Written by Laura Hamlett Monday, 15 January 2007 06:52

Thoughts and observations during our songwriters-in-the-round performance Saturday night at Finale, featuring Cameron McGill, Geoff Koch, Noah Harris and Corey Saathoff.

Cameron carries what looks like a well-worn Bible onstage and opens it before him at the piano. Turns out to be his lyric book, or his journal, thoughts and scribblings and compositions. He's trying a brand new (unfinished) song out, so in love is he with the club's piano—tuned, shined and beautiful.

Everyone onstage, you can tell, is searching his brain for his best piano song with which to dazzle the crowd and his fellow musicians. Well, everyone except Noah, as piano's what he plays, and Corey, who's strictly a guitar man. So, really, just Geoff and Cameron.

Did somebody censor Bob Dylan, I wonder? Did he have a manager who told him that song needed to be shorter, this one more radio-friendly?

Noah played a song he wrote last time he was in St. Louis, in the car, driving away. I'm still fascinated by the creative urge, the words that just start coming and it's all you can do to capture them on paper or on analog.

This night, these musicians—they are all truly special. All the talent on one stage at the same time, taking turns—you have to wonder what other songs, lyrics, licks or chords will come from this night, this union, however brief and inimitable. The spark, as they say, has been lit.

P.S. An aside to Kevin, who wanted me to make an on-the-spot list of participants in a dream songwriters-in-the-round show. I couldn't think then, but I have been all weekend, and I'd have to say the following: Glen Hansard (The Frames), Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss), Matthew Good, and Matt Nathanson*. They had to be alive (sorry, Kev, no Jeff Buckley). *I reserve the right to change this one; he's awesome and all, but he doesn't really hold a candle to the other three.

NP: New Morrissey EP, I Just Want to See the Boy Happy. God love Moz and the unexpected pleasure of a new EP.