BY JOHN PLOTKIN
For the third straight year, songwriters from Nashville’s Combustion Music, Canada and some local superstars return to Los Barriles to perform their original songs and raise money for the East Cape Guild Scholarship Fund. This year’s lineup is spectacular featuring returning artists Chris Farren, Combustion’s founder, Chris DeStefano and Jessica Farren. Artists Morgan Evans (from Australia) and Nick Sainato (alternative pop artist from Ohio) will also be performing for the first time. Canadian songwriter Cara Luft will be making her second appearance in Los Barriles. Also performing will be local favorite Carl Schwitzer and longtime returning local Adrienne Ackerman who has gone on to great success up north including composing the theme song for the movie Ezra. Thank you Combustion Music (22 years and 101 number one singles) and visiting songwriters. THIS WILL BE HOT!
Hotel Palmas de Cortez is again sponsoring the songwriters’ weekend. The Songwriters will perform at an already sold-out VIP dinner on Friday, March 7th at Hotel Palmas de Cortez. The dinner will feature Michelin Star Chef Estaban Luis from Damiana in Valle Guadalupe, Mexico’s wine country outside of Ensenada. This will be a special evening with great food and intimate performances.
Hotel Palmas de Cortez will again host the town concert on Saturday, March 8th. Doors will open at 5pm. There will be food vendors and a silent auction to raise money for the Scholarship Fund. The concert will begin at 6pm with Adrienne Ackerman as the opening act followed by Carl Schwitzer. Carl will be followed by Cara Luft and Combustion songwriters, Chris Farren, Chris DeStefano, Jessica Farren, Morgan Evans and Nick Sainato. As with last year, the concert will end with a jam session and dancing.
The VIP dinner is sold out. Concert tickets are being sold on-line at Eventbrite and at the Saturday Community Market and at Homes and Land of Baja. General Admission tickets are $60 each. Premium Seats, with reserved dining area and up-front seating are $100 each.
This event was last year’s event of the season and is the major fund-raiser for the East Cape Guild Scholarship Fund which in 2024/25 is funding 290 students to attend high school and college. Feel good. Have fun. Be there or be Cuadrado.
Below are bios of the singer/songwriters who will be performing at this great event.
CHRIS FARREN
Chris Farren is a multitalented singer, songwriter, producer, and industry executive who runs the notoriously successful Combustion Music in Nashville. His deep love and heart for music have also translated into philanthropic endeavors, including his annual Combustion Music Hope Town Music Festival on Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. Chris graciously accepted and is returning to Los Barriles for the third straight year.
Farren led the charge (championing a motivated and loyal staff) on 110 No. 1 songs from a roster that includes writers like five-time GRAMMY® Award-nominee Matthew West, “Cold Beer Calling My Name” co-writer Brett Tyler, and budding songwriters, Austin Goodloe and Sam Bergeson. Individually, he’s seen his songs cut by artists like The Backstreet Boys, Greg Allman, Michael McDonald, Air Supply, Rascal Flatts, Trace Adkins, Deana Carter, 98 Degrees, and Olivia Newton-John (to name a few). He has amassed an impressive lineup of awards, including 11 ASCAP Awards, six GRAMMY® nominations, and a CMA and ACM Award, and has successfully produced and developed several acts, including Rogers and Kent, as well as up-and-comers Payton Smith and Faren Rachels.
CHRIS DESTEFANO
Also, returning for his third year, Chris DeStefano, a native of Mt Laurel, New Jersey, is a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, record producer/mixer, and multi-instrumentalist.
Chris began singing at a very early age in the acclaimed Academy Boys Choir of Philadelphia. At age 13, he acquired his first guitar and remembers writing his very first songs shortly after. Driven by his passion for music and knack for picking up new instruments, DeStefano’s talents led him to Boston’s prestigious Berkley College of Music where he studied film scoring. Upon graduating, DeStefano followed the natural migration for many aspiring film score composers and moved to Los Angeles. However, what he discovered in LA was not the soundstage, but his gift for songwriting and producing. Setting his sights on the Country Airplay chart, Chris began splitting time between LA and Nashville, collaborating with some of Nashville’s hottest songwriters and artists. The transition was seamless and in early 2012 Chris charted his first country single with Jana Kramer’s “Why You Wanna” which peaked at #3 on the Billboard chart. Right on the heels of this success, DeStefano achieved his first Country chart-topper #1 with the song “Good Girl” recorded by Country superstar Carrie Underwood.
