The Poet's Loft-Songwriter's Showcase

Oona Love Named New Music Director for TPL

As an independent touring artist, Oona has spent a lot of time on the road. "Oh I love touring! I have been on the road now for six months and have loved every moment of it. 'High', 'Out of The Ashes', and 'Screen Door' are all songs I wrote on the road. Being out here inspires me. And, I am so lucky to have a support system who not only loves that I am out here doing this, but can come along for the ride. A few musicians that I know team up with me for shows near their towns which breaks the solo feel sometimes, and just having the blessing of playing for so many people in so many places is incredible. I don't think of people who like my music as 'fans'. We all get so close. We share our stories and our lives. It's like always being in a room with your closest friends. That's the beauty of music. If you can touch one person, you are connected. The connection is what matters."

When she first heard a song of hers on the radio, Oona says she freaked. "It was the most surreal experience of my life. I literally almost peed in my pants, and I wanted to call them (the radio station) and ask them to play it again and again! I never thought I would hear my music on the radio like that."

Her songwriting is directly influenced by her experiences and the people she knows in her life. "I have told everyone I love in my life to listen and see if they can find themselves in the songs. People inspire me. Experiences inspire me. A lot of the writing was therapeutic. Finally saying goodbye to a few people I have lost, finally letting go of some of the relationships that have dimmed, speaking out against the injustices I see, forgiving people who have been abusive, reminding others that my heart is full of love for them. These songs, whether full of love, loss, anger, pain, or fear all come from the deepest place in me, and in the end, they are about forgiveness and love- whether that be to forgive those who intentionally, or unintentionally for that matter, hurt us, or just to love one another."

Click Here to Contact Oona

Click Her for Coming Performances

Songwriter's Showcase & Seasonal Rock Garden

Here are a few things you need to know about playing The Poet's Loft

This showcase is ALL ORIGINAL acoustic (no drum kits, no tracks) showcase, so please DON'T ASK if you can do cover songs. Period. No exceptions. you may opt to book the "rock" garden for electric performances. the folowing applies.
This is a family event, so if your show contains adult content, please mention this in your booking request and we will consider having a 21+ show for you. This is on a case-by-case basis and must be arranged and approved in advance. We will tell you now that family shows work best in this environment. We RESERVE the right to stop and cancel a show if inappropriate content is interjected without prior approval.
In order to headline the showcase you need to be moderately established as an artist, provide a press kit or have some suitable ONLINE audio for review, and be able to draw at least 15-20 people to your show.
Your show will be one set and may be 60-90 minutes long. This is a LISTENING ROOM venue, meaning people come to LISTEN to your songs and stories. Please make sure you advertise your show this way.
There is no pay guarantee. . You can pass around a tip jar to help generate funds. If you want to charge more or set up your own ticket sales, please discuss this with us in your booking request and we will do our best to work out what you need. the hard work of your street team is inpertinant.
You can sell all the merch you want! We'll provide a table.
We will provide a meal at no cost to you the night of your show.
At your request and with your permission, so long as our recording equipment functions properly, we will live record your show. provided you grant us the right to play your live CD in our venue for promotional purposes.This is a live at the loft raw reording.9. When available, a professional photographer will take your photo during your show and your photo will be displayed on the Poet's Loft "Wall of Fame." Your photo will not be used for any other purposes other than poets loft promotions.10. We will do the following with regard to promoting your show:

a) Submit your photo and show info to the local newspaper. It is up to the newspaper whether they print a story about your show. We have no control over this. It helps if you provide a short bio and high-res press photo upon booking.
b) in house promotions.
c) Post info about your show on venue website , facebook and myspace page.
d) Any poster you create to promote your show must be approved by us.

Please e-mail Pam at poets.loft514@gmail.com with "Showcase Booking Request" in the subject line. Please include your act name, how many people are in your act, your estimated draw, possible dates/months you want to play, and an ONLINE link to your music. We will only respond to booking requests that follow these guidelines.

