Songwriters Showcased

Farragut readies for Feb. 26th event

Following last year’s cancellation due to COVID concerns, Farragut is gearing up for its third Songwriter’s Showcase event Feb. 26 in conjunction with Tennessee Songwriter’s Week.

Local singer/songwriters Jordan Burris of Pale Root and Mike Snodgrass will be performing, as will several students from Knoxville’s School of Rock, starting at 6:30 p.m. in Farragut Community Center.

Tickets are $10 each or $85 per table.

Farragut Tourism coordinator Karen Tindal said 150 tickets are available and are currently on sale through the Visit Farragut website.

“Our 2020 event, which was the last event we had before COVID shut everything down, was completely sold out and we had a waiting list,” she said.

Food will be available for purchase from Daddy Mac’s Downhome Dive, and a cash bar will also be offered to guests 21 and older.

Performers

According to his website, Burris was born and raised in East Tennessee, and “continues to carry a torch for the music that shaped his life. From the folk and country music of his childhood to the bluegrass music he studied while a student at East Tennessee State University, he is mindful to approach and represent these forms with artistry, discipline and respect.

“[He] has performed along side such acts such as Old Crow Medicine Show, Andy Wood, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Stacey Earle, Diana Jones, Chet O’Keefe, The Hackensaw Boys, The Wild Feathers, The Cactus Blossoms and Brian Ritchey.”

He is also the co-creator with Aaron Freemen of Knoxville-area Americana band, Pale Root. The group has released two full-length albums (Pale Root (2015), Riding High (2019)) and performed throughout the south. 

New music is planned for 2022 including a long-awaited Jordan Burris solo album.

Snodgrass is a Knoxville-based singer/songwriter who is originally from West Virginia.

According to his Facebook page, Snodgrass began as a drummer in his youth, which he stuck with through college, picking up the guitar, the harmonica and finally vocals later on.

After college, he worked at a small engineering firm while also entering the local music scene with “The Mike-n-Rob Experience.”

After being laid off, Snodgrass decided music would be a full-time career and relocated to Knoxville where he has been performing since.

He also owns and operates Wildwood Recording Studio in Maryville, which he established after encountering difficulties recording his own music in 2014 for an independent studio.

That learning experience, as well as others during his music career, gave Snodgrass the drive to start recording his own music himself and to offer the service to other aspiring recording artists.

“We are so glad to offer this opportunity for local artists to showcase their own writing talents,” said Tindal. “So many of them frequently perform covers of other songs, and when they get a call asking them to perform their own music, they are just really excited and we are thrilled to showcase that.”

While the Farragut event is a non-competitive one, it ties in with the 2022 Tennessee Songwriters Week competition, for which qualifying events are being held state-wide through Feb. 12. Those winners will compete Feb. 20-26, and winners will perform at Nashville’s Bluebird Café March 20.

According to the State website, “Tennessee Songwriters Week supports music venues, generates awareness of songwriters’ contributions to Tennessee, paves the way for future artists and inspires travelers to experience the state’s music stories, history, attractions, and venues.”

For more information visit https://visitfarragut.org/event/farragut-songwriters-showcase/