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Third Street Songwriters Festival highlights the local talent behind songs you know and love

  • By John Wirt

More than 100 songwriters will perform this month at the fourth iteration of Third Street Songwriters Festival. A sprawling event at multiple venues around the city, the festival begins April 20 with a kickoff party at the Red Dragon Listening Room. CJ Solar, a Baton Rouge native and Nashville songwriter, will host a Nashville-style songwriter-in-round performance at the venue.

On April 21, venues along Third Street downtown will host songwriter shows with free admission.

That night, Gary Nicholson headlines the Songwriter Showcase at the Manship Theatre. Nicholson’s songs have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, George Strait, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Fleetwood Mac and more. The showcase also features performances by Clint Daniels and CJ Solar.

Daniels’ songs have been recorded by George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Easton Corbin and Jon Pardi. Another showcase performer, New Orleans native Greg Barnhill, has written songs for Tim McGraw, Jerrod Niemann, Justin Moore and Florida Georgia Line.

On April 22, music meets brunch fare with songwriter brunches at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar and Cane Land Distilling Co. The festival wraps up that day outside the Shaw Center for the Arts, where David Borné, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter from Baton Rouge, will perform at Sunday in the Park.

The Third Street Songwriters Festival also features educational events, including Nicholson’s songwriting workshop and a free music industry panel.

5 REASONS TO GO

1. Hear more than 100 singer-songwriters from across the Southeast who have connections to Baton Rouge.

2. Learn about writing songs from Gary Nicholson, the talented songwriter whose work has been recorded by the likes of Garth Brooks, Buddy Guy and Fleetwood Mac.

3. Uncover music business insider info at an industry panel.

4. Check out some local venues you’ve been meaning to visit, or reconnect with some of your old favorite haunts.

5. Enjoy those rare opportunities when a variety of musicians come together to jam.

THE BASICS

Third Street Songwriters Festival
April 20-22
The Manship Theatre and other venues
Free and ticketed
thirdstreetsongwritersfestival.com

Read more about other festivals going on this month.

This article was originally published in the April 2018 issue of 225 Magazine.


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