Showcase at Lola w Rebecca Berlin, Will Sims, Rowan Corbett & rob Hinkal

Lola Art House (8197 Main St Ste 300, Ellicott City, MD 21043) and rob's Open Mics presents the first of a monthly songwriter showcase series. Four songwriters performing in the round, singing their hearts out at a new art cafe and event space in Old Ellicott City. rob Hinkal of ilyAIMY hosts and brings you the people that are inspiring him, breaking his heart, or just making his world a better place. Thursday, December 10th with Rebecca Berlin, Will Sims, and Rowan Corbett. $5 in advance (tickets coming soon), $10 at the door.
About the venue: A friend just opened this space and it's a freshly-blooming dream. Tucked away above and behind EC Pops on Main Street Old Town Ellicott City and overlooking my favourite sushi joint, it's a trick to find the first time, but well-worth the effort. BYOB. I want to get in on the ground floor with this space (though this place is NOT on the ground floor*) because she's got plans to build a bar and provide culinary delights soon! More at www.lolaarthouse.com
*There are future plans for better accessibility, but at the moment you've gotta be able to do some stairs to attend these shows!
About the artists:
Rebecca Berlin: "Imagine the voice of Sara Bareilles mixed with the honesty of Joni Mitchell and the poetic lyricism of Ani DiFranco. Her “folk with a twist”-blends the narrative quality of traditional folk with elements of jazz and musical theater, and she is known for unique melodies and song structures, vulnerable storytelling and a voice that cuts through the noise." Rebecca continues to be one of the smartest writers in the area. Her songs are intelligent deconstructions of her Life - problem solving all dressed up with plenty of places to go. A spectacular piano player, I think she shines in showcases and I'm looking forward to seeing what she adds to the night! More about Rebecca at rebeccaberlin.com
Will Sims: "Will Sims is a Baltimore-based singer and songwriter whose music lives at the intersection of rock, alternative, and pop—equal parts emotional weight and undeniable punch." On each of these showcases I want to bring in someone who I DON'T know particularly well, but would absolutely like to know better. Tonight that's Will. A fixture of the local (and not-so-local) scene for over a decade, I've only shared a stage with him once or twice and that's inexcusable. And SO Will Sims, won't you rock with me tonight? More about Will at whoiswillsims.com
Rowan Corbett: "DC-area singer/songwriter Rowan Corbett brings a mixture of modern and traditional sounds, instruments, and sensibilities with his eclectic playing. In addition to his own original music, you’ll find Irish, English and Scottish folk tunes, Early-American Ballads and acoustic renditions of modern Rock and Electronica." Rowan's been one of my partners in crime for over a quarter century and I'm eager to have him in this environment - one of my favourite things about music is seeing my own songs reformed through someone else's instrumentation and skills, and one of my OTHER favourite things is watching that happen to others. Having Rebecca add her piano to Rowan's tunes, or getting to see Will's songs with Irish bones? This sounds like an awesome show to ME!
rob Hinkal: Catonsville-based singer/songwriter, and open mic host - rob Hinkal is also the co-front of nationally-touring acoustic grunge band, ilyAIMY, Executive Director of FocusMusic, a photographer and A/V engineer, and struggling optimist.
"Percussive, rhythmically driven guitar that freely composites fingerpicking, classical melodies, running bass lines, harmonics, & hard-charging chords. [rob's] vocals are needled & gaunt, with the jittery energy of a dockyard stray on speed ...” – Allzah