Trying out a novel method of supporting local live music acts here on the Live Music Showcase, today we’ve invited 3 singers-songwriters for a live performance called “Songwriters in the Round”, all songwriters here are performing their own original music. For this new iteration of the showcase, we’ve invited Alicia Crawford, Joe Milligan, and Geri X. Each arriving in songwriter fashion – bringing with them their acoustic guitar and singing skills – the cozy performances also featured storytelling about where the songs were inspired by.
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Alicia Crawford boasts a incredible resume as bassist for The Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter during his solo project, also opening for acts like The Doobie Brothers, and even recording bass with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Crawford’s first song’s inspired by her family and the innocence of childhood – her children’s fear of the hallowed monsters under the bed, writing echoing her own concerns of unruly behavior and the emotions behind it.
Her song “Table for One” was especially touching – in the digital age we’ve never been more connected, but yet it’s been recorded that people have never felt more lonely. Her message here is stirring, and impacted myself as well as I write this article sitting outside a coffee shop alone – most unlike myself.
Kicking us off, Joe Milligan, who’s collaborated with other local artists like our very own Rebecca Zapen, who performed on the showcase last month on April 17th. Milligan’s music is soothing, peaceful and natural. It reminds me of a soundtrack to a “teen-bop” TV show about a young couple in love.
Milligan’s style reminds me of something between the Beatles and James Taylor, his soft acoustic playing taking many forms – going from closer to singer-songwriter to at times closer to folk music.
A Philadelphia native, his music sounds far from urban and sounds like what you may hear coming from the countryside, a player sitting on their porch and playing out to the fields midday during a midday break. His music feels solitary in that way, letting his personal thoughts free as he takes a break from the routines of responsibility. Milligan leads a six piece band called the Joe Milligan Project. His next show is at Radio St. Pete live on air, promoting their fundraiser on June 14th.
Geri X plays what seems likely folk, touching on many political topics that’ve been discussed among the genre – writing music questioning the existence of a higher power, and also lyrics philosophically bound by the issues of war.
A classically trained pianist, her melodies are lofty and entrancing, and the disposition between strum patterns and lyrical rhythm is seamless and satisfying. She appeared on the Live Music Showcase ahead of a second performance later that day on what some might call a “day tour” where she opened for the popular Buffalo Nichols @ the St. Petersburg Shuffeboard Club.
Every Friday at 2:06PM on 88.5FM WMNF Tampa, you can hear live music from local artists. We also live stream the show to Facebook, YouTube and Twitch.
If you missed the showcase you can find it recorded on YouTube and Facebook and also here on the site.
Thank you to Alicia Crawford, Joe Milligan and Geri X for the wonderful performance’s. See you next week on the Live Music Showcase.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.wmnf.org ’
