TOP STORIES

Westfield songwriters’ concert series hits all right notes

WESTFIELD -- Three singer/songwriter/guitarists launched the newly christened "Songwriters in Concert" series on a high note on a recent Wednesday, performing to an appreciative audience. Musicians with their own music - no covers ever — is the hallmark of the series created by the Lake Shore Center for the Arts.

The concert, held at the Jacqueline Phillips Theater at the First Presbyterian Church, 49 S. Portage St., opened the center's 2026-27 season of what began as the Songwriters Circle Series. Today it's blossomed beyond the original focus of showcasing mostly Western New York talent by including singer/songwriters from throughout New York as well as Pennsylvania and Ohio and beyond in its third season.

"We focus on singer/songwriters and our audience is very attentive," said series producer Tim Wright. "Most artists are playing nightclubs, bars and restaurants, and sometimes the attention is not focused on them. Here, we have an audience that is not socializing, not drinking and there's no television playing in the background - they're focused on the music," explained the Buffalo native now living in Bemus Point.

Three talented acoustic guitarists - two from Buffalo and one from Erie, Pa. - were in the spotlight at the Sept. 16 gathering.

Grace Lougen, a multiple award-winning guitar player and songwriter from Buffalo, is known for her versatility. Her musicianship has been described as intense, with tasteful solos that transport listeners on journeys to special places.

"She's played with national artists and recorded with national artists; she's a very established guitar player," Wright said, "and a fantastic songwriter." She performs regularly in Buffalo and was a longtime background vocalist and guitar tech for legendary folk singer Joan Baez and has also worked with the Indigo Girls.

Erie native Jess Royer draws inspiration from jazz, blues and folk music. Early vocal influences in her life include singers with powerful voices, notably Billie Holiday, Etta James and Janis Joplin. Her heartfelt songs explore love, loss, healing and the beautifully messy parts of being human.

"She's a very soulful, a torchy kind of singer, and her writing is really different and we're very excited to have her," Wright said. "We haven't had anybody like her before; her writing is very personal, about her life and experiences and she has a very personal approach to songwriting."

Phil Dillon has a "wealth of experience in the industry," Wright reports. He's a singer, songwriter, producer and jingle writer and was near the top of the Buffalo music scene for nearly 20 years. He was part of a regional favorite band, Flash, in the 1970s. Dillon wrote many of his songs in collaboration with fellow musicians across his distinguished career.

A two-time inductee in the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, Dillon ran his own music studio and publishing company in Nashville for 28 years before returning to Buffalo.

All three did not know each other before that night, but were clearly at ease and quickly bonded. In fact, Lougen demonstrated her versatility by adeptly accompanying Dillon on several occasions, much to his delight.

What draws musicians to the series?

"Singers love to have audiences focused on what they're doing and what they've created," adds Wright, a SUNY Fredonia alumnus who books the talent. He's been a pivotal player in the Western New York music scene for decades as a member of numerous bands and as an entrepreneur who has cultivated and promoted original music acts.

It's enjoyable to hear music by artists who wrote and performed it, agrees Sue Poster, vice president of the Lake Shore Center for the Arts (LSCFTA), "so you feel their love for the songs." The series is sponsored by a grant through the Northern Chautauqua County Foundation.

The format is casual. Singers introduce themselves and take turns singing. They talk among themselves and with audience members as well, generously sharing what inspired their writing.

"Sometimes they come with a set list of songs to sing, and sometimes they just wing it," Poster noted.

Those attending are encouraged to engage with the musicians and ask them about their songs, their writing process and musical influences. Providing an opportunity for audiences to ask questions proved so overwhelmingly successful that it's now a regular feature of each monthly performance.

Joan Caruso is a big fan of the series. "These talented musicians share their original music and their background stories with the audience with honesty and fervor. Nothing compares to live performance," Caruso said. "They have the audience in rapt attendance throughout the whole performance."

What draws musicians to this series?

"They tell us how much they enjoy our venue, because they get the full attention of the audience," said Poster. A far more inviting atmosphere than playing in a crowded bar or tavern, she adds. In fact, Wright has already scheduled musicians - it's always three, though the instruments they play can vary — for the entire season.

"Every evening I attend one of these programs I only can think what those not there are missing," Caruso remarked.

The year-long songwriters series convenes at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, but shifts to Wednesday when the Buffalo Bills play on a Thursday, which was the case this month. The venue is air conditioned and its tiered seating can accommodate about 40 people. Musicians may also sell CDs of their music. Admission is $10.

Anthony Merchant, program director of WRFA 107.9 in Jamestown, handles sound and compiles a one-hour highlight program of each concert that is broadcast and streamed on WRFA at 8 p.m. on the last Saturday of each month.