Week ? — So good! I checked out the Songwriter Circle hosted by Max Somerville at the Pittsburgh Winery. The guest songwriters were Guy Russo, Arianna Powell, Justin Endler, and Derek Krystek.
Something about the combination of artists headed by an obviously heavy weight host who was generous with his love and respect for everyone set the night up for a really human, authentic musical experience. I swear I teared up more than once.
Highlights were that each artist had at least one hit song or moment, Justin’s arty obscurity (and that Jeff Buckley/Jimmy Somerville voice!!) really offset the loveliness of Russo’s folk writing and Max Somerville’s soulful accessibility. Derek gets props for being the most vulnerable with his between-song banter, and Arianna is why I went. She is a fully formed guitarist at 23 and has incredible stage presence. I was curious about her writing and I wasn’t disappointed. While she’s a young performing singer with tons of room to grow, her songs are as cleanly and fully formed as her playing. They offer a simplicity and emotive rawness that obscures the songs’ intelligent and sophisticated foundations. She uses the rhythm and imagery of words creatively and for maximum emotional impact. Honestly, it was beautiful stuff and I hope to hear more.
From a personal perspective what struck me most was how different this generation of song makers are from mine. Gen Xers (me) and Millennials are really different. And it’s a good difference; I came away feeling like the creative heart of my city is in pretty damn good hands.
So yes, this was a good week.