Maybe it was the feeling of returning to its musical roots that did it, but Songwriters in the Round at Hi Vibe Holistics Co-Op in Kill Devil Hills was an amazing demonstration of just how talented Outer Banks musicians are.
The returning to its roots is all about what the building that now houses Hi Vibe started its life. Once upon a time it was the Pit, which for anyone with a history of knowing the music of the Outer Banks remembers as one of the places to catch some live music.
There were probably 30 people or so in the audience, a far cry from the 100 plus that would routinely cram themselves into the Pit. And honestly, the music experience was way better today.
The four musicians. Matt McGuire, Craig Honeycutt, Ben Saltzman and Ruth Wyand shared the stage and took turns performing original material. What emerged were four incredibly talented artists with very different ways of performing and even thinking about music.
Ruth Wyand is a powerful vocalist with stunning, perhaps even elite, fingerpicking work. Her songs are a blues/jazz fusion backed up by her hard driving guitar, including some absolutely stellar slide guitar work.
Matt Maguire, with a voice that’s as good as it gets, takes on love and loss in his songs. His style is somewhere between ballad and poetry. That description doesn’t really do justice to his skill on the guitar.
Much of what Ben Saltzman played was similar in content to Maguire’s songs, but with a more structured core. Saltzman, who is the front man for the local band Stereo in Words mentioned it’s different performing in front of a live audience with out a drummer, bass and guitar to back him up.
Craig Honeycutt has this wonderful funky beat as he plays. The music translates well into pop, but there’s a distinct jazz feel to it, especially as he wrapped up a couple of his songs with a scat verse.
A really interesting afternoon of muse, courtesy of Rock Start Booking.
Another great time on the Outer Banks. Take some time to visit and learn what you may be missing. A Brindley Beach Vacations home is the ideal location for your exploration.