Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Fourteen years ago, Mike Schiavo was performing in a small pizza shop in New Jersey, the kind of venue where the stage feels temporary but the ambition does not. Backed by members of Aaron Carter’s former touring band, the show carried an odd duality: hyper-local grit paired with a glimpse of something bigger. Even then, Schiavo sang like someone already imagining Los Angeles. Mike Schiavo performing at Luna's pizza in 2012 with a local

Cassadee Pope’s acoustic set at The Loft at City Winery in Philadelphia proved that a stripped-down show can sometimes hit the hardest. With just her guitar, her voice, and a room full of fans, she created a night that felt intimate, warm, and disarmingly honest. Cassadee Pope performing at City Winery in Philadelphia, PA - Photo by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography ) She wasted no time diving into nostalgia, pulling out Hey Monday classics like “Homecoming