{"id":17746,"date":"2015-11-22T11:21:04","date_gmt":"2015-11-22T16:21:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=17746"},"modified":"2015-11-22T11:28:07","modified_gmt":"2015-11-22T16:28:07","slug":"on-stage-extra-chris-robinson-brotherhood-at-tla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=17746","title":{"rendered":"On Stage Extra: Chris Robinson Brotherhood at TLA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><em><strong>Lots of great live music options this week<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">By Denny Dyroff<\/span>,<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><em><span class=\"s1\">Staff Writer, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1228071\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/chris-robinson-brotherhood-300x197.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1228071\" class=\"wp-image-1228071 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/chris-robinson-brotherhood-300x197.jpg\" alt=\"chris robinson brotherhood\" width=\"300\" height=\"197\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1228071\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Chris Robinson Brotherhood<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">If you&#8217;re looking for a bit of entertainment before being buried in the Thanksgiving holidays \u2014 there more than a few good options, starting tonight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If you want to attend a concert on November 22, you can have your choice of a folk\/blues\/psychedelic rock band, an indie rock band or second-generation prog-rock band with a heavy Kraut-rock influence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, which describes its music as \u201cPsychedelic filling in a Folk Blues pie,\u201d will headline a show at the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Having just completed their most successful summer tour yet with sold out dates around the U.S., including San Francisco, San Diego, Napa, Virginia Beach, Asbury Park and Salt Lake City, the CRB &#8212; Chris Robinson\u00a0 (lead vocals, guitars), Neal Casal (guitars, vocals), Adam MacDougall (keyboards, vocals), Mark Dutton (bass, vocals), Tony Leone (drums) &#8212; has slowly been unveiling new material.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The band will return to the studio in early 2016 to begin recording this latest set of songs for its next album. The CRB\u2019s most recent album,\u00a0\u201cBetty\u2019s Blends, Volume Two: Best From The West,\u201d is a limited-edition release presenting live performances recorded and mixed straight from the soundboard by legendary Grateful Dead archivist Betty Cantor-Jackson.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been out on the road on-and-off all year,\u201d said Casal, during a phone inter last week from his home in California. \u201cWe leave Monday for our next tour. After that, it\u2019s going to feel good to be home for awhile. But, I don\u2019t want to be off the road too long. We\u2019re musicians. We play live. That\u2019s what a band has to do. A band has to do it to be vital. It\u2019s where we get our inspiration. When you play live, your muscles are moving &#8212; your fingers are moving. And, you get out and meet people. We\u2019re all still really enjoying being on the road.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The CRB made an immediate impact upon their boldly unconventional debut in early 2011. They embarked on close to 50 shows over nine weeks in California before ever leaving the Golden State. It wasn\u2019t until the following year that the band introduced itself nationally with the release of two sprawling studio albums &#8212; \u201cBig Moon Ritual\u201d and \u201cThe Magic Door.\u201d The band also released \u201cPhosphorescent Harvest\u201d in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe haven\u2019t started recording the next album yet,\u201d said Casal. \u201cWe\u2019ll start in January. We\u2019ve already written some songs for the album but really haven\u2019t got many in finished form.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cSome are three-quarters done and some are still instrumentals. We road-tested three or four of them &#8212; but we\u2019ve been holding back. We know that not everything you try will work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe use this really great studio here in Marin County &#8212; great equipment and great environment. There is a great view of the Pacific Ocean, which is pretty inspirational.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0And, we can live in the house while we\u2019re recording. When we\u2019re making records, we do all the recording live in the studio. That\u2019s the only way we do it. It starts as a band and ends as a band.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">That is one reason why the Chris Robinson Brotherhood is such a great band in concert.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIn our live shows, we try to stay true to the music,\u201d said Casal. \u201cSome songs have a very rigid structure so they\u2019ll stay that way. Other songs have completely free spaces within them. As a musician, you have to listen to what the song tells you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe do open up the songs a lot. We expand almost everything. This band has been built on being expansive. Much of the time, we play a show with two sets that lasts well over three hours. So, it\u2019s obvious that we like to expand the music.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for the Chris Robinson Brotherhood &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=sTVCJwUS6b8\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=sTVCJwUS6b8<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at the TLA will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1228072\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Alex-Bleeker-3-300x200.