When musician Christopher David Hanson said into the mic at the Harbor Rail Pub that he’d had a tough time getting to the gig on Sunday but was glad he made it, I nodded along from my seat at the bar. Same.
The second Songwriters in the Round event had been on my radar for a while, thanks to Breanne Marie Tepler of Breanne Marie & the Front Porch Singers. We’d talked before, when I interviewed her about her album Two Trees and the then-upcoming first songwriter round. Earlier in the week, she reached out to invite me, and at the time, it sounded like a great idea.
By Sunday, though, I wasn’t in a great mood. I was stuck in my phone, watching the news, processing yet another tragedy in our state, feeling heavy and helpless, and not especially interested in going out. I mentioned this to a friend, who gently suggested that getting out of the house might actually help. Even a small distraction, she said, could be a relief.
So I went.
It was my first time at the Harbor Rail Pub. I ordered a bloody mary that immediately cleared my sinuses. It was spicy in a way that felt like hitting a reset button. As I waited for my Chicago Dog, also a first for me, I tuned into the music already filling the room.
Songwriters in a Round is exactly what it sounds like. Musicians take turns sharing songs and bits of conversation in between. I arrived late, so Paul Lawrence, Rob Wheeler, and Doyle Turner were already well into their set.
It didn’t take long to realize I was in for a treat. Paul sang a genuinely funny song about zombies. Wheeler followed with one about being too old to never grow up. Doyle closed the round with a bright, romantic tune called “Sticking with You,” which included the line, “You can keep your carrot, I’m sticking with you.” It got a laugh and stuck with me.
Later, I overheard Doyle telling Breanne Marie that the song came out of their songwriter group, something I remembered discussing with both Breanne and musician Sarah Morris in past interviews. The Singer/Songwriter Songwriting Challenge Facebook Group offers weekly prompts that must be worked into a new song. “Carrot” was one of them, and Doyle found a playful way to make it work.
Being part of the group keeps musicians accountable and connected. It gives them a reason to show up to the page even when inspiration is thin.
In a previous interview, Breanne Marie told me, “When I was writing these songs, I was challenging myself because it’s a challenge. I was challenging myself not to miss a week, and sometimes that means writing something you don’t like. Or if you’re uninspired by what your life is giving, what you’re feeling and thinking, you have to imagine someone else’s story, someone else’s situation. This group I’m in, it forced me to give it a try. To write about something I don’t know.”
When Breanne took the stage later in the evening, she mentioned the group to the audience and encouraged everyone to check it out, even non-musicians. Spoiler: I spent part of the next morning watching videos of other musicians tackling the “carrot” prompt. It was another welcome distraction.
Joining Breanne on stage were Christopher David Hanson and Cameron Elijah Erickson. Each shared a bit about the songs they were performing and where those songs came from. I found myself leaning in, less aware of the bar, the TVs, and the outside world, and more focused on the stories unfolding through lyrics and melody.
Christopher was instrumental in bringing the Songwriters Rounds to the North Shore. Recognizing the talent in the area, he wanted to make it easier for local musicians to take part without having to travel to the Cities.
At the bar, I struck up a conversation with a man who seemed more invested in the football game than the music. Even so, he admitted it takes guts to get up and sing your heart out. When I told him it was my first time at the pub, he said they do a great job booking musicians and that they are always happy to put the games on.
He was good company. The Chicago Dog hit the spot. The music was lovely. The format worked. The bloody mary was a little spicier than I expected, but it warmed me up. So did the easy camaraderie at the bar and the music offered freely, with no cover charge, straight from the musicians’ hearts.
Yep. I agreed with Christopher. It had been hard to get there, but I was really glad I had.
As I said goodbye to Breanne Marie, I thanked her for reaching out and told her how much better I felt for having gone. She reminded me of something she’d said in our original interview, and she was right.
“I think that a songwriter round is one of the best ways to fully escape whatever you’re dealing with and living in and working around. Just have that night of escapism where you can dream and be inspired and feel things. Put down the phone and let that world kind of wash away for a moment. Give yourself permission to escape into this world. Show up and leave everything behind, and just be fully present in the moment, and they’ll enjoy it. I promise.”
Keep an eye on the Harbor Rail Pub’s Facebook page for more music events, including an upcoming Valentine’s Day performance from 6 – 8 PM when Cameron Elijah Erickson will be back on stage, this time with the Jazzquatch band.
