Girl Named Tom to perform at Lakeside
LAKESIDE — With their distinctive vocal harmony and the ability to imbed a fresh sound into old classics, Girl Named Tom became the first trio to win "The Voice" TV show when they were crowned the 2021 season winners in December. On Sept. 10, Girl Named Tom will perform at Lakeside’s Hoover Auditorium.
The siblings who make up Girl Named Tom — Caleb, Joshua and Bekah Liechty — rarely sang together when they were growing up in Pettisville, Ohio. Joshua said the first time their voices were heard in public was when they sang hymns in the pews of their church as children. When they were teens, the siblings mixed their voices to Michael Jackson music at home.
“The band kind of started when a cousin asked us to arrange a Michael Jackson song. People loved it,” Joshua said during a recent phone interview.
In the wake of that response, their mother spoke the words that would launch their successful career: “Have you ever thought about forming a band?”
Young performers were encouraged by their mom
“We’re so thankful our mom taught us to take risks, to not go with our emotions and bury our heads in the sand,” Bekah said.
Their mother encouraged them to take a gap year and test their wings at performing. That gap year, Joshua said, “turned into three years with no end in sight.”
In 2019, the siblings set off across the country in an old minivan, bringing their music to locales such as Albuquerque, Boston and Key West. It was while touring that the siblings melded into the musical anomaly that brought them to "The Voice."
“That was just the time of our lives, and it was when everything started as a band,” Caleb said. “We learned how to live together, how to sing together, and how to work together.”
When pandemic shutdowns put a halt to their tour, the group turned to "The Voice" to keep their career going.
“We believed in the music we were taking out to the people, and this was a place we could get in people’s living rooms again,” Bekah said. “We were looking for a little bit of exposure. We did not expect to win one bit. Every week we kept saying, ‘How are we still here?’”
During the competition, Girl Named Tom was coached by singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson.
“Kelly Clarkson was amazing,” Bekah said. “We have nothing but good to say about her and everyone else at 'The Voice.' It’s a very family-friendly show, and it was very friendly to my family.”
Caleb said the group entered the competition expecting to modify their music.
“I thought we’d have to change and evolve into something unrecognizable, but we got to be ourselves on 'The Voice,'” Caleb said. “Kelly Clarkson enjoyed what we did and wanted to grow that. She took that seed and grew something very special.”
Group creates own distinct arrangements of classic pop songs
At Lakeside, Girl Named Tom will perform classic cover songs and music unique to their live performances. The group creates their own distinct arrangements of songs by such classic and pop performers as Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Taylor Swift. The young performers are reviving music from their parents’ and grandparents’ generation.
“Lots of '60s and '70s musicians really poured their hearts into their music, like Crosby, Stills & Nash and Peter, Paul and Mary,” Bekah said. “We’re carrying their torch today and bringing new life into those beautiful classics.”
Joshua said the group hopes music will fulfill their mission “to fly and help each other fly.” Music has helped the siblings believe in themselves and in the good in human nature, Bekah said, and they want their music to inspire the audience that sees them perform at Lakeside.
“It is such a beautiful venue at Lakeside, and we’re excited to bring our music there again. Last year, we hoped we could return and perform at Hoover Auditorium, and here we are,” Bekah said. “We want people to walk away with something they will carry with them the rest of the week. We want to give them hope.”
Girl Named Tom will perform at Lakeside on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30, and there will be no gate fee or parking fees. Tickets can be purchased at lakesideohio.com/events/girl-named-tom-2/?occurrence=2022-09-10.
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Girl Named Tom to perform at Lakeside
