Showcasing the importance of local talent

Lacey Holowaty, Contributor 

After audiences packed Inglewood’s Cafe Gravity during its first run in 2024, the YYC Songwriter Showdown is back this February for another year of showcasing local musical talent.

The YYC Songwriter Showdown will take place over 12 weeks, starting on Saturday, Feb. 7, with the finale on May 2. It will be at various locations across the city, including Cafe Gravity in Inglewood, the National Music Centre, the Attic Bar and Stage, and Festival Hall.

The event consists of four rounds, with the pool of artists getting smaller as they are eliminated through a combination of audience and judge voting. 

The president of Blue Willow Entertainment (BWE) and the main presenter of the competition Seth Anderson says he didn’t expect the Showdown to be a recurring event when they put it on the first year. 

According to Anderson, the event started as a partnership between BWE and Cafe Gravity with the idea that bringing in musical talent would generate more revenue for the business. They had also received funding from the Calgary Arts Foundation. 

Anderson’s initial idea was to simply book different musical acts to perform each Saturday for 12 weeks—then, they’d compare the 12 weeks with music to 12 weeks without to see the economic impact.

But they wanted to do something unique. So they pivoted and came up with the idea for a March Madness-style bracket tournament in which local songwriters could take the stage and showcase their artistry to a live audience.

The first Showdown kicked off with a Round of 32, which consisted of four different Saturdays hosting eight performers per show. Following that was the Sweet Sixteen, which also lasted four weeks with only four performances per show. The third round, called The Elite Eight, went on for two weeks and gave way to a single event showcasing the Final Four. Finally, The Showdown came, where the last two artists prepared a full set to present to the audience and judges.

According to Anderson, each event filled the cafe, with the final performance having the best turnout of all.

“I don’t think you could’ve crammed another person in there,” Anderson says.

The success of the first Songwriter Showdown meant Cafe Gravity was able to double its topline revenue in those 12 weeks, according to Anderson.

“It made all the sense in the world to bring it back,” he says.

One of the biggest changes to this year’s event is the venues. According to Anderson, many of the artists performing got their start at Cafe Gravity, so it made the most sense to start there again this year, even as the competition expands. 

CELIN, a local singer-songwriter, playing King Eddy. Photo by Mia Smith

Calgary-based songwriter and musician Devin Foster is returning to the Showdown this year after performing in last year’s event and making it to the second round.

“Last year’s experience was, in one word, riveting,” Foster says.

According to Foster, while his experience last year was anxiety-inducing, it was also incredibly rewarding. He says the connections he made during his time performing in the Showdown—both judge and fellow artist alike—have made the most impact on him as he continues his music career. 

Going into this year’s event, Foster says his motives are less focused on winning, as his goals have shifted to furthering his connections in Calgary’s music scene. 

While sharing original songs can be particularly nerve-wracking, Foster says he embraces the vulnerability, as most of his songs explore his own struggles with mental health. 

“Every time I get up on stage, I’m accessing that vulnerable part of myself, and I always think that makes me sing more passionately about the subject because it is personal to me,” Foster says.

This year, Foster will be performing in the second week of the Round of 32, which also happens to take place on Valentine’s Day. He’s looking forward to expanding his comfort zone and exploring more “lovey-dovey” themes in his second-year debut.

“I made sure that was the date they were putting me on to play because I was like, ‘I write too many sad songs. Give me a chance to like, put out love songs, you know, put me on Valentine’s Day,” he says.

Four artists are eliminated during each week of the Round of 32, which cuts the pool in half before the next round. Eliminations are based 80 per cent on judge scores, while the other 20 per cent is based on live-audience voting. Foster says the split is great for smaller artists’ recognition, as it ensures the event doesn’t turn into a “popularity contest.”

Kenton Dobrowolski, a Calgary-based music producer with over 15 years of industry experience, is returning as a judge this year for a few of the later dates. 

He says the highlight of judging last year’s performances was seeing their stripped-back nature. According to him, a good song doesn’t require elaborate production—usually, vocals and a single instrument like guitar or piano are enough to get him invested. He also says he’s a “sucker” for the story behind a song.

“I just love seeing an artist kind of get on stage, shake the nerves, and really just kind of lose themselves in the song,” Dobrowolski says.

Dobrowolski says that, in recent years, the music scene in Calgary has experienced a “renaissance.” Due to the diversity of genres and niches in the city, the musical community in Calgary used to be divided into subsections, but with emerging events like the Songwriter Showdown, which encourages artists of all genres to come together to share their work, artists are realizing the potential Calgary has to offer as a music hot spot.

“And I think that’s just so empowering to artists, you know? Just kind of take the power back,” he says. “Take over the reins.”