Upcoming Performances


Roland Norton September 17th Songwriter. Swashbuckler. Dedicated rouser of rabble. A poet and a swordsman with a better than average gift for rhyme, a Buckley-level vocabulary, a fair hand with a guitar, and a remarkably short attention span who is pissed off about a great many things... Read more: http://www.myspace.com/rolandnortonstlouis#ixzz0xRTKBXMY Roland Norton has been described as “… one of the best songwriters in St. Louis…” He was born there in the mid-twentieth century, in the last days of the Baby Boom, and lived there most of his life. Recent relocation to Arkansas has brought significant advances to his career, including the soon to be released album “Love, Give or Take”, recorded at Lake Paradise Studios in Cherokee Village. Although somewhat radical in terms of politics and persuasion, his music appeals to a wide range of audiences, from half-drunk college kids to stone-cold sober older adults. Mr. Norton is unable to explain this, he just rides the wave… Dedicated to lyrics that make sense, without recourse to non-sequiter and repetitive “fa-la-la’s”, his songs come from the life he has lived; and while they may not all be entirely true, they all express, at some level, the truth he has experienced. His songwriting career started around the time he turned 50, and decided to return to the stage after 25 years away. After a few months, audiences were demanding his songs over the songs he covered, and the rest is becoming history…

Marian Call August 27th, 2010 http://mariancall.com/ Marian Call delivers whimsical Alaskan folk funk for the Coffee Counter-Culture. She sounds a little like Joni Mitchell & Regina Spektor raising the child of Jason Mraz & Erin McKeown. Call's sound is always soulful, honest, and clever, loved by all types -- computer geeks, church ladies, teenage thugs, NPR listeners, and urban hipsters worldwide. Long Bio: Marian Call is a trained composer and a spunky self-taught singer based out of Anchorage, Alaska. Her songs are eclectic and diverse, funny and light on their feet, powerfully honest, and grounded in the human experience. Call's compositions are half study and calculation, half improvisational instinct, and always full of unexpected musical twists and turns. She has written pieces by commission for film projects and events, and she has been known to write songs on dares or to surprise devoted fans. Her live shows have been loudly applauded nationwide in homes, quiet coffee shops, noisy bars, churches, radio stations, bookstores, and concert halls, in and out of Alaska. In only eight months she went from a relative unknown to playing the main stage at several of Alaska's summer festivals. Marian released her first two albums plus fourteen singles in only fourteen months during 2007 and 2008. She is nearing completion on a new two-volume project titled Something Fierce. Marian was born into a family of musicians and artists, and she was raised on a steady diet of Bach, Beethoven, Joni Mitchell, Tower of Power, and Ogden Nash in her hometown, Gig Harbor, Washington. Over twenty-odd years she has performed with chamber choirs, jazz combos, early music groups, rock bands, a gospel choir, and experimental music ensembles, and all of these influences (and more) meet and mingle in her own writing. She completed her bachelor’s degree in composition and vocal performance at Stanford University in 2004. After graduation, she spent two years pouring coffee, waiting tables, and listening to good music in Anchorage coffee shops, slowly learning about the craft of songwriting through osmosis and eventually through practice. Marian plans to travel and tour as much as possible, including the upcoming 49>50 fan-coordinated tour of the entire United States, but she remains committed to the development of a great arts scene in Anchorage. Marian looks forward to collaborating with friendly musicians, writers, visual artists, and filmmakers from all backgrounds.

Roland Norton September 17th, 2010 Songwriter. Swashbuckler. Dedicated rouser of rabble. A poet and a swordsman with a better than average gift for rhyme, a Buckley-level vocabulary, a fair hand with a guitar, and a remarkably short attention span who is pissed off about a great many things... Read more: http://www.myspace.com/rolandnortonstlouis#ixzz0xRTKBXMY

Chibuzo Chinwah Saturday August 20th Born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Dallas Texas, Chibuzo Chinwah, 39, is a local singer with a message. He comes from a musically talented family with whom he has sung harmony for as long as he can remember. When he was in Kindergarten he came home and taught his mother and three brothers the song “Up With People” after having listened to it on record in class. Chinwah is active in his home church’s music department and very much involved in the community. While in Dallas, he was in numerous choirs throughout his youth including both concert and chamber choir at Bryan Adams High School where he attended. Since the early 90’s he has been attending and performing at the local poetry readings, which are now held downtown at the Poet’s Loft here in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he was once the featured poet. In ’07 he was a member of the NPCC Singers at the community college. Chinwah is now a singer and actor in “The Witness”. Please come out and join him for a Christian Musical/Poetic Extravaganza at the “Poet’s Loft Saturday, August 21, at 8:00pm! This is just the beginning. Check your local listings for upcoming events. There is much, much more to come. Hope to see you all there!!!!!!!!!!

