On Stage: Cracker continues to cross genres

Dustbowl Revival, Chapel Street Junction highlight roots music in area this weekend

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

When people think of the North and the South in America, they usually think about the eastern part of the country and the segments of the nation that were divided by the Mason-Dixon Line.

There is also a very defined North and South in California but the differences are more cultural than political. The Los Angeles area and Bay Area around San Francisco couldn’t be more different.

One of the noticeable differences is the music that has developed in the diverse regions over the last half century. San Francisco’s musical roots involve blues, straight-ahead rock and psychedelia. In Southern California, the roots are surf rock, pop and country.

Cracker, which was formed by David Lowery and Johnny Hickman in Redlands, California in 1990, is a band that has always had both the rock and the country of California in its musical DNA.

The band, which will headline a show on January 17 at World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, philly.worldcafelive.com), has paid tribute to its dual roots with a new double album titled “Berkeley to Bakersfield” (429 Records).

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a harder-edged style of rock music emerged from the Bay area while Bakersfield has long been known for its own iconic country music that was popularized by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos and Merle Haggard in the 1960s and 1970s.

Lowery and Hickman have embraced both elements to some degree on nearly every one of their studio albums over the last two decades. When making “Berkeley To Bakersfield”, they decided against integrating these two genres on the same disc and opted instead to make a double CD that is broken down regionally.

“We spent the last one-and-a-half to two years working on the album,” said Hickman, during a phone interview last week from his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. “It wasn’t continual though. David has been going back to college to get his doctoral degree. When he was doing that, I’d be playing with my country band.

“When we were making the album, we decided to push country to one side and rock to the other and use different musicians for each. It was a lot of fun. On the ‘Berkeley’ disc, we recorded it with our original rhythm section — Davey Faragher on bass and Michael Urbano on drums.

“We had all the original chemistry back right away. The four of us got in a room and wrote the whole album within a week. I brought my box of riffs in. It was a fantastic microcosm of rock. Then, Davey wrote the lyrics. They’re the best he’s ever done. We recorded it at East Bay Recorders in Berkeley.”

Making the “Bakersfield” disc was a different story altogether.

“Bakersfield is where we found country music years ago,” said Hillman. “I had been playing some country music in Bakersfield. So, when we started Cracker, that was one of the elements.

“Songs like ‘Mr. Wrong’ and ‘Lonesome Johnny Blues’ have a country element. There’s always been a smattering of country in all our music. We play country a little like the way English bands play it — poking fun a little bit but always really loving it.

“We made ‘Bakersfield’ with guys from Athens, Georgia. We had a guy named ‘Pistol’ –that’s it…just ‘Pistol’ — who plays amazing pedal steel guitar and Carlton Owens on drums. Right from the very start, Davey and I always reserved the right to play with whatever musicians we wanted.

“Davey and I have known each other since we were teenagers. With a varied (Cracker) line-up over the years, it’s been a great way to do it. Having different musicians in the band breathes new life into it.

“People ask me a lot how many different musicians have been in Cracker in the more than 20 years we’ve been around. We’ve never done an exact count by I would guesstimate that it’s over 100. It’s a very satisfying way to make music. We’re a big family.”

Cracker’s varied line-ups have allowed the band to produce a varied mix of music — rock, folk, blues, country, alt-rock and more.

“One of the things I’m proud of with Cracker, we’re always connected with all these genres — punk-rock, ska, all these sources,” said Hillman. “The song is the key to Cracker. We always focus on writing good songs.”

A lot of bands will focus primarily on playing songs from a recently-released album. Cracker is not one of them.

“We’re not a band that only wants to play new stuff,” said Hillman. “We try to pull something from each record. Our set list changes from week to week. We always play some of the radio songs but the balance varies. We never have done a cookie-cutter show.”

Opening for Cracker will be Camper van Beethoven, which was Lowery’s band prior to forming Cracker with Hillman. Showtime is 8 p.m. with tickets priced at $22 and $32.

