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A local music manager has created a space for songwriters to build a community and gain confidence in their skills.
Sam Cox, the emcee of the event, said the idea for the Songwriter Showcase, which takes place at Dewain’s Place, came from seeing similar acts in Texas.
“Autumn [Ragland] and I spent a lot of time touring in Texas and there are pretty famous venues, like the Blue Bite and another place called Cheatham Street, that has songwriter nights and they’ve been doing them for a decade or two, and I wanted to bring something like that to Tahlequah,” Cox said.
The free showcase began the summer of 2023, and has continued to take place the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. at Dewain’s Place.
Cox said the event is similar to an open mic with six to 10 songwriters performing two to three songs. Original songs are not required by the participants, but they are encouraged.
Instead of having the usual weekend vibe on Wednesday nights, Cox said they try to make it more relaxed so audience members can sit and listen to the participants.
“It’s a little different when someone is up there singing a cover tune, like ‘Wagon Wheel’ or ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ You know that song,” Cox said. “If you’re hearing an original song you’ve never heard before people are actually trying to listen to it for the first time, so it’s just a little different.”
When it comes to the performers, Cox said he wants them to know that there will always be a space and crowd who will want to hear their original music.
“I think the songwriting community in Cherokee County is a really good one,” Cox said. “It almost has a kind of a friendly competitiveness to it. It’s almost like you go out there and play a song and you hear a bunch of other songs that are super cool and it just makes you want to make better songs and be a better artist.”
Cox said he not only wants to grow the community of songwriters in the area, but also help them gain confidence in their abilities. Some performers have a full circle moment, as they may meet another musician at the showcase then perform or create a song with them later.
“It’s just really cool seeing people meet at that thing, then a couple months later somebody will play a song up there and they’re like, ‘Hey, I wrote this song with so and so during a co-write.’ That’s really cool that they met there, then they met up on their own terms and co-wrote a song and then they came back and performed it.”
For those wanting to get involved in the Songwriter Showcase, Cox said participants should contact him at [email protected] or 918-207-2701.
What’s next
The next Songwriter Showcase will take place at Dewain’s Place Dec. 6 at about 6:30 p.m.
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