WRITERS SHOWCASE TO GIVE MUSIC FANS TASTE OF LOCAL TALENT AT PORT CAPE APRIL 2

There are more talented musicians in Cape Girardeau than entertainment outlets seeking their services, much to the dismay of guitar players like Peter Kovacs.

So Kovacs decided he would put together a "Writers Showcase" to let a few of his friends display the length and breadth of their ability April 2 at Port Cape Girardeau.

"There are so many good musicians around here with no place to play," said Kovacs, who will graduate from Southeast Missouri State with a degree in chemistry and molecular biology in May.

Is this a last musical hurrah for Kovacs? "I'm organizing the Writers Showcase because this will be my last time to play with what I would call three of my favorites," said Kovacs. "Then I'm off to Nashville to try and make it as a songwriter. I guess I just be another overeducated guy flipping hamburgers for a while," he quipped.

Kovacs will join Clay Thomas, Bob Camp and Jeannie Hinck for what he hopes will be a memorable jam session. The event, scheduled to begin at 9 p.m., will be open to the public free of charge.

"It's kind of sad that there aren't more places using live bands, but maybe this will be a way for us to let people see what's out there," said Kovacs, who plays guitar and keyboard for the band Brave Little Toaster.

"This isn't going to be a big band thing," said Kovacs. "It's really the culmination of an association I've had with some very good musicians during my stay here while going to school at Southeast Missouri State."

The aforementioned musicians joined several other local artists to compile a tape titled "The River City Sampler."

"Shivelbines and Jeremiahs helped sponsored the recording of that tape," said Kovacs. "We recorded it at the Riverside Recording Studio in Cape."

Bands like The Underground, Bruce Zimmerman and the Shysters, Dave and Chuck, Bob Bigelow and Andy Scholl, Octane Twilight and Buzdragon have recorded their material on the tape.

"We had a tape release party at Jeremiahs to generate a buzz about the local music scene," said Kovacs. "We had six acts perform over a four-hour period. It was very successful."

And now for their encore April 2.