Songwriter Steve Means to perform at Stephens

COLUMBIA — Triple-threat songwriter, musician and performer Steve Means will perform at Stephens College at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Means, 23, originally from Cincinnati, now lives and makes his music in Nashville, Tenn.

Abby Herzog, co-chair of music, comedy and novelties at Stephens, met Means when she went to a conference in 2008 and saw him perform at a showcase.

“Steve was really comfortable on stage and was basically a one-man band," Herzog said. "His music was really diverse; he would play his acoustic guitar and play his songs and covered a few others.

“He even played a rap song, which was awesome."

After the conference, Herzog returned to begin working on scheduling artists in the right price range during spring semester. Means was on the list.

Means grew to be a respected member of Ohio and Nashville’s younger creative community by blending smooth grooves with powerful, open lyrics, according to the Facebook event Web site.

He originally became a campus favorite at Ohio State University, playing hundreds of shows with an acoustic sound. His music has also been heard on MTV shows "The Real World" and "Newport Harbor."

The Pit will be turned into a coffee house for the event, and there will be coffee and treats for the audience.

Means' music is also available on iTunes and MySpace.