The Buddha Den Presents: Songwriters-in-the-Round @ Canal St. Tavern 6.8.08

...as the unseasonal heat nearly choked the city last evening, several of Dayton's finest songwriters gathered for The Buddha Den's first Songwriters-in-the-Round event at the legendary Canal Street Tavern. With four performers on stage at a time, each set delivered some incredible performances and an incredibly relaxed and fun show. In the first group, Nathan Peters (Captain of Industry), playing on Canal Street's ancient upright piano, threw out some of his finest work with his band as well as a choice cover of an old Ohio Casket song by the all-too-reclusive PJ Paslosky. Nick Tertel (Sleepybird) might have seemed somewhat reserved without the backing of his sprawling outfit, but his country-flavored tunes truly blossomed in this context. In a rare solo performance, Derek Gullett (ex-Switchblade Serenade) showcased some of his more personal material, overcoming various technical glitches along the way...




...in the evening's second set, Tod Weidner (Shrug) demonstrated yet again on his home turf why he continues to be one of Dayton's underrated treasures. His literary wit and classic compositions are nearly as much a part of Canal Street's charms as the battered stained glass. The younger, but no less vital, Andy Smith (Andrew & the Pretty Punchers) might have been buzzing on the eve of his band's first proper recording sessions, but his songs of wisdom well beyond his years reminded us that this is a talent that will hopefully grace the Gem City for many years to come. After suffering through various technical aberrations, Dustin Rose (Toads and Mice) abandoned technology in favor of simple, yet elegant compositions. His departure from the material of his band completely shocked us and, yet again, gave of great hope of things to come. Newcomer Miranda offered up jazz/blues-flavored piano compositions and topped them off with a voice of such power and passion that we are hoping to see much more from her in the months to come...





For more photos from the evening, please go here.