Bert’s on Thursdays with John Rose
02.16.2023 - Not only does the Harvester Performance & Event Center have capacity for around 500 attendees, it’s also a great space for a smaller, more intimate gatherings such as singer/songwriter performances - as evidenced by the latest installment of Bert’s on Thursdays with John Rose and Damian C.
Almost every single songwriter of the twenty who appeared at the Qualifying Round of the Tennessee Songwriters 2023 Competition a couple weeks back was blown away by the pro sound & lights, the energy of the Flatwoods Stage, and the attention and enthusiastic response from our discerning audience.
So happens that, thanks to our songwriter authority, Jake Nokes, we are beginning to make more inroads into this particular entertainment genre, which by nature, we certainly always wanted to be a part of that mystical creative process where “it all starts with a song” - we appreciate Jake’s passion for the fine art of songwriting, and look forward to more new and exciting artists on the Harvester’s main stage!
Those of us who braved the heavy storms forecast for the area on Thursday evening were treated to very intimate performances by two up-and-coming singer/songwriters who were definitely worth getting out of the house to see, and they were appearing right here in Historic Downtown Smithville, TN.
Damian C is VERY competent on guitar and vocals, and writing - some of his original songs were just as well-crafted and as well-received as his excellent renditions of cover material – how many times have you heard a single performer pull off Hall & Oates songs?! I’ll wait...that’s right, almost NEVER! But Damian C did (even the falsetto parts).
On another very positive note: Damian C’s usage of an electronic effect which I call a “harmonizer”, that adds a second harmony part was very tasteful, and inserted at “just the right time” during his performance. (AND, speaking of tasteful use of celestial electronic instruments, GOD did some pretty incredible lightning/thunder percussive accents of his own during Damian C’s performance - wow, God!).
Damian C managed to cleverly weave his cover material all into sort of a “Philly” theme, which thrilled Pat Sweeney (Philly guy), and the other Burlappers in attendance...normally, Damian plays with a seven-piece horn band backing him up - but if he showed any trepidation just standing up there all alone, I didn’t see it. Well done, Mr. C!
John Rose’s performance, very solidly accompanied by Luke Wood from Raleigh, NC, and a graduate of Belmont Univeristy (...we seem to have many of the Belmont Bruins cross our stage and they never disappoint), these two started off with John Rose’s cover version of Chris Stapelton’s Tennessee Whiskey, and you could tell from the first few lines that this guy wasn’t even gonna try to do Stapleton’s version – because, John Rose has his own idea about how that song should go down, and his “way different” version had its own strong personality, and he was brave enough to open up with it.
John Rose who hails from Frisco, Texas, is a star waiting to happen. His spiritual side came through on many of his songs and that makes for authentic connections to this audience. Not only did John play his guitar well, his main instrument is his voice and this is someone with great control over his instrument, along with a stage presence and personality. We look forward to watching his career with enthusiasm.
And so it goes, singer/songwriters are constantly looking for a showcase for their material, and a gig to pay the bills…having an event venue like the Harvester is an open door of opportunity for truly talented performers, and an endless source of high-quality entertainment and involvement for us fans as we follow their progress through the crazy Muzikbiz of 2023.
Thanks to the undauntable Tio’s Taco Truck -always consistently great!
Join us for a special *free and open to the public* Ash Wednesday Service on 2/22, with live music from Matt Hundley (no food or alcohol/bar service, all ages welcome), Finally Fridays with Harry Clark and Maddie Denton on 2/24, Finally Fridays St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with the John Boulware Trio on 3/17, and two separate events to benefit the DCHS Band: DCHS Fighting Tiger Band Jazz Ensemble Benefit Concert on 3/23 and a 1920's Spring Formal with Beasley Court Big Band on 3/25. And our Burlap Room 2023 Outdoor Series was just announced - check it out here!
All the details for upcoming events at burlaproom.eventbrite.com. Stay up-to-date with all the events in the Bert Driver Network (Nursery, Burlap Room, and the Harvester) by signing up for our Burlapper Newsletter!
