February 25, 2026
The February Songbird concert showcased the talent and storytelling of Nick Pence, Emily White, Emily Wallace, and Adam Reichmann.
February 25 felt like one of those nights where the room leaned in and never leaned back. The Songbird stage turned into a living room of stories, strings, and that quiet electricity that only happens when artists trust the audience enough to tell the truth.
Nick Pence opened with the kind of guitar work that doesn’t ask for attention, it earns it. Known around St. Louis for his work with The Bottlesnakes, The Dust Covers, The New Missouri Fox Hunters, and for helping shape the gospel-rooted sound of The Houndsteeth, Nick played like a craftsman who knows every inch of his instrument. His touch was confident but never flashy, weaving rhythm and melody together in a way that felt both rootsy and refined. It was the steady spine of the evening.
Emily Wallace brought a different kind of fire. A mainstay in the St. Louis scene through collaborations and powerhouse performances, she balanced vulnerability with vocal command. Her dynamic range moved from smoky storytelling to full-bodied crescendos that filled every corner of the venue. There’s a generosity to her performance style that makes you feel like you’re part of something shared, not just observed.
Adam Reichmann continued with seasoned Americana soul. A 20-year veteran of the scene and former frontman of Nadine, Adam delivered songs that felt carved from memory and Midwest dust. His melodies carried that Tom Petty and Neil Young lineage without imitation, grounded instead in his own poetic sensibility. It was reflective, resonant, and deeply human.
Emily White followed, closing out the circle, with the hush that makes a room hold its breath. Her voice, delicate but piercing, carried the emotional weight of her album Songs You Didn’t Know I Wrote About You with a kind of fearless intimacy. Each song felt like a sealed envelope accidentally opened in public, personal yet universally recognizable. Her lyrics lingered long after the final chord, proof that restraint can be more powerful than volume.
Collectively, the night wasn’t about spectacle. It was about craftsmanship, lyrical honesty, and the kind of storytelling that makes Songbird Concerts what it is: a space where artists don’t just perform songs, they unfold them.
📸: Auset Sarno
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
Nick Pence
Emily White
Emily Wallace
Adam Reichmann
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Nick Pence is a well-known guitar player from St. Louis. Nick plays with The Bottlesnakes, The Dust Covers, and The New Missouri Fox Hunters. He was also instrumental in forming a gospel group, The Houndsteeth.
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Emily White is a quiet force – a singer, songwriter and trained guitarist who stands out “conspicuously from the pack…with her hushed, preternaturally haunting vocal delivery” (Connect Savannah). Her potent images and dynamic melodies are things you hold onto, like (to quote one of her lyrics) “a stone in your pocket rubbed smooth.” Her fifth album Songs You Didn’t Know I Wrote About You (2023) is a collection of songs she wrote to people from all different points in her life—unread musical letters to friends, mentors, fellow songwriters, old loves, and maybe even you. Most importantly, none of the songs’ subjects know that she’s written about them. As a result, all thirteen tracks are unflinching and instantly relatable. Emotional realness, an ear for poetry, and a broad musical range define this record, as they have White’s entire career.
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Emily Wallace is an artist based out of St. Louis. She performs solo shows around town with her acoustic guitar and is a vocalist in St. Louis’ supergroup Dave Grelle’ Playadors. She is also a member of Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players. With her powerful, dynamic and diverse vocals, she frequently collaborates with an array of other artists around St. Louis including Funky Butt Brass Band, Jimmy Griffin and Adam Maness.
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Adam Reichmann is a Saint Louis singer-songwriter and 20-year veteran of the Americana scene whose “wistful melodies take up residence inside your bones.” (Riverfront Times). In the early 2000s, he fronted the band Nadine, a pioneering alt-country outfit that released four albums — most notably the critically acclaimed Downtown, Saturday.
Americana UK described Reichmann's latest release One Adam One (Where Do I Begin) as "sensitive and beautiful storytelling." Honk Magazine calls it a "rich and introspective blend of raw lyrics, captivating vocals, and soothing melodies." Fans of artists like Tom Petty, Neil Young and Dan Bern will find something to love in these lyric-driven tunes infused with Reichmann's distinctive brand of poetic, midwestern musicality.