Tin Pan South: Paul Overstreet's Funny Antics and Much More

Tuesday: Second Show at The Country

Featuring: Tom Johnson, John Cowan, Paul Overstreet, and Lara Johnson with Pat Flynn

Report from MCAU Contributing Writer Wil Comstock

 

Paul Overstreet performs at The Country (Photo by Wil Comstock)

       Hands down one of the best shows this week, and it’s just begun!

       Tom Johnson kicked off the night with his signature guitar licks on “Spirit”. Later he played “Rainy Day Crossroads Blues”, and “Another Park Another Sunday”. He brought the House down with “Listen to the Music”, the Doobie hit he wrote in the '60s for the leaders of the world. 

       John Cowan’s bass and Pat Flynn’s incredible guitar on these classic Doobie Brothers hits added a great groove. John seduced us with “It Ain’t Necessarily No”, which he wrote with Pat McLaughlin. John’s best friend brought his family to see him play several years ago. On the way home, his friend and two sons were killed when their car was hit by a drunk driver. John wrote “This River” with Donny Wade and Wendy Waldman as a tribute to him. Both John and Pat were in the great band New Grass Revival. John sang a song Pat wrote, “Do What You Got To Do”, which was recorded by Garth Brooks.   

       I forgot just what a cut-up Paul Overstreet is. Watching him onstage, you can see the wheels turning as a smirk creeps across his face…. I imagine he wore that smirk as he wrote “Some Beach”, the Blake Shelton hit, and on a song Hank Williams Jr. cut, “Liquor to Like Her". Now how did the same person who wrote those songs write Keith Whitley’s (and Allison Krauss’s) “When You Say Nothing At All” and the Grammy winner “Forever and Ever Amen” recorded by Randy Travis? Lara Johnson is Tom’s daughter. She has a powerful voice and great potential as a songwriter. The crowd enjoyed listening to her “Back Seat”, “Pity Party” and “Sketches”.

       The bar was raised several notches tonight for musicianship at Tin Pan shows. I don’t think many will beat it. The respect and love that these guys have for one another shows in the fun they had and the songs they delivered tonight. I drove home with “Listen to the Music” in my head, complete with John’s bass and Pat’s guitar. 

A mix of legendary songwriters and legends to be (Photo by Wil Comstock)

        From now through April 10, Music City Arts Network will be posting coverage and tweeting out messages about this year's Tin Pan South songwriting festival. Follow us http://www.Twitter.com/MusicCityArts and http://www.Facebook.com/MusicCityArts. Please share your TPS experiences with us.