Songwriters in the Raw is an in-the-round concert series curated and co-hosted by Jessica Smucker & Andrew Pauls. This month, featured performers include two locally-based artists, Dave Lefever and Susan Gascho-Cooke! Get your tickets HERE!
What to expect at the show:
>> Doors will open at 6:30. The show will start at 7 pm. Get your tickets HERE!
>> GA Tickets are $15 in advance, and $20 at the door if not sold out. As always, we’re proud to present an all-ages show!
>> If you haven't yet discovered the magic of the West Art Coffee⚡Bar, now's your chance! We're open from 7am-10pm daily, with a full and delicious espresso bar menu, along with a lovely selection of beer, wine, and cocktails, plenty of N/A options, and some tasty bites from our favorite local bakeries. Something for everyone, all day long! Come hang out before the show and experience it for yourself!
>> Parking may be available in the small lot across the street. Beyond that, there’s parking available around Buchanan Park and F&M College in the blocks surrounding West Art.
>> Seating: This will be a seated show in The Sanctuary. Our space is ADA accessible, and we will do our best to accommodate any specific needs.
>> Please note that all ticket sales are final. Thank you for supporting great music! Get your tickets HERE!
Artist Bios
Susan Gascho-Cooke (AKA Susan Loring)
Songwriting is how Susan explores the world around and within. Her lyrics reveal her love of literature, poetry, religion and philosophy, while her sound reveals roots in folkd, singer-songwriter, old-time, and bluegrass traditions. She writes music alongside raising a family and working as a pastor. Her songs grow from her own life and day-to-day task of meaning-making, faith-sustaining, and assumption-questioning in community.
Susan has been immersed in music since before she can remember: growing up in a faith tradition where everyone around her could sing four-part a capella harmony, and starting Sukuki violin at 4 years old. It wasn't until years later, moving to Atlanta, GA, and desperately needing a hobby outside of grad school that she discovered the world of local, participatory folk, old-time, and bluegrass music. She learned how to fiddle and played with bluegrass bands in the bar and opries in and around Atlanta and Athens, finally settling in with a trio that combined traditional instrumental tunes with each other's original songs. With that trio, Lonesome Redwing, she opened for Patty Loveless, Steep Canyon Rangers, Tony Rice & Peter Rowan, and Claire Lynch.
Her songwriting heroes include: Brandi Carlile, Tracy Chapman, Patty Griffin, Jason Isbell, Karine Polwart, Darrell Scott, Amanda Shires, Paul Simon, Gillian Welch, Dar Williams, and the more recent discoveries of Heather Maloney, John Moreland, Emily Scott Robinson, and Siri Undlin of Humbird. In her wildest dreams, she would love to have a song covered by Alison Krauss, Aoife O'Donovan, Molly Tuttle, or the Wailin' Jennys.
Dave Lefever
Dave Lefever is surprised to realize he's been writing songs for over 30 years. His songs attempt to express his experiences with life and nature that are hard to express. Raised on a dairy farm in Lebanon County, Dave works as a journalist covering farming and rural life. He lives in Ephrata with wife Katrina, son Eli and Birch the cat.
https://davelefever.bandcamp.com
Jessica Smucker
Jessica Smucker believes that the best way to change the world is to channel our pain into connection. Her songs have a way of reaching deeply into people’s souls and inviting the kind of reflection that feels both reassuring and unsettling. Wrapped in catchy melodies, her lyrics appear simple and relatable on the surface, but each listen will uncover more hidden pockets of nuance. She’s the kind of writer and performer who can lull a noisy room into a hush with a single line.
Based in Lancaster, PA, Jessica was raised in the Mennonite faith tradition by a family full of storytellers, activists, adventurers, and pranksters. She has toured nationwide and performs regularly throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S. Her discography spans from 2008-2025 and includes two EPs, three full-length albums, and a new compilation album of singles released between 2021-24.
Jessica has won or placed in several national songwriting contests including SolarFest’s Singer/Songwriter Showcase Competition, the Connecticut Folk Festival Song Competition, and the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. In her life beyond music, she is a published poet and essayist, a social justice warrior, a freakishly good Scrabble player, and mother to two of the smartest people she’s ever met in real life!
Get your tickets HERE!