August is here! Maybe you’ve put off all that summertime enjoyment of life until now. But it’s not too late!
Songwriters in the Round has been waiting for you. What, we ask you, what could be better than enjoying the company of your fellow humanoids, having a bit to eat and a beverage, and hearing the latest missives from the intergalactic consciousness that pervades and animates all writers of songs?
We are delighted to see the return of Susan Cattaneo to our stage. Susan’s warm and wise music always brings a spark of joy to the Armory Café. We know you will also be thrilled to hear Linda Sharar, first-among-equals in her frequent touring, folktastic family band, the Sharar Sisters from the New York City area. Sean Magwire is a two-time overall winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, which, if you haven’t heard of it, is a super big deal. The World Series of Songwriting, you might say. And then of course you will be hosted by the 100% A.I.-free wit and joy of our beloved Mark Stepakoff. To quote the great Sun Ra, “Music is a plane of wisdom, because music is a universal language, it is a language of honor, it is a noble precept, a gift of the Airy Kingdom, music is air, a universal existence common to all the living.” Don’t miss this trip!
Songwriters in the Round needs sponsorships to continue at our high level. If you know of a business or individual who can sponsor a performance for $200, I can guarantee the four songwriters and sound engineer a base fee of $40, so they can be sure to at least afford a sandwich and an Uber ride home regardless of how much we earn in tips. Please get in touch if you can help.
The Armory Café is a warm, welcoming place where people can enjoy food and drink as well as chance meetings and conversation. But everyone becomes quiet when four songwriters take the stage to take turns playing songs, occasionally joining each other on harmony vocals or guitar licks. In between songs, the audience listens while the performers discuss music and life in general. “I was inspired by the ‘guitar pulls’ of the Bluebird Café in Nashville,” host David Thorne Scott says, “but with a wider variety. There is folk and country, but also rock, R&B, soul, jazz, and musical theater.”
Held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. This program is supported with a small grant from the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The event is free but you may want to donate $10-$20 for the performers.
Part of the ROOTED Armory Café Series. Food, snacks, coffee, tea, beer and wine available!
You might hear a young up-and-coming pro, an established mid-career performer and mentor, and a cherished elder of the scene — all sharing music. The growing relationships will warm your heart and enrich your soul. Come every week as the lineup shifts and new friends are made.
All ages welcome.
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Our songwriters this week
Linda Sharar has been present in the US singer/songwriter circuit for over 25 years. With three independently released CDs produced by Tom Dube (Richard Thompson, Julianna Hatfield), she has performed on stages solo, or in collaboration with her sisters (The Sharar Sisters), Camp Hoboken or the RESPOND collective, at esteemed venues including: Club Passim in Cambridge MA, the Iron Horse in Northampton MA, Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem PA, the Bottom Line in New York City, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in Hillsdale NY and the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville TX. In recent years Linda appears primarily with the Sharar Sisters at venues and festivals in the NY/NJ/CT tri-state region. https://shararsisters.com/home
Sean Magwire is an award-winning songwriter based in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is a two-time Grand Prize winner and Song of the Year winner for Folk in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Sean’s music has been featured on prestigious platforms like WGBH’s All Things Considered, The Boston Globe, PBS, NPR, The Tony Kornheiser Show, and in the feature film Fly Old Birds: Escape to the Ark. He has performed at renowned festivals across the country, including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Whitefish Songwriter Festival, Red Lodge Songwriting Festival, Wildflower Music & Arts Fest, Black Bear Americana Festival, and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. https://www.seanmagwire.com/about
With her powerful voice, captivating melodies and finely-crafted lyrics, Susan Cattaneo is one of Boston’s most respected singer-songwriters. Combining vivid storytelling with a modern songwriter’s spin,Susan’s music blends folk, rock and blues with hintof country.Susan won the CT Folk Festival andhas been nominated for five Boston Music Awards including Singer Songwriter of the Year, Americana Artist of the Year and Folk Act of Year. She has been a finalist or winner in the country’s most prestigious songwriting and music contests including being a three-time Kerrville New Folk finalist. www.susancattaneo.com
Your host, Boston area singer-songwriter Mark Stepakoff, is widely admired on the New England folk music scene for his mix of wry humorous material and poignant ballads, in the vein of artists such as John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III. He has won numerous songwriting awards and his songs have reached as high as number 3 on the national folk radio airplay chart. Mark performs frequently in the Boston area. Among the artists he has opened for are Bill Morrissey, Steve Forbert, Christine Lavin, and Cheryl Wheeler. www.markstepakoff.com
