Your guide to Sundance Music Cafés — day and night

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Kenny Loggins is The King of the Movie Soundtrack.

And. on Friday, Jan. 18, at 4:15 p.m., the Blue Sky Riders trio will perform, featuring Kenny Loggins, at the Sundance Film Festival's ASCAP Music Café.

Loggins' credits include "I'm Alright" from "Caddyshack," the title song from "Footloose," and "Danger Zone" from "Top Gun.

But. on Friday, Jan. 18, at 4:15 p.m., even though he is at a film festival, Loggins and his bandmates Georgia Middleman and Gary Burr will not be playing any of those songs.

They will deliver an acoustic set of songs the trio has written over the last few years that show a different side from the man that once cut footloose kicking off his Sunday shoes and rode a highway to the danger zone, shovin' into overdrive.

"I hit a place where I wanted new inspiration," Loggins, 65, said. "I didn't want to repeat myself or imitate myself."

The genesis for Blue Sky Riders when Loggins got together with well-known Nashville songwriter Gary Burr to write songs for Loggins' most 2007 solo album, "How About Now." Then they regrouped to co-write the theme song for a TV pilot, and Loggins realized that he wanted to be in a group again.

However, there was one more things Loggins needed. "I had an intuitive feeling that we needed a third voice," he said.

Enter Georgia Middleman, who was dating Burr at the time. "Gary told me that Kenny wanted to start a band together," Middleman said.

"The group's first album, "Finally Home," will be released on Jan. 29.

Also performing at the Sundance Film Festival's ASCAP Music Café is Greg Holden, whose name you might not immediately recognize — but you know the song he has written.

Holden co-wrote "Home," the largely acoustic debut single and coronation song from "American Idol" season 11 winner Phillip Phillips. It has reached No. 6 on the all-genre Billboard singles chart and has had the biggest digital sales week for any Idol winner's coronation song, and it became the best selling of all coronation songs — beating out Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

"'Home' was written about something personal in my life," Holden said. "It reminds me of someone I cared about that was going through a tough time."

The song was written with Drew Pearson, who has worked with numerous "American Idol" contestants over the years, and it was Pearson's connections to the FOX-televised singing competition that led to the song being chosen for Phillips. "I never expected to be picked," Holden said. "It was winning the lottery."

While Holden, born in Scotland but raised in England, is proud of the song, he is excited about jump-starting his own solo career. Now living in Brooklyn, Holden has Holden has toured throughout Europe and the United States as a headliner as well as opening for Ingrid Michaelson.

Holden admitted that after a period being a songwriter for others, he needs to get back into the song-writing process for his most important client: himself. "I spent the whole time writing for other people," he said. "I'm trying to remember what is to write for myself."

Alex Brown Church — better known as the leader of folk band Sea Wolf — has performed at Sundance Film Festival's ASCAP Music Café about a half-decade ago, and said he is happy to be returning to the "snowy" place that he remembers.

"We were there for one day," Church said. "We didn't see any movies. This time we'll have two days, [so we] hope to see some movies."

Church's most recent album is 2013's "Old World Romance," which he recorded, wrote and produced by himself. "I feel like I had the confidence and experience to do it," he said.

That experience came from Church's first-ever solo acoustic tour he embarked on in 2010. Church, typically accompanied by a five-piece band, scaled back his performances and found it challenging. "Playing by myself, all of the attention is on me," he said. "It really forced me to address my shyness."

Also performing at Sundance Film Festival's ASCAP Music Café is Portland native Dave Berg, who will be promoting his own material at the Café though he is best known in Nashville circles as a successful songwriter. His credits include the No. 1 country hits "Somebody" by Reba McEntire, "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" and "These Are My People" by Rodney Atkins, and "Moments" by Emerson Drive. He has also co-written singles for Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, and others.

Berg has performed in Utah before, most notably during the summer at Sundance Resport when the resort schedules its acclaimed Bluebird Café Concert Series.