From Austin Jarrod Dickenson September 9th Jarrod Dickenson is an Austin-based singer/songwriter who lays bare his soul in every song he writes. His hauntingly honest lyrics about life, love, hope, and despair bring the listener inside his world, and commands their undivided attention. Whether it is the gut-wrenching pain of heartache, or the hope of a brighter tomorrow; Jarrod's songs have the unique ability of making you feel what he is feeling. One only has to listen to the raw emotion in his voice to know that Jarrod is not simply a fine story-teller, but also someone who has truly experienced that which he so powerfully sings of.	Though Jarrod Dickenson's personal musical endeavors did not begin until he was 17 years old, music was a part of his life for as long as he can remember. He recalls spending hours upon hours going through his father's record collection; listening to The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers, Elton John, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and more. It wouldn't be long before his curiosity caused him to seek out the influences of those mentioned above, which led him to the blues. He then dove head first into the music of guys like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, B.B King, Freddie King, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, and more. Jarrod started attempting to write songs almost immediately as he began to learn to play guitar. Once in college, making music became more than just a hobby; it became a way of life. He started writing more and more, and during his final year of college at the University of Texas, Jarrod began recording his debut album. Though it took nearly a year to complete, "Ashes On The Ground" is one of those albums that leaves you saying "I've gotta have more of this guy". And not to worry, there is more to come...a lot more. Jarrod is a songwriter through and through. It is what he does best. He can be found, sitting behind his old manual typewriter, working on some new tune at almost any given time when not on stage. His songs are his voice, his line of communication, and he has a lot to say...

From Austin Lucas Cook September 10th If you leave a show knowing just one thing, it will be that Lucas Cook is undeniably, and openly crazy. A career in entertainment was inevitable. Lucas started early, dancing on pre-school lunch tables, and performing stand-up and rock concerts at family gatherings. His addiction to attention grew into a passion for entertainment fueled by the fantasy of being on stage in front of a sea of people screaming and loving the show. As he began to realize his potential in music, his focus remained not on fame, nor money, but on the rush of bringing a crowd to their feet to dance.	With seemingly infinite energy, and a knack for engaging an audience, Lucas has gained a reputation as a solid entertainer and front man. Today, Lucas performs original music with Texas style that spans many genres. Just when you think it can’t get more eclectic, the boy drops a song completely in Spanish. ¡Simon! As former front man for Lucascookus, his high energy blend of rock, pop, soul, and Americana gained Lucas quick popularity in Austin’s diverse music market. Fans love the feel-good vibe of the music, and the pure, crazy energy Lucas brings to every show. His devoted fan base continues to follow him as he branches out into a solo career, knowing that whether fronting a band or hitting the stage with a guitar, Lucas will have the crowd jumping. His first single, "Austin State of Mind" is pretty indicative of the feel-good vibe that Lucas infuses into his work and his shows. The uptempo tune has been known to elicit a foot-tap from the most stoic characters and truly conveys the energy and vibe that we have come to love from Lucas Cook. Tito’s Vodka agrees and has featured "Austin State of Mind" on their website; a testament to the Texas feel of Lucas’s music. Consistent high-energy, charismatic performances have put Lucas on stage performing with great artists at some of the hottest venues in Austin. Earning the scuffs in his shoes, he is now venturing out to the rest of Texas. So, get ready for a wild ride!

Michael Miller November 19th	SoCal troubadour-misfit Michael Miller is an American singer-songwriter and has just made "the all-time great make-out-and-cry record." His music has been described as "brooding acoustic ruminations and multi-layered, melancholic pop symphonies." (OC Weekly) Miller's new album, "I Made You Up," features friendly appearances from Pete Yorn, Tracy Bonham, Amy Correia, along with Miller's band of elite luminaries, who also happen to play with Damien Rice, Ray LaMontagne, Foo Fighters, Tom Waits, Beck, Son Volt, Aimee Mann, Lucinda Williams, and Shakira. "Miller's voice has an otherworldy sweetness like that of Radiohead's Thom Yorke." (Miles of Music) "Glorious post-psychedelia, an exhilarating creative invention." (Americana UK) "Awash in a melodic swath of near-psychedelic ether, Miller's I Made You Up teeters between that delicate dream state of newborn refuge and Milky Way haze. Don't let the SoCal singer-songwriter thing fool you: Miller's unassuming yet gumptious approach places him squarely alongside the likes of troubadours Pete Droge/Steve Forbert but with flecks of Supertramp/Bowie-style transcendental grandeur." --- Blurt Magazine

Previous Performers

August 12th Michael O'Connor & Adam Carroll


Click on the an image to go to Adam's website.

