Starbucks, Play It Again

September 14, 2007

by Andrea Lowe

This past Thursday, September 6, local musicians brought their talents to nearby Davis Square for the Starbucks Music Makers Competition. Established to highlight undiscovered talent throughout greater New England, the competition consists of regional contests in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island, each featuring five to seven artists performing original music. One finalist from each contest moves on to the final round in Boston, which will take place on October 11, 2007. Several professionals from the music industry judge each semifinal round, and their votes are added to a public online vote to determine which candidate advances. The winner of the final round will receive studio time with a professional music engineer, as well as airplay and promotion on Goombah Radio, a new online music site.

When I was still about a block away from Starbucks, I was suddenly blinded by dozens of camera flashes, a neon marquee, and a rather impressive-looking red carpet. Okay, not exactly. But the coffee shop was completely packed when I walked in, and there was official media coverage and everything. Starbucks employees were even passing out free samples of pumpkin spice lattes before and during the performances (as if they really needed more publicity). Just a bit after seven o’clock, the competition got underway, and there were two solid hours of music performed by seven artists, each with extremely diverse styles, playing three songs each. Three “celebrity” judges were also present, from local radio stations and music promotion companies. The official contest winner who will move on to the Boston semifinals has not yet been announced.

The first performer of the evening was Todd Martin, playing tracks from his newly released album, “Listen Like You Should.” His CD, as well as the albums of all of the evening’s participants, were available for sale at the end of the show. Unlike many of the performers who had accompaniment, Martin chose to play solo; he played around with sampling and looping to create a fuller sound. His three selections were stylistically similar, all belonging to the typical acoustic rock genre. All three showcased Martin’s obvious skills on the acoustic guitar, and his last selection, a six or seven minute tale about a strange dream, highlighted his songwriting talent.

The next performer, Dan Gonzalez, also brought along an acoustic guitar, but a completely different musical style. I shouldn’t have been surprised at how much I enjoyed his performance, considering he had won songwriting awards from Berklee College of Music and had already received considerable airplay on local radio stations. My personal favorite of the performers, Gonzalez played in a more laid back and quiet acoustic style, performing songs with more serious social themes. His second selection was particularly memorable, a haunting tune reflecting on public executions and the justice system of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Other notable acts included Jen Murdza, new to playing solo, who had an incredibly striking, radio-ready voice. Her alternative-country style was far different from anything else heard that evening.

Additionally, three women forming the group Maeve impressed the crowd with an extremely full sound, thanks to two guitars and one keyboard. Their insightful lyrics and low-key pop style reminded me of performers like Jewel. The other three acts spanned a wide range of musical style as well. Altogether, the evening will hopefully prove successful as part of a wider movement to bring local music back to cafes.

All of the acts at the Music Makers Competition in Davis Square were extremely talented, and it would be difficult to predict who will move on to the final round. However, I’d place my bets on Dan Gonzalez, with his impressive list of accolades in songwriting and his unique acoustic sound.

Despite being attached to the corporate name of Starbucks, the contest was not over-commercialized and could have taken place at any local coffee shop. I expect the finalists to be an impressive group of young musicians, and the final contest, which will take place at the Hard Rock Café in Boston on October 11, to be something worth checking out.