"I'm a lover of film," Berg said. "Most of the great music I've loved recently came from movies."

Berg will be performing acoustic material from "Not Quite So Alone," an album to be released at the end of January. Then it is back to Nashville, writing songs for other people. — which he doesn't mind one bit. "Nashville now is extraordinarily talented," he said. "It's an exciting place to be."

At this year's Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe, at 750 Main St., there will be a new nightly showcase (open to all credential holders) curated by Los Angeles radio station KCRW-FM.

"I get the sense that [Sundance] wants to bloster their music offerings," said Jason Bentley, KRCW music director.

Andrew Bird and Jenny Lewis are among performers slated for night performances during the first weekend. Bentley mused that Sundance officials might like to emulate the success of the Sundance London Film and Music Festival, where music has had more of an emphasis than in Park City.

Bentley and DJ Anne Litt will co-host live radio broadcasts from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 19, and Sunday, January 20 at the Acura studio space inside the Park City Museum, with luminaries in both the film and music world planning on dropping by.

Highlights from the nighly showcases will air on KRCW's iconic "Morning Becomes Eclectic" the following week, while the Festival is still underway.

KCRW's nighttime showcases and live broadcasts in Park City, Utah during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival mark the first-ever formal programming collaboration between the independent film festival and a radio station.

"They approached us, and they were like-minded," Bentley said. "We were cut from the same cloth."

— Sundance ASCAP Music CaféAll performances at 751 Main St. and open to credential holders as space permitsAll times are p.m.Friday, Jan. 182 • Emily Wells2:40 • Jill Barber3:20 • Melanie Fiona4:15 • Blue Sky Riders (Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman, and Gary Burr)5:15 • TBASaturday, Jan. 192 •Jack Dempsey2:40 • Jill Barber3:20 • Kat Edmonson4 • Ramy Essam (from the film, "The Square")4:40 • TBASunday, Jan. 202 • Greg Holden2:40 •Kat Edmonson3:20 • Dave Berg4 • Paul Kelly4:55 • Sea WolfMonday, Jan. 212 • Greg Holden2:40 • Dave Berg3:20 • Sea Wolf4 • Paul Kelly4:55 • Andrew BirdTuesday, Jan. 222 •Kim Taylor (from the film, "I Used to Be Darker")2:40 • Kate Earl3:20 • Bleu4 •Drake White4:40 •Dave MasonWednesday, Jan. 232 • Jon Batiste and Stay Human2:40 •Bleu3:20 • TBA4 •Drake White4:45 • Ryan Miller (of Guster and the films, "In a World...: and "Toy's House")Thursday, Jan. 242 •Nataly Dawn (of Pomplamoose)2:40 Eric Hutchinson3:20 • The Head and the Heart4 • Frankmusik4:45 • Flying LotusFriday, Jan. 25 2 • The Head and the Heart2:40 • TBA3:20 • Eric Hutchinson4 • Frankmusik4:30 •TBASundance KCRW Music Café Presented by Acura (at 751 Main St.) will be open from 9 p.m. to midnight on January 18-20 and will feature emerging composers, singer-songwriters and will celebrate the role of music in movies.The performances are open to credential-holders as space permits.Friday, January 18: Hosted by KCRW DJ Chris Douridas9.30 p.m. Dustin O'Halloran (Composer — "Breathe In")10.30 p.m. Emily Wells (Composer — "Stoker")11.30 p.m. Will Bates of Fall On Your Sword (Composer — "We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks") Saturday, January 19 9.30 p.m. KCRW DJ Liza Richardson10.30 p.m. KCRW DJ Mathieu Schreyer11.30 p.m. KCRW DJ Jason Bentley Sunday, January 20: Hosted by KCRW DJs Dan Wilcox & Anne Litt9.30 p.m. Jenny Lewis (Composer — "Very Good Girls")10.30 p.m. Andrew Bird

— David Burger