Christine DeMeo Band Cd Release Show!! August 19th 7:00pm $5.00 cover Special guest Maria Long!!

Peter Janson & Steve Davison August 20th American Fingerstyle Guitarists Peter Janson Steve Davison	http://www.peterjanson.com http://www.stevedavison.com/

Kevin So July 31st In over a decade of performing his music around the country, Kevin So has earned the respect of fellow musicians (Keb' Mo', Amos Lee), won over members of press and radio, and has built a loyal fan base across the US. Born and raised in Boston, So channeled his early passion for singing into the start of a career in music with his appearance on the nationally broadcast Fox TV show "Big Break" hosted by Natalie Cole. In 1994, So toured the country in a cover band that would later see some of its musicians moving on to Britney Spears' band. It was during that period when he spent a considerable amount of time listening to the early recordings of Bob Dylan. By 1995, So quit the cover band and was a regular on the open-mic folk scene in Cambridge. His strong musicianship caught the attention of a Boston Globe critic who wrote that Kevin was "unusually talented." At the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, an Austin Chronicle's music writer took notice, writing that So was "the big discovery." The release of So's Individual in 1997, was accompanied by a sold-out performance at Club Passim. So moved to Chicago in 1999, booked his own gigs, performing shows in the Midwest and elsewhere. Busking in Austin the following year, Kevin was "discovered" by The Agency Group. Subsequently, he opened for Joe Cocker, Billy Bragg, and Robben Ford. In 2001, So moved back to Boston. Soon thereafter, he released the controversial That Oriental Guy in the midst of a hectic tour schedule. Musically, he was shifting from folk to pop/r&b. The day after September 11, 2001, Kevin connected with popular bluesman Keb' Mo' and co-wrote "Talk," which Keb' would eventually record. So continued touring in 2002, becoming a favorite performer for dozens of Asian American organizations around the US. The double-disc Leaving The Lights On appeared to an avalanche of praise in 2003. With 2 other full length CDs under his belt (The So Must Go On and A Brighter Day), So continues to tour the country at a vigorous clip. More recently, Kevin was proud recipient of the 2007 NYC Fringe Festival Award (Best Music & Lyrics) for his current work-in-progress “Great Wall” – a musical production based on his life and times. So's latest releaseBest Foot Forward is supported by concert dates in 2010.	Click Here to See a Video of Kevin So Suggested Donation $10.00

Tiphani July 10th, 2010 With a lifetime of exposure and experience to music, Tiphani was destined to grace the world with her original musical stylings. She has 20 years of singing and song writing, and producing under her belt. Her main purpose for her music is to reach the world and make a great impact on the lives of others concerning everything from relationships to everyday life.

The Sessions Tour In the spring of 2009, two twenty-somethings stumbled into a vacant theater in the back of a coffee house in downtown Austin. They stood on the dimly lit stage and decided to throw a show in the small theater. One show turned into two and the shows started being referred to as The Sessions (www.thesessions.com). Mixing the closeness of a living room conversation with the intensity of a live concert, The Sessions has played host to over 60 international songwriters and bands over the past year. The Sessions takes their concept on the road featuring the collaborative effort of artists Danny Malone, Aimee Bobruk, Denitia Odigie, and CJ Vinson. The Sessions Tour will see these solo artists ebb and flow between their individual work and the collective sounds of performing together, merging their distinctive styles on the common thread of intimacy, sincerity, and authenticity.

