Songwriter’s Round: Ross Dackow on The Four Corners at Googies

I typically wouldn’t review one of my own gigs, but in the case of the recent The Four Corners Songwriter’s Round (December 28th, 2009) at Googie’s Upstairs, I felt I had to share the experience with someone – most notably you. If you haven’t been to The Living Room in a while, or ever set foot in Googie’s Upstairs, it’s about time you make the trip.

Ross Dackow is a singer/songwriter and producer/engineer based in NYC.

The vibe in this legendary Ludlow Street club is vintage downtown NYC. The Living Room makes for a great destination for the off-the-street wanderer and/or music lover, with cool bartenders, great music and lots of low lighting.  But to me the real attraction, as a musician (and listener alike), are the acoustics and intimacy of the performance spaces — the sound can be quite good here and they hire talented mixing engineers, to boot.  A seasoned troubadour who has dealt with more dysfunctional bar/house and cafe situations than I care to recall, I assure you that the acoustic treatments, studio-quality sound system and live engineering at this establishment remain worthy of mention.

So there’s my plug for The Living Room/Googie’s Upstairs as a venue — now onto the songwriter’s round itself.

Created by singer/songwriters Remy de Laroque and Dan Strauss, the concept of The Four Corners Songwriter’s Round is as follows:   singer/songwriters showcase their songs one at a time, in the round, to an audience who are seated around them.  The audience and songwriters are then encouraged to comment on songs during the show.

Dan kicked off our event by explaining this concept to a full audience, who then attentively listened to each song and responded at will.  After playing many a show to crowds who feel they should talk throughout your set, I can’t tell you how refreshing this showcase format was from a performer’s perspective.  The audience benefited, too, as song dynamics weren’t lost in a din of conversation, lyrics were heard and a peaceful camaraderie enveloped the room.

Jenifer Jackson’s lilting, evocative love songs and pure voice washed over the house, while Evan Felt’s smooth vocals and tunes about his travels through life and the South soothed the crowd. Dan Strauss serenaded the space with a song about the moon and dug into some heartfelt strumming. Remy de Laroque lulled us into a dreamy mindset with his exceptional finger-picking, delicate crooning (well complemented by Strauss’ harmonies, I should add) and imagery.  I, Ross Dackow, (hey, I played too, so I can’t leave myself out…) performed some love-gone-wrong/right tunes and, with eyes closed at times, almost felt as if I were playing in my own living room – with the exception being the sweet applause that followed.

A communal escape from the seasonal hubbub, it was one of those rare shows you can only find in NYC – a night where five songwriters from various origins came to share their craft with folks who came to truly listen.

— Ross Dackow

The Four Corners Songwriter’s Round is held at Googie’s Upstairs at The Living Room, at 154 Ludlow Street, New York City.  For more information about show times and booking please see: http://www.myspace.com/4cornersongwritersround

Ross Dackow is a singer/songwriter, producer, engineer and resident of New York City.

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