Live Music Spotlight: Shannon Gatliff

Note: Live Music Spotlight is a feature on performers who play music in bars and other venues. These artists are very dedicated and hard working. They get very little to no radio airplay and don’t make a lot of money. Still, they do it for the love of music and performing. Live Music Spotlight gives them a little bit of recognition.

I am in Ohio for the next week and a half, which gives me an opportunity to watch some of the local performers. Southwestern Ohio may not be an area that most people think about when it comes to country music. However, there are a lot of talented artists here that are playing shows and writing songs. Luckily, there are some amazing venues in the area that support local musicians.

One of those venues is J.D. Legends in Franklin, Ohio. When I was growing up in this area, this was the site of a bowling alley. Over 15 years ago, Eli and Wasfi Samaan took over the failing business and completely remodeled it to include a bowling alley, a restaurant, sand volleyball court, tiki bar and more. In addition to hosting several concerts by nationals acts every year, J.D. Legends has consistently booked great artists and bands. Earlier this year, a weekly series called Get The Gig allowed three artists to compete for a spot to play a show at J.D. Legends. This weekly event makes it easier than ever for rising local artists to get a chance to play one of the area’s most popular venues.

Shannon Gatliff was one of those weekly winners. Since his win, he has played shows and he has more dates on the schedule. I had the opportunity to watch him perform yesterday. He hadn’t even finished his first song before I recognized that he had a voice that well-suited for country music. I really liked his selection of songs as well. At the beginning of his set, he played a great version of “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” He also played great versions of songs by Garth Brooks, Eric Church and Kenny Chesney and more.

I liked Gatliff’s personality a lot. In between sets, he came around and talked to people in the audience. I always like it when an artist makes an effort to mingle with the audience. I hope I have the opportunity to catch another one of his shows.

Rick Amburgey is an experienced journalist and country music fan. He can be contacted on Twitter at @ViewsCountry.