Danny Malone http://dannymalone.com www.myspace.com/therealdannymalone Danny Malone's sound has been described as indie/folk/alt country, but like most true contemporary artists, his sound defies categorization; it is all his own. Pitched high and fragile, his voice quakes with an urgent sincerity. It has a range including the playfulness of a Connor Oberst and the power of a Jimmy Gnecco. Whether in the studio or on the stage, Danny Malone has an uncanny ability to capture the sweetness and tragedy of life, oftentimes in the same song. Read more and hear his music on his website. -there is no sound on this video for some reason :-)
AIMEE BOBRUK www.myspace.com/aimeebobruk In what she terms indie/ambient/folk/rock Aimee Bobruk presents listeners with rich orchestral melodies, crisp lyrical images, and combines non-traditional instrumentation with ambient textures. Most often, compared to Margo Timmins of The Cowboy Junkies, Bobruk entertains amodern pop edge in combination with her confidently sensuous voice. The result is what Brad Houser, from the New Bohemians calls "hauntingly beautiful."
DENITIA ODIGIE www.myspace.com/denitiaodigie "The Next Big Musical Acts to Come out of SXSW: Denitia Odigie is the beautifully comfortable mesh of Corinne Bailey Rae and Nneka on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Her heartfelt vocals dance effortlessly on top of crisp complex Neo-soul arrangements. Denitia is signed to the same publishing company as Jace Everrett (performer of the Trueblood theme song), so we can all expect to see big things in Ms. Odigie's bright and soulful future. " Denitia's brand new full length debut album, Vitality, merges elements of modern rock, soul, and R&B in a way that is both refreshing and haunting, creating a feel simultaneously hypnotizing and completely awakening.
CJ VINSON www.myspace.com/cjvinson CJ Vinson's music is an energetic mix of the folk styles of Bob Dylan, songwriting of Ryan Adams, and enthusiastic spontaneity of Dave Matthews. After making his way through the songwriting gauntlet of songwriting circles at New York’s Bitter End and weekly gigs at The National Underground, he settled into a group (The CJ Vinson Band) which was a regular on the New York Scene and won the New York Heat Seeker’s People’s Choice award for “Best New Underground Rock Band in New York” in 2008. Since leaving The Lower East Side, CJ has co-found The Sessions Music, opened a studio and continues to play and record in Austin TX.

Dan Coyle to be rescheduled Dan grew up in upstate NY. His years there were spent with footballs and baseballs in his hand instead of an acoustic guitar. There was not much of an "art scene" in the area so Dan made due with what he had. Most nights he found company in the millions of miles of starlit sky and the AM radio frequencies that traveled through it. It was many a sleepless night with only the radio as a companion that first introduced Dan to all kinds of music and ideas. He heard Nat King Cole sing "Our Love is Here to Stay" one night while tuning around, and it changed his outlook on life, possibilities, and music forever. Through late-night talk radio he learned of travel, space, and exploration (things that did not readily occur or get discussed in tiny upstate NY). This quickly led him to the library where he found books filled with stunning poetry, wisdom, and science. It was this experience, night after night, through middle school and high school that convinced Dan to take a road less traveled by. At the age of 18 he skipped town to study Theater Performance at Niagara University in NY (are you really still reading?). While at NU his love for the arts only became stronger. At the ripe old age (compared to many) of 19, Dan first picked up an acoustic guitar - a relic given to him by his girlfriend at the time...and things were never the same. When you love something so much, and it becomes so ingrained in who you are and what you do, it doesn't feel like practice. Because of this, Dan quickly taught himself as many chords as he could and began rampantly learning Beatles songs. Performing for his friends (god bless 'em) he quickly sought out a bigger stage. Heading to open mic nights throughout Buffalo, NY he got to meet many amazing and talented musicians who helped foster his love for playing and singing. It was not until 2004 when Dan graduated and moved to Chicago that he really started writing and recording his own songs. Ithas been an experience that has allowed him to chronicle his life and experiences to this point in a concrete and meaningful way. His debut album, rushed out in late 2007, was self-made and recorded in his. The name "Briar St Sessions" came from the name of the street and apartment building where the songs were recorded. This Album was followed up in 2009 with the critically acclaimed "Random Thoughts and Incomplete Sentences." Dan looks forward to hitting the road and spreading his music and message across the US with tours, radio, podcasts, magazines, newspapers, etc, etc. He hopes that you find a little of yourself in the lyrics woven in melody, and that you can appreciate how close we all are - no matter how far apart we seem.