By Gary Wien
originally published: 01/28/2021
![Dave Vargo and Sahara Moon To Take Part In First "Not Quite Nashville" Song Swap On Saturday, January 30](https://www.newjerseystage.com/events2021/NotQuiteNashville.jpg "Dave Vargo and Sahara Moon To Take Part In First "Not Quite Nashville" Song Swap On Saturday, January 30")
Dave Vargo has been running a weekly show online called 2forTuesday for most of the last year. The show involves Dave or another singer-songwriter popping online and performing a pair of songs Tuesdays at 7:30pm (EST). He's launching a new show on Saturday, January 30 at 8:00pm. Entitled, "Not Quite Nashville," which will try to virtually recreate the atmosphere and interaction of a Nashville song swap.
Each show will involve two songwriters take turns performing their songs, talking about their inspirations, telling a story or two, and maybe having some musical interplay. The first show will feature Dave Vargo and Sahara Moon. Tickets are $7.99. Click here for the Facebook event page.
"I have participated in a bunch of songs swaps both in Nashville and elsewhere," explained Vargo. "When it works well I love the interaction between the performers. When you have the right mix performers will talk to one another about how and why they write, what inspires them, stories about their experiences, etc. They will also participate in each song - maybe add some vocal harmony or a solo. That's what I miss most about many of the virtual shows that being aired. Including mine. I have been running 2forTuesday once a week for 44 consecutive weeks. I play 2 songs and then a guest hops on from their location and plays 2. But there is no way for us to interact together."
Vargo says he would love to see "Not Quite Nashville" become a regular event - either monthly or bi-monthly, but he's interested in seeing how the first show does.
"I already have a list of 40 plus songwriters from my 2forTuesday show that have some interest in participating," said Vargo. "I would look for someone who is a good songwriter, good performer, and has the ability to have conversations in a live format. They need to be comfortable being in the same room (socially distanced) with me to do the show."
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Artists interested in being considered for "Not Quite Nashville" should contact Vargo via email.
A native of East Brunswick, NJ, Dave Vargo graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with honors and went on to become a touring artist and session player. He has had the privilege of working with a number of notable talents including Whitney Houston, Phoebe Snow, Vonda Shepard, and Rupert Holmes. Dave currently performs solo, as part of an acoustic duo (Kim and Dave), and with the Dave Vargo Trio. He is also an active session player and songwriter. Dave’s debut album, Burning Through, was released in October 2016. His new album, Spaces in Between, came out on September 13, 2019.
For more on David Vargo, check out this feature article by NJ Stage published in December 2019.
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at
gary@newjerseystage.com.
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