of a truck drtiver heading for home. Carey Colvin and Granger Helvey are a couple who make music together and they came up next to showcase their talents. In “Gulf of Mexico, the singer (Colvin) lays out her longing to be out of her rut and living the god life in or by the Gulf of Mexico. “Christmas Kitty” was a cute song listing all the things a cat can do to wreak havoc in and around the Christmas tree and presents, “It’s Christmas Time” typically described all the decorations and f;uss that make up the holiday, and “The Christmas Imp” was a diatribe about Elf on the Shelf, The list of performers closed out with Steve Fisher of the Tin Can Fish Band, doing a song about his “Experiences In Ireland” which outlined a short term relationship during a visit there, Mama Don’t Cry” gave an upbeat message to hang in, because everything will eventually will be all right. His final song, All We Have” had a similar message directed to hobos, that they will find a better place in the sweet bye and bye. After the final prizes of the evening were handed out, a song-along of popular Christmas songs followed. VOCAL wishes everyone a happy holiday season no matter what you celebrate.

November 2017 Showcase

November 20^th, 2017

316^th Consecutive Show

This past Monday the Virginia Organization of Composers and Lyricists met once again for their monthly showcase. For the night there were three main performers: Glenda Creamer, Guy Gorman, and The Taters.

First to perform was Guy Gorman! He treated the audience to nine songs including: Ukulele Yodel; I Oughta Know Better; The Roswell Rock; and I Gotta Lotta Love which was performed with The Taters. Guy’s songs consisted of a unique rock and roll element that got the crowd energized for the evening. He also had a mix of instruments including the guitar, ukulele, and harmonica. Everyone was enthused and left feeling anxious to hear The Taters after their performance with Guy!

Next to perform was Glenda Creamer. Glenda performed with her guitar, and strummed six of her original songs. She slowed things down for the evening, but were pleasing to the audience of O’Tooles. Some of her songs included: Lift Up Your Feet, Unexpected Ways, and Jacob’s Well. There was also a lovely performance that was dedicated to her daughter which touched the hearts of every listener.

Last to perform, but certainly not least was The Taters! They performed twelve of their original songs for the audience of O’Tooles. Each song was upbeat, and left the audience feeling energetic and happy! A couple of their songs took us back to Halloween, but they also performed a few Christmas songs to get us ready for the upcoming holiday season.

Overall the night was once again an enjoyable evening! Each performance was original and a true treat to hear. The VOCAL members would like to thank all performers and audience members for taking time out of their evening to support these great singer/songwriters. Please join us again for next month’s Christmas Showcase for a true treat that is always jam packed with great performances of original and classic holiday tunes, a raffle, and much more!

For more information on future showcases and meeting look to the VOCAL Newsletter, website, and blog.

This past Monday, October 16, 2017 the VOCAL group met for another open mic night. There was a great turn out as well! We had a total of eight great performances for the night. Performers included:

• Norman Roscher performed three of his original songs: “Ghouls on Parade,” “You’re Beautiful,” and “Within Your Eyes.”

• Andy & Andy Handley (ft. Kelly Kennedy) performed two instrumental numbers that gave the crowd a true pub feel with their fiddles!

• Kelly Kennedy performed with her accordion, and humored the crowd with a twist on one of her favorite songs. I think the men in the room learned a lesson not to mess with women when returning home from battle!

• Guy Gorman performed three of his original songs Monday evening. One was inspired by the infamous Norman Roscher which brought smiles and laughs from the audience!

• Glenda Creamer performed three of her original songs on Monday as well. Songs performed included: “Wherever You Go,” and “The Splendor King Solemn.” Her third song got everyone in the spirit of Halloween with an October theme!

• Genie Bishop performed two songs for the night! Both of them were incredibly deep love songs. For one song she was assisted by Norman, and another was an acapella version.

• A returning favorite, Doug Patrick performed as well in the open mic! He performed three of his original songs for the evening, and slowed things down a bit.

• Last, but certainly not least to perform was Steve Nuckolls! He performed three of his original songs as well. He drew back on his past experiences in Africa, and growing up in a small town that ended the night with a nice sentimental feeling.

O’Tooles had a great turnout this past Monday, and it was a pleasure to have so many artists volunteer their time to perform for those in attendance! Great job to all of the performers, and we hope to see some of you perform in future showcases (the Christmas showcase is right around the corner if you are interested). Stay tuned to the VOCAL newsletter and blog for more information on next month’s meeting and showcase!

The September 2017 VOCAL Songwriter Showcase took place on Monday, September 18th at O’Toole’s Irish Pub.

Steve Nuckolls opened the show with several acoustic numbers. Everything’s Just Two Good, Gibson Guitar, and Sunrise are some of his signature tunes. He had a new song Siri Alexa-fied Blues, an ode to the current technologies running a lot of people’s lives. Grayson Lady is a bluegrass tune about Grayson County in Southwest Virginia.

John Ellis took the stage as the headline performer, well-equipped with his electric and acoustic/electric guitars, pedals and backing tracks. He opened with Blues # 1, an instrumental that reminded me a bit of the rock band Focus (Hocus Pocus). The instrumental A Time Piece was played on this acoustic/electric, and I thought channeled George Harrison during certain parts. I’ll Be There for You is an optimistic love song, which John admits he doesn’t do too often. Honesty is on the opposite end of the love spectrum, an in-your-face tribute to a relationship gone bad. The Strange is an older “dark love song”, the first song he finished after joining VOCAL. This had hints of Black Sabbath with some searing lead guitar solos. The next tune was an instrumental “combo” of Chimes and Groove Thing, a juxtaposition of tender guitar picking and blistering electric guitar. In My Place is another love-gone-bad song with some stellar electric guitar performance. That was the end of a very rewarding performance from Mr. Ellis.

