By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Superunknown
The show at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) on November 22 is more than just a concert.
Renowned regional rockers Superunknown, who have been captivating audiences with their stirring renditions of Chris Cornell classics, have announced that they will be dedicating their November 22 show at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center to all U.S. Veterans.
During this special performance, the band will recognize all attending Veterans and personally thank them for their sacrifice, service, and commitment to safeguarding the freedoms of the U.S.
Superunknown, which features Marine Corps Veteran and Vocalist/Guitarist Jason Reed, will also donate all proceeds from the evening’s merchandise sales, as well as a portion of the ticket sales, to the “Stop Soldier Suicide” organization.
“Stop Soldier Suicide” is the only national 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused solely on solving the issue of suicide among U.S. veterans and service members.
The show will highlight two of Reed’s main interests –Veterans and the music of Seattle-based grunge and Soundgarden.
“I was in the Marine Corps twice,” said Reed, during a phone interview this week from Exton, the location of his realty office.
“The first time was 1991-1995 and then I got out. Then, when 911 happened, I re-enlisted. I was in from 2001-2003 the second time.”
Reed is a Thorndale native who graduated from Bishop Shanahan in 1990.
“After I graduated high school, I got caught up reading about the Gulf War, so I considered joining the military,” said Reed. “I interviewed with all the branches and chose the Marine Corps.”
Life in the Marines Corps also introduced Reed to the music of Soundgarden.
Soundgarden was formed in Seattle in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985.
Following Cornell’s death in 2017, Thayil declared in October 2018 that Soundgarden would not continue.
The band helped to popularize grunge music, a style of alternative rock that developed in the American Pacific Northwest in the mid-1980s, alongside such Seattle contemporaries as Mark Lanegan, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. They were the first of a number of grunge bands to sign to the Seattle-based record label Sub Pop.
Soundgarden achieved its biggest success with the 1994 album “Superunknown,” which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and yielded the Grammy Award-winning singles “Spoonman” and “Black Hole Sun.”
“When I was young, I was into Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Jimi Hendrix,” said Reed.
“When I was in high school and middle school, I played in a band with my brothers. I was always chosen to be the singer because I could do high vocals – and powerful vocals.”
Before long, Reed expanded his musical tastes.
“I was turned on to Soundgarden when I was in the Marines,” said Reed, who has a realty office in Exton (Keller Williams Exton). “I heard the song ‘Badmotorfinger’ and I loved them after that.
“When I first heard Chris Cornell. It reminded me of Aerosmith and Led Zep from the early 70s – bands who projected with high register.”
Reed served in the Marine Corps two times for a total of six years. He was on active duty from 1991-1995, deployed five times in four years to Mogadishu, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Middle East, and Europe. He was out for six years when 9/11 happened at which time he re-enlisted.
The decorated Veteran embarked on his Superunknown career 15 years after returning to civilian life.
“In 2018, I was doing solo acoustic shows,” said Reed. “I was playing Soundgarden and Chris Cornell songs.
“I did some shows on the same bill as White Limo, a Foo Fighters tribute band. Their drummer Ron DiSilvestro offered to be my backup band.
“I sent him five or six songs. Then, we got together, and it was magic. We plowed through the set.”
The band Superunknown came into existence.
As part of Superunknown, which also features Louis Graff (Guitar), Tom Laskas (Bassist), Ron DiSilvestro (Drums), and Pete Hefley (Guitar), Reed has had the opportunity to give back to servicemen and women and work with the Armed Forces Entertainment to perform at almost a dozen military bases around the world.
“Starting in 2019, I was doing shows with Armed Forces Entertainment,” said Reed. “We go out to other countries and play for deployed troops.
“This year, we did a tour of the Mideast and played shows in Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait.”
According to Reed, “It’s been amazing going back and performing for the troops 25-30 years after I was serving on active duty– even back to some of the same regions where I served in the 90s.
“We’ve performed on a number of bases that have multinational forces, so in addition to U.S. service members, we’ve played for members of the military from the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy and a number of other nations.”
“Locally, we’ve been playing bigger clubs and theaters. This will be a return show at Uptown. We’ve also played World Café Live, Penn’s Peak, Ardmore Music Hall, Mauch Chunk Opera House and The Queen.”
Whether you’re a Veteran or a music fan – or both – the concert at Uptown on November 22 is a show you don’t want to miss.
