Photo gallery: From silence to song — Evan Webb’s ‘Sit Down and Shut Up’ validates the messy human experience

In the warm glow of Scout Hall in Cape Girardeau, the evening unfolded not as a performance, but as a gathering — where songs weren’t just played, but lived.

Sit Down and Shut Up, held Feb. 22, focused on exploring the essence of songwriting. Four artists — Evan Webb, Heather Hammers, Jessie Schupbach and Hunter Hathcoat — took turns sharing songs shaped by love, loss, small-town struggles and the occasional battle with houseplants. Some songs took five minutes to write; others had been years in the making. Each one wove into a tapestry of raw emotion, inviting the audience to settle in — to truly listen in a way modern life rarely allows.

The stage, built by Evan Webb’s own hands — now slightly battered but filled with purpose — stood at the center of it all.

“I built the stage and broke my hand so you all could enjoy this," he began, explaining that music isn’t just background noise but a language, a way of saying the things we struggle to put into words.

For Webb, songwriting is its own form of therapy.

“There’s a lot you can express in a turn of phrase more than basic conversation. It’s a better medium,” he explained.

Between performances, easy conversation and laughter amongst the artists onstage broke the unique ache of silence, easing the weight of heartbreak-laden lyrics, until the sound of strings plucked by nimble fingers brought the room back to a quiet reverence for the next song.

Jessie Schupbach of Sparta, Illinois, took a brave step out of her comfort zone, performing solo — something she rarely does without her fiancé. Her music balanced humor and pain, her haunting refrain of “you can only tread the water for so long” lingering in the air long after her song ended.

Heather Hammers of Carbondale, Illinois, has been writing music nearly all her life, penning her first song at age 8 with songs inspired by life, love, and her daughter.

“If I could give my younger self advice, it would be to practice more, make as much as possible and not waste time,” she shared.

Hunter Hathcoat of Ellington, Missouri, has spent a decade crafting songs steeped in honky-tonk and small-town nostalgia. He cherished the night’s rare setting among, as he said, people who care for the craft.

Before playing "Dry Up or Drown", Webb reflected on how he once shouted at God for not saving his hometown — only to later realize that his old elementary school had been bought and turned into a church.

“God is great and God is good, but He’s never gonna save this town” the song intones, incorrectly it seems.

"Sit Down and Shut Up" is a manifestation of that: a lyrical embodiment of old friendships, the kind that show up when the house is a wreck, the plants are all dying and this week's tune is a replay of last week's.

The final singalong — a humorous anthem of rejection, high heels and even higher standards by Hathcoat — brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation.

Ultimately, the event wasn’t just about music. It was about creating a space where art was truly valued and the human experience was laid bare, in all its messy, mundane and beautiful moments. It was a feeling of home found in song and, for the songwriters, the comforting knowledge that someone is truly listening.