The Downstairs Stage will also have the Ed Palermo Big Band on January 15, Jeff Thomas’ All-Volunteer Army, Chelsea Reed and the Fairweather Five on January 16 and Glenn Bryan and Friends on January 18.

Featured on the Upstairs Stage will be Loose and Allright along with Sierra Hurtt on January 15, Transistor Radio with No Good Sister on January 16, a Joni Mitchell Tribute on January 17 and Mipso and Lily Mae on January 18.

The World Café Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400, www.queen.worldcafelive.com) will have Badfish and Shrub on January 15, Chalice on January 16 and Breakwater along with Natural Selection on January 17 on the Downstairs Stage.

The schedule for the Queen’s Upstairs Stage includes The Cocks, Giant Boy Detective and Mark Thousands on January 15, Soul Amazin’ on January 16, Paul Lewis on January 17 and an evening of “Grilled Cheese and Craft Beer Tasting” on January 21.

There is a band scheduled to play the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) on January 15 that also has a musical style that is a blending of genres — the Dustbowl Revival.

The Dustbowl Revival, which is based in Venice, California, merges old school bluegrass, gospel, pre-war blues and the hot swing of New Orleans and bravely brings together many styles of traditional American music. Known for their high energy live shows, the Dustbowl Revival has been described as a “string band-brass band mash-up.”

The lively group’s line-up includes Zach Lupetin (guitars, vocals), Liz Beebe (vocals, washboard), Daniel Mark (mandolin), Connor Vance (fiddle), Matt Rubin (trumpet), Ulf  Bjorlin ( trombone), Josh Heffernan (drums) and James Klopfleisch (bass).

“The band started in 2008 and expanded over the years — from a string band at first to eight people down the road,” said Lupetin, during a phone interview last week from his home in the Los Angeles area. “The first expansion was fiddle and mandolin.

“It’s like a little traveling circus. The full big band line-up has been going strong for about four years. It can expand or contract at times. The idea for a band like this came to me when I was in college in Michigan.

“I was in a blues-rock band and started listening to pre-war jazz. I moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. Once I got to L.A., I placed an innocent ad on Craigslist for musicians who loved music from that era. From that, I got together instruments that don’t usually go together.

“I wanted to do something authentic and high energy. I think American music has a lot of different roots. For me, it all starts with the blues and branches out from there. Hank Williams, Muddy Waters, Bob Wills, Mahalia Jackson — all playing this very heartfelt soulful music.

“We try for that. I started learning traditional songs that were the seeds of rock and roll. Music should be real. I don’t want to make over-produced empty music. And, we want to have family appeal. Our audience is a pretty wide mix.”

In 2013, the Dustbowl Revival was named “Best Live Band in LA” by The LA Weekly.

“It’s really just old-time party music,” said Lupetin. “It’s just a matter of putting it in a different environment. Our most recent record is ‘Carry Me Home’ which we made in July 2013. We recorded a new live album at the end of last year and it’s coming out in the spring.

“We recorded our shows at the Troubadour here in L.A. and at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. It’s exciting. It captures the wild energy of what happens at our shows. It’s the heart and soul of American folk music.”

The show at the Sellersville Theater is scheduled for 8 p.m. with tickets priced at $19.50 and $29.50.

Other shows at the theater over the next week are Guns Girls and Glory with Sarah Borges on January 16, Dana Fuchs with Nina Scarcia on January 17 and Brian Miller Magic on January 18.

A lot of different genres of music will be featured on September 16 at The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) when the venue presents a twin bill with Chapel Street Junction and Band of Rivals.

Chapel Street Junction, which is based in Newark, Delaware, plays a blend of Americana, bluegrass. Irish tunes and old-time country music while Band of Rivals plays a mixture of folk, jazz and rock. Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $16 in advance and $20 at the door.

On January 17, The Flash will present RUST, a Neil Young Tribute Band. On January 18, the venue in downtown Kennett Square will have an “Open Mic Night” hosted by local musician Sam Kwietniak.