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1228072\" class=\"wp-image-1228072 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Alex-Bleeker-3-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Alex-Bleeker-3\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1228072\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Bleeker<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On November 22, Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bootandsaddlephilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.bootandsaddlephilly.com<\/span><\/a>) will host Alex Bleeker and the Freaks. The band is a side project for Bleeker, who is one-third of Real Estate, an Americvan rock band from North Jersey that has been around for the last six years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Alex Bleeker and the Freaks was founded by Bleeker to bring together like-minded musicians and friends. The band features Bleeker (guitar, vocals), Alex Steinberg (guitar), Nick Lenchner (bass), Dylan Shumaker (drums), Jacob Wolf (keys) and occasional guest vocals from Molly Sarle (Mountain Man).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">To celebrate the release the band\u2019s new album \u201cCountry Agenda,\u201d the group has been touring extensively throughout the fall, including dates in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cCountry Agenda\u201d is the culmination of Bleeker\u2019s solo work outside of his efforts with the band Real Estate. It follows 2013\u2019s \u201cHow Far Away\u201d<i> <\/i>and the band\u2019s 2009 self-titled debut album. While the Freaks\u2019 lineup has organically changed over time, this release finds the band gelling into its most cohesive self with its most collaborative songwriting to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe recorded the new album in California back in April,\u201d said Bleeker, during a recent phone interview from his home in Marin County, California. \u201cWe recorded it in Stinson Beach &#8212; that\u2019s what led me to move out here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cAll five of us were in the studio together and the songs started to take shape organically. A few of them had been written earlier so we had been able to play them live. The rest were written right before we made the album. I do like to play songs live first to test them out and get inside them. Two or three of them changed significantly. We also try to play songs in different styles than they were written &#8212; just for fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">His Freaks project and Real Estate both are still integral parts of Bleeker\u2019s music career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cReal Estate emerged around the same time as Freaks,\u201d said Bleeker. \u201cReal Estate is a big part of my life creatively. I do Freaks when Real Estaste is off the road. I devote the same amount of creative energy to both.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Real Estate is more of a collaborative unit but Freaks have been moving in that direction in recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe songs still all come from me &#8212; me fiddling around on guitar,\u201d said Bleeker. \u201cMy fingers play around and I hear something that makes me say &#8212; that\u2019s cool. It might start with a chord progression or a melodic riff.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe lyrics come really quickly for me. I might build a song around one line. But, I go through long period of not writing songs at all. There is a drought. Then, inspiration opens up and songs pour out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThis was my third album with the Freaks. In our current live shows, we play songs from all three. But, the songs have changed. We try to have many versions of each song. We don\u2019t ever play a song the same way twice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for Alex Bleeker &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=9adIQUbi_wA\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=9adIQUbi_wA<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Boot and Saddle will start at 8 p.m. with opening act The Extraordinaires. Tickets are $10.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Maintain-Fall-poster2_web-194x300.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1228073\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Maintain-Fall-poster2_web-194x300.jpg\" alt=\"Maintain-Fall-poster2_web\" \/><\/a>Wume will visit the area on November 22 for a show at the West Kensington Ministry (2140 North Hancock Street, Philadelphia, 252-531-6783, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spazz-fest.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">http:\/\/www.spazz-fest.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">All around the East Coast, April Camlin and Al Schatz have been rehearsing, recording and performing to develop their rhythmic\/hypnotic music. The six tracks on their new album\u00a0\u201cMaintain\u201d\u00a0each have a journey of their own &#8212; a movement through a sparkling aural future city.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">These basement .wav files captured the duo at work on their constructions and they maintained their forward momentum. Analog layers are added like architectural motifs to the underlying sturdy, steady pulse. This is the music of Wume (pronounced \u201cwoom\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">According to the band\u2019s press release &#8212; \u201cMaintain\u201d is a mixture of old songs and new. The older tracks are more deeply rooted in our wheelhouse of kosmische\u00a0and funk. In recent years we\u2019ve tried to expand on that initial idea and develop our own blend adding more distinct melodies and further expanding our rhythmic vocabulary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The band\u2019s original name was W\u00fcmme taken from the album title \u201cThe W\u00fcmme Years.