On Stage: McCaslin inspired by Bowie

Sax ace who played on superstar’s final album is changed by working with him 

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

It seems hard to believe that a year has gone by since rock legend David Bowie passed away but it’s true – almost to the day. Bowie died on January 8, 2016. Two days later, his final album “Blackstar” was released.

Recording of this album took place in secret at The Magic Shop and Human Worldwide Studios in New York. Bowie’s medical condition was also a top secret. Bowie’s long-time friend and internationally-acclaimed producer Tony Visconti was the producer for “Blackstar” and Bowie’s band for the album was a New York-based jazz group – the Donny McCaslin Group.

McCaslin and his musicians provided the vibe and the chemistry that Bowie needed to bring his musical ideas to life – to flesh out his vision and move down new paths.

On January 15, “Blackstar” debuted at number one on the UK Albums. Bowie’s final album also debuted at number one on album charts around the world, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the US Billboard 200. The album also was a showcase for McCaslin, whose playing garnered rave reviews all around the globe.

Just over two months ago, McCaslin, a top-flight tenor saxophonist, and his band released an album titled “Beyond Now” on the Motéma Music label – an album dedicated to Bowie. Recorded nearly three months after Bowie’s passing, the project was deeply influenced by the band’s experience of collaborating with one of the greatest artists of all-time on his final album.

Comprised of core Blackstar personnel, bassist Tim Lefebvre (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Saturday Night Live), drummer Mark Guiliana (Meshell Ndegeocello, Brad Mehldau), and Jason Lindner (Now Vs Now) along with guitarist Nate Wood and producer David Binney, “Beyond Now” features two Bowie songs, covers of Deadmau5, MUTEMATH, and the Chainsmokers, along with several McCaslin originals.

Now, McCaslin and his crew are touring in support of “Beyond Now” – a tour that will touch down locally on January 14 at the Arden Gild Hall (2126 The Highway, Arden, Delaware, 302-475-3126, http://ardenconcerts.com).

“It’s not a David Bowie tribute album,” said McCaslin, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from New York. “‘Beyond Now’ is dedicated to him. The music I wrote for ‘Beyond Now’ was inspired by ‘Blackstar.’ But, it is also influenced by acts such as Chainsmokers and Aphex Twin. It is also a record documenting the band’s development going through the ‘Blackstar’ experience.”

“Beyond Now” can be traced back to 2011 with the release of his album “Perpetual Motion” and his two subsequent albums “Casting for Gravity” (2012) and “Fast Future” (2015). “Fast Future” earned McCaslin a 2013 Grammy nomination for “Best Improvised Jazz Solo.” Jazz vocalist/composer Maria Schneider, a longtime Bowie collaborator, recommended McCaslin and his group to Bowie. Schneider and Bowie were collaborating on the track “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime),” which featured McCaslin as a soloist.

“I had joined the Maria Schneider Orchestra in 2003 and subbed for tenor payers in her band,” said McCaslin, who grew up in Santa Clara, California. “In 2008, I joined the Dave Douglas Band. I also started working and touring as a leader of my own band. Eventually, I started this electronic group with producer David Binney and recorded ‘Perpetual Motion’ in 2010.

“Maria introduced my music to David. He was describing what he was hearing as an underpinning to the song they were working on – ‘Sue (Or in a Season of Crime).’ She played my album ‘Casting for Gravity’ for him. So, he contacted me to play on the song as a soloist. I don’t know what attracted him to my music. I’d guess that it was that I was exploring the intersection of improv and electronica.”

A few years ago, Bowie and Visconti were starting to work on the early stages of “Blackstar.” Schneider suggested McCaslin’s band and told Bowie to check them out. Bowie went to hear McCaslin and his band perform at the 55 Bar, a small jazz club in Greenwich Village.

“After David heard us play at the club, he e-mailed me and said he’s like to record a few tunes,” said McCaslin. “When we got in the studio, he said – let’s have fun and see what happens. He sent us demos that we had as road maps. He was totally open to us and to what we thought about where the music should go.

