Gable Music Ventures Staff Picks; Best Musical Moments of 2022!

The Shuffle

Dec 29

It’s no secret that Delaware has had countless magical musical moments in 2022. We thought it would be fun to end the year by sharing some of our staff’s favorite memorable moments. THANK YOU to all our readers and supporters for continuing to go out and experience music first hand, stream tunes from the local bands, and engage with our talented artists. We hope to see you at a show in 2023!

*(Gayle Dillman Photo Credit Moonloop Photography)*

Gayle Dillman
Owner and CEO of Gable Music Ventures and The Ladybug Music Festival

My top moment is the release of the Sweet Lizzy Project single ‘Dreaming of A Revolution’. Nothing seems to capture some of the energy of 2022 as ‘Dreaming of A Revolution’ does. Sweet Lizzy Project combines creative songwriting with strong, focused music for this terrific song.

*(Sweet Lizzy Project at The 2022 Wilmington Ladybug Music Festival, Photo Credit Moonloop Photography)*

Nathalie Antonov
Creative Projects & Event Manager

My top musical moment was The Hometown Heroes Homey Awards, hosted by Gable Music Ventures and Delaware Public Media which came back in 2022 in full effect at The Queen in Wilmington. It was very special to be able to get longtime show host Mark Rogers and our local musicians together in one place, in support of each other, given the limiting years we all had experienced. The evening was full in every sense, with moving musical performances, moments of celebration, and a deep sense of pride for our local music scene's accomplishments.

*(A stage full of award recipients at the 2022 Homey Awards Show picture courtesy of John Faye’s Facebook page)*

*(Danielle Johnson Photo Credit Nathalie Antonov)*

Danielle Johnson
Writer for The Gable Verse

My top musical moment was The Album Release Show for Lauren & The Homewreckers at The Jackson Inn in Wilmington. I played on the line up along with another long time musical friend Nicole Zell and the night was full of so much love and friendship.

Lauren Kuhne is one of my best friends, my manager and co-creator. I knew she had this music kicking around for the better part of a decade and was excited to finally release it into the world. Nicole Zell has been a constant state of inspiration for me as a singer and songwriter and she played a lot of her new solo music which was so motivating and personal. I too had just begun to hone in on my skills as a solo artist and felt so loved and supported by my friends and the audience. Every one of us killed our sets and it made me warm and fuzzy thinking about how holistic and beautiful the music industry can be when you work with other passionate, supportive, and creative people.

*(Sug Daniels, Lauren Kuhne, and Nicole Zell share a special moment in between sets at The Jackson Inn. Photo Credit Nathalie Antonov)*

Karla Lara
Social Media Manager

My favorite moment from 2022 was the culmination of many different efforts from the artistic community. When I first became involved with The Ladybug Music Festival I did so to do my part in creating a culture that celebrates art and music. Because of that, I was so proud to come across a painting created by Milford artist, Cathy Walls, of a performance she witnessed this year during Milford’s 2022 Ladybug Music Festival.

*(Photo: Small selection of a watercolor painting by Cathy Walls)*

The painting features Frantastic Noise, the powerhouse singer-songwriter from West Philadelphia and her band members, her fellow Noisemakers. Together, During the Milford Ladybug Music Festival, Fran and the Noisemakers had packed the My Sister’s Fault stage and had everyone standing on their feet cheering and singing during their epic performance.

The energy at the event was palpable and that moment went on to inspire Cathy Walls, owner of C Mercedes Walls Studio Virtual Gallery, to create a watercolor illustration. Two days after learning about this illustration, Cathy Walls informed us that her painting of Frantastic Noise had been selected as the winner of a Merit Award in the Delaware Watercolor Society Exhibit at the Biggs Museum of American Art. Cathy Walls thanked our team for aiding the moment’s inspiration.

It is very rewarding to see how all these events can add up to something totally new and elevated! I am happy to share this story and this moment with others as an example that there exists space for new art and the celebration of the arts. All we need to do is go outside, connect and share our talents with others. Through this, we will begin to nurture and elevate the culture that we want to see in our community.

Joey Heins
Social Media Manager

To get a little in the feels, my top moment was being welcomed back into the Gable family as a social media coordinator earlier this year, which was an amazing way to kick off my 2022. I get to be a part of so many cool events; which leads to my 'real' top moment;

Sweet Lizzy Project came into Wilmington as the The Ladybug Music Festival Headliner and CRUSHED it! Rock and roll was ringing through the entire city that night as the band played their headlining set on Market Street. Getting to hang with them, talk about basslines, songwriting, and favorite types of tequila was an absolute blast. I was taken aback by their power and unity as a band and am antsy-ancy to see them perform again.

Watch a Recap of the Ladybug Music Festival here!

*Joe Trainor from Gable Website;* (Photo credit: Moonloop Photography)

Joe Trainor
Talent Buyer

The annual Shine A Light Concert to benefit the Light Up The Queen Foundation never disappoints. Over 60 of the area's best musicians converge to deliver an incredible hit of nostalgia in a 3+ hour concert event. While it usually focuses on hits from a specific year, 2022 marked 10 years of the event and delivered a mix of songs from the past 10 shows.

The Caulfields Reunion. While I would love to spotlight something new or hip, I have to admit that watching this band roll through an hour plus of their hottest material from the 90s was a pleasure to see. These musicians are still at the top of their game and they brought a ton of energy to their show at Theatre N.