Standing Room Only for J. Robert’s Florida Songwriter Showcase

All seats were full a half–hour before J. Robert’s Florida Songwriter Showcase struck its first chord Friday night at the Margood Harbor Theater in Goodland. Everyone else found a wall to lean against in the eclectic Goodland museum that in days of yore functioned as the island’s movie theater. 

J.Robert did his usual job of entertaining the crowd with stories of his Florida musical adventures, then playing songs to accompany them.On this night,he spent most of his time on a 12-string guitar that he would occasionally tune down to fit the song. 

A crowd favorite was a J. Robert original, Caloosahatchee Flow, about the Caloosahatchee River that flows through Ft. Myers. The river is currently recognized as one of the most polluted and endangered rivers in the nation.  

“Sound the alarms, stop the harm, flow Caloosahatchee flow… save our waters for our sons and daughters… let a clean Caloosahatchee flow,” he sang about the embattled river. 

Marie Nofsinger, a regular J. Robert sidekick, won over the crowd with her folksy stories of being a Florida singer/songwriter who also works hard—including mandatory overtime—at her less glamorous job as a medical courier. Nofsinger’s Florida ballads always hit home. 

Captn Jack, who bills himself as a nouveau Jimmy Buffett, entertained the crowd with his original songs describing sailing and diving and chickee bars—all part of the beauty of living the SW Florida lifestyle. 

Rounding out the bill was Timothy McGeary, a former Collier County EMT Firefighter who has found success as a songwriter in Nashville. McGeary’s songs have appeared on soundtracks for TV shows Smallville, One Tree Hill and Glory Days. McGeary got the crowd involved with some audience participation numbers. 

J.Robertwill be back in action at theMargood Harbor Theater on March 27th—the last Friday of the month. Get there early!