New windows are in around the patio,plastic tarps also, and it’s helping keep most of the cold at bay.

Brett Dillon said it best: “North Texas is the songwriting capital of the world, all (60+) songwriters) were fantastic.”

Dillon was referring to both the last round of the Rusty Wier singer/songwriter contest preliminaries, and to all four of the preliminary weeks/contestants combined.

These were not competing just against one another who were on their night’s bill, but rather were competing against all 60+ (I keep using that “60+” because I’m not sure just how many total there were, but generally about 15 each night who sang their originals, and Dillon said there were about 30 more who asked to compete, but he just had to cut it off.)

This last round, Tuesday, Nov. 26, featured:  Kyle Brooks, Brad Good, Roger Privett, Cye Carter, Shannon Rose Gann, Mara Moyler, Town Walsh, Chris Dempsey, Tommy Hoyler, Blake Burrow, Tommy Miller, Will Hancock, Kris Smith, Reba Dahr, and Ray White. Click here for their photos, and at the bottom here are re-links to the first three weeks’ line-ups.

For photos of Preliminaries Week 4, click here

Now, things change a little. The next round, Round 1, moves to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and always at Love & War in Texas, Plano, at the NE corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway. And there won’t be a cover charge during any of this contest. Also, in this round, each songwriter must present three of his/her original songs, whereas in the preliminaries, they sang two songs.

Here’s the list of those, in alphabetical order, who are moving on from the preliminaries:  (And Note, taking one Sunday off for some football game or another.)

Sunday, Dec. 1, Round 1, Week 1 — Saille Branch, Chase Carpenter, Byron Dowd, Greg Hargrove, Jason Lovell, Thawind Mills, Mr. Troll, James Nored, Tony Ramey, Tin Man Travis, Heath Webb, and Scott Sean White.

Sunday, Dec. 8, Round 1, Week 2 — David Byboth, Shannon Choate, Chris Dempsey, Shannon Gann, Alex Gates, Brad Good, Will Hancock, Bryan Adam Joyner, Jill McAnally, Cole Risner, Justin Pickard, and Town Walsh.

Sunday, Dec. 22, Round 1, Week 3 — Kyle Brooks, Cye Carter, Nick Flint, Matthew Jolley, Tracie Merchant, Matt Nix, Rory Payne, Chad Purdom, Trace Thompson, Phil Wallace, Ty Young, and Danny Zagotta.

It won’t be over when Round 1 ends… no no — There will some who move on into Round Two, and that schedule will be posted later all.

For all pix of Week 1   preliminaries, click here:

For all pix of Week 2 preliminaries, click here:

For all pix of Week 3 preliminaries, click here:

New windows going in around the patio.

Week 1, preliminaries photos, click here

This is the 4th year for the Rusty Wier Songwriting Contest, held at Love & War in Texas, Plano, each year. Kicking it off Tuesday (Nov. 5) were the first of four groups of singer/songwriters who have entered. Scene In Town will put in a set of photos of each performer here each week of these preliminaries, and continue until the final grand winner is announced.

These approximate 58 musicians are not competing just against the others from their week, but are actually competing against all of the first 58-or-so trying out.  These will all be on Tuesday nights, and then when Round 1 begins, it will all move to Sunday afternoons, always at Love & War in Texas, the Plano venue at the NE corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway. Coordinated by KHYI’s Brett Dillon, there will be different judges each week.