“Working with Tony (Visconti) was great. He had the same vibe. It was a very cohesive relationship – very efficient. David was very engaged when we were recording ‘Blackstar.’ I remember the joy on his face when we were listening to the playbacks.”

McCaslin, who has lived in Brooklyn for the last 25 years, got his start when he was in Boston studying at the Berklee School of Music. Jazz legend and vibraphonist extraordinaire Gary Burton was a professor at Berklee and McCaslin had several of his classes. Burton, who has more than 60 albums as a leader, then invited McCaslin to join his band.

“Playing with Gary was a real break for me,” said McCaslin, whose early influences included John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins. “Being in the road with a professional band was a great experience coming right out of college. After that, I moved to New York and got my footing as a freelance. I took session work and played with a number of different groups including Danilo Perez’ band and Eddie Gomez’ group.”

Now, McCaslin is taking things to a higher plateau with his own group, a well-received album and an eagerly-anticipated tour.

“In our live set, we’ll be playing all the songs from ‘Beyond Now” and songs from ‘Casting for Gravity’ and ‘Fast Future’,” said McCaslin. “We also will be playing some David Bowie songs that aren’t on ‘Beyond Now.’”

Video link for the Donny McCaslin Group – https://youtu.be/n0SVB0bsbHs.

The show at the Arden Gild Hall, which has the Jonathan Whitney Project as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.

An interesting concert of an entirely different sort will take place on January 12 in Philadelphia when the Serafin String Quartet performs a free show at Drexel University’s Mandell Theater (3250 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, http://www.conductorsguild.org).

The Serafin String Quartet includes Kate Ransom and Lisa Vaupel (violins), Sheila Browne (viola) and Lawrence Stomberg (cello) — all of whom are current or former professors at the University of Delaware. The foursome is UD’s “Quartet in Residence.”

The show at Drexel is part of The Conductors Guild’s 2017 National Conference.

“One of the organizers knew about Serafin String Quartet and said they had a performance slot open for us,” said Ransom, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.

Ransom, who is president of the Music School of Delaware was travelling from the school’s campus in Milford, Delaware to its campus in Wilmington.

“We said we’d be glad to play for the Conductors’ Guild,” said Ransom, a founding member of Serafin String Quartet who

holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in violin performance from Yale University and University of Michigan.

“We always try to bring our very best to every performance – to shoot for a peak performance in every concert. With the string quarter, we rend to play for very seasoned fans. With the conductors, they’re aficionados. It’s always an honor to play for our peers – other professional musicians. And, there is a special excitement about playing in a major metropolitan area.”

The program features Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings from String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 11,” Joseph Haydn’s “String Quartet in G Major, Op. 77#1” and Felix Mendelssohn’s “D Major String Quartet, Op. 44#1.”

Barber, a world-famous composer who was born in West Chester, finished the arrangement in 1936. It was performed for the first time in 1938.

“We open with the Barber piece,” said Ransom. “It’s a very famous piece of classical music. It’s very somber and has been referred to as a national hymn of mourning. Barber only wrote one string quartet.

“It’s a very compact piece. The heart is the adagio – so moving and so sublime. It’s often played as a free-standing piece – often by chamber orchestras. It’s so profound with a very slow-moving harmonic expansion. It’s almost a suspension of time. We recorded it on our first album which was on Centaur Records in 2010.”

The piece has been very popular in films and television shows ranging from David Lynch’s film “The Elephant Man’ to two different episodes of “The Simpsons.”

“The second piece in the first half of the show will be the ‘String Quartet in G Major, Op. 77#1’ by Haydn,” said Ransom. “Haydn was the originator of the string quartet as high art. He had a lot of wit. This piece is almost like an aria for first violin. There are a lot of character changes – four distinct movements each with their own quality and character.

“After the intermission, we will play Mendelssohn’s ‘D Major String Quartet, Op. 44#1.’ It’s extremely brilliant – charming and lilting. The first and fourth movements (“Molto allegro vivace” and “Presto con brio”) are rip-roaring – like a full gallop. This piece really shows the genius of the composer.”

Video link for Serafin String Quartet – https://youtu.be/pfc3meXrY6k.

