Open Mic Event

Thanks to All For Making Our Open-Mic Night a Great Success!

Jean Evans Joyce writes:

“The Open Mike Event tonight was an unbelievable amount of hometown talent! We had 13 individuals or groups come out to show us their talent. These were all original songs that they wrote and performed. 
Both 1st and 2nd places winners turned around and donated the cash prizes back to Lemon Bay Historical Society for Our Green Street Church. What a wonderful night !!”

Here are just a few pictures from the performance…

 

1st Place….Jack Mosley. Winning $50 cash prize donated by Suncoast Writers Guild.
3rd Place ….Went to youngest performer tonight Luca Gracia. Luca won a Lemon Bay Historical Society t-shirt.
2nd Place ….”Sweet Fever” (Chris Golly, Andrew Garcia and James Salaway) They won a $25 cash prize donated by The Englewood Little Band of Writers.

PRESS RELEASE:

Thanks to All For Making Our Open-Mic Night a Great Success!

When Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for “poetic expression in the American song-writer tradition”, song-writers all over Englewood held their heads a little higher.

On January 24th at 7pm, they got the chance to share their songs for a good cause – namely The Historic Green Street Church and Museum.  This local landmark offers an intimate venue with unique architecture that contributes to great acoustics. The building is owned by the Lemon Bay Historical Society and all proceeds from this event will go toward the building’s preservation and maintenance.

All singer-song-writers were welcome. Songs had to be original and family-friendly. Audience members were encouraged to “vote” for their favorites with cash donations and there were prizes for the songs that raised the most money.

Among the prizes sponsored by local organizations and businesses, was a $50 cash award sponsored by the Suncoast Writers Guild, Inc. “Songwriters are among the many kinds of writers our guild encourages.” Said Kari Burgess, the guild’s President.

In 2009 members of this local writers group formed a band and called themselves Englewood’s Little Band of Writers (ELBOW). They are frequent performers at the Green Street Church, leading community sing-alongs and adding music to original productions.

“There are so many singer-song-writers in our community,” said Linda Lou Lewis, founding member of ELBOW. They are performing at local restaurants, gathering for weekly jam sessions. Some are singing at church or with family and some just sit alone in their living rooms and sing their songs.”

This event was a chance for us all to get together, share and celebrate what we do. It was also a chance for the community to hear some great homegrown “American” music while they help to preserve a piece of Englewood history.

(Photos courtesy Jean Evans Joyce)

Samantha Gentrup‎ writes:
“A fabulous open-mic night to raise money for Green Street Church Historical Building.”
She posted these photos…