On his Facebook page, Reed posted the following message:
“We’re stoked for our return to West Chester on November 22. If you’re coming to this show and you’re a Veteran, please message us at Superunknown on Facebook and let us know. We want to celebrate you!”
Video link for Superunknown – https://youtu.be/uEqzdXrp-v4.
The show on November 22 at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center will start at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $40.
Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) will host Popa Chubby on November 22 and the Billy Price Band on November 23.
Popa Chubby
Jamey’s will welcome the return of the legendary Popa Chubby. He last performed there in January 2024.
Popa Chubby made his Gulf Coast Records label debut with a new album, “Live at G. Bluey’s Juke Joint NYC,” which came out last year.
“
I just put out a double live album,” said Popa Chubby, during a phone interview. “It came out in September 2023. We’ve been touring the double album ever since.
“It’s been in the Billboard Top 10 for the last six weeks. It really is a good record – one of the best I’ve done. There’s two hours and 20 minutes of music and all were songs requested by fans.”
Popa Chubby’s most recent previous albums were “Prime Cuts: The Very Best of the Beast from the East,” “It’s a Mighty Hard Road,” “Tinfoil Hat,” and “Emotional Gangster.”
“I toured ‘Emotional Gangster’ for a year and got great responses,” said Popa Chubby. “It was suggested to me to do a ‘Best of’ so I decided to play a live ‘best of’ to a studio audience.
“This is something different – something not done before. I don’t think that anyone did a ‘Best of’ fan requested.
“I had two nights of playing for a studio audience. It wasn’t recorded at a theater or a club. It was two nights live at G. Bluey’s Juke Joint.”
GB’s Juke Joint is a full-service recording studio and event space in Long Island City, Queens located by the East River just across midtown Manhattan. It features analog and digital capabilities, a vast collection of instruments, microphones, and vintage and modern gear.
“It was an invitation only event – friends and family,” said Popa Chubby. “I played songs from all my albums. Luckily, I have a really good band, and it all came together pretty easily.”
Popa Chubby’s stellar “Beast Band” features Mike Merritt on bass (Conan O’Brien, Billy Gibbons); Mike Dimeo on keyboards (Johnny Winter, Tommy James); and Stefano Giudici on drums.
“It was remarkable,” said Popa Chubby. “We had two nights of shows to pick from when putting the album together. Everything was perfect. The band was an important part.
“The shows were in November in Long Island City at an amazing sound stage. We also shot a five-camera video for our YouTube website. I’m just giving the videos away.”
In 2019, the veteran rocker just released another ‘Best of’ album — “Prime Cuts – The Very Best of the Beast from the East.”
With a career spanning more than 30 years, Popa Chubby delivered a hand-picked anthology of 15 tracks from his prolific and ever-expanding catalogue. “Prime Cuts” reflects Popa’s choice of the best of his best — tracks that keep the Chubby legacy fresh and the fans happy.
“I went all the way back and picked the best stuff from my last 38 records,” said Popa Chubby. “There were two criteria. First, I had to really like the song. Second, it had to be music the fans request.
“A lot of it was easy. A a lot came down to the fans – ‘Sweet Goddess of Love and Beer,’ ‘Angel on My Shoulder,’ ‘Light of Day’ – give the people what they want.
“They were all original album tracks, but some were alternate mixes. I did a lot of re-mastering. There were also two new tracks – and a Christmas song. It took a couple months to put it all together. It just came out at the end of November.”
Popa Chubby’s two prior studio albums were “The Catfish” in 2016 and “Two Dogs” in 2017.
“I never stop recording,” said Popa Chubby. “I recorded ‘Two Dogs’ right after I finished making ‘The Catfish.’ I’m working on my next album now. I’m starting to come up with new ideas. I want to do something original.
“I have a studio in my home. For D.I.Y. stuff, I use ProTools. My studio is filled with vintage stuff – RCA mics, old compressors and vintage guitars and drums.
“I have a background in recording. I worked as an engineer, and I started out working with tape. It’s all digital now — but I have an analog way of getting in and an analog way of getting out.
“When I was working with Tom Dowd, a legendary engineer, he was so happy to go to digital instead of tape.
He explained that each time the tape goes over the (recording) head, it loses particles.”
Finding time to get in the studio is a luxury for Popa Chubby.
