Steve Key has hosted songwriters showcases under many names, in many places.
Thirty years ago, when Key was an up-and-coming songwriter in the San Jose area, it was "open mic nights".
In New York in the late '80s, it was "hoot nights", short for "hootenannies".
In Nashville in the late '90s, they were called "writers nights". Nobody needed to specify "songwriter" -- if you were a writer in Nashville, then obviously you're a songwriter, right?
Steve hosted writers nights every Thursday at the Radio Cafe in east Nashville for about four years. In addition to writers playing their own songs, there were special tribute nights, with performers mixing originals in with songs by the tribute subject: Shel Silverstein, Roger Miller, Hoyt Axton, Kate Wolf, Woody Guthrie, and Willie Dixon.
Since 2007, Steve has hosted songwriters showcases in Morro Bay, three venues in Santa Maria, and the current four venues in San Luis Obispo, Solvang, Santa Margarita and Paso Robles. Songwriters at Play became the name for these showcases beginning in January 2010. It's nice to start the new year with a new name.