Rusty Wier Round 1 ends, Round 2 begins

Mary Jane Farmer | December 19, 2012

Tory and Ty Phelps, Love & War owners, watching the Rusty Wier contest

Round One of the 3rd-ever Rusty Wier songwriting contest is over, and 21 people are moving into Round Two. Don’t forget, everybody is taking a Christmas break this upcoming Sunday (Dec. 23) to celebrate the season, but Round Two begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 30, always at Love & War in Texas, Plano.

There were a total of 37 contestants in Round One, with 12 of those singing on the Rusty Wier Stage at L&W Sunday (Dec. 16). Their photos are all available by clicking the link at the bottom of this report. Each sang three original songs.

Opening was Chase Davin Carpenter, with one song about a noisy highway, and then Chase, on another song, got some good audience participation by asking them to sing along at certain times. It worked, everyone had fun with the song. Rick Underwood was second, with a soft croon to his songs about family and love. Thirdly, Scott Copeland stepped up with a deep soulful voice, a good sense of humor, and his original ballads.

Erica Perry, the only chick singer in this round, explained the baclkground to her songs, including why she named one “BLack Widow.” Blake Burrow followed Erica, and introduced one of his songs as having been co-written with her.

Charlie Bishop, who being from Muleshoe, Texas, had the farthest to travel for the contest, got a laugh when he said it was the first time he’d played a Dallas Cowboy halftime show (the Cowboys game was on television in the back of the room throughout the contest.) Charlie’s songs were a sort of blend of ballard and cowboy, including “Palo Duro Canyon.” Phil Wallace played on a guitar obviously well-used by the duct tape holding it together, and Wallace played it well himself. Grady Yates sang of a peaceful river, wanting it to “wash my spirit clean.”

Jake Reeves sang of good vibrations and bad weather.

Mike Schikora had a Cowboys moment during his set too, when the game tied. He stopped, watched the screen himself from the stage, then, when it was over, got another laugh when he said, “Okay, back to me.” Mike’s songs included slow and easy one subjects of gypsies and angels, and such.

Mr. Troll presented ,among his three songs, a ballad with the slow beat of a horse clicking down the road, “fly on, spread your wings, fly on.” (Maybe loosely paraphrased.) Lastly Tyler John hit the stage with words included “poor me, pour me a drink,” and “proud to be a redneck.”

Photos of Week 3 songwriters, click here

Tuesday, host Brett Dillon (KHYI 95.3) announced the names of the 16 who are moving into Round Two. Those chosen had vied on this past Sunday and the two before that, with the scores earned by all three days’ contestants counting toward selection of the Moving-On musicians.

Those moving on are, in alphabetical order, Jake Bays, Big John Mills, Blake Burrow, David Byboth, Scott Copeland, C.C. Cross, Byron Dowd, Matt Dunn, Alex Gates, Bryan Adam Joyner, Whitney O’Neil, Erica Perry, Chad Purdom, Jake Reeves, Tyler Rogers,Greg Schroeder, Mark Shelton, Phil Wallace, Town Walsh, Heath Webb, and Grady Yates.

These 21 will be assigned one of the three weeks of Round Two to perform, and those names will be released and found on Brett Dillon’s Facebook page, click here. The contest is being held at Love & War in Texas, Plano, which is on the northeast corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway, in Plano.