A night of award-winning songwriters! Jobi Riccio, Slow Runner, and AC Sapphire share a bill at Citizen Vinyl on Thursday, Dec. 7.
Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $15 advance, $20 day of show.
Not only are Jobi, Michael Flynn of Slow Runner, and AC stellar songsmiths, they are each grand-prize winners of the annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition.
JOBI RICCIO: Born and raised in Morrison, Colorado – a tourist town in the foothills outside of Denver that’s home to Red Rocks Amphitheater – Jobi Riccio grew up surrounded by music and found inspiration in artists ranging from Sheryl Crow to Joni Mitchell. Sonically, Jobi’s music exists between worlds, melding the classic craftsmanship of her songwriting with modern indie-leaning production to forge a lush, expansive sound that feels traditional and experimental all at once. She has received acclaim for her songwriting, including winning the 2019 NewSong Music Competition, performing at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, receiving the 2019 Lee Villiare Scholarship from her alma mater Berklee College of Music, and being named a finalist in the 2018 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriters Showcase. In 2023 Jobi was awarded the Newport Folk Festival John Prine Fellowship.
Her debut album Whiplash (out September 2023 on Yep Roc) introduces influences from a variety of genres, while still holding space for Riccio’s love for all decades of country and Americana music.
SLOW RUNNER: Michael Flynn is an Americana-adjacent singer/songwriter based in western NC. His songs have been featured on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Shameless,” and on commercials for useful products like cars and shampoo. He’s also won a few awards for songwriting, most recently the 2021 Newsong Music Grand Prize. Michael signed a record deal with SonyBMG in 2006 and began releasing music as Slow Runner, in a collaboration with producer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaler and other musical friends. Slow Runner has spawned 5 full length albums among other EPs and singles, and have toured internationally with acts like The Avett Brothers, Josh Ritter, Built to Spill, William Fitzsimmons, and many others.
Michael has released three solo albums, including the most recent Survive With Me in 2020. 2022 sees the release of a new EP called endlings, an unvarnished collection of songs that at various points evoke the following emotions: sadness, happiness, regret, romance, optimism, pessimism, you get the idea. He consistently threatens to someday write a self-help book called ‘Stop Trying to Look Like What You Used To Look Like And Just Look Like What You Look Like!’ but none of his friends actually think he’ll follow through.
AC SAPPHIRE: Whether solo or full band, AC Sapphire’s powerful voice fills a room. Her songwriting chops make instant fans of first time listeners and keep her following coming back. A particularly gifted singer, AC also has a lifetime of performing experience that began in her early teens. Her latest album Desert Car, released on American Standard Time Records, is a stunning, shimmering collection of electric rock songs served as nostalgic souvenirs. She’s been featured as a Bandcamp new and notable, in Glide Magazine, Pop Mattters, XS Noize, Relix Magazine, and Americana Highway.
AC Sapphire was the winner of Relix Magazine’s 2022 Sonic Showdown contest, featured in the December issue and flown to New York City to perform for a live session for recording. AC was also chosen as the grand prize winner in the 21st annual NewSong Music competition. She can be heard singing alongside Shirley Manson (Garbage) on the eponymous single “We’re Still Here” from HIRS Collective new album. Always in motion, AC now also has a duo project called Caliko with long time singing partner Kendall Lujan.
