Event showcases acoustic sounds of five female songwriters
Posted on Friday, June 15, 2007
Cody Russell enjoys all types of music. Not only does he take pleasure in listening to a good tune, but he's been known to play a few in local bands such as the Sarah Hughes Band and Charliehorse.
Recently, he's noticed that many of his favorite bands have female lead singers.
It's a trend he's seeing all over the country.
"It's just all over right now. There are strong females getting up on stage,"he said.
Through his associations in the local music scene, Russell knew several female singer-songwriters in the area and thought a great concert would consist of them performing together.
He shared the idea with Harold Wieties, the booking agent for George's Majestic Lounge, and Wieties responded with an open date and told Russell to make it happen.
And so on Wednesday night, George's will host Sisters in the Round, a night of acoustic music that includes five Ozark-based female songwriters performing their songs and sharing the stories behind them.
The evening takes its format from female songwriter circles that are popular at folk festivals, Russell said. Although each of the musicians are likely to perform a few songs on their own, the bulk of the concert will consist of all five onstage together.
There were plenty of musicians to choose from, Russell said, as there are plenty of female songwriters in the area.
"These are the five I knew the best, and the five who would have the biggest draw,"he said.
The diversity of their music was another key element in forming the lineup, he said.
Fore example, Tiffany Christopher formerly fronted the jazzy jam rock band the Tiffany Christopher Band. A Springfield, Mo., resident, she plays in Fayetteville several times a year.
Cindy Woolf and Shannon Wurst are probably the two closest in style, Russell said. Woolf, also from Springfield, is a member of the MayApple Records roster and plays acoustic music with a bluegrass vibe. Wurst, from Alma, released her debut album on Thursday and plays acoustic tunes with hints of bluegrass and old-school country.
Sarah Hughes of Fayetteville is one of the busiest performers in Fayetteville. Her eclectic country-folk songs can be heard at local gigs around town and every Sunday evening at George's.
Rounding out the evening will be Tanya Shylock, lead singer of jam band Mountain of Venus. Her performance will be a rare treat, Russell said, as Shylock has never played guitar onstage before.
Depending on the success of the concert, Russell said is interested in booking similar shows with different female songwriters.
* * *
SISTERS IN THE ROUND
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: George's Majestic Lounge, 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville
Admission: $5
* All five performers will sing acoustic music and share stories about the songs they have written.
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