MusicScribe BLOG

Before I got to anything NQC related on Tuesday, I ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. It was good, but next time I think I’ll buy a Happy Meal at McDonalds, and then go by the Cheesecake Factory only for dessert.

I hit the Tuesday afternoon showcase in the South Wing and heard all but three of the artists. I heard Canada’s Double Portion, Shannon Bunch, Driven, Shafers, Pathfinders, Amy Roth, Four Fold, Paula Stephanovich, Glovers, Tribute Quartet, Zane King, Tim Lovelace, Crabb Revival, Everyday Driven, David Patillo, Imperials, Spoken 4 Quartet, Young Harmony, Soul’d Out Quartet, and Mercy’s Well.

Quite a few of these artists created memorable moments. The showcase was top heavy with artists who had previous main stage exposure. The artists that struck me as being particularly effective on the showcase were Driven (boy, do they sound solid), the Shafers, Paula Stephanovich (the songwriter who wrote “Jerusalem” for the Hoppers and many other popular songs), Tribute Quartet, Tim Lovelace, Everyday Driven, and David Patillo’s daughter Haley, who wowed the crowd with a challenging version of “It Is Well With My Soul.”

After the showcase, I strolled the exhibit hall for a while until it was time for the main program to kick into gear. I heard:

1. Jeff Stice: The evening opened with Stice playing the song “Jesus Saves” as a tribute to Roger Bennett.

2. Triumphant: They had a strong set with David Sutton’s “Walk With Me,” Clayton Inman’s “Old White Flag,” and the Clayton/Scott Inman duet “He Is” being the highlights.

3. Mercy’s Mark: A guy from Knoxville (Scott Allen?…I think that’s the correct name) was filling in for Mercy’s Mark on lead. I don’t know if he wants the job or not, but it looked like it was his for the taking. He already knows how to work the stage and his soulful singing style fits the group to a tee.

4. Gold City: They took us down memory lane with some classics like “Good Ol’ Gospel Song” and “Under Control.” Solid set.

5. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver: Not quite as strong as Monday night’s set…there was a particularly harsh vocal note right at the very end on the last chord…not the ideal way to leave the stage…some songs were repeated from the night before (“He Lives In Me,” etc.). Overall, their set was good.

6. King’s Heralds: I should have written down the name of their song. They sang from the opposite side of the floor…a cappella again…with refreshing barbershop harmonies.

7. Florida Boys: Harold Reed, Gene McDonald, and Josh Garner joined Les, Derrall and Glen for a memorable set. There was a strong and extended ovation as they left the stage.

8. Legacy Five: L5 didn’t sound strong at first, but they quickly stepped it up with songs like “I Found Grace.” Tim Parton played an extended solo on “O Holy Night,” with the guys joining him on vocals to close out to an enthusiastic ovation.

At that point, I headed back to the exhibit hall…fully intending to return later after I had eaten some supper. I never made it back. I did get to enjoy some extended conversations with Tim Bullins, Mike Bolen, McCray Dove, Stewart Varnado, as well as briefly chatting with many others.

During the course of the day, one artist let me know they thought I made an error with a critical comment on a CD I had reviewed. He was VERY polite about it, though, and didn’t seem to be mad at me or taking it personally, which I greatly appreciated. Hey, maybe I did miss it…I’ll have to look it up when I get back home and see.

All in all…another good day of music.

By the way, the prediction I made at the end of my Monday report was true on Tuesday night. When I came outside to my car, the parking lot was about 80% emptied and I drove straight out the front gate with no delays.

I did find out from a reputable source that the Charlie Waller/Joshua Pope/Chip Cooper/Buddy Burton = future Florida Boys rumor does have some merit. I don’t know if it’s a done deal or not, however.