Songs of the Central Coast

Catch the sounds of the Central Coast this weekend as some of the region’s most talented singer-songwriters square off at a free concert in San Luis Obispo.

Eight musicians will compete Sunday night at the SLO West Coast Songwriters Showcase, held once a month at Linnaea’s Cafe. They’ll be joined by eight other guest performers.

Judging the contest are guitarist Craig Nuttycombe, part of the gypsy-tango quartet Café Musique, and Craig Kincaid, a professional singer-songwriter from San Luis Obispo.

Painted Sky Studios of Cambria will donate two hours of recording time to the musician awarded “Best Song.” Participants can also win “Best Performance,” and a number of door prizes.

Pismo Beach musician Steve Key launched the monthly showcase in May to highlight the area’s talent

The show starts at 7 p.m. Sunday at Linnaea’s Café, 1110 Garden St. in downtown San Luis Obispo. For more information, check out the showcase’s MySpace page.

Here’s the current lineup:

Competitors: Nathan Martin, Jackie Morris, Jennifer Neetz, Matthias Clark, Brian Keel, Deborah Kirk, Nina Jo Smith, Larry Allen

Guest performers: Steve Key, Craig Nuttycombe, Craig Kincaid, Will Barkley, Loren Radis, Cliff Stepp, Alex Miner, Michael Barrish