The third edition of the Clemens Fine Arts Center’s River Town in the Round series highlighting traveling artists and musicians from around the region is set for Friday. The bimonthly event at West Kentucky Community & Technical College puts artists together onstage, where they take turns performing and discussing songs.
This installment features Steven Green, Wyatt Espalin and Mark Donham.
River Town in the Round host Daniel Neihoff, a touring musician in his own right, said that he first met Espalin while playing in Texas at a songwriting competition and was really impressed by him.
“He just had the audience eating out of his hands. He's got such a great personality and such a great performer, amazing sense of humor from the stage,” Neihoff said. “People like him have you laughing and singing along, and then maybe even shedding tears. He's very Americana.”
Green, plays regularly in western Kentucky, playing in bands like Drunken Poets before pursuing his solo career. Neihoff said he is a musician more people should know about.
“Steven is just a fantastic songwriter … [and] he's an amazing storyteller too, and has this, this gruff in his tone that just makes you feel like he's experienced everything that he's singing,” said Neihoff. “He's definitely one of a kind.”
Donham, a Southern Illinois singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, has performed in the region for decades with bands like the Melungeons and Rhythm Women and Groove Daddies. Neihoff said he hopes the River Town stage puts more of a spotlight on Donham, who he said many in the local music community consider a legend.
“All of us who have played music inside of the region for years all know Mark, and [we] all love him,” said Neihoff. “He's also just a fantastic songwriter who has been writing songs for longer than most of us have been alive. He's just really dedicated himself to the craft.”
The next River Town in the Round showcase is Friday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Clemens Fine Arts Center on the campus of West Kentucky Community & Technical College. Information on tickets and programming can be found on their website.