\u201d It was one of the early albums by Krautrock band Faust and was named after the town where Faust recorded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe first met in Baltimore when he played with the band Brand Names,\u201d said Baltimore native Camlin, during a phone interview last week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cBrand Names was a Chicago-based psychedelic pop group,\u201d said Schatz, during the same interview. \u201cI quit Brand Names on 2010 and, around the same time, April had moved to Chicago. She had been playing drums and I was a guitar player.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe got interested in electronic music so we decided to form a band with synthesizer and drums. I like repetitive music. When I first heard (German electronic band) Can, that changed the way I listened to music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThere were also some good bands in Chicago &#8212; Ga\u2019an and cave. That was our peer group in Chicago at the time. I liked what they were doing. Both were into (progressive bands) Ashra and Neu.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Camlin said, \u201cThere was a lot of listening going on back in 2010. Yes and King Crimson are still in our DNA. And, Krautrock flipped our musical direction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The band is touring in support of its most recent album \u201cMaintain,\u201d which was released in May 2015 on Ehse Records.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOur new material is more popish\u2026less droney,\u201d said Schatz. \u201cWe were backwards-looking ofr awhile with Neu and Can. Now, we want to find what is the new version of that. Back then, the structures were so limited. Now, the structures are way more flexible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201c\u2019Maintain\u2019 is our second record,\u201d said Camlin. \u201cWe recorded it last summer. With the structures we work in, neither of us are huge improvisers. But, I do like to improvise in my fills.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for Wume &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=ie_XAP4PYl0\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=ie_XAP4PYl0<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show on November 22 will start at 7 p.m. with three opening acts. Tickets are &#8212; \u201c$6 &#8211; $10 sliding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">This is a big week for the Max Levine Ensemble. The band released its new record \u201cBacklash, Baby\u201d on <a href=\"http:\/\/brixtonagency.us3.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=d0b2596fe77300073ac12cbe5&amp;id=a1110e3561&amp;e=54d80e0c02\"><span class=\"s5\">Lame-O Records<\/span><\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/brixtonagency.us3.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=d0b2596fe77300073ac12cbe5&amp;id=d931156fc6&amp;e=54d80e0c02\"><span class=\"s5\">Rumbletowne Records<\/span><\/a> on November 20 and it is heading to the area for a show on November 24 at PhilaMOCA (531 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, 267-519-9651, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.philamoca.org\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.philamoca.org<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1228074\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/max-levine-ensemble-300x300.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1228074\" class=\"wp-image-1228074 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/max-levine-ensemble-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"max levine ensemble\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1228074\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Max Levine Ensemble<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Max Levine Ensemble is a punk band from the Washington, D.C. area. It features Spoonboy (David Combs) on guitar and vocals, Bepstein (Ben Epstein) on bass and vocals and Nick Popovici on drums.\u00a0 Max Levine is a friend of the band who was an early inspiration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Some of the band\u2019s recordings have been \u201cSongs That Make You Wanna Jump up, Run Outside, Grab a Donut From a Cop and Yell Chach Rules!!!,\u201d \u201cOK, Smartypants,\u201d and \u201cThem Steadily Depressing, Low Down Mind Messing, Post Modern Recession Blues.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe started recording \u2018Backlash, Baby\u2019 in December 2013,\u201d said Combs, during a phone interview last week. \u201cThe songs had been building up over the years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe earliest songs had been written in 2008. The songs are a little bit about things happening politically that were very dark. The song \u2018Police Suppression\u2019 was about coming out and seeing a lot of friends arrested for doing protest work. Years later, it\u2019s still happening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cGeorge Orwell didn\u2019t have a clue. It happens so gradually that you don\u2019t realize it. We have a couple songs about global warming. If it were immediately on us, we\u2019d unite as a world. But, because it\u2019s happening gradually\u2026..