I’ve been shooting quite a bit of live music lately, but have yet to make it out to Steel City Coffee House

Eric Lee Burkert. I’d had the opportunity to hear him at the Celebrate Souderton event a few weeks earlier.

He told me about his upcoming album, and the party he was going to throw to celebrate.

I knew I wanted to be there.

But even with this anticipation, I had no idea what was I was in store for.

The musicians that gathered and shared their gifts to help Eric release his debut album were first class. Every one of them.

The atmosphere in the place was electric.

Friends. Family. Fans.

What a night.

So – here’s a few of my favorites. Sorry to say, it really is only a snapshot of just how special this show was.

Eric – well done.

Here’s a little something extra for your listening AND viewing pleasure…the music is ‘Overboard Interlude’ from Eric’s album.

In a way of saying ‘thanks’ to a friend,

Nathan Allebach and Eric Sirianni gathered some musicians to host an evening of live music,

raising support for Steel City Coffee House.

Among others, Boog, Brian Medlin, and the Dave Spencer Trio brought some fantastic music to that small stage.

From Boog To Brian Medlin…

…and then the eclectic Dave Spencer Trio…

Great music! And all of these are regularly seen and heard at Steel City.

If you’ve never been there, check out their schedule.

A coffeeshop with a focus on excellent music. How can you go wrong?

An idea birthed out of the shared vision of Scott Hackman and Jared Byas, of the Open Hand Initiative,

joining hands with the promotional teamwork of Nathan Allebach and Eric Sirianni.

The vision: to help local communities become places of belonging, using generosity and collaboration.

The event: a night of free music. Both sides of Main St were rocking!

This event was an excellent opportunity to open the doors of some local establishments,

celebrating local talent while strengthening their community.

Between the Montgomery Theater and Main St Java, it was hard to decide which side of Main St to hang out on!

Souderton hasn’t had this much fun in a long time, and there’s only more to come!

First up: Brian Medlin

He brought up a buddy, who just happens to be a new friend of mine .. Nathan Allebach, you rocked that tambourine!!

It’s possible you’ve driven PAST this theater countless times, but step INSIDE and you realize Souderton is FULL of hidden gems. Great place!!

Acoustic + harmonica = instant winner in my book!

Next to hit the stage was Among Trees, with an acoustic guitar, banjo, and mandolin…

Slide across the street to catch a few tunes from Brothers of Nevada – reminded me a lot of Mumford & Sons

Back to the theater to hear Diomara Keane.

Then Elisha Kane took the stage with yet another great instrument combination: guitar and violin! SWEET!!

And then there was the beard…

Last to hit the stage was Eric Lee Burkert, starting off on a ukelele, then switching to an acoustic guitar, but all along

playing an old suitcase with his foot for some bass-drum percussion. Very creative, and very effective!!

Eric is on the eve of releasing his first CD, and he’s throwing a CD-release party April 1 at Steel City Coffeehouse.

Put it on your calendar – and we’ll see you there!

All the music was fantastic, and WELL WORTH YOUR TIME!! Lots of links there: click and give them a listen – maybe you’ll find your next favorite.

And if you’re lucky enough to consider Souderton ‘local’, find the Open Hand Initiative on facebook.

There’s some more great stuff coming down the pike – including a huge block party at the end of April!

You see, Dirk Quinn and his band were playing at Steel City Coffeehouse in Phoenixville, and we really wanted to be there.
Since I can’t show you photos from tonight, I’ll do the next best thing. Back in t-shirt weather, they played the West Chester Restaurant Festival.

Crowded Streets. Good Food. And GREAT music.

Dirk and Co – sorry we missed you this time.

Our little guy asks for your music EVERY TIME he’s in the car, and we WILL give him another chance to see you in person soon! Can’t wait for you to be back in the area…

The rest of you – if you think these guys LOOK familiar, they’re not strangers on here — see’em inside at Puck on an older post.

And if they don’t SOUND familiar to you, you really should remedy that. Check’em out – you’ll be glad you did.

Sam & Ruby are frequently heard within the walls of our home, and when we realized they were coming to Havana New Hope, we knew we couldn’t miss them.

They were kind enough to let me break out my camera, and in this case, seeing is the next best thing to hearing …

Ruby was ALWAYS SMILING!! ( it  turned out to be contagious)

“When I was born, my face was like the angels. I took my Father by the hand. He said ‘life won’t be hard now’

Life’s hard. I’ve always known that. I’ve never been handed no welcome mat.

When I die, please don’t cry – ‘cuz heaven’s my home anyhow.”

Thanks for the dedication, Ruby… made the night just that extra bit special.

The music was great. Fantastic. A must-see! Not that we expected it to be any different..

Stop by their site … pick up your own copy of their debut album, or check the tour schedule for a stop near you.

Sam, Ruby – thanks for a splendid evening! We’re already looking forward to seeing you the next time you’re in town! Come back soon!