The results are in! The 2010 Spring Songwriter Showdown has officially come to an end and we are pleased to announce our winner, Kenneth O’Meara! Coming in second was Alissa Beyers followed by Danny Cadra in third. Congratulations to you three, you truly were the best of the best! And now, a breakdown of our finale:
Jay Wimberley
The first of the 13 was Wimberley, a fantastic guitar player, who’s junky, soulful voice was just the thing to get us started off right. He looked comfortable on stage, and looked as if he enjoyed every minute of his two songs.
Tyler Rogers
Rogers has a great way with words, as his lyrics clearly show. With a second song dedicated to his mom, he caught the attention of the judges, who commented he had a very simplistic guitar style.
Justin Tuley
Tuley cited Bob Dylan as one of his major influences. The judges compared him to Woody Guthrie and said they liked that he had a statement to make and a message to send.
Trey Berry
Obviously very at home on stage, Berry had a coffee-shop vibe to his performance, and he drew comparisons to Incubus.
Tanner Saunders
The youngest of our finalists, at only 17 Saunders worked hard to keep the crowd engaged. His two songs received a great crowd reaction, prodding one judge to call him a true Texas troubadour.
Kenneth O’Meara
Our finale winner made quite the impression on the judges with his crazy complicated guitar picking. His songs sound like they belong in the old west, and with true storytelling lyrics to back him up there is no doubt as to why he came out on top.
Rachel Porter
Our first lady of the finale came out with a quietly beautiful voice, full of heartbreak. Our judges called her soothing and soulful.
Allie Brooks
Brooks had a wonderfully, confident voice, and stepped up with her best love songs for the competition. The judges stated she had a great vocal range and all kinds of vocal control.
Zach Newberry
Newberry is obviously a very practiced musician, and he looked very calm and collected on stage. The judges said he had a very interesting sound that was different from the rest.
Danny Cadra
Our third-place winner had the judges saying he was a very accessible artist. He was the most country of the bunch, sticking to some down-home roots and singing two very different but interesting songs.
Stephen St. Clair
St. Clair had a very poppy, country sound; it was something you could tell was influenced by country but still got you moving. In an effort to bring his A-game, he sang a song he had written that very day. It was a move that took guts and a leap of faith.
Alissa Beyers
Beyers came in a close second in our contest, and with a standing ovation by most of the crowd, it’s clear to see why. She has a mesmerizing voice, full of heartbreak and control. The judges said her songs had a lot of structure and story within them.
Tyler Caffey
Caffey had the biggest cheering section with him; it was chock full of matching t-shirts and video cameras. His voice was very strong and controlled, and he had two extremely powerful songs.
A very special thank you goes to all of our participants in the final. You guys truly stepped up and brought your best work with you to the Blue Light stage! We look forward to all the great things you will bring to the music community!
Kenneth O'Meara, winner 2010 Spring Singer-Songwriter Showdown
Parker brought along opener Sean McConnell, who also blew the Blue Light faithful away. McConnell’s unique mixture of soul, country, and pop hooks had the people twirling around the dance floor. His music is very radio friendly and completely enjoyable. With lyrics like, “I wouldn’t trade my troubles for any one of yours,” it makes you realize his talent runs deeper than just a pretty voice. His ballad Reckless Love was very good and gave him the chance to show off his wide vocal range. A great rendition of Dirty Diana didn’t hurt either.