MORGAN EVANS
Morgan John Evans is an Australian country music singer and songwriter, known for his heartfelt lyrics and dynamic performances. He first gained recognition with his “Self-titles” debut album in 2014, which peaked at #20 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
International success followed with his 2017 hit “Kiss Somebody” and his 2018 album “Things That We Drink To”, which won the ARIA Award for Best Country Album in 2019. Evans’ music, featuring chart-topping singles and emotionally raw songwriting, has resonated with fans globally, amassing over 800 million streams. His 2022 “Life Upside Down” EP, written during a period of personal upheaval, highlighted his vulnerability, with tracks like “Over for You” going viral. His global tours and sold-out shows, including two performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House in 2023, have cemented his status as one of Australia’s top country artists. He is currently working on his next album, set for release in 2025, which reflects his journey of resilience and optimism.
NICK SAINATO
Originally from Youngstown, OH, Nick Sainato is a Nashville-based songwriter, producer, and musician and has also spent time in Boston and Los Angeles. He is 1/3 of the alternative pop band, Nightly, who recently completed a headline tour, and are currently writing for their greatly anticipated second album.
While Sainato writes and produces extensively with Nightly, he also has cuts with Savanna Leigh and NOTD. With a constant aim to evoke inspiration and a sense of belonging in listeners, one of his favorite songs he has co-written is “The Movies” because “it just conveyed a strong emotion the second we started writing it”. Sainato cuts have accumulated over 50 million streams and counting. He recently signed his first publishing deal with Combustion Music.
JESSICA FARREN
Jessica Farren is a Nashville native, returning to Los Barriles for her second time, and has grown up around songwriting her whole life. After graduating from college in California, she moved to Los Angeles where she released multiple independent singles and cut her teeth before moving back to Nashville in 2019.
Jessica is a pop writer at heart, but ever since signing her first publishing deal with Combustion Music in 2021, she has leaned into and absorbed many qualities of country songwriting into her arsenal of talents. Jessica has cuts with artists including Renee Blair, Faren Rachels, David J, JJ Wilde, and more. She has built relationships with many writers and producers in town and continues to write with a variety of artists across all genres.
CARA LUFT
Juno Award (Canada’s Grammy) winning singer-songwriter musician Cara Luft, is that rare artist steeped in folk and traditional roots music almost from birth, yet willing to alter the fabric, stretch the boundaries and fearlessly bend genres and styles.
Cara is returning to Los Barriles for the second time. A founding member of folk super-group The Wailin’ Jennys and the brainchild/bandleader of highly acclaimed powerhouse duo, The Small Glories, Luft serves her solid reputation as one of Canada’s finest live performers, armed with amazing tenacity, vision, energy, and contagious hilarity.
CARL SCHWITZER
Carl is a very talented guitar player and fronts a 5-piece band, “CFS120” that usually plays local concerts and outdoor festivals. Their debut album entitled, “Road of Life”, is available on Spotify. Their sound is somewhere between country, blues, rock, and funk. They perform his original songs and a few of their renditions of select cover tunes. One of his originals, called “Cheaper to Keeper”, is always a fan favorite. Carl particularly enjoys performing at songwriter rounds sharing his own songs. Local independent artists have recorded several of his songs. Carl writes songs about everyday life, some funny, some sad but always entertaining.
A local Los Barriles favorite, Carl Schwitzer, a Southern California native residing in Utah, is a singer/songwriter and self-taught guitar player who has been playing music and writing songs since the 70’s. Having grown up listening to rock and roll and blues, he quickly discovered a love for Southern Rock and Country Music.
ADRIENNE ACKERMAN
Adrienne Ackerman was raised between rural Colorado and Los Barriles before landing in Venice CA. She wrote and performed stand-up comedy for five years before turning her attention to music and film. Adrienne’s most recent work includes the composition of the title song for the feature film Ezra. Adrienne continues to write music for film and is working on a new album for 2025. She is an active member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists.