After a summer of contentious and divisive sewer politics, Maumee could certainly use some sweet harmony.
Girl Named Tom is happy to oblige.
The powerhouse vocal trio of Liechty siblings — Bekah, Joshua, and Caleb — from Pettisville, Ohio, was booked to perform at a free concert in downtown Maumee on Saturday evening. The city closed Conant Street to automobiles for the occasion, with Girl Named Tom and the opening act, Chloe & the Steel Strings, performing from a stage set up near the intersection of Dudley Street.
A mellow audience of several hundred seemed to be in good spirits.
“I know Girl Named Tom from The Voice ,” said 58-year-old Brad Fankhauser, who now lives in Toledo, but grew up in Archbold, Ohio, not too far from Pettisville.
Saturday’s performance was the first time he saw the group perform live.
“We’ve been watching them for four years,” he said. “Their harmonies are amazing — literally, people shed tears of joy when hearing them.”
Joey and Erin Mathias, however, came to the show specifically to hear Chloe & the Steel Strings.
“Chloe and Anna have angelic voices,” Ms. Mathias said. “And I like their Americana style. They’re very down-to-earth, relatable people.”
Others in the audience were there simply because it was a free concert on a beautiful evening in Maumee.
“I like supporting musical events like this,” said Maumee resident Steve Bohnsazk. “I live just five blocks away. I walked here.”
Despite the trio’s name, there is no girl named Tom, Tommy, or Thomas in Girl Named Tom.
The group became the first-ever ensemble to win the top prize on The Voice , which it did in 2021 with covers of Crosby Stills & Nash’s “Helplessly Hoping,” Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind,” and other standards.
Sounding like the musical lovechild of Lawrence and Pentatonix, the group came to Maumee by the Sunshine Communities to mark the organization’s 75th anniversary.
“The city of Maumee has been wonderful to Sunshine,” said the organization’s vice president of community relations, Cindy Kerr. “Their event support has been terrific.”
Before Girl Named Tom took the stage, they sat for a brief chat, where they talked about the musical artists they had covered.
“We did hear from Jimmy Webb, the man who wrote “Wichita Lineman,” after we performed the song on The Voice ,” Ms. Liechty said. “He called us. We were at our hotel at The Voice and he said he really respected our version and wants to be part of our journey. That was humbling, to say the least.”
Caleb Liechty addressed the question of how the three siblings square their commitment to social justice with their Mennonite upbringing — a faith that generally discourages involvement in politics.”
“We’re always learning, “ he said. “It’s kind of new, as Mennonites, to be interested in politics at all. Our dad didn’t even vote. It’s not what Mennonites did — you stayed away. But now we have this platform, and since we are young people who are trying to learn and are passionate about issues, we’re learning that politics is not a scary thing, especially at the local level. We’re learning how we can be involved and say certain things at certain times.”
“Jesus was never partisan,” added Joshua Liechty.
Local News
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