<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been a band for 15 years and we\u2019ve always been political &#8212; right from the start. But, they\u2019re not songs of political rhetoric. I write about experiences and my feelings. I do think nobody likes to be hammered over the head by someone\u2019s politics. I prefer to thoughtfully reflect on my political beliefs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Punk music and politics have been partners for a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cGrowing up, I listened to classic good rock-and-roll and pop,\u201d said Combs. \u201cIt was the Beatles and stuff like that. Certainly, that\u2019s still important &#8212; to write a song that\u2019s catchy and fun to listen to. Growing up in D.C., you become more aware of the political scene. It all kind of mixes together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for the Max Levine Ensemble &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=56b8PBsIOEY\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&amp;v=56b8PBsIOEY<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Philamoca will get underway at 7:30 p.m. with opening acts Radiator Hospital and Littler. Tickets are $7.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1228075\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/hot-tuna-300x225.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1228075\" class=\"wp-image-1228075 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/hot-tuna-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"hot tuna\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1228075\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hot Tuna<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">While most people get to enjoy a turkey feast at Thanksgiving time, music fans also know that the late-November holiday means that it\u2019s time for a tuna feast. That\u2019s tuna as in Hot Tuna, the legendary blues-rock band from San Francisco.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">When Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen perform as Hot Tuna, the music veterans who were part of the original San Francisco music scene in the late 1960s bring a wealth of rock-and-roll history along with them. On November 25, Hot Tuna makes its annual holiday visit to the area for a show at the Keswick Theatre (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.keswicktheatre.com\/\"><span class=\"s5\">www.keswicktheatre.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Casady and Kaukonen were founding members of the original Jefferson Airplane and then together founded Hot Tuna. Kaukonen, a guitarist, has also released a number of solo projects and Casady, a bass player, had done a few. Both veteran musicians have done hundreds of recording sessions with other artists. As Hot Tuna, they play a mesmerizing blend of rock, folk and blues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cJorma and I have kept a freshness in the musical genre,\u201d said Casady, during a phone interview last week when he was at Kaukonen&#8217;s Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp in the Appalachian foothills to teach a workshop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019ve had a unique take on it &#8212; acoustic guitar and bass. We\u2019ve had all kinds of configurations &#8212; folk music, rock, blues. Words, music, poetry &#8212; that\u2019s what we\u2019ve always been into. The music stays alive. The communication in the music keeps it alive every night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Casady and Kaukonen first got together when both were high school students in the Washington, D.C. area. Their first band together was a D.C.-area garage band called The Triumphs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe&#8217;ve been together since 1958,\u201d said Casady. \u201cWe started Hot Tuna in 1968 and did both bands (Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane) together until 1973. That\u2019s when Marty (Balin) put Jefferson Starship together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe figured that Jefferson Airplane had its run. The core years were over. Most bands don&#8217;t stay together more than four years so seven years was a lot. We did the first Hot Tuna album in 1970. Some of the material has held up well to the test of time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Another thing that has stood up to the test of time has been the band\u2019s annual visit to the Keswick Theater late in November.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019ve developed a tradition of playing a show at the Keswick every Thanksgiving,\u201d said Kaukonen, more than a decade ago. \u201cI\u2019m not sure how many years it\u2019s been now but I know it\u2019s been quite a few.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Hot Tuna also plays a few shows at the Beacon Theater when they head east at Thanksgiving time.\u00a0 This year\u2019s shows at the venue in New York City are billed as \u201cFreakin\u2019 At The Beacon! Hot Tuna &amp; Friends &#8212; Jorma\u2019s 75th Birthday Bash.\u201d The Beacon shows feature Electric Hot Tuna while the Keswick show will present Acosutic Hot Tuna.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cAt the Keswick, it\u2019s pure Jorma and pure Jack &#8212; right there on the stage,\u201d said Casady. \u201cJorma is a real master at putting together set lists for the shows. We have quite a catalogue to draw from. We play songs that we haven\u2019t played in a long time. You\u2019re in the moment of the night.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe Thanksgiving shows at the Keswick are always special. There\u2019s always a certain amount of fans who are always there &#8212; who become like family. And, there is always an influx of younger fans and that is very gratifying.