{"id":19008,"date":"2016-04-07T10:07:50","date_gmt":"2016-04-07T14:07:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=19008"},"modified":"2016-04-07T09:31:05","modified_gmt":"2016-04-07T13:31:05","slug":"on-stage-festival-of-the-arts-in-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=19008","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Festival of the Arts in Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><em><strong>Three legendary country performers share Wilmington stage<\/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_1329189\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Amir-ElSaffar-Header-1-300x144.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1329189\" class=\"wp-image-1329189 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Amir-ElSaffar-Header-1-300x144.jpg\" alt=\"Amir-ElSaffar-Header-1\" width=\"300\" height=\"144\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1329189\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amir El Saffar and his ensemble performs &#8216;Rivers of Sound&#8217; as part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts.<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Kimmel Center is presenting a huge cultural event called the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) from April 8-23 at a variety of venues in downtown Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">One of the top shows in the early portion of the festival will take place on April 9 at the Kimmel Center (Broad and Spruce streets, Philadelphia, 215-731-3333, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kimmelcenter.org\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.kimmelcenter.org<\/span><\/a>) &#8212; a concert featuring renowned trumpeter, santur player, vocalist and composer Amir El Saffar and his ensemble performing \u201cRivers of Sound.\u201d<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cRivers of Sound\u201d is a new work, featuring a 17-musician ensemble and traditional instrumentation from across North America, the Middle East and Central Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The eclectic mix of instruments includes the oud (lute), qanun (plucked zither), santur (hammered-dulcimer), nay (reed flute), as well as Western instruments, such as saxophone, trumpet, drum set, bass, retuned piano, vibraphone, guitar, and vocalists from corresponding traditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThis is the first live date in over a year,\u201d said El Saffar, during a phone interview Tuesday night from his home in New York. \u201cWe performed it April 15, 2015 at Lincoln Center and then recorded it the following day at Avatar Studio.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe recorded it all analog &#8212; directly to tape. We recorded the 85-minute work all in one day &#8212; 11 a.m.-3 a.m. The line-up for the 17-piece band is basically the same that we will have in Philadelphia. We have two shows in the U.S. &#8212; Philadelphia and Cleveland &#8212; and one at New York University in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cRivers of Sound\u201d\u00a0consists of composed melodies, forms, and rhythmic formulas but is performed in an improvisational fashion, fostering variations on the musical material and spontaneous interaction between musicians. The large ensemble\u2019s combination of instruments, each with distinct timbral properties, allows for the emergence of new sonic textures and nuanced interaction between musicians, completely unique to each performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In the framework of a large ensemble of improvising musicians, this opens new channels for spontaneous communication, based entirely on the music and sound, rather than the rules or idiosyncrasies of a given genre. Melodies are not confined to the single-tonic system of the Middle East, nor are they bound by equal temperament.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">By freeing the pitches from fixed positions, traditional constructs\/constraints\/functions are allowed to fall away. As pitches become fluid so do cultural boundaries, de-emphasizing elements that traditionally divide musicians from different backgrounds such as ethnically-specific modes or scales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe effort is worth it &#8212; even for just one show,\u201d said El Saffar. \u201cIt\u2019s not an easy thing to put together. The album was recorded a year ago but it won\u2019t be out until October. So, this show is like a preview. It took one day to record but a lot of days to mix it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe line-up of instruments for the show includes two ouds, tenor sax, alto sax, bass sax, qanun, trumpet, santur, drums, nay, bass, piano, vibraphone and guitar. I\u2019m the only one who is singing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The composition, which is a suite in eight movements, brings together Western jazz traditions with maqam, a system of melodic modes used in traditional Arabic music, which is mainly melodic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIn the beginning, it was very difficult to bridge these two musical styles &#8212; maqam and the West,\u201d said El Saffar. \u201cBut, over time, I have found a lot of similarities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI wrote harmonies and microtonal counterparts. I developed a new concept. It\u2019s not so much about cross-cultural &#8212; it\u2019s just that this is my palette. Maqam forms the tonal basis for the whole project and the combination of meters draws from contemporary jazz.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Amir El Saffar &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/p8ZZQ3cIE0Y\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/p8ZZQ3cIE0Y<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at the Kimmel Center will start at 8 p.m. on April 9. Tickets are $20, $30 and $36.