A look back at the stand-out
performances from the 2020
30A Songwriters Festival
singers
HOOKS, LINES &
T
he 2020 30A Songwriter’s Festival marked
11 years of extraordinary talent from some
of the most influential songwriters in music,
with up-and-coming and seasoned artists
performing at 25 venues. This year’s headliners included
Tanya Tucker and John Prine, along with Brian Wilson
of the Beach Boys, Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits
and Chris Stills, son of Stephen Stills.
John Prine kicked off the weekend with his trademark
humorous and insightful commentary at an intimate
performance held at Grayton Beer Tap Room, sharing
the stage with his son and wife for a few heartfelt
ballads. The running commentary touched on the
essence of what songwriting is really about—storytelling
that encompasses the good, the bad and possibly
the incriminating. Prine also played an outdoor set
on Saturday, where he and Tanya Tucker performed
a pas de deux rendition of his biggest hit, “Angel
from Montgomery.”
Zac Brown Band bassist John Driskell Hopkins, along
with songwriting partners Wyatt Durrette and Levi
Lowrey, gave an electrifying performance at Shunk
Gulley to a packed crowd for a show lasting nearly three
hours. The Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins and Michelle
Malone impressed audiences all weekend with folk-
rock acoustic sessions to loyal fans. Americana singer
Lindsay Lou, a Michigan native, made her debut with
soulful renditions of “Hot Hands” and “Southland.”
The 30A Songwriter’s Festival is simply about
experiencing the transcendence of music. Local record
stores, coffee shops and back porches of bars become
impromptu stages, allowing fans a unique connection to
the music and its creators. Benefitting the Cultural Arts
Association as the largest charity event on the Emerald
Coast, the festival directly funds leadership, advocacy
and education in the arts, and provides needs-based
scholarships to students and continuing education
grants through their “Arts for All” program.