Feature photo by Nicholas Evans
Story by Nicholas Evans
Songwriting major Carly Rose Ratcliffe took the stage in denim and cowboy boots on Wednesday night, captivating the audience with her flower-adorned guitar for the latest installment of MTSU’s Sunset Showcase. The performance consisted of original songs and covers from multiple country artists, with the notable exception of “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse. The concert series allows student musicians to let loose on their very own stage in front of their peers.
The performance took place on the front lawn of the Student Union. While it still hadn’t reached nighttime, the lights draped over the beams of the stage shone like tungsten stars in the sky; the perfect backdrop for a magical set.
While the ear-catching covers throughout Ratcliffe’s hour-long set were crowd pleasing and familiar, they didn’t detract from her incredible original work. A particular stand-out tune was “Down Under,” a song that Ratcliffe said is “about a man dragging you down.” Gorgeous, melancholic chords, in conjunction with melodic storytelling, made “Down Under” truly incredible.
Along with covers of songs made popular by Zach Bryan, Dolly Parton and Miranda Lambert, whose “Gunpowder and Lead” took the closing spot on the setlist, a unique interpretation of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” was a highlight. Ratcliffe slowed it down, bringing the lyrics and story to the front of the piece and making it more infectious.
The audience was satisfied, as was Ratcliffe herself.
“It was fun,” Ratcliffe said. “It was cool to see the tour people come out; they got to see what we do here, you know? And I like the vibe, I like the lights; it’s really pretty on campus.”
The Sunset Showcase series concludes Sept. 25 with Caroline Bowling.
Nicholas Evans is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
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