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">When Casady was asked if 50 years ago he thought he would still be making music 50 years later, he replied, \u201cI never thought of not doing it. I always thought of myself as wanting to be a good musician. You keep working at it. Jorma is a poet and a songwriter first and a musician second. That\u2019s the key to our longevity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for Hot Tuna &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?list=PL365E875478A7B84C&amp;v=g6cJR9copFw&amp;feature=player_detailpage\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?list=PL365E875478A7B84C&amp;v=g6cJR9copFw&amp;feature=player_detailpage<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Thanksgiving Eve show at the Keswick will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 and $45.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Another show scheduled for November 25 is the King Diamond \u201cAbigail In Concert 2015\u201d tour featuring metal acts King Diamond and Exodus at the Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thefillmorephilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>).<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Exodus is also one of the oldest metal bands around. Formed in 1980 in Richmond, California, Exodus\u2019 current line-up features Steve \u201cZetro\u201d Souza (vocals), Gary Holt (guitars), Lee Altus (guitars), Jack Gibson (bass) and Tom Hunting (drums).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Zetro was Testament\u2019s vocalist from 1983-1986 and was replaced by Chuck Billy, the current lead singer of Testament. He and Billy are also have their own band called Dublin Death Control, which released its most recent album \u201cDeath Sentence\u201d in 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Zetro has had three stints as vocalist for Exodus \u2014 1986-1993, 2002-2004 and 2014-present.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI just rejoined Exodus last June,\u201d said Zetro, during a recent phone interview. \u201cI returned to the band after about 10 years. They were thinking about using a new singer and I was asked to come back. Crowds have been coming in droves. We\u2019ve done 140 shows since I\u2019ve been back and haven\u2019t had one clunker yet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe band is really tight. The band is all clean now &#8212; not messed up like we were in the 80s. Now, we\u2019re more concerned with putting on a good show. I\u2019m 51 not 22 and I\u2019m a survivor. I never even drink anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Exodus\u2019 players may be clean and sober but they still kick ass sonically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0\u201cThrash has changed a little over the years but it\u2019s always kept its edge,\u201d said Zetro, who also has his own thrash band called Hatriot.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s always been raw.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Nine months ago, Exodus released its 10th album \u201cBlood In, Blood Out\u201d on Nuclear Blast Records.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOur new record is great,\u201d said Zetro. \u201cI only wrote one song on \u2018Blood In, Blood Out.\u2019 They had it pretty much written already when I rejoined the band. We didn\u2019t just go through the motions when making the album. We did the album in Oakland in a house on a goat ranch. It was kind of serene. We\u2019ll go two-and-a-half to three years until we start working on the next one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cYou always have to be heavy. If you stay heavy, everything else will fall into place. If you\u2019re in the audience, you get to be part of the show \u2014 15,000 people crushing each other. When we play, I want to see people move. With our current show we hit all the bases. The first couple records were staples. That\u2019s where the band was built.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cA lot of metal bands have two vocalists but not us. I\u2019ve never really been a fan of clean vocals along with dirty vocals. Some are good so I won\u2019t knock it down. It\u2019s just a part of the revolution. But, I prefer rock like Lemmy (Kilmister, bassist and vocalist for Mot\u00f6rhead).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cExodus has 30 years history and 10 records. We\u2019re very fortunate to have survived. \u00a0We have old fans at shows and I see young kids out there. We played a show in Russia and nobody in the club was over 25. People know we were one of the innovators of thrash metal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWith 10 records and over 100 songs, it\u2019s hard to put together a set list. We only do two or three form the new one. We\u2019re a classic band. We don\u2019t try to just push the new stuff. Every day, I\u2019m very grateful I\u2019m still doing this. I never take anything for granted. And, I\u2019m singing better now than I ever have.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for Exodus &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6c69S3pD8qI&amp;feature=player_detailpage\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6c69S3pD8qI&amp;feature=player_detailpage<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Thanksgiving Eve show at the Fillmore Philadelphia will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39.50.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lots of great live music options this week By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times If you&#8217;re looking for a bit of entertainment before being buried in the Thanksgiving holidays \u2014 there more than a few good options, starting tonight. If you want to attend a concert on November 22, you can have your choice of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17746"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17747,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17746\/revisions\/17747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}