The concert at Drexel University’s Mandell Theater will start at 7:30 p.m. The show is open to the public and admission is free.

Music and much more will be featured in a special production scheduled for January 13 and 14 at the Merriam Theater (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org).

Presented collaboratively by the Kimmel Center and The Shubert Organization, Broadway Philadelphia presents the Philadelphia premiere of “Saloon – A Musical Acrobatic Adventure.” The show with a “Wild West” theme, is the 11th and newest production by Montreal-based contemporary circus troupe Cirque Éloize.

Inspired by the rich legacy of the Wild West, “Saloon” transports audiences to a dusty gathering place and treats them to an evening of musical and acrobatic adventure performed by 11 internationally-acclaimed cast members.

“The show was inspired by our thriving power, the same strength that has motivated us for nearly 25 years. We borrow from the world of the Wild West, which we have so much in common with: a fundamental commitment to moving forward, toughness and the survival instinct, a tendency for irreverence and a sharing sense of community,” says

According to Jeannot Painchaud, President and Artistic Director of Cirque Éloize and Creative Director of Saloon. “The saloon is a wonderful playground for work of artistic exploration. It’s also a place of opportunity, one that made us want to try something different. It has the physical energy of acrobatics combined with the poetry of the theatrical approach, punctuated with humor and accompanied by amazing live music. ‘Saloon’ is bright, funny and musical.”

The show doesn’t really have a book but it does have a plot which is described on the Cirque Éloize website –

“Picture this: America is under construction. The West is booming. The railroad is being developed. In the middle of the desert, a town comes to life. A saloon opens its doors. A place to gather and share tales, it quickly becomes a theatre for stories of all kinds. In Cirque Éloize’s Saloon, the infectious energy of folk music sets the tone to an acrobatic comedy that sweeps the spectators away in a mad rush. Enigmatic, colourful characters come together and reveal themselves, resulting in a series of unexpected situations, unfolding to the rhythm of acrobatic prowess and original choreographies.

“Never before has a piano tuner kicked up so much dust… Under the spell of the saloon’s beautiful Belle, he sets off a chase worthy of the greatest Westerns. The lovebirds on the run wreak havoc everywhere on their path; from the deserted plains to the depth of the mines—until the ultimate acrobatic showdown. Walking through Saloon’s doors means entering a mythical atmosphere created by live music and the exhilarating pace of spectacular performances.”

One of the featured performers in the show is singer Sophie Beaudet. She is part of the musical trio known as “The Vultures.”

“The story is about the ‘Far West’ – the saloon and life during that time,” said Beaudet, during a phone interview last week from Times Square. “There is this beautiful woman. Every man there falls in love with her and they compete for her hand.

“It’s a comedy. It’s fun to do and it’s fun to watch. We finished the creation of the show last summer and started the tour in August. A week before the first show, they changed the show. Now, it’s been two months. We finished the creation in Germany last month.”

Prior to this tour, Beaudet was focusing on her career as a singer and a recording artist in her hometown of Montreal, Quebec.

“I was not supposed to do this,” said Beaudet. “I was supposed to record my second album. They asked me to join and I said – why not? It’s a world tour and it should be fun.

“I’m proud to be part of this troupe. We do a lot of songs. The hardest thing is to do the harmonies with two other musicians. I’m part of The Vultures band with two men who are multi-instrumentalists. We have a really nice connection.

“I didn’t start out studying music. I studied design – and didn’t like it. So, I started music in 2007. I’m a French singer in Quebec – pop and contemporary folk. I actually started my career as a jazz singer when I was 20, I was influences by singers such as Francoise Hardy, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. What I like about jazz is the freedom.”

With “The Saloon,” singing is just one part of the multi-media extravaganza. Other acts include jugglers, a Cyr Wheel, acrobalance, aerial straps, Chinese Pole and Korean Plank.

“I’d like to sing from a trapeze,” said Beaudet. “I can do acrobatic stuff. But, I don’t think they’re ready for me to do that. So, I’ll keep on being a singer.”

Video link for “The Saloon” — https://youtu.be/LO9F9nkBynY.

