Good Vibrations

Another lively night at the Acoustic Showcase! We started off with house band Laughing Boy.  The guys were in fine voice and humor, serenading the assembled multitudes with an excellent collection of originals, leavened by the occasional cover tune (Nancy Sinatra, The Kinks, Tommy James, and Patsy Cline meets Judy Garland).

Love those vocal harmonies!

Will Ryan, undeterred by an intrusive microphone

They even got the audience singing along on a new sea shanty -- a thinly veiled metaphor of personal transformation titled "Swim, Boys! Swim!" (Thanks to Griffin Keevil for these photos.)  

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Laughing Boy extricated themselves, and Paul Hatem took the stage. I always enjoy Paul's songs. A particular favorite last night was "I Wish Mom Would Come" -- sung from the point of view of children waiting for their mom to give them a ride home. It's a quiet and affecting little number (as are many of Paul's creations) that evokes a strangely pleasant childhood melancholy. I like it a lot.

Paul was joined on a number of his songs by Carrie Harrington. They make a good duo -- nice vocal tones, nice feel for the lyrics, nice harmonies.

Add to all that a great rapport with the audience. People were smiling and singing along from the seats, which is always a good thing!

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After a great set, Paul made way for Arl-Lex Five & Dime (he's also a member). They're regulars at the Showcase, and last night showed us why! Great energy and enthusiasm, with some nice musicianship and engaging harmonies.

Jack Donahue, Michael Barrett, Chris Eastburn, Peggy Rose, Paul Hatem, and Quinn Eastburn

And talk about audience engagement! Arl-Lex has a big, enthusiastic following that these pictures can't adequately convey.

The result is lots of fun music, with people playing, singing, singing along, clapping, smiling, and enjoying themselves. I think that's the whole point!  

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See you next time!