April 2025 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase

It was a nice spring night for music at O'Toole's restaurant and bar for the April 2025 VOCAL Showcase. On the docket were four players from VOCAL who represented a wide spectrum of musical choices.

The first player Matthew Costello, VOCAL president, offered a selection of guitar strumming songs. First up "The Blanket" which was followed by "Walkin" Willie" a story song about a character who ambles around town providing commentary from the locals. "Meaningful One Night Stand" took us through the singer's many affairs until a lady named Ivy final ended his searching being the right one. Remembering Woodstock and the year of love, "3 Days in 69" took us back to those fond memories that for some of the older folks will never forget.

Russell Lawson is a long-time member of VOCAL, and kicked off his set with "One More Drink" with the ironic tag line "till I'm sober" A true song "Rock Creek Blues" followed which in turn was followed by another true inspired song. "Wheatland" with lots of imagery about enjoying the land such as "sleeping in the sand" and hearing the wild geese overhead. "Montana Wide" again took us on a trip to the vistas of Montana and the "blue as blue" skies. For those in Richmond who aren't history aware, "The Church Hill Tunnel, had a railroad running under it which collapsed on a car as it was passing under. Russell gave us an account of that disaster and for one family "daddy won't be coming home, now".

Next player, John Ellis, cranked up his electric guitar and demonstrated his versatility on the frets, changing tempos and leaping chords to give each song a different feel. "Second Hand Wedding Ring" began his set which was then followed by "I'll Be There" for you., when you need some comforting and support. "Autumn Hours" painted a picture of fading colors and cooling nights as the season progressed.

The featured performer for the night was Burke Ingraffia, a songwriter from New Orleans, now local, who brought a wide variety of melodies and tempos to the mic. Besides his guitar, Burke employed his mouth harp to add texture to his music. "Dusty Old Clock" reminded us that time moves on and we need not concern ourselves with its passage. "Pray for patience" and "don't worry about the future" were two pieces of advice. "Change of Heart" philosophized "can't change the weather, but you can have a change of heart." Commenting on the current financial conditions "Checks and Balances" had some humorous line about his money condition " I got a bank, I call if Piggy". "About Love" examines its consequences. Sometimes it comes in waves, sometimes unexpected, but always love like it’s your first day. "Travellin' At Night" with the admonition "I won't be slowed down by the speed of light" was the next song. This was followed by "Independence" with tales about spending time on his 96 year old grandfather's farm in Louisiana, and some lessons learned. A blues tune "That's The Way Mountains are Made" with mouth harp riffs advises "listen to the prayers you've prayed" for they will follow you in life. The last song in his set was a cover of "I'm Glad We Had This Time Together" from the old Carol Burnett show as a way to thank the audience for hanging in to his performance.

A full night of music.

Showcase Photos

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Photo Credits: Matthew Costello