“I’m never home,” said Popa Chubby. “It seems that I’m always touring a lot. The progression of my career has been slow and steady. I like to give people real music. The best music for me comes from not making music. It comes from me jamming with myself.
“On this tour, we’re playing the new double record in its entirety – and there are some surprises. From start-to-finish, it’s over two hours.”
Video link for Popa Chubby — https://youtu.be/axnycInQKGo.
The show on November 22 will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door.
Jamey’s features a popular “Jazz at Jamey’s” on Thursday featuring many of the best singers in the region performing a set from 7-8 p.m. with the backing of the Dave Reiter Trio and occasional guest musicians.
Every Sunday, Jamey’s presents “SUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM” featuring the Philly Blues Kings.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) is presenting Raymond the Amish Comic on November 22 and Yesterday’s Gone on November 23.
Philadelphia-based dark-avant group Luna Honey is playing in its own backyard to celebrate the release of “Bound,” their sixth full-length album in seven years, with a performance at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, kungfunecktie.com)
Luna Honey is an experimental dark rock trio consisting of the core of Maura Pond, Benjamin Schurr, and Levi Flack. Recording and mixing mostly in their homes, the trio has total freedom in the studio, often trading instruments and experimenting with unconventional instruments such as pitch shifted harmonica, marxophone, prepared piano, kazoo, and unloved vintage drum machines.
“Bound” is a genre-blending, pyretic journey to the extremes. Recorded in Philadelphia at Dan Angel’s In The Shadow of Boner Forever studio space as well as at band members’ home studios, “Bound” is being self-released November 22 on cassette, CD, digital download, and through streaming services.
“We started recording ‘Bound’ on October 13 – Friday the 13th,” said Pond, during a recent phone interview. “On our first album, we started on Friday the 13ht. It’s supposed to be a bad luck day but it’s always been a good luck day for us.
“We usually record at home. We have a pretty good home studio. This was the first time we used an outside studio. The album is still a mix of some at home and some processed at the studio.
“We mixed it at home. We live in West Parkside near the Mann Center. The studio was off Broad Street near Lycoming and the Boner Forever Building, an old, abandoned building.”
Another new facet this time is the release.
“I wanted to self-release this one,” said Pond. “I like the process of putting together an album. In the past, I just did the artwork.”
The band is based in Philly, but Scurr is the only Quaker City native.
“I’m from Richmond and Levi is from D.D.,” said Pond. “I moved from there to D.C. Prior to coming to Philly, I had lived in D.C. for 13 years. There is a good D.I.Y. scene there.
“With Luna Honey, we’ve never had a drummer in the band. It started out as a studio project with me and Levi. Ben produced our first recordings. There was good chemistry, so it became a band.”
Schurr, who was born in Philadelphia, moved back to his home city in 2019 with Flack following shortly after. Christmas Eve of 2019, Pond’s aunt shared she had months to live and asked her to write her some music to help accept her transition, asking that it could be released after her death.
Still living in D.C., Pond recruited Ben to come down to her house in Anacostia and record an intense week of highly improvised sessions. The two worked around the clock on what would become the fourth album Luna Honey, “Branches.”
After the pandemic hit in 2020, Pond moved back to her hometown of Richmond to be closer to her parents and Schurr followed. All three band members commuted back and forth between Richmond and Philadelphia continuing to write songs.
The album “Parables” was written during the period of geographic separation across D.C., Philadelphia, and Richmond.
Then, Pond’s mother passed after an over a decade long fight with cancer. In the wake of her mother’s passing, Pond had found comfort in the solo work of longtime Swans guitarist Norman Westberg and ended up striking up a long-distance collaboration. The result was the “Aftermath” album, a meditation on grief and what is left behind.
In 2022, Pond and Schurr moved to Philadelphia, finally reuniting the band within the same city. Re-energized after living through the difficulties during COVID and the past several years, the three began recording a new crop of songs that would make up the majority of “Bound” with the goal of capturing the raw, powerful energy of their live shows.
“The new album has themes about how we were living,” said Pond. “The last song on the album is inspired by climate change while the song “Vacuum Cleaner” is about solving challenges.”
Video link for Luna Honey — https://youtu.be/1P_3ghvNr0E.
The show at Kung Fu Necktie on November 24 will start at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10.
