The Kate Show

Even though she has barely reached legal drinking age, this Cleveland-born singer-songwriter has accomplished much more than many other troubadours of her generation. In addition to scoring a regular spot on the CW soap One Tree Hill, she also has earned enough respect to be able to share the stage with legends like Neil Young and Willie Nelson, to name a few. Now don't think that she got all this attention because of her obvious good looks (let's face it, that does help). She is a skilled guitarist, pianist, and vocalist with chops well beyond her twenty two years. When singing, she seems to bring emotions from the bottom of her heart, both with self-penned material or on songs like Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah,” which she recorded for the TV show and also released on her debut CD, Don't Look Away (MySpace Records). Voegele also handles a live audience well -- she has great charm on stage, adding poignancy to the words of tunes like “Only Fooling Myself” and “I Won't Disagree,” which often take an ironical point of view on romantic disillusionment. Whether her fans get her message or not, the music is highly enjoyable, especially when she brings forth influences from Gospel and R&B -- maybe a hint that she might follow the well-trodden (but nevertheless fascinating) path of blue-eyed soul.
Fri., Sept. 19, 8 p.m., 2008