“Songs & Stories: David G. Smith, Anne E. DeChant, & James Turley" at the Redstone Room -- April 7.
Friday, April 7, 8 p.m.
The Redstone Room, 129 Main Street, Davenport IA
Presenting a respectful, candlelit event inspired by the likes of The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Davenport's Common Chord, on April 7, will proudly house a Redstone Room evening of Songs & Stories with a trio of topnotch musical talents: songcatcher troubadour David G. Smith, Nashville recording artist Anne E. DeChant, and singer/songwriter and Quad Cities native James Turley.
Hosted by longtime venue favorite Smith, the Songs & Stories series is designed to transcend listeners into the mind of artists as they guide audience members through the emotional atmospheres that shape their sound. Patrons are invited to discover the complex layers of the human experience through these songs and stories, and enjoy an intimate evening full of magic and emotion.
Internationally acclaimed songwriter Smith is an acoustic solo performer with a lyric-intensive style featuring guitars, a resonator, music and a voice that ranges from dirt-funk to intimate. His music is a blend of folk, Americana, country, and blues, and Smith was recently accepted as a Juried Artist by Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary) for his organization Music-To-Life. Smith is a 2008 International Song Competition First-Place Winner and two-time ISC Semifinalist, performs regularly at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe, and has released 10 albums, with another on the way. He has also had two nationwide number-one singles on the RMR chart along with several regional chart-toppers on the Radio Indie Alliance chart, and Smith's songs have been featured on TNT, Lifetime Network, and Travel Channel. As ICON magazine stated, "His songs capture the drama and good times, the laughter and loss that are the components of the modern world.”
A Nashville-based talent originally from Avon Lake, Ohio, DeChant is a five-time winner of Cleveland’s Singer-Songwriter of the Year, as well as a 2020 Kerrville Folk Festival Songwriting Competition Finalist. Over the years, she has performed with Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Don Henry, and Travis Meadows; was the selected local artist at 1999's Lilith Fair; and has delivered stand-out shows in storied venues ranging from the Bluebird Café, The Bitter End, The Evening Muse, The Alabama Country Music Hall of Fame to the Clinton White House. With nine studio album releases to her credit, DeChant released her first "best of" record Every Little Everything in 2020, while her 2017 fan-funded release The Sun Coming In climbed to number six on the Roots Music Report’s national chart, with its first single “Sunday Morning Drive” coming in at number one.
As local singer/songwriter Turley states, "Developing a unique guitar-picking style was an accident. My left wrist had been broken three times, and forming bar chords was painful and sometimes numbed my entire left arm. But after discovering Mississippi Blues artists, I found a niche I wanted to make my own. I did not want to copy their styles; I wanted to find my version. As a result, my playing is best defined as continually developing. The more individual artists I am exposed to, the more my playing style evolves. Writing songs came about at the suggestion of a therapist as a way to confront depression. I write about experiences and events in my life that are common in the lives of many individuals. One of the most rewarding performances I have experienced was after a show at a small coffee shop when a fellow came up to me and said, “Thank you, man. It’s like you were singing just to me. I’ve been there.'
"I now only play for ‘listening crowds," Turley continues. "There’s a transfer of energy in groups like that. The crowd becomes part of the show, like Open Mic nights at Zeke’s Cafe, where solo artists meld with the audience. I’ve played twice now on the Redstone Room stage with other solo guitar players. What Common Chord is developing with this ‘listener show experience’ is unique to the Quad Cities. With local support, this type of venue will become a destination for well-known artists and live music lovers across the Midwest."
Songs & Stories: David G. Smith, Anne E. DeChant, & James Turley will take place on April 7, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $15-18, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)326-1333 and visiting CommonChordQC.com.
