Music Spotlight: While readying for a virtual Ladybug Fest, local acts hope to be back on the road this fall

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Soraia The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the course of music more than any other event since the spring of 1860. On April 9, 1860, the French inventor Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville created the first sound recording in history. An eerie rendition of the folksong “Au clair de la lune” was captured by Scott’s trademark invention...

On Stage: Philly area girls prove they rock this weekend

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Philly area girls rock – and they’re ready to prove it once again tonight. Soraia Back in September, Soraia – ZouZou Mansour (lead vocals, tambourine), Travis Smith (bass guitar, backup vocals), Mike Reisman (guitar, background vocals), Brianna Sig (drums, percussion, background vocals) – headlined a show at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut...

On Stage (Bonus): Human Heat gets back to Midwest roots

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Human Heat Human heat can best be measured by a non-contact MEMS thermal sensor. Human Heat can best be measured by fan response. Human Heat, a music act that evolved from a previous band Yellow Ostrich, will be looking to generate some heat when it plays a show at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com). Human...

On Stage (Extra): Sunday night shows to calm the soul

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Soraia Rather than attending a show or watching a movie in a theater, people in this area tend to stay at home on Sunday nights – especially during the winter months. That tendency will increase for the next few Sundays with the added pressure of recovering from weekend holiday shopping. Fortunately, there is a variety of shows and events that could easily...