“Nashville Nights: A Songwriters Showcase,” September 25

Friday, September 25, 7 p.m.

The Rust Belt, 533 12th Avenue, East Moline IL

A trio of gifted, up-and-coming singer/songwriters, none of them yet 30 years old, will share the September 25 bill at the The Rust Belt when the East Moline venue presents Nashville Nights: A Songwriters Showcase, a night of soulful country boasting the talents of Logan Michael, George Pippen, and Madden Metcalf.

Twenty-five-year-old Logan Michael, as stated at AllMusic.com, "grew up in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and found himself drawn to country artists like Luke Combs during his high school years. Around this time, he began posting a mix of covers and early originals online and found some traction while still in his teens. His first official releases, 2020's 'Beat Up Chevy' and 'Still Have My Heart, revealed a young artist with a confident, contemporary country style, sung in a relaxed baritone. His first breakthrough, the folky 'Angel Wings,' arrived in 2021 and helped grow his fan base significantly. Michael became more prolific over the next few years, releasing 2022's Toxic Heart EP, followed a year later by Home, which featured popular cuts like 'Leave Me Alone' and 'Lonely Like I Am.' Later in 2023, 'Breaking Point (F U)' became one of his biggest hits. He kept up his momentum with songs like 2024's 'Said and Done,' 2025's 'I Met This Girl,' and 2026's 'Leave.'"

Twenty-nine-year-old George Pippen, also per AllMusic.com, "was born in 1997 and grew up in Carmel, Indiana. After completing college, he set his sights on Los Angeles, hoping to make a career in the music business as an artist manager. Initially, he paid the rent by working as an electrician and in construction, but in time he found work as a tour manager, helping musicians and their crews keep things running smoothly on the road. As he learned the music business from the inside, Pippen was inspired to make music of his own. While he was learning the finer points of playing guitar, he took up songwriting, and he developed a distinct lyrical voice. He began posting videos of himself singing his songs on TikTok, and it wasn't long before he had an audience that wanted to hear more. In May 2024, Pippen released his debut track, the personal 'Indiana Knows My Name,' and it soon attracted attention on major streaming services. The song was soon followed by 'Speedin'' and 'Silence in the Suburbs,' and his profile as a live performer rose as he began playing gigs at honky tonks as a headliner, and appearing on bigger stages opening for Megan Mooney. Before 2024 was out, Pippen had released an EP, Magnolia Nights, that featured his first three single tracks as well as three unreleased songs."

The youngest of the Rust Belt's Nashville Nights artists, 20-year-old Madden Metcalf hails from Panacea, Florida – a fishing town of fewer than a thousand people where his family has lived for generations. Raised between mornings on the crab boat and nights working at a local restaurant, he built his music on small-town grit, Gulf Coast roots, and the soundtrack of his dad’s pole barn where Johnny Cash, Jimmy Buffett, and Kenny Chesney were always playing. By the time he was 14, Metcalf was juggling both, hauling in traps by day and washing dishes by night. Those rhythms of small-town grit, family tradition, and Gulf Coast living are the foundation of his music, his recent songs including "Drinkin' Well," "Saltwater Southern," and "I Don't Wanna Cry Anmore."

Michael, Pippen, and Metcalf will perform in Nashville Nights: A Songwriters Showcase on September 25, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $25.11-31.71, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRustBeltQC.com.