By Robert M. Sarwark
The Porch Press has officially booked the two musical acts that will perform at the “40 Years on the Porch” event this Saturday, October 24, from 7 p.m. to 10 pm. (If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, head to theporchpress.com or scan the QR code in this issue…POST HASTE!)
Alex Cavanaugh
Opening the musical portion of the event will be Alex Cavanaugh. Since 2020, Cavanaugh has called Atlanta home. In 2024, he and his wife Alyssa moved to Grant Park.
“Grant Park is everything you could ever want. History, a tight community, and right here in the city. It’s the perfect neighborhood,” Cavanaugh says.
He describes his style as, “Rock and roll with a songwriter’s soul.” A multi-instrumentalist, Cavanaugh often accompanies himself on guitar, bass, keyboards, and more using a loop pedal and other effects. He has also hinted at including some songs from our founding year of 1986 in his upcoming set.
Cavanaugh’s most recent single, “Feel It Again” (2025) starts with a chugging delayed guitar soon joined by a lilting piano. The harmonic vocal overdubs showcase Alex’s studio chops while the lyrics speak to a strain of romantic nostalgia: “out past midnight / hearts pounding fast / every corner felt like a brand new start / I wanna feel it again…”
The crisp sound augurs well for the future: Alex will be gearing up for another release in the new year — date TBA. In the meantime, find all his released music at alexcavanaugh.com.
Andy Browne’s musical collective at Railroad Earth: (L-R) Dave Ward (percussion), Pricilla Gay Smith (flute), Andy Browne (guitar/vocals), Samson (dog/manager), Isa Thomasson (violin), Deisha Oliver (cello)
Headlining our bill is Andy Browne. Now based in the Snellville area, long-time residents of Atlanta may remember Mr. Browne as the frontman of the much-loved local rock band the Nightporters. But that’s just one chapter of his fascinating story.
“I’ve played in [a] very popular, loud, alternative rock band in my youth,” he says, referring to those heady days of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. “We did some big things. [But] I don’t really find any interest in that anymore.” Instead, it’s timeless singer-songwriters like James Taylor and John Denver who better inform his style nowadays. Add in David Bowie, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, and Frank Sinatra and you map a large part of Browne’s constellation of heroes.
Browne will likely be joined on stage on October 24th by a percussionist (electric cajón) and possibly a cellist or a violinist. Or possibly something different altogether — that’s all part of the surprise. His collective of friends and collaborators includes Palmer Wood (production), Dave Ward (percussion), Isa Thomasson (violin), Deisha Oliver (cello), Neil Fried (photography), and several others. (And, as always, his beloved yellow Lab mix Samson will be there.) And in terms of personal inspiration, his mother is never far from his mind or heart, despite the fact that she lives all the way in Birmingham — England, not Alabama. “She is the most important woman in my life and always will be,” he said. (Both of his parents are English and raised their family on both sides of “the pond.”) “I cannot thank her enough for being my number-one fan throughout my life. She has been an angel.”
Browne describes himself in two ways: “delicately painted acoustic prose” and “post-modern music with a frangible edge.” If that sounds vague, that’s the point: Let the music speak for itself, he says. Labels won’t make a difference either way, he explains.
Speaking of what he loves about our corner of southeast Atlanta, Browne remarked, “[It has] this great bond of community spirit. It’s not about you or me, it’s about us.” He is excited to bring his message of humanity and connection to one of the many places he has grown to love throughout his long and rich career.
Find more about Andy and his musical and other projects at https://andybrowneofficial.com. His most recent single, the heartfelt ballad “The Dummy in Me,” has a great video that displays Browne’s penchant for the visual medium (he has worked for years in lighting and video production). Of the song, Rough Draft Atlanta’s Sammie Purcell described it as “a reflection of the growth [Browne has] experienced both professionally and personally over the years.”
