Charlie’s Beat

This week’s story has a dash of “told you so,” a hint of “you had to be there,” and a big old dose of “it’s not too late if you try.” I’m talking about the Songwriters in the Round show that happened at Red Bicycle Hall this past Friday, sponsored by the people who bring you RiverRoots Music Festival.

It’s a “told you so” because I told you last week that it was going to be a great event and you ought to go check it out. And by golly, it was just delightful, as advertised. Three singer-songwriters took turns performing their personal best original songs. Which makes the experience “you had to be there” to truly appreciate how special it was.

But take heart, “it’s not too late if you try” to catch these artists the next time they are in town. Jayce Turley has played in Madison at least three times already, and he is sure to be back. Cait Justice made a huge impression, and is a name to watch in the future. And young Tucker Douglas is just starting out and trying to make a name for himself on the Madison music scene.

Tucker has an amazing deep voice with a rough edge to it. I would compare his voice to the lead singer of the band Kaleo. I caught up with Tucker Douglas after the show to learn a little more about him.

“I actually live over in Greenville, Indiana, just outside New Albany, but my grandmother is Sandy Dierdorf, who lives here in Madison. Grandma Sandy knows I’m trying to get my music career going, writing and performing wherever I can, so she mentioned my name to Jane Vonderheide who runs the House of Jane Songwriter sessions.

“What Jane is doing is so awesome, shining a light on the original songwriters out there who are expressing themselves and honing their craft. For her to reach out to me and include me in this Songwriter event just means so much, I’m very grateful.

“I went to Floyd Central High School, and I was really into baseball and wrestling. But three surgeries later I had to start doing something else with my time. I picked up the guitar! About the same time I was writing a lot of poetry in school, learning how to use words to get a story across. That was all about six years ago now, and I’ve been writing songs and playing as much as I can.

“I like to tell stories with my songs, and a lot of them end up being kind of heavy, like murder ballad style stuff. But lately I tried my hand at something more relatable and catchy, and I went into a studio and recorded it. It’s called ‘Snakes Lie’ and I feel pretty proud of it.”

You can hear Tucker’s new song on YouTube right now. Just search “Tucker Douglas Snakes Lie” and it will pop up.

“I’m so grateful for all the people who came and listened to me and the other awesome songwriters at this Red Bike show. I’m at a point in my musical journey now where I want to get out and play as much as I can. I really hope to be back in Madison soon, playing one of the club venues or maybe as an opener for another show at Red Bike. I’m just getting started, but my dreams are big, and I’m willing to put in the work.”

Hot Tip of the Week

This weekend kicks off an entire week of St. Patrick’s Day activities in Madison, starting with the Celtic band Clogheann at Thomas Family Winery on Saturday. Sunday there is an open house and Irish Tea at Saint Michael’s Church. There are movies and symposiums throughout the week, and then it really kicks off on Friday with the annual “Taste of Ireland” Trolley Pub Crawl around town. Finally, it all comes to a rousing conclusion on Saturday, March 17, with an all-day affair back at Thomas Family. If you want tickets to the Pub Crawl contact Visit Madison.

Wednesday, March 6 • The Central: Jam w/Jimmy • Rivertown Grill: Karaoke Thursday, March 7 • Rivertown Grill: Karaoke • 1st Street Saloon: Open Mic w/Dewey & Friends Friday, March 8 • Rivertown Grill: Jordan Tyler • 1st Street Saloon: No Name Band • The Central: The Henchmen • VFW: Karaoke Saturday, March 9 • The Central: Slingshot • Thomas Family Winery: Clogheann • 1st Street Saloon: DJ Nate • Rivertown Grill: The Mood Sunday, March 10 • Rivertown Grill: Anthony Joe Highley