Michigan’s Mark Sala and Drew Nelson: The Local Spins Artist Spotlight

Nelson and Sala are part of a Fresh Folk concert lineup that also includes Jen Sygit, Jimmie Stagger, Josh Rose and Hannah Rose Graves.

 

The magic is in the song.

Ask most performers who’ve been in the music business for any length of time and they’ll attest to that: It all starts with a well-crafted song, a memorable hook, a compelling story line.

“To me, the words have always been the most important thing,” says Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Drew Nelson, whose captivating songs about life’s blue-collar struggles have driven his entire catalog of Americana albums, including his most recent Red House Records release, “Tilt-A-Whirl.”

“My love for words and poems and everything all come from my mom (who) read to me. It’s just kind of in my blood, my DNA. … I think I just ty to write about the people that I know. In a sense, I don’t feel I’m that good of a writer as much as the people around me are pretty interesting. I just write it down.”

On Thursday at St. Cecilia Music Center, those songs about interesting people by Nelson and five other acclaimed Michigan artists will take their place front-and-center in the acoustically impeccable confines of historic Royce Auditorium.

The second annual singer-songwriter round-robin – part of St. Cecilia’s Fresh Folk contemporary folk concert series – will see a mix of folk, Americana, blues and roots rock artists trading tunes and tales.

The scheduled performers range from veteran bluesman Jimmie Stagger to up-and-coming singer-songwriters Mark Sala and Hannah Rose Graves to established Americana/folk singers Nelson, Jen Sygit and Josh Rose. It’s the first time this group of Michigan artists has ever appeared on the same concert bill.

Note: Graves is a late replacement for singer (and expectant mom) May Erlewine, who was forced to cancel on Thursday due to illness.

Sala, who recently relocated to the Lansing area from Grand Rapids, notes “there’s a sense of camaraderie” and spontaneity at work in these round-robin performances, giving singers a chance to share stories with fellow musicians and adjust their song selections on the fly.

“It’ll be fun,” says Sala, who released his full-length debut album, “Sweetest Sound,” in 2011 and describes his music as falling somewhere between country, pop, rock and blues.

On Wednesday, Nelson and Sala gave a little preview of the upcoming Fresh Folk concert by trading songs and stories on a special edition of Local Spins Live on News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW). Nelson played an unreleased song, “ ’68 Ford,” while Sala sang “House of Cards.” Watch a video of both performances below, with a podcast of the Local Spins Live show here.

Those musical stories will get expanded significantly on the St. Cecilia stage Thursday, with each musician performing three songs during the evening’s two sets: Nelson, Sygit and Rose in the first set; Stagger, Graves and Sala in the second.

Because fans usually can only catch these artists in noisy bars or crowded clubs, Royce Auditorium’s quieter, more comfortable environment allows audiences to really hear these tunesmiths’ compelling songs, insists St. Cecilia executive director Cathy Holbrook.

“The whole point is to be able see some of your favorite musicians in a whole different setting,” she says.

Tickets for the all-ages, family friendly show are $20 ($10 for students) and are available at the door or by calling 459-2224. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. for pre-show wine and beer. Beverages also will be available during the intermission. Get more details online at the St. Cecilia website.

The Fresh Folk series, hosted by St. Cecilia, Mackinaw Harvest Music and Local Spins, continues on April 3 with Ralston & Friends and The Northern Skies.

Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music