On Stage: Soraia plays special show at Milk Boy Philly

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Soraia Thanksgiving Weekend is a tough weekend for music acts wanting to play live shows. Many potential audience members have other plans based on holiday meals and family reunions. On the flip side, there are music fans who are eager to get out and hear live shows. Both groups can be satisfied on November 29 when Philadelphia-based, nationally...

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...