There will also be an “Open Mic Night” on January 18 at Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com). The comfortable venue will also present An Honest Year, Rock & Roll After School SuperGroup and John Eirich on January 16 and Chestnut Groove on January 17.

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427- 4547, www.burlapandbean.com) will host Caroline Reese & the Drifting Filth along with Gretchen Schultz on January 16 and twin bill with Brad Almond and Matthew Rineer on January 17.

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com) will be the chosen destination for “Dead Heads” on January 15 when Splintered Sunlight return to the venue for another evening of performing Grateful Dead songs. The band Old Soul will open.

On January 16, the music hall will present Ween’s Gene Ween, who will be performing under his own name — Aaron Freeman. Nick Greeley will be the opener. The show on January 17 will be the “Rising Pulse Showcase” with Catullus, The Underwater Sounds, Swift Technique and You Do You.

There will be a matinee show on January 18 — “Funky Brunch & Market I” featuring Butchy Sochorow (vocalist and lead guitarist for Splintered Sunlight) and Aaron Deming. The event, which is scheduled to run from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., will also have arts-and-crafts vendors, kids’ activities, a brunch menu and drink specials.

On January 19, the Ardmore Music Hall will host another installment of the “BVTLive! — Dance Party!” with the Sid Miller Dance Band, Contagious, Big Ric Rising, City Rhythm and Strangers.

On January 16, Melodies Café (2 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-5269, www.melodiescafe.com) will host Kate Says and Jason McCue. On January 17, the club will present an “In The Round” show featuring Denise Moser, Adam Monaco, Hillary Rubesin and Larry Ahearn.

The line-up for the Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) includes Chris & Brendan along with Groove Merchants on January 16 and local music veteran Jim Boggia on January 17.

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org) will present “Tubular Bells for Two” featuring Daniel Holdsworth and Aidan Roberts on January 16 in its Baby Grand Theater.

Tellus 360 (24 East King Street, Lancaster, 717-393-1660, www.tellus360.com) offers the following line-up — Ghost Light Radio Show on January 17, Andy Mowatt on January 18 (2 p.m.), the Brothers DiSanto on January 18 (6 p.m.), Fire in the Glen on January 20 and Mike P. Ryan with Butch Zito on January 21.

The schedule for the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http://www.chameleonclub.net) features the Revernd Horton Heat with Dale Watson and Rosie Flores on January 15, Consider The Source, Catullus and Out of Beardspace on January 16, Gun Metal Gray and Take 147 on January 17 and the “Turquoise Jeep Tour” featuring Flynt Flossy, Whatchyamacallit, Yung Humma, Lady Shakespeare and The Exploder! On January 20.

The American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, 800-0 648-4102, www.AMTshows.com) will be in Elvis mode this weekend with an “Elvis Birthday Bash” featuring Mike Albert and Scott Bruce on January 17 and Mike Albert’s “Gospel Elvis Show” with the Stamps Quartet on January 18.

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.nctstage.org) will introduce the first production of 2015 on January 17 with “The New Mel Books Musical Young Frankenstein.” The hilarious show is scheduled to run through February 22.

For fans of musical theater — and fans of American soul/pop music — this weekend is your last opportunity to see a performance of “Motown the Musical.” The show is running through January 18 at the Academy of Music (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia, 215-731-3333, www.kimmelcenter.org), as part of the Kimmel Center‘s “Broadway Philadelphia” series.

Motown’s version of soul and rhythm-and-blues music created a crossover link that took the traditionally black R&B music to wider, more diverse audiences. The “Motown Sound” started in the mid-1960s and quickly became one of the most important influences in the record industry with acts like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Jackson Five and Marvin Gaye.

The label, which was a relatively small record company, placed 79 records in the Top Ten of the Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 record chart between 1960 and 1969. Despite many ups and downs since then, the label is still alive and is now a subsidiary of Capitol Records.

“Motown the Musical” features more than 40 classic hits such as “My Girl” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Performances are January 15 at 7:30 p.m.; January 16 at 8 p.m., January 17 at 2 and 8 p.m. and January 18 at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $20-$130.50.