August VOCAL Showcase

August 21, 2017

The 313^th 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.

July 2017 Songwriter Showcase

Monday July 17, 2017

The 312^th Consecutive Show

This past Monday, VOCAL held their monthly showcase at O’Tooles in Richmond, and once again the audience enjoyed every minute of it! Performers for the night included Keely Burn, longtime VOCAL member Matthew Costello, and Dave Pollard as the feature performer.

First to perform was Keely Burn with five of her original songs. Each song was performed wonderfully on the keyboard, and they were a real treat to hear. Some of her songs included “Waltz,” “When I’m Acting,” and “Sky Song.” All of her songs performed on Monday night were sweet in sound and in meaning. Her songs gave audience members the ability to connect to the lyrics, and follow the songs more closely. Whether the song portrayed falling in love or finding one’s personality Keely gave a great performance on Monday. Fantastic job Keely, and we hope to see you again soon at another showcase!

Following Keely was Matthew Costello on the guitar who treated the audience with six of his original songs. Many included songs that the audience had the pleasure of hearing at previous showcases, but that never get old. For example, his song “Digging for Elvis” got the audience in a playful mood by allowing them to participate in the performance. Also, his original song “Train of Thought” brought more joy to the audience with its great rhythm and lyrics. If one looked around the restaurant, they could see many audience members singing along with Matthew. Thank you Matthew for a wonderful night, and we also hope to see you perform at another upcoming showcase.

Lastly, the audience of O’Tooles welcomed Dave Pollard to the stage to perform. Dave treated the crowd to nine of his original songs. Songs that were performed included: “Coming Home to You,” “The Loving Thing to Do,” “Take Me Whole,” and “Reach Out Your Hand.” Many of Dave’s songs spoke of love or loss, which are things that we can all connect to. Whether falling in love, out of love, or losing those that we love to the great beyond, everyone could connect to some aspect of Dave’s songs which is what makes them so great. Not only were the sounds and rhythms of each song great, but the words truly spoke to the crowd. Thank you Dave for a wonderful performance, and we hope to see you at another showcase soon!

Once again, thank you to each performer for taking time out of their week to come treat the diners at O’Tooles to a musical treat! Readers should be on the lookout for information on the next August showcase. Same time and place!

Monday June 19^th, 2017 Showcase

Our 311^th Consecutive Show

A Showcase of Original Songs

This past Monday the Virginia Organization of Composers and Lyricist gathered once again for their monthly showcase! Despite the rain, VOCAL had a good crowd on Monday night who were there to eat delicious food and enjoy some great entertainment.

Monday was an open mic night for members and non-members of VOCAL to perform and showcase their original songs. The night’s performers consisted of the one and only Norman Roscher, Steve Righter, and Steve Nuckolls.

Norman opened up the night with three of his original songs including: “Within Your Eyes,” “You’re Beautiful,” and “Holiday.” It was a nice change to hear Norman play a few songs that had a slow, somber pace and rhythm. Each song filled our hearts and minds with thoughts of love and adoration for those we hold dear to our hearts. However, later in the evening Norman brought back a bit of comic relief with his songs “Mr. Johnson’s Sticky Substance,” “Boobs,” and “I Don’t Play Doctor Anymore.” The crowd joined him through the chorus of both “Boobs” and “Mr. Johnson’s Sticky Substance” which left the group feeling cheerful by the end of the night.

Following Norman, the audience of O’Tooles welcomed Steve Righter onto the “stage.” Steve filled our hearts with feelings of love and joy as he performed five of his original songs including: “I Want that Kind of Love,” “What I’m Trying to Say,” and “When I See You in the Dawn.” My personal favorite happened to be “I Want that Kind of Love” simply because he drew inspiration from the famous film (my favorite film) with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan…You’ve Got Mail. We all want that movie screen romance! However, I think the crowd favorite could have easily been his song “What I’m Trying to Say,” which he wrote for his wife. That song is a symbol of true love and adoration two people share with one another, and it was a pleasure to hear performed on Monday.

After Steve left the mic standing alone, another Steve came up to play! Steve Nuckolls was the next performer of the night. As Norman said, “It’s the night of Steve’s!” He treated the audience to five of his original songs as well, and one of the favorites being “That Old Road.” In this particular song, Steve claimed to reminisce about his childhood and the small town dirt roads he used to travel down. It was a relaxing and enjoyable song to hear, and allowed the crowd to perhaps even think back on their old stomping grounds as well. Our hometowns are a place we all will hold dear to our hearts no matter where we may be in life, and how old we are. The place that you first call home is always going to be with you no matter what.

Thank you to these three terrific performers for taking time out of their Monday night to treat us all with wonderful music! We look forward to hearing more from you in the future, and that you have a great rest of your week. Please come out to the next Showcase on July 17^th at O’Tooles! Again it will be an 8:00 PM start time. Stay tuned to the VOCAL Blog, Newsletter, and Facebook page for more information regarding meetings, membership, and the performers for next month’s showcase!