For the third year in a row, Romi Mayes has collected 20 of her favourite local songwriters, bringing them together for one night of exceptional performances.

The Romi Mayes 3rd Annual Songwriters Extravaganza is an early show—starting at 7 p.m.—in order to fit all the talent into one night.

In this city it’s not hard to put together a stellar lineup, says Mayes.

“I’m constantly blown away by the calibre of musicianship and creativity we have right here around us. What is amazing is that it seems every couple of months I meet a new songwriter or band that I didn’t even know existed in Winnipeg, to add to the list of amazing artists in this town. It’s endless here.”

The list of performers span a wide range of genres. From folk, to indie rock, to garage, to every other genre imaginable, the festival represents the full charm of the Winnipeg scene as being “diverse and unpretentious,” says Mayes.

“The banjo player in [one] bluegrass band also plays metal drums in [another] band. And the singer from [one] pop band sings harmonies in this other electro-funk band. The scene sets its own bar high, and so we all rise to the challenge to be better all the time because we are all inspiring each other and pushing [each other].”

While she’s been taking a break from touring for almost a year now, Mayes is “laying low” and working on her own songwriting. That hasn’t kept her off the scene though – she’s been promoting other Canadian bands through her new booking agency, Sure Shot Bookings.

And, of course, she’s taking time to celebrate the scene that’s supported her as well, planning a “night of Winnipeg for Winnipeg, where we can all be proud of how immensely rich our music scene is.”

The Romi Mayes 3rd Annual Songwriters Extravaganza will be held on Feb. 2 at the Park Theatre. For full details, visit www.parktheatrevideo.com