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for PIFA &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/6UoMnoEbAkI\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/6UoMnoEbAkI<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Other opening week PIFA performances are \u201cCirkus Cirk\u00f6r presents Knitting Peace\u201d (April 6-10, Merriam Theater), \u201cArticle 13: Cie Carabosse &amp; Teatro Linea De Sombra\u201d (April 8-10, Penn&#8217;s Landing), \u201cPaper Planet: Polyglot Theatre\u201d (April 9-23, Hamilton Garden), \u201cVision Song: Our Hearts, Our Future, Our Voices\u2019 (April 9-10, SEI Innovation Studio) and \u201cAttack Point\u201d (April 10, Verizon Hall).<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1329190\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/skaggswhitecooderweb-300x214.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1329190\" class=\"wp-image-1329190 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/skaggswhitecooderweb-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"skaggswhitecooderweb\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1329190\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ricky Skaggs, Ry Cooder and Sharon White.<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On April 9, fans of Americana and country music will have an opportunity to hear three legendary performers play together onstage when the Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thegrandwilmington.org\/\"><span class=\"s5\">www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/span><\/a>) presents a show featuring Ricky Skaggs, Ry Cooder and Sharon White.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Skaggs is an American country music artist &#8212; and bluegrass singer, producer, and composer. Mandolin is his first instrument but he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo. White is a member of The Whites, an American country music vocal group. She has been married to Skaggs since 1981 and they frequently work together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Cooder is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, and record producer &#8212; a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work. He has collaborated with many musicians, notably including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young, and The Doobie Brothers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Skaggs played mandolin and sang on stage with Bill Monroe when he was six years old. One year later, he appeared on television\u2019s Martha White country music variety show, playing with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. His life\u2019s path has taken him to various musical genres, from where it all began in bluegrass music, to striking out on new musical journeys, while still leaving his musical roots intact.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The versatile musician started playing mandolin over 50 years ago. The 14-time Grammy Award winner continues to do his part to lead the recent roots revival in music. Skaggs has had 12 consecutive Grammy-nominated classics &#8212; from \u201cBluegrass Rules!\u201d in 1998 to \u201cRicky Skaggs Solo: Songs My Dad Loved\u201d in 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The touring show which is coming to the Grand will feature a mixture of blues, gospel and bluegrass, with White lending vocals, Joachim Cooder on drums, Mark Fain on bass and special appearances from Buck White and Cheryl White.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cRight now, I\u2019m producing a solo album by Lady Antebellum\u2019s Hilary Scott,\u201d said Skaggs, during a recent phone interview. \u201cIt\u2019s a challenge but it\u2019s great. I\u2019m excited to get it out. I\u2019m playing some on it &#8212; and singing on it too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI\u2019ve produced all my stuff since the early 1980s. I\u2019ve produced The Whites and also produced Dolly Parton\u2019s \u2018White Limozeen\u2019 album. I produce a few food things each year. It\u2019s a process that I enjoy doing. It\u2019s a lot different than playing live.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI\u2019ve had my own studio since 2001 &#8212; Skaggs\u2019 Place Studio in Hendersonville, North Carolina. We have a lot of analog gear &#8212; and ProTools and RADAR, which is still the best for going from analog to digital.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Skaggs\u2019 most recent album in \u201cHeart Like Ours,\u201d which he recorded with White and released on his Skaggs Family label.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe recorded that album in 2013 and released it in October 2014,\u201d said Skaggs. \u201cSharon and I started doing some touring together after the album and we\u2019re still doing shows together. We just started doing shows with Ry Cooder recently and it\u2019s been a blast. It just fell out of the blue &#8212; and I\u2019m glad it did. I love Ry &#8212; his passion and his playing. Getting a chance to work with a world-class musician like that is a real thrill. I\u2019ve been such a fan of his music for a long time. I love what he hears. He can paint outside the lines &#8212; a lot like Bruce Hornsby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The tour also features guest performances by\u00a0Buck White\u00a0and\u00a0Cheryl White\u00a0of\u00a0The Whites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cHaving Sharon sing with The Whites is great,\u201d said Skaggs. \u201cHer sister Cheryl sings harmony and her dad Buck, who is 85, plays piano. He really embodies the musical sounds of the 40s, 50s and 60s. He\u2019s also a mandolin player inspired by Bill Monroe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe all inspire each other in our live shows &#8212; and we\u2019re recording all of them on this tour. There is great camaraderie between all of these talented musicians.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Ricky Skaggs &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/oZIHSXpmilw\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/oZIHSXpmilw<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at the Grand will start at 8 p.m. Tickets prices range from $39-$57.