The FrontPorch Showcase Featured Artists

We're proud of the artists that have graced the Front Porch. These are just a few of the talented musicians we've been lucky enough to host.

If you like our artists, this is where you can find out more about some of those we've featured in the past. Artists that perform at the open mic are invited to share a brief bio for inclusion here on our website as well as occasional feature spots on our home page.

Thanks for your interest in musicians that perform at the FrontPorch Showcase.

Past Featured Artists

Dick Patton
If you've attended one of our open mic performances, you'll recognize Dick as our sometimes serious but often goofy Master of Ceremonies.

A well known face in the local music scene, Dick has made a name for himself as a strange mix of comical lyricist and talented guitarist.

We've featured a number of his songs such as 'Lady in Waiting' and 'Payments' on our podcast in the past and never cease to smile when he adds his kazoo (or as he says 'membrane-o-phone') to an otherwise guitar only piece.

Along with playing guitar and hosting the FrontPorch Showcase, Dick has been an airplane pilot, built his own wooden kayak, driven a demolition derby car, and generally enjoyed life. Each month he and his daughter can be seen making sure the show goes on when he hosts our show.

Along with Steve Criner, Dick was the original organizer of the monthly open mic which is the FrontPorch Showcase. When asked about the purpose of the open mic, he's quick to say that it's all about the musicians. Helping the rest of the world learn about the quality of the artists in West Virginia is his top priority.

Mack the Panda
Or, is it Mac? Either way, Daniel Stidham and Courtney Hunt certainly kept us entertained as they joined us for a couple of this summer's monthly open mic shows.

Natives of Teays Valley, Daniel and Courtney have performed together for a number of years and also each have a wonderful array of solo projects along with their 'teamed up' music.

Daniel informed us that their appearance at the July open mic would be the last for a few months as he returns to school at Liberty University, an independent, fundamentalist Baptist university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. This should be no surprise to anyone that has seen the pair perform. Their lyrics are a wonderful mix of inspirational and gospel based originals with enough drive to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Performing together for a number of years, the duo got their start as members of a local Christian music group comprised of members of their local church, Good Shepherd Baptist. The name of that original group was Lowercase and while the members of that effort have each gone on to different projects, Courtney and Daniel continue to entertain. We look forward to seeing more of them at open mics when they're in the area during breaks from school.

Click here to see past featured artists

Rich Allen
Ok, he does our theme song. What else could a guy want? Well, fortunately for Rich, that's not all he has to list on his musical resume.

This Cross Lanes resident was also a 2006 Newsong WV Regional Round finalist for his original 'Grandma's Song' (Featured on our May 19th, 2006 Podcast).

He has been writing and performing his own songs since he was a teenager and has played all around WV. He has 3 self-released CDs which you can pick up at any of his local gigs.

Everytime Rich joins us at the Open Mic, he is certainly a crowd pleaser and one of this Webmaster's favorite local performers.

For more information about Rich, you can visit his PureVolume page..

Logan Patton
At 17 years old, Logan has managed to put together an exciting collection of instrumental skills.

Primarily a guitarist, Logan plays with his church praise band, will be playing upright bass for his school stage band this year, and is currently the lead guitarist for the Ska band DimeStore Heist which will be joining us for our November open mic.

Additionally, he's been know to write keyboard and bass parts for original music by his band and is currently taking music theory at Winfield High School where he is a junior this year.

We never know what Logan will be doing when he joins us for our open mic. He recently did a 'lap tap' on his electric guitar which can be heard on an upcoming podcast.

As a musician and a teenager, Logan is an all around good kid. Check him out at our open mic or one of DimeStore Heists future appearances.

Robin Kessinger
Robin Kessinger is one of the country's leading flatpick guitarists.  He's won the National Flatpicking Championship, in Winfield Kansas, holds titles in Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia,  Best of Tri State (OH, KY & WV) and other contests too numerous to mention.  If you haven't heard Robin perform, you are in for a real treat.

Robin's Father, Bob Kessinger was an accomplished mandolin player who taught Robin many tunes. World-renowned fiddler and recording artist, Clark Kessinger, (his uncle) and family friend Robert Rutland (Georgia Slim) both contributed to Robin's formative years as a musician.  But it has always been the music of Appalachia itself that Robin found irresistible.  So much so, that he has dedicated much of his life to passing on his heritage to others and preserving the music that is so much a part of our American history.

