Tunes at Twilight returns tonight with Daniel Whittington

Old Town Cape's Tunes at Twilight continues its tradition of bringing eclectic artists to Cape Girardeau by featuring the music of Daniel Whittington at 6:30 p.m. today.

Whittington has a long history in music. He was a session player and toured as a drummer for more than 12 years with bands, playing at major venues and opening for Aerosmith.

But in 2002, after years of touring, Whittington became homesick for his native Texas and broke off from his band to pursue a solo career and write songs that reflected his musical roots.

"I'd call it Texas Roots music," Whittington said. "But if you're not from Texas, you'd probably describe it as folk or country. It's a lot like what Lyle Lovett does. One album he puts out is straight country, the next is more folk and another will be just him singing with an acoustic guitar. It's really more of a mix."

Tunes talent coordinator Larry Underberg said he specifically looks for artists that bring something unique to the Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo.

"The different artists we have are very difficult to classify," Underberg said. "You can have anything from rock artists doing stand-up acoustic performances to blues artists playing with jazz ensembles. We get a lot of diverse acts, and we try to find musicians who are exceptional at what they do."

Now in its 10th year, Tunes at Twilight features spring and fall concert series with free Friday night concerts at Courthouse Park in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Whittington's performance marks the start of the second segment of the series, which runs every Friday night at 6:30 p.m. through Sept. 16. Admission is free.

Underberg said he fell in love with Whittington's music after hearing him perform live and thought he would be a perfect fit for the concert series.

"Daniel is really impressive," Underberg said. "He's got this brilliant voice. He's a solo act right now, but you could see him as the frontman for a rock band. He takes that rock edge and puts it in Americana music, and ends up with this really unique sound. What he does is really riveting. I would have to say he's one of my favorite artists."

After completing a touring schedule that took him from Portland to Atlanta, Whittington said he's staying close to home to work on four new EPs that will be available for download on his website and compiled into one album later this year.

Despite having spent most of his time in the studio recently, Whittington said he's looking forward to a break and playing live again.

Whittington said Underberg asked him to take part in Tunes at Twilight after hearing him play in Cape Girardeau earlier this year.

"I love Cape Girardeau. It's a cool town," Whittington said, "I didn't know what Tunes at Twilight was, so I drove down to the courthouse area where the concert's held to take a look around. It's just a cool mellow place, and I decided to go ahead and do the series. I'm looking forward to it."

In the event of rain, concerts will take place in Rose Theatre on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

For more information about Tunes at Twilight and concert schedule, visit www.oldtowncape.org, or call 334-8085.

For more information about the artist and free downloads of Daniel Whittington's music, visit www.danielwhittington.com.

ssemmler@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

Courthouse Park, Cape Girardeau, MO