It’s a safe bet to call Friday night one of the more iconic nights in local music history.
The Lawrence Songbook, featuring transcribed music from a dozen tunes written by local songwriters, celebrated a release with a grand display of musical camaraderie at Liberty Hall. Several performers from the area covered songs released by Drakkar Sauna, Arthur Dodge, Suzannah Johannes, and more. Though the night was full of exciting appearances by local musicians of today and yesteryear, there were a few moments that stood out:
- The show opening with a performance of “Naturally,” written by Lisa Donnelly, who recently passed away. Her loved ones were in the audience and sentiments were high among many musicians who knew her.
- Kawehi and Heidi Gluck harmonizing to Arthur Dodge’s “True Romance.”
- Local puppeteers “The Felt Show” acting out a hilarious rendition of Alferd Packer Memorial String Band‘s “Send Me to Glory in a Glad Bag.” (video below)
- Heidi Gluck’s sultry rendition of Approach‘s “Chief.” (video below)
- Jeff Stolz, of Drakkar Sauna (who also have a song featured in the book), surprising his wife with a birthday cake.
- Katlyn Conroy and a handful of Girls Rock campers in MK Ultra nailing an early hip-hop song by Archetype called “I’ll Be Honored” (video below).
- Mr. and Mrs. Dodge’s barn-burner Americana rendition of Truckstop Honeymoon‘s “Magnolia Tree,” which closed out the show on an incredible high and left folks dancing.
If you feel like tackling any of these songs yourself, the sheet music is available in the first edition of the Lawrence Songbook. You can learn more about the project here.