Busy music schedule at The Flash, Longwood other local venues
By Denny Dyroff, Correspondent, The Times
Rob Dickenson will appear at The Flash in Kennett Square this weekend, as the local live performance calendar heats up with the warmer weather.
When warm weather arrives in this area, stink bugs seem to magically appear out of nowhere and make their presence known everywhere. A similar situation exists with touring music acts.
During the winter months, many bands and musicians opt for life “off the road” — not wanting to deal with cold weather, flight delays, snow-closed highways and cancelled shows.
It all goes through a transformation when the warmer weather arrives. The entertainment schedule in this area changes from being relatively light to being very full — almost saturated at times.
Fortunately for area music fans, there are a number of local venues who have spring and summer calendars filled with top-flight touring acts. One of the area’s best is The Flash in Kennett Square.
On April 10 at 8 p.m., The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, www.kennettflash.org) will host Better Than Bacon. The improv comedy troupe from Chester County will continue to perform at The Flash throughout the summer of the second Thursday of each month.
“Back to the Future,” which is scheduled for April 11 at 8 p.m., features an evening of entertainment provided by Rob Dickenson, an acclaimed musician, songwriter and storyteller. The show will include new tunes as well as songs he made with his former bands — Annie Crow Road, Get Right, Life After Elvis and The Rob Dickenson Band.
The show at The Flash which was scheduled for April 12 featuring Jonathan Edwards has been cancelled because of a scheduling conflict.
The remainder of The Flash’s schedule for April includes headliner Dan Orlando and opener Mackenzie Johnson (April 18), co-headliners Hot Breakfast and the Joe Trainor Trio (April 19), Grateful Dead tribute band Splintered Sunlight (April 25), the internationally-acclaimed folk-rock duo The Kennedys (April 26) and jazz-rock fusion band One Alternative (April 27).
Longwood Gardens (1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) celebrates the warmer months with a variety of live entertainment offerings.
This year’s calendar of performances includes organist Benjamin Sheen on May 2, the Wine and Jazz Festival on June 7 featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet, Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, Tony Miceli Quartet and Tom Moon’s Jazz Casual.
The Kennett Symphony of Chester County will perform its annual “Symphony Under the Stars” on August 9 at Longwood’s Open Air Theatre. On August 14, Longwood Gardens will host Broadway dance legend Savion Glover. The Tony-award winning dancer and choreographer will present a special evening of tap and live jazz created just for Longwood Gardens.
This summer will mark the maiden voyage for a new entertainment venue in the area — The Sun Center (63 Concord Road, Aston, 610-492-7722, www.suncenterconcerts.com).
BRE Presents will initiate its “Summer Starlight Series” at the Sun Center with the hard-driving Southern rock and blues group the Tedeschi Trucks Band on June 11 and follow with blues master Buddy Guy on June 12.
The schedule for the venue in nearby Delaware County also features Straight No Chaser (July 16), Procol Harum (July 17), Gordon Lightfoot (July 19), The Mavericks (August 7), Get the Led Out (August 8), Indigo Girls (August 12) and the Beach Boys (August 13).
Another easy-to-reach venue in nearby Delaware County is the Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com). Kate Klim, a Downingtown native/Berkelee School of Music grad, will perform at B&B on April 25 at 8 p.m.
Area fans can also enjoy a wide variety of live performances during the spring and summer months at a number of other local venues, including The Grand (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org),
World Café Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-994-1400, queen.worldcafelive.com) and the Arden Club (2126 The Highway, Ardentown, Delaware, 302-475-3126, http://ardenclub.org).
