Songwriters circle returns to Lawrence Public Library with local artists
Arthur Dodge, Kelly Hunt and Julie Schwarting mixed original songs with backstory in a free Lawrence Public Library set that later aired on Kansas Public Radio.
Three songwriters turned Lawrence Public Library into a free listening room Tuesday evening, with host Chris Molla guiding an intimate set that moved between live performance and the stories behind each song. Arthur Dodge, Kelly Hunt and Julie Schwarting each brought original material to the 707 Vermont St. stage, giving the crowd a chance to hear not just the finished songs but the choices, influences and moments that shaped them.
The 780 Songwriters Circle was built around that back-and-forth. The library described the series as a way to pull back the curtain on the creative process, and the artists spent the night doing exactly that, alternating between playing and explaining the how and why behind their craft. The program was presented by Lawrence Public Library, Kansas Public Radio and Lawrence Music Alliance, with sponsorship from Lawrence Music Association and Kaw Valley Jukebox.
The setting mattered as much as the lineup. By keeping the event free and in a public library, organizers opened a downtown arts night to residents who might not be able to pay for a club show or travel far for live music. The program also was slated to be broadcast later on 105 Live on Kansas Public Radio, extending the reach of a Lawrence gathering that was built for both the room and the radio.
The evening followed a first 780 Songwriters Circle in March that drew about 50 people to the library auditorium. That earlier show featured Colin Halliburton of The Roseline, Jeff Stolz and Suzannah Johannes, and helped set the tone for a series Lawrence officials have framed as both cultural programming and a way to bring people together downtown. Library director Brad Allen said the idea behind the 780 Series was to bring people to town and start conversations.
That larger goal showed through in the June lineup as well. Molla, a founding member of Camper Van Beethoven with more than 30 years of music-teaching experience, brought a host’s perspective shaped by performance and instruction, while Kelly Hunt’s background included a childhood in a musical household in Memphis, Tennessee and a debut album, Even the Sparrow, released in May 2019. Together with Dodge and Schwarting, the night offered a low-cost way to keep Lawrence’s local music scene visible and active in a city center that benefits when people gather for more than errands and meetings.
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