Shows are scheduled for 8 p.m. on January 13 and 2 and 8 p.m., on January 14. Tickets range from $65-$85.

Another singer making her area debut this weekend is Elise Davis. The Arkansas native will be playing her first Philly area show on January 13 when she opens for Justin Townes Earl at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com).

Davis, who grew up in Little Rock, got her start as a singer/songwriter in a somewhat unusual way.

“When I was 11, I thought I wanted to be a drummer in an all-girl punk band,” said Davis, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I tried to do it with some friends from school but it fell apart. So, I decided to learn guitar because I could do it on my own. One day, I wanted to go to this concert and my parents wouldn’t let me. So, I put on a temper tantrum and told them I was running away from home.

“I left and went about a mile down the road. I thought that they would be worried about me and would come looking for me – but they didn’t. I went home that evening and they acted like they never even knew I had run away. That was the inspiration for my song ‘Big House.’

“I was playing and writing songs from right when I got my first guitar. I was taking guitar lessons and I showed my teacher some of my songs. He told me that I should keep writing and performing my songs.

“I started lying about my age and paying at clubs when I was 16. All throughout high school, I played a lot of shows around Little Rock. My parents were O.K. with me lying about my age and playing clubs and they watched out for me.”

Davis’ career progressed slowly.

“I went to college in Dallas but my band was in Arkansas so I came back a lot,” said Davis. ‘I toured on weekends only and played a lot in Fayetteville. I was making recordings and playing a lot. After college, I decided I could be a grass roots artist and play outside of Arkansas. So, I moved to Nashville when I was 22.

“I worked as a waitress at two restaurants but I really wanted a record deal. I didn’t know what a publishing deal was. A friend suggested I send some songs to the Martin Guitar American Songwriters Contest so I uploaded two tunes. I made it to the final five and then ended up winning it. From that, I got a publishing deal with a small salary,”

Davis’ career has continued on an upward trajectory. She recently released her debut album “The Token” on Make The Kill Records & Thirty Tigers.

“This is my first real record,” said Davis, who is one of the brightest new artists in the Americana genre.

“I recorded it out in the woods in Parsonfield, Maine – 15 days in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. I came in with all the songs written and then wrote an additional verse for two songs. I recorded 18 songs and used 14 on the album – 16 on the vinyl release.

“Now, I’m on the road a lot – same as ever. I tour and play as much as possible. I think I’m on the road more than I am at home. I played over 120 shows last year and I’m sure I’ll be playing even more this year.”

Video link for Elise Davis – https://youtu.be/UgqVyVtLKv4.

The show at the Ardmore venue will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30. The Ardmore Music Hall will also host Splintered Sunlight on January 14.

Back in August, Johnny’s Dance Band played a show at The Puck in Doylestown that was billed as — “One Night Stand (But You Never Know).”

It was a prophetic billing.

Like the little pink bunny in battery ads, Johnny’s Dance Band just keeps going and going. On January 14, JDB will bring its rollicking show to the Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com).

The current line-up of the band includes Bobby Lenti – lead guitar/keyboard; Courtney Colletti – lead guitar/flute/bass/vocals; Su Teears – vocals/percussion; Tony Juliano – guitar/harmonica/vocals; Joey Stout – bass/keyboard/vocals; and Steve Delaney – drums/vocals.

“The show at the Puck was tremendously successful,” said Juliano, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in West Chester. “What blew us away was that we made a last-minute decision to do the show and, as soon as it was posted on the Puck’s website, tickets started selling like crazy. It sold out really quickly. It was a packed house. We got a standing ovation and sold a lot of CDs.

“That show was totally a spur-of-the-moment thing. I was living in Florida at the time. It got out on the grapevine that I would be up in Philly for a week so Sue Teears said — let’s do a Johnny’s Dance Band show. We made the decision to do it only one month out. We were fortunate to find a place to play at such late notice.’

Johnny’s Dance Band had its start in Philadelphia in 1969 — the same year that the Woodstock Festival brought rock music to a whole new plateau. In 1972, JDB recorded its first album and soon was getting airplay on WMMR. From 1975 until 1979, Johnny’s Dance Band was the biggest local draw in the Philadelphia tri-state area.

