Tunes at Twilight: Second round of performances begins today

The fall season of the Tunes at Twilight concert series kicks off at 6:30 p.m. today at the Common Pleas Courthouse Gazebo in Cape Girardeau.

The free concerts are organized by Old Town Cape with sponsorship by SoutheastHEALTH, Fox 23 KBSI and Cape Air.

"We have a nice mixture of artists for the fall season," said Nicholle Hinkle, project manager for Old Town Cape. "It's something for the whole family and you can count on having a good time."

The concerts are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. every Friday through Sept. 20.

Jack Williams, Aug. 16

Jack Williams

The first performer of the Tunes at Twilight fall season will be Jack Williams, a native South Carolinian whose career playing folk, rock, jazz and popular music spans 54 years. Organizers say Williams is considered one of the most dynamic performers on today's folk circuit and is a unique guitarist.

Anne McCue, Aug, 23

Anne McCue

Anne McCue, the Roots Music Association's Folk Artist of the Year, has a unique voice and impressive guitar skill, according to series organizers. She's described as a combination of Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Susan Tedeschi, McCue, and forged her love of music in her native Sydney, Australia, but landed in America and performed on the Lilith Fair tour. After setting up shop in Los Angeles, she became a part of the city's roots-music scene, recording the albums "Roll" in 2004 and "Koala Motel" in 2006. McCue also spends time in Nashville, Tenn., honing her hybrid style of grassroots rock, blues and folk.

The Melroys, Aug. 30

The Melroys

The Melroys were formed in 1999 with roots that run deep between Chuck Berry's St. Louis and Elvis' Memphis, Tenn. Randy Leiner, Gregg Hopkins and Mike Enderle had been friends since school days when the British Invasion led them to pick an instrument and take the stage. They played any venue they could in the Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois area. The band's sound reflects their influences of music from the past half century with strong emphasis on vocal harmony, guitars that jangle and twang.

Warren Wilken, Sept. 6

Warren Wilken

Warren Wilken currently resides in Tennessee, about 30 miles outside of Nashville. He's compiled about 20 of his songs onto two albums, and he has also written and illustrated a children's picture book called "The Dancing Cows of Custer County." He likes to perform his songs live while flat picking and fingerpicking his acoustic guitar. His day job involves piano rebuilding and refinishing.

Jimmy Davis, Sept. 13

Jimmy Davis

Jimmy Davis, a versatile singer-songwriter, was named "Premier Male Vocalist" five times by the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. His influences range from the Beatles to the Eagles and Johnny Cash to Jackson Browne. His songs have been recorded by Martina McBride, Restless Heart and Johnny Rivers, as well as many other independent artists. Davis has appeared as a backing vocalist on numerous recordings.

John Latini, Sept. 20

John Latini

John Latini grew up in Queens, N.Y., but now makes his home in Ypsilanti, Mich. The blues-playing Latini is a perennial nominee for every Southeast Michigan music award and won the Metro Detroit Songwriting Grand Prize in 2004 and the Detroit Blues Challenge in 2008 and 2009. Latini has also won songwriting honors in Texas and North Carolina. With a popular, established voice, Latini has begun to build an enthusiastic fan base throughout the Midwest and beyond to Colorado and New York.

In case of rain, concerts will be in Rose Theatre on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. For more information about Tunes at Twilight, visit oldtowncape.org/events or contact Nicholle Hinkle at 334-8085.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

44 N. Lorimier St., Cape Girardeau, MO