One of my musical projects, Far From Eden, had the pleasure last night of playing with and hearing some cool new music by local acts: ButterFly Sting, Rachel Litteral and Dakota Wright, and my good buds in Element Earth!
This acoustic artist showcase took place at Hank’s Pub on Patterson off Woodman in the Dayton/Kettering area, where there’s never a cover charge to check out some cool local music! Hank’s features all different types of bands, from blues to metal to acoustic showcases like this one. Though I’m always left wishing they’d put in just a couple of extra lights for bands (it’s not designed at all for live music), the “vibe” is always great at Hank’s, and in the last few years, it has become a hot spot in the Dayton area to hear some good local music, with friendly staff and a fun cast of other characters! Last night’s crowd for the showcase was awesome, and they showed up in force to support their favorite acts and stick around for something new!
ButterFly Sting opened up the night with some rockin originals and really started the night off well! I really dug the 12-string acoustic guitar work by Wallace and felt his overall tone and skills were a perfect match for this trio. The smooth, almost jazzy drum set up and performance by Jobe provided a really nice full sound without overpowering the acoustic guitar and vocals, and the rich, baritone vocals by Campbell really complimented their cover song choices and their original music!
I was also thrilled to get to hear Rachel Litteral sing and play guitar again. Her tone and pitch are beautiful, and you can really feel her passion for music when she performs. It was great to see her and be able to have a show together! Dakota Wright helped out Rachel with some guitar work on a few songs and then blew everyone’s minds with his own original music that was really fresh and different and showcased the multiple areas of talent and creativity and individuality of this young musician! Expect to see his name again!
Element Earth always rock it out every time I see them, and last night was no exception! Their rock-inspired, acoustic indie-folk style is unabashed and unpretentious. I love it when they play a cover or two, but my favorites are always their own original songs which are well-written and diversely influenced! Not to mention, they are always a great band to jam with!
My crew in Far From Eden had a great time of course, and I thoroughly enjoy getting to play with them! They provide a special place in my little musical world, and I’m grateful to them! I can’t wait to do another cool show with these awesome local musicians!
Combining passionate songwriting and storytelling with soulful guitar licks and sensible grooves, ‘Rustbelt Renaissance’ is the newest album slated for release by Minster, Ohio natives, The Typical Johnsons, and this one should definitely be on your summer playlist of cool, new music!
Music Connection Dayton 