Shining the Spotlight on Local Songwriters
From Belmont-DeVilliers’ storied jazz, blues and ragtime clubs to the the Frank Brown Songwriters’ Festival, Pensacola has served as a hub for live music of all genres throughout its history.
Fast forward to 2025, and venues across the city continue to keep Pensacola’s musical heritage alive by hosting open mic nights and events that provide a platform for local musicians to share their work.
The Handlebar is one modern-day venue rooted in history where local musicians can take the stage and perform their original songs.
The Handlebar’s rich musical history made it the perfect candidate for singer-songwriter Katie Dineen to host her monthly Pensacola Songwriter Rounds Series. Each month, Katie and a small group of both local and touring musicians gather at The Handlebar in downtown Pensacola and perform four to six of their original songs in what’s referred to as a “round.”
“The Pensacola Songwriter Rounds is modeled after Nashville-style songwriter rounds, which are essentially a show-and-tell for songwriters in a listening room,” Katie explained. “Four or five songwriters sit on stage side-by-side and one person shares a song then ‘passes the mic’ to the next writer. This style of song sharing allows for spontaneity among artists.”
Katie has been performing in Pensacola and the surrounding area since 2020 and began using her local influence to help bolster other songwriters in the summer of 2022.
One of these new performers is Pensacola native, Nate Clay. He had performed before, playing keyboard for his friend, Tori Vinson, but had never played solo. Clay performed his original music for the first time at the Songwriter Rounds in January 2025.
“Having a date set and a goal to look towards has really motivated me to hone these songs into a performable state,” Clay said. “Ideas without discipline only get you so far and the rounds have given me the drive to follow through and actualize the stories I have to tell.”
One significant difference between these Songwriter Rounds and traditional open mic events is the environment. Contrary to a typical bar or cafe setting, The Handlebar becomes what’s referred to as a “listening room,” with no chatter or background noise. Instead, all attention is focused on the music and lyrics.
“The listening room atmosphere cultivates a sense of togetherness between the artists and the audience, a feeling of hearing and being heard,” Katie said.
For many first-time performers, this makes the experience much more approachable. “My own music leans toward balladry, being more quiet and contemplative, and I felt it would be well-suited to the listening atmosphere Katie Dineen has worked to establish with the rounds,” Clay explained.
From slow piano ballads to upbeat acoustic folksongs, there are no constraints when it comes to the type of music performed in the Songwriter Rounds. Both local and touring musicians across all genres of music are invited to perform at the event. Many of the singer-songwriters also welcome improvised collaboration on their songs, with some even inviting the audience to sing along as they perform.
“Building a community around original music, I hope that it will draw more of that in,” Katie said. “My hope for the future of this series and the future for Pensacola is that it becomes an artistic hub. I’d like for it to continue to go on and be a space for songwriters to express themselves.”
The next Pensacola Songwriter Rounds Series event will be held at 6 PM on March 30 at The Handlebar located at 319 N. Tarragona St. in downtown Pensacola.
For updates on upcoming events and to learn more about the Pensacola Songwriter Rounds Series, visit facebook.com/pensacolasongwriterrounds and check out @pensacolasongwriter and @katiedineensings on Instagram. You can also visit thehandlebar850.com for future dates and venue details.
Photos by Will Rain