Eve Fleishman - A perfect performance

On Tuesday evening, 100 people of all ages went to the Downtown Performance Center of the Storytelling Art Center to enjoy the beautiful and versatile voice of Nashville singer/songwriter Eve Fleishman. The concert was in honor of Eve’s grandmother, the late Lillian Buie of Wagram, a longtime English and poetry teacher in Scotland County.

The program was opened by Jim Buie, Eve’s uncle and Lil’s son. He spoke of special moments his mother shared with Eve and how proud Lil was of Eve and her commitment to her music. Eve shared some special moments she had shared with her grandmother, whom she called Memaw. Ms. Buie died just days after Eve had presented a concert in 2007, at Lil’s church in Wagram. One of Eve’s last memories is the two of them singing “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” together and how vigorous Lil’s voice was, even though the end was so near.

Accompanied by longtime and very accomplished pianist Deb Bridges, Eve sang many original songs from her new album “Peace or Drama”, as well as old favorites by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Sinatra, and composers Cole Porter and George Gershwin. Her closing number was a children’s song from her album with singing partner Mare.

The intermission was a special treat with scrumptious petite cakes, freshly picked strawberries, and lemonade all provided by Eve’s aunt and uncle, Celeste and John Lewis, from Wagram. Many friends of Lil’s were present and as you walked in the lobby you could hear them sharing stories of Lil and how much she meant to their lives.

The musical concert was the first time the Storytelling Arts Center forayed into a non-storytelling genre. The Center Board Chair Brenda Gilbert said, “We want this Center to be used for all kinds of arts … music, drama, dance, and art shows as well as exhibits of all types. We want to work with other organizations to bring a diversity of arts and cultural activities to Laurinburg, as well as highlighting local talent.”

As the evening came to a close, Eve thanked the audience for coming out on a Tuesday night to honor her grandmother. She said, “I am wowed by the performance center and look forward to coming back again to sing and do some children’s workshops.” Jan Schmidt, SACS Executive Director, concluded the night by thanking Eve, Deb and Tim Walden (sound man) for making the evening perfect for all who attended. She asked everyone to “Call and share your ideas for future activities. We want the people in the county to have all kinds of events to enjoy. We appreciate the community support. This wonderful evening is just the beginning of more to come.”