Scenic City Showcase returns for second round

Danimal Pinson

Caney Creek Company's Konstantine Vlasis and Drew Streip, third and fourth from left, will sit in on the Scenic City Showcase.

Magic Birds featuring Ben Ezell, left, and Scott Bruce, will host the Scenic City Showcase.

The first Scenic City Showcase at Barking Legs Theater was a such a hit, organizer Scott Bruce has planned a second for tonight, Sept. 15.

Hosted by Bruce's duo, Magic Birds, the show will feature six local singer-songwriters in the round sharing their songs and the stories behind them.

Bruce will be joined by partner Ben Ezell, while Konstantine Vlasis and Drew Streip of Caney Creek Company will step away from the group for a night. Randy Steele will also take a break from Slim Pickins and fly solo. D.L. Yancey II rounds out the panel.

Bruce says as the host and producer of the showcases, Magic Birds will be a part of all of them, but his goal is to put together panels that highlight the diversity and talent of local musicians. The musicians love doing it, he says, and fans enjoy seeing something different, sometimes artists they might not see otherwise.

"We had such a positive experience on the first one," Bruce says. "We've had lots of musicians say they want to be a part of this. I think part of it is that it's a scenario where people are actually listening to the words, which the artists like, and we tell stories in between."

Bruce says the panel for this showcase might hold some surprises for fans.

"Everybody knows Danimal, and Randy has a solo album coming out soon. Caney Creek Company has a lot going on, and I think Konstantine is the main writer for them, so this will be a little different for him and Drew. D.L. Yancey II is the one I think people might come in not knowing much about and leave going 'Wow. He was awesome.' "

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.