Former American Idol Contestant Sells Out Show at Local Coffeehouse

NEWTOWN SQUARE–Patch has reported full houses at local Newtown Square coffeehouse , but never this packed. The owners gave up the VIP table and pulled a few of the patio chairs in to accommodate the completely sold out show on Friday, March 18. Headliner (and, gasp, former American Idol contestant) Kenny Hoffpauer, along with opener Casey Cattie showed the crowd talent and charm way beyond their years.

Beauty pageants aren't the first thing one thinks of when talking about folk music, but you can't always judge a book by their cover.

"When I was 9, my friend suggested doing a pageant with her down the shore and she told me we needed a talent. At that age, I didn't have a clue what my talent was, considering I couldn't dance for the life of me. So I decided to sing 'Zippity Do Da' and ran off stage crying at the end of the song," remembered Cattie. "Knowing that this was not the way to come home with the crown, I started taking lessons every here and there and worked on my stage presence. The next year I won first runner-up and realized that I had to keep singing."

And while most teens are hanging out on Friday nights, Cattie is playing to sold-out shows and recording an album.

Her influences show her passion for different types of music, even though she connects most with country music, she lists her influences as everything from Bob Marley to Justin Beiber. One of her favorites, Cattie said she admires Taylor Swift's down-to-earth attitude and the inspirational voices of artists like Celine Dion, Martina McBride and Leann Rimes. 

"When writing a song, I'm just on my bed with my guitar out and a pen. I write in the heat of the moment and ideas come at random times for me. I correspond my voice and lyrics with my guitar at the same time and I write about my life and what I see around me," said Cattie. "Being 15, it's challenging to find stories and topics to write about, considering I write most of my songs about love." 

Constantly trying to expand her music, Cattie recently began learning the piano and, though starting out has been difficult, she finds herself compelled to keep playing.

Cattie's music is sweet, simple and relatable at any age. She admits her age limits her topics, but everyone knows about love, loss and friendship. Her voice is breathy and her style could easily be compared to her favorite Taylor Swift.

Headliner Kenny Hoffpauer made some headlines a few years ago as a contestant on American Idol, placing in the top 50. But this Friday night, he preformed with a full band and played a diverse set of acoustic covers and new pop/rock tracks that will appear on his upcoming album. He also played a song that was "given" to him by Jon Bon Jove and Richie Sambora.

As most return performers, he mentioned how much he loves the crowd at Burlap and Bean.

"It's like playing in my living room," he commented on the intimacy of the venue. 

Hoffpauer's sound definitely has a strong pop/rock influence, think Rob Thomas, but his range of music and what he can perform separates him from the standard sound you would expect from an American Idol contestant. One of the highlights of his main set was the jazzy love ballad "Believe." He described it as being about "all the things I should have done in relationships."

In the middle of the show, he gave most of the band a break and performed an acoustic set accompanied by his guitarist. Hoffpauer sang a few favorites like "What's Going On?" and even a song for his mom, Michael Buble's "Home." 

He ended the set of covers with an original tune and then brought the band back out to finish up the show. He ended the night with an encore of Sinatra's version of "The Way You Look Tonight."

Friday night showcased two great new talents from the Newtown Square area. Both young artists present the dedication and talent to go far. In the next few years, audience members from that show can sit back and smile remembering when they got to see it first.