The band got signed to RCA Records’ Windsong label. Unfortunately for the local musicians, it was a union that never really worked out. By the end of the 70s, Johnny’s Dance Band ceased to exist.

A little over three decades later, JDB rose from the dead and, once again, began drawing fans to shows to hear the band’s rocking and fun songs. In January 2013, JDB played an unrehearsed show at Dobbs in Philadelphia and that was the catalyst.

“We did a reunion that was supposed to be a one-night stand,” said Juliano. “We didn’t expect anything more. It was just for fun. But, the reaction was more than we expected.

“We had a packed house with no advertising — just word of mouth. The crowd reaction really took us off-guard. They were singing along and having a great time. At this point in our lives, we never expected anything like that.”

Johnny’s Dance Band’s fans have remained very loyal over the years and new fans continually get on board.

“Courtney and I have been musical associates for 45 years now,” said Juliano. “Ever since the first year, we’ve always seen eye-to-eye. After the success of the reunion show at Dobbs, we decided to take it one gig at a time — one month at a time. We want to keep doing it as long as it stays fun. We’re playing to packed houses and it’s our peer group.

“We’re in communication with our fans. They’ve told us quite clearly that they like their old favorite JDB chestnuts but they also want to hear our new songs. We still do songs that are heavily laced with satire and other songs are just straight-forward good songs.”

The show back in August opened the door for more regularly-scheduled JDB shows – sort of.

“We said – let’s just do it a few times a year so that it won’t conflict with band members’ other projects,” said Juliano. “When the band re-united in 2013, what we learned was that we can only perform so often — less is more. We want our shows to be special.

“We are looking to do some recording. Within the band family, we have three professional members who have recording studios of their own. Our bass player is a highly-regarded engineer. We’re writing and getting new material ready.”

Video link for Johnny’s Dance Band – https://youtu.be/kAqpT78zcpI.

The show at Steel City will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show. The venue will also present Steal Your Face Band on January 13.

Fans of EDM (electronic dance music) have had January 14 circled on their calendars for a while. It’s the night that Datsik will be bringing his “Ninja Nation 2017 Tour” to the Electric Factory (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215-627-1332, www.electricfactory.info).

Datsik, who is one of the world’s most-respected bass producers, recently released his new EP “Sensei” and the first single “Just Sayain” has already become a dance floor favorite. Armed with shaolin bass from the infamous PK-Sound, Datsik is back on the road in support of the new EP. Themed after his obsession with ninja culture previously marked by his 2015 “Ninja Nation Tour,” Datsik’s tour features a new high-tech production called “The Shogun.”  

Datsik is the stage name for Troy Beetles, a Canadian music producer and DJ. His first release was in the spring of 2009 and he has since played at venues all over the world, including festivals such as Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, EDC Las Vegas, Stereosonic, Boonstock, Shambhala Music Festival, Electric Zoo and Identity.”

“This time, I’m launching a whole new stage,” said Beetles, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon form his home in North Hollywood, California. ‘It’s called ‘The Shogun.’ On my last tour, I used Vortex with projection mapping. The new stage is four times larger. It’s massive.”

According to Beetles, “The Shogun stage is the next chapter and is an amalgamation of my wildest vision to date. After touring with the Vortex, I’ve wanted to create something unique that will stand out from the rest, and embody what it is to be a rave ninja. We’ve got a ton of dope surprises waiting for you with this one, so get ready to have some fun.”

Datsik just released the ‘Sensei” EP on Firepower Records.

“I started making ‘Sensei’ at the beginning of 2016,” said Beetles. “Some of the tracks were old tracks that I revisited and revamped. Every EP I make, I always take a track from the past and flip it. I feel that it’s important to bridge the gap from old to new – finding a balance between older things fans want to hear and staying true to my new stuff. I’m trying to keep both partners happy.

“When I first started making recordings, I was using a little home studio at my mom’s house in western Canada. Then, I made enough money to but proper studio gear. I moved to California two years ago and took eight months to build my new studio.”

