Singer Songwriter Saturated Cape May

Singer Songwriter Saturated Cape May

Tears flowed down my cheeks as C. Lynne Smith sang Scattered Memories Saturday night.  In the event that has Cape May saturated in talent, the 10th annual Singer Songwriter conference skews the typical tourism demographic here.  The town is filled with millenia and boomers networking within the community of artists known as singer songwriters.

Local star C. Lynne Smith got the nod to open for the headliner Jonatha Brooke in Congress Hall’s ballroom. C Lynne, a regular at open mic nights and the Fireside Series in the hotel’s Brown Room, presented a nervousness masked with sincere humility.

Scattered Memories is a story of coping with her grandmother’s Alzheimer’s and eventual passing. Grateful for the darkened ballroom, I could not remember the last time I experienced such profound emotion. “Walk into your room with all your heirlooms layin round in piles on the floor,” she sang. I was somehow instantly in the front bedroom of our three bedroom row house, cluttered with years of clothing and jewelry after my mom’s death.

If it’s a goal to touch an audience or evoke emotion, C. Lynne is in a master’s class. “I can almost smell the roast you’re makin,” she continued and did me in. Sunday eye roasts were a staple for my single mom and three brothers. The visuals in this song were overwhelming.

On Sunday morning, I learned others experienced similar yet individual emotions. Interestingly, Jonatha Brooke, the headliner, well known to her audience beautifully sang her own story of living with her mom’s Alzheimer’s.

Stronger than the emotions was the tugging to be in ten other places, knowing that singer-songwriter saturated Cape May overflowed with energetic performances in nearly every establishment. It’s a conflict expressed by many attendees.

In the words of another local home town favorite singer songwriter: “Thank you for letting me tell you that.”