May 27, 2026
The May Songbird concert showcased the talent and storytelling of Lyal Strickland, Natalie Huggins, Megan Rooney, and Jeffrey Albert.
The final Songbird Concert of the Spring 2026 season took place on May 27, with another evening like those we've come to cherish: a sold-out room full of attentive listeners, a circle of talented songwriters, and songs that reminded us why live music matters.
This month's round featured Natalie Huggins, Jeffrey Albert, Megan Rooney, and Lyal Strickland, each bringing a unique voice and perspective to the stage. Across six rounds of songs, the evening unfolded naturally, moving between humor and heartbreak, reflection and revelation, with each artist adding their own color to the sounds and conversations.
Natalie Huggins brought an atmospheric quality to the night, weaving evocative melodies and thoughtful lyrics into performances that felt both intimate and expansive. Her songs carried a quiet power, drawing listeners into spaces that felt familiar yet dreamlike.
Jeffrey Albert and Megan Rooney, known to many as Spectator, brought a unique dynamic to the evening, sharing both individual songs and the chemistry that comes from years of creating music together. Their performances balanced thoughtful songwriting, rich harmonies, and a natural ease that invited listeners into their world. Moving seamlessly between personal reflection and shared storytelling, they added a warmth and connection to the round that felt both intimate and expansive.
Lyal Strickland rounded out the circle with the grounded storytelling and humility that have become hallmarks of his songwriting. Drawing from the landscapes and experiences that inspire his work, his songs brought a sense of place and perspective that anchored the evening.
What made the night memorable was not simply the individual performances but the way they interacted with one another. Songbird has always been about more than a series of songs. It's about the conversation that emerges when artists share a stage, listening and responding to one another through their music. As the rounds progressed, common threads began to appear: resilience, connection, memory, and the search for meaning in everyday moments.
The May concert also marked the close of another remarkable spring season. Over the past several months, Songbird welcomed audiences to a series of sold-out evenings filled with exceptional songwriting, meaningful stories, and the kind of community that can only be built when people gather to truly listen.
To everyone who attended, supported the artists, volunteered, shared a post, brought a friend, or helped spread the word, thank you. Songbird exists because of the artists who generously share their work and the audience members who continue to show up with open ears and open hearts.
As we turn our attention to the Fall 2026 season, we're grateful for the memories created this spring and excited for the stories still to come.
We'll see you in the circle.
📸: Auset Sarno
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
Lyal Strickland
Natalie Huggins
Megan Rooney
Jeffrey Albert
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Lyal Strickland is an Americana singer-songwriter, whose music is as authentic as the Ozark hills from which it hails. With a background deeply embedded in the rural landscapes of Missouri, his lyrics resonate with the experiences of small-town life, weaving tales of struggle, resilience, and the unyielding human spirit. Strickland’s songs are a reflection of his upbringing in a small town, where the values and hardships of rural life imbue every note and word.
Strickland's songs are a testament to his commitment to his roots and his versatility as an artist. His albums move through stages of life, showcasing his distinctive voice that brings his narratives to life. Each song is a window into Strickland's world, inviting listeners to step into stories woven with candor and crushing humility.
Apart from his musical endeavors, Lyal is a dedicated seventh-generation farmer, balancing his passion for songwriting with the responsibilities of running a family farm. This commitment to authenticity is not just a part of his music but a hallmark of his existence, connecting with audiences from all walks of life.
Lyal Strickland's journey is not just about music. It's about conveying a way of life that honors tradition while embracing the challenges of the present. With each performance Strickland champions a sound that is both timeless and refreshingly genuine. At the root of it all, Strickland is a singer, songwriter, and farmer. -
Healing. Helping. A haunting hell of a good time. Part sage, part sprite, singer/songwriter Natalie Huggins is known for sensual, nostalgic compositions that somehow make the listener feel as though their feet are grounded in the loveliest, woodsiest soil while their head is taking flight and soaring somewhere else altogether.
The power of Natalie’s songs lies in their open-endedness--in their ability to connect the listener to the parts of themselves they can’t yet see and reveal a truer version of themselves. As a child, Natalie was gripped by the process of songwriting and by her ability to connect with listeners, offering them an escape, a companion, a dream. Composing, singing, and playing guitar and piano since childhood, Natalie’s work is heavily informed by Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, No Doubt, Smashing Pumpkins, Bjork, Tori Amos, and PJ Harvey. A St. Louis native, she has performed and recorded with numerous artists and projects in the area including Summer Magic, Joan of Dark, The Bureau, Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra, Wax Wine, and more.
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Spectator consists of wife and husband duo, Megan Rooney and Jeffrey Albert, who first met in 2006 in Saint Louis, Missouri. The duo draws comparisons to the dream-pop sensibilities of Mazzy Star and early Tennis. Charlie, Baby is being released April 12, 2019 in Scandinavia, Europe, and the US on Nordic Records.
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Spectator consists of wife and husband duo, Megan Rooney and Jeffrey Albert, who first met in 2006 in Saint Louis, Missouri. The duo draws comparisons to the dream-pop sensibilities of Mazzy Star and early Tennis. Charlie, Baby is being released April 12, 2019 in Scandinavia, Europe, and the US on Nordic Records.