Taking the tour to a whole new level will be Datsik’s use of PK-Sound.

PK is a sound manufacturing, touring, event production and rental company that provides creative and innovative sound systems, A/V, design and stage fabrication. Its brand of audio system is well known for its full bodied and intelligible sound — a result of implementing high efficiency component and new technologies.

“PK-Sound is the best sound system for bassheads,” said Beetles. “When you go to a bass show and you see PK-Sound on the flyer, it’s like it’s another act. It’s the heaviest sound in the bass world. I really believe in this company.

“I bought my own PF-Sound system to tour with. It’s almost 100,000 watts – which is a lot. Kids get devastated. The whole part of bass music — you can hear bass music at home but the real thing is going to a show and feeling it. It’s 10 times as loud and 10 tines as heavy. It’s that feeling you get when you get lost in it. As an artist, with PK-Sound I can deliver what I think the people want.”

Video link for Datsik – https://youtu.be/_dgrVmn7Vic.

The show at the Electric Factory, which also features Crizzly, Virtual Riot and Apashe, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $40 day of show.

Earlier in the day in Philadelphia, there will be a show that is just as light as Datsik’s show is heavy. At 11 a.m., the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com) will present a special Peanut Butter & Jams children’s show — “Miss Nina Meets the Jungle Gym Jam.”

Miss Nina, a YouTube star with more than a half-million views, will team up with Jason Didner and The Jungle Gym Jam to play songs from her repertoire along with tunes made popular by Didner and his group. As an added attraction, they will be donating 10 per cent of show proceeds to Xavier Ross, a five-year-old lifelong heart patient at CHOP.

Miss Nina, who brings books to life with her wonderful book songs like “Brown Bear Rap,”and energetic Jersey rockers Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam, who combine puppets, props, humor and authentic rock-n-roll to entertain kids and their grown-ups, will take turns leading and accompanying songs from each of their catalogs.

“I grew up in Delaware and most of my family still lives there,” said Miss Nina, during a phone interview Tuesday from her home in Maplewood, New Jersey.

“I studied dance at Oklahoma City University and then moved to New York to pursue a career in theater and dance. I also got my master’s degree in educational theater at New York University. After that, I did teaching. I taught ‘playing music’ classes. That was the thing that changed everything for me.

“I went into a Gymboree Play & Music class on the Upper West Side. I got the opportunity to develop my own curriculum. I kept writing songs. A friend of mine from Gymboree was doing music and putting out an album so I decided to try it.

“My first album was ‘Singing & Dancing Together’ in 2009. I kept singing and writing. My second album was ‘Sha Doo Be Doop’ in 2013. My third album ‘Every Day’s Your Birthday’ came out in 2016.”

Miss Nina also started a weekly video show for the toddler and preschool set back in January 2012 – a show featuring weekly sing-along & move along songs.

“I started my weekly video show in 2012 and it’s been non-stop ever since,” said Miss Nina. “I’m a performer and I’ve always loved videos. I thought I’d love to do a kids’ TV show. It just felt really cool to do it. And, with YouTube, I could do it on my own.”

Video link for Miss Nina & the Jumping Jacks – https://youtu.be/r1wMM4GX_0Y.

Video link for Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam — https://youtu.be/8NVefzU4DtE?t=4.

The show at the World Café Live will start at 11 a.m. Tickets are $10.05.

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will present Better Than Bacon on January 12, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound with the GTVs on January 13, Chicago 9 on January 14 and Open Mic with Mat Sevier on January 15.

Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com) will have The Odyssey, Double Suede and Katie Dale on January 13, Richards Guitar Studio and American Honeys on January 14 and Open Mic on January 15.

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com) will present Michael Braunfeld with Meg Braun on January 14.

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com) presents comedienne Sarah Silverman on January 15 and 16.

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) will have Bruce in the USA on January 13 and 14, Albert Lee on January 15, Steve Earle on January 17 and The Ragbirds on January 18.

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org) will host the Olate Dogs for a matinee show on January 15 and Steven Lynch for an evening show the same day.