Singers' Showcase at Song Swap Night
It was a near-capacity crowd for four amazing vocalists
Country singer Brad Paisley once said “I'm aware of the fact that a lot of talented people out there will never get this chance.”
It’s a universal truth. For every Brad Paisley, there are a hundred more performers with the same talent and skill, singing their hearts out in a club somewhere. No record execs come around scouting for talent, and the entertainment is for friends; for joy.
At Song Swap night at the Iron Horse, we saw Michael Kately, Bryson Lawrence, Greg Casillas, and Derrick Kuehner put on a vocal showcase and remind us all that we have major-league talent in our minor-league city.
The beauty of Song Swap night is the flowing nature of the entertainment. With four talented singer/songwriters on the stage, and amid a growing collection of pint glasses at their feet, the next selection could be anything from current pop, folk, or a classic like Ring of Fire.
On occasion, someone in the audience would call out a song and the guys would give it their best go, mocking their own efforts if they weren’t satisfied. They were the only ones who weren’t satisfied, because the crowd was loving it.
Bryson Lawrence of Dirt and Blank Labels was in the center of the action all night, both singing lead on some of his own selections and as the primary backing vocalist throughout the night. Bryson’s experience singing as a part of a group is apparent, and throughout the night he sang some backing vocals that reminded me of the Beach Boys and other great vocal harmony groups.
Michael Kately is an incredibly talented singer/songwriter and member of The Downtown Royalty Band. Michael gave me a chuckle when he started to perform Lustra’s “Scotty Doesn’t Know” as a goof. From my spot at side stage, I laughed out loud and I desperately wanted him to continue, but Michael decided the joke was a little obscure for Song Swap night and called it off after a verse. Nevertheless, we got some amazing entertainment from Michael, including an awesome version of Sweet Caroline that had the audience singing along during the “Ba ba ba’s.”
Greg Casillas of Better Strangers and Strange Lucy was back, and it was my second time seeing him in as many weeks. I recently wrote about Better Strangers’ awesome new song “Tombstone,” and Greg performed an acoustic version of it that was great.
There are exciting things — gigs and records — on the way for Better Strangers and Strange Lucy, and we’re here for it.
Every time I go to an Open Mic or a jam session or a Song Swap, I get introduced to a new local talent that blows my mind. I met Anthony Castillo and Giancarlo Martini at a jam session, both amazing multi-instrumentalists, and got my mind blown by Devin Davis of Tate & the Bedwetters at Open Mic night last week.
At Song Swap this week, Derrick Kuehner woke me up, friends.
Someone said last night that Derrick hardly ever plays live lately, and it immediately made me want to know more about him, because Derrick is amazing. No exaggeration, Derrick has major-league talent in our little city.
Derrick plays in The Downtown Royalty Band with Michael, and is an amazing guitarist as well as a raspy, powerful singer. I wasn’t able to catch up with Derrick by press time so we’ll hopefully chat next time.
Song Swap is going on my list of things that would be great for date night. It’s entertaining, funny, and you can still talk.
Did you catch the show? Tell us what you think in the comments.
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