While the April 2007 FrontPorch Showcase may have been Robin's first time to join us, we certainly hope it won't be the last. As you know if you were there, Robin is an amazing guitarist and inspiration to those around him. And, if you weren't there, we guess you'll want to show up next time.

For more information about Robin, visit his website at http://www.robinkessinger.com/

Past Featured Artists

Charlton Jordan
If you haven't heard of Charlton Jordan, you will.

A regular at our open mic, Charlton is going somewhere. He has recently performed with gospel greats from all over the country in places like Nashville, TN. and on July 10, 2006 will be appearing on the Gaither Homecoming tour in Alexandria, Indianna.

Jordan is quick to thank God for his musical gifts and believe us, he has them. His booming voice fills the room and brings the crowd to a new level of excitement.

Featured on our June 2nd Podcast, Charlton is a powerful voice that we hope will still visit us from time to time when he makes it 'Big'.

Charlton has a CD 'Trusting God' available and we will provide information about it in our artist merchandise center soon. Meanwhile, if you wish to contact Charlton, complete our contact form and we will provide you with his contact information.

Steve and Steve with
1st Avenue Band

Currently working on their next CD, the 1st Avenue Band is an exciting mix of bluesy guitar licks, amazing lyrics, and hard driving rythms.

The band is made up of great local talent Steve Farley (Lead, Vocals), Steve Criner (Guitar , Lead Vocals), and Don Gandee (Percussions , Vocals) and can be seen at local venues including the FrontPorch Showcase.

For more information, to here some samples of their music, or to purchase a CD, you can visit their page at the Nitro Music Studio website: http://www.nitromusicstudio.com

Brandon also seems to be the 'go-to guy' when other musicians are looking for consistant and quality backup for their own performances in competition. We recently watched as Brandon backed up the majority of the Vandalia Gathering's Old Time Banjo competitors with his amazingly consistant guitar work.

His most recent awards were third place finish in the prestigous Vandalia Gathering Flat Pick Guitar competition not to mention the first place honors in the Mandolin Competion.

Douglas Imbrogno

Along with being a regular at local open mics including The FrontPorch Showcase, Douglas has written and recorded some outstanding music as a solo artist. His latest project is the Garagecow Ensemble's full CD, "Saint Stephen's Dream." which is labeled as buddhist-sympathizing modern folk-pop when we checked it out on Best Buy's new music search service.

To learn more about Doug or to purchase his CD, visit garagecow.com. Also, you can catch a sample of his music in our July 7th podcast.

George Robertson
Along with being a regular at our open mics and having been featured on our podcast a few times, George is much more than a musician.

As an organizer with Healing Through Creativy George is quick to share the information about the organization's upcoming events. Healing through Creativity is a local West Virginia event that shows support for survivors of trauma through creative outlets. According to their website - "The event will promote community awareness about the needs of survivors of trauma to the body, mind and spirit and seek in aiding prevention of assault and abuse."

George's original music consists of some of the most enjoyable and diverse songs we have heard and he continues to be a favorite among our audiences both online and at our open mic. You can listen to George in several of our podcasts by visiting the podcast section of this site.

Tim Cook
One of our regulars at the Open Mic, Tim Cook is not only a staple for the FrontPorch showcase but also a favorite.

From the first time you hear Tim play, you know something is special. While not the only thing, one of those special attributes is the amazing abillity to write amazing lyrics. On more than one occasion, Tim has shared a song written very recently (even the day of the open mic) and they are always sure to please.

Whether playing alone on stage or accompanied by other local talent such as Charlton Jordan, Tim always makes the trip to our show or other venues he may be playing in worth the drive.

A local musician for many years, Tim can honestly say "I knew her when". As he played many years ago with his good friend Kathy Mattea when they were both just "Nitro Kids".

If you want to hear more about Tim, make sure to visit one of our upcoming open mics where he regularly plays.

The Congregation and Clergy of St. Timothy's In The Valley
While they may not meet our usual definition for a featured artist, the folks at St. Timothy's definitely deserve some mention.

At a time when the FrontPorch ShowCase was looking at our options for new venues or possibly even the end of our monthly open mics, this Teays Valley church opened it's doors and provided our musicians with an amazing opportunity.

Hosting our shows in their beautiful community center/fellowship room with it's high wooden ceilings and cozy atmosphere, St. Timothy's has opened an entirely new set of possibilities to our program.

For more information about St. Timothy's, visit them online at http://www.sttimothyepiscopalwv.org or call them at 304-562-9325.

Got iTunes? Get our PodCast
Click here for weekly Podcast information.