Rusty Wier Contest, Rd. 2, Wk 2, 2/12/12

C.C. Cross, tweaking the sound a bit

Story and pix by Mary Jane Farmer

Well, by the time this is posted, the top 10 moving on up in the Rusty Wier Songwriting Contest will have been announced. Pity the judges in Round 2, which culminated Sunday night, (2/12/12) at Love & War in Texas, Plano, with the last group of seven songwriters vying to keep on going. They were all, in all three nights of this round, awesome! It had to have been tough for the judges.

Those competing Sunday night were Jason Horne, James Dunning, Mark Shelton, Danny Zagotta, Scott Sean White, Matt Nix, and Aubrey Lynn England.  Each one brought a uniqueness to the stage that had to have complicated the whole thing for judges Chip Campbell, Chris Scholatzhauer, and Brett Dillon, who is coordinating the event for KHYI radio station, sponsors.

The promised list of prizes has, hopefully, finally emerged. 8 hours studio recording time at Bent Leaf Studio in Denison, guitar signed by Ray Wylie Hubbard, opening slot for a touring act at one of the summer’s Shiner Sundays, a season pass for two to all Shiner Sunday shows at Love & War in Plano, on-air interview and performance time during the Brett Dillon time on KHYI, introduction of a major performer at the March 10 Texas Music Revolution, and a weekend stay at the Doubletree Inn for two.

Uniqueness? Yeppers.

Jason Horne performed with his keyboard, turning it into an accordion image during his last song, about Mexico.

James Dunning, his joke-telling interspersed with new and familiar songs of his.

Mark Shelton, the Okie from Durant, presented a variety of subjects, from his song about a hillbilly girl to one about Jesus, and his own Mexico song.

Danny Zagotta, maybe the most animated musician in the line-up, introducing his songs with tales of his childhood in Wisconsin and how hard it is for him to name a new song.

Scott Sean White, switching from keyboard to guitar and back again. Makes great eye contact with his audience and presents a host of upbeat songs.

Matt Nix, who wore a shirt on stage which his students at a McKinney school where he teaches, created and were selling as a fundraiser for Relay For Life.

Aubrey Lynn England, who barely could control her tears when giving a tribute to Whitney Houston, who, she said, was her voice role model and idol. (Whitney Houston had died earlier Sunday.)

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Category: Earlier Posts, Love & War in Texas