Special Music Event: Texas Songwriter Showcase May 2
West Sandy Creek Winery is rolling out the red carpet for their annual Texas Songwriter Showcase on Friday, May 2, with extended hours from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Greg Day takes the lead as the emcee for the show, kicking off his fourth year as a featured artist at the winery in Richards, Texas. Jacob Furr will make his first appearance at the venue, and Gabe Wootton returns to light up the evening.
For the last decade, Day has been playing a circuit between East Texas and the Gulf Coast, sharing stories through songs about his life as a veteran, father, and traveling troubadour.
His musical roots grew from Classic Country of the 80s and 90s, and what we now call Americana. True to the original formula of those genres, there are tales of grief and lost love, redemption, healing, and love found.
Gentle riffs and a mellow delivery are Day’s stylistic trademarks, reinforcing the fact that you don’t have to be loud or aggressive to be great at music. His lyrics are relatable and heartfelt, revealing an easy comfort that make a great compliment to the wine and the gorgeous view. If you need a respite from the grind, he provides the perfect soundtrack for a few hours of escape.
Over the last year, he has performed at wineries from the deep South to the Carolinas, up through Pennsylvania and Ohio, and to his home state of Michigan. His ride or die is Denise, his romantic partner, booking manager, and tour bus driver.
If you have not yet heard him croon, the Texas Songwriter Showcase is a wonderful introduction to Day’s music, in a loosely orchestrated song swap between three friends. It’s not an experience that can be recreated.
Hear Day’s music here.
Debut artist Jacob Furr got his musical start in church, and landed his first gig at a coffee shop in Fort Worth. He’s been honing his guitar skills for 30 years, beginning with classical training and moving to steel strings in high school, he took his cues from Dave Matthews and Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and Gordon Lightfoot. If you think this sounds like an epic combination of major influences from completely different ends of the musical spectrum, you are correct. It’s incredibly original.
Furr is an award winning songwriter whose music is best described as genre fluid. He backs that up with skill sets on and off the stage. He is the master of multiple instruments. He was the winner of the Bluelight Songwriting Competition in 2015, and named Best Songwriter by Fort Worth Magazine that same year. In 2023, they named him Best Folk Artist.
He is a product and prodigy of the expanse between the West Coast and West Texas, opening for Shovels and Rope, Peter Case, Dan Bern, and Over the Rhine and other highly respected performers. He was playing coast to coast before COVID-19, and is gearing back up to tour the Midwest this summer, with dates in Minneapolis, a guest spot in July at WFMT Radio in Chicago, and a slot at Antlers & Acorns, The Boone Songwriters Festival, in North Carolina this September.
He uses his free time and talents to foster entrepreneurs and support public music programming through Hear Fort Worth and Amplify817, in conjunction with the Fort Worth Public Library.
“Music is a magical, malleable thing, if you have big enough ears,” said Furr. His prowess at finger picking and a penchant for alternate tuning allow him to fully explore the instrument.
Check out clips of his original music here.
Last, but certainly not least on the lineup, is veteran songwriter Gabe Wootton. He joined Day and Matt Harlan last year for this special show, and made it a barn burner performance. Wootton has a powerful presence and pipes to match, and his skills as a songwriter will take you on a journey that will stay in your mind when you walk away.
Wootton is a native Texan and a former resident of Huntsville. His orbit is now around the Gulf Coast, where he is a regular at the Old Quarter in Galveston. That’s where he first met Day several years ago, at a songwriter night. The acoustic cafe is known as a refuge for serious songwriters and has hosted some of Texas’s most noted musical artists.
Wootton attended Texas A&M in College Station, and first began playing guitar at the infamous Dixie Chicken, citing Townes Van Zandt and Lyle Lovett as inspirational during his formative years as a new performer in the late 90s.
Since then, his internal recorder continually soaks up the sounds of the Gulf Coast and the East Texas Piney Woods, and he forms those into new music during extended periods in the Virgin Islands.
“Living at a slower pace bodes well for the mindset,” said Wootton, who got his early songwriting influence from Guy Clark and Robert Earl Keen. He names Shake Russell and John Prine as stars he wanted to emulate while fully embracing the mentorship of older songwriters as he crafted his own style.
Wootton’s fans say he evokes a wide range of emotions, from joy and laughter to somber contemplation. The takeaway is that he leaves a mark on his audience, and the collective response from each show energetically propels him to the next.
Catch a glimpse of his talent here.
The show will take place during special extended hours of 6:00-9:00 p.m. Admission is free; premium seating and a hearty buffet of hot and cold appetizers are available through advance purchase for $40 per person here https://events.humanitix.com/texas-songwriter-showcase-friday-may-2
Make a weekend of it! Stay overnight in one of our luxury cabins. Check availability here.