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Other shows at the Grand over the next week are Aoife O\u2019Donovan featuring special guest Cassandra Jenkins on April 9 in the Baby Grand and Luma on April 10.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/capital-steps-mock-the-vote-370x333-300x270.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1329191\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/capital-steps-mock-the-vote-370x333-300x270.jpg\" alt=\"capital-steps-mock-the-vote-370x333\" \/><\/a>No matter which political camp you\u2019re in, the Capitol Steps\u2019 latest show \u201cMock the Vote\u201d is guaranteed to \u201cRock the Boat\u201d when it visits the area for show on April 8 at the Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-<\/span><i> <\/i><span class=\"s1\">917-1228, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecolonialtheatre.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.thecolonialtheatre.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Since they began, the Capitol Steps have recorded more than 35 albums, including their latest, \u201cMock the Vote.\u201d They\u2019ve been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS. Most cast members have worked on Capitol Hill &#8212; some for Democrats, some for Republicans, and others for politicians who firmly straddle the fence. No matter who holds office, there\u2019s never a shortage of material.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Satire is the use of humor and\/or exaggeration to ridicule people\u2019s stupidity or vices &#8212; particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. Surprisingly, the current election campaign is making it a bit difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIt\u2019s a good time to be in political satire,\u201d said Elaina Newport, during a recent phone interview from Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Newport was a founding member of the Capitol Steps in 1981 and is still a key member of the group.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe challenge is to be funnier than the participants,\u201d said Newport. \u201cThings are so ridiculous right now that it\u2019s hard to make them more ridiculous. Four years ago with Newt and Santorum, it was a pretty good crop last time &#8212; but nothing like this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWhen Trump first announced he was running, we wrote a piece quickly. We had already written Jeb Bush and Rick Perry songs and we had a song called \u201976 Unknowns.\u2019 We never expected Trump to be around long.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe were so sorry to see Jeb go because when he was around, we got to bring \u2018W\u2019 back &#8212; \u2018He Ain\u2019t Heavy, He\u2019s My Brother.\u2019 They wanted Jeb to be president as part of the \u2018No Child Left Behind\u2019 program.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Even though much of what Trump has been saying is downright scary, it has provided a lot of fodder for the Capitol Steps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWith Trump, when we first started, it was all about the hair,\u201d said Newport. \u201cThen, it was the Mexicans &#8212; \u2018they\u2019re good people, they mow my hair.\u2019\u00a0 When he took on the Pope, we thought that would be his undoing. But, he\u2019s constantly coming with new stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019re having a lot of fun with Bernie &#8212; the old guy. Hillary is fun because we get to bring Bill out again. We recently retire our Rubio song \u2018Marco Man.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Capitol Steps\u2019 show remains amazingly up-to-date with songs dealing with Hillary Clinton (\u201cDeleter of the Pack\u201d) and Bernie Sanders (a parody of \u201cIf There Were No Rich Men\u201d from \u201cFiddler on the Roof\u00a0.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe always go after both sides,\u201d said Newport. \u201cIt\u2019s a 90-minute show with about 30 songs and skits. Joe Biden sings a rock song and Obama does a show tune. And, Putin does a dance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for the Capitol Steps &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/bWRNA8Qj5EM?list=PLkJvNIwvrAzum8NSGRMelIzLZy5v3jYtW\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/bWRNA8Qj5EM?list=PLkJvNIwvrAzum8NSGRMelIzLZy5v3jYtW<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at the Colonial Theatre will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are Gold Circle: $44.50, Orchestra: $39.50, Front Balcony: $34.50, Rear Balcony: $27.50.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1329193\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/the-looking-300x200.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1329193\" class=\"wp-image-1329193 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/the-looking-300x200.png\" alt=\"the looking\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1329193\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Looking<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">New York-based The Looking just released a refreshing new album titled \u201cLead Me to the Water.\u201d Now on the road, The Looking will come to town on April 8 for a show at the Grape Room (105 Grape Street, Philadelphia, 215- 930-0321, <a href=\"http:\/\/graperoommusic.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">http:\/\/graperoommusic.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Looking is the brainchild of singer\/songwriter Todd Carter and features\u00a0a number of top players including\u00a0bassist Andy Hess (The Black Crowes, Gov\u2019t Mule), \u00a0Diego Voglino\u00a0(Marshall\u00a0Crenshaw) on\u00a0drums, Steve Elliott\u00a0(Shooter Jennings) on guitar and background vocals by\u00a0Sasha Dobson\u00a0(Norah Jones).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Carter is a student of everything from punk rock to opera to Americana, yet\u00a0there is a real consistency and fluidity to be found in \u201cLead Me To Water.\u201d\u00a0On this album, Carter\u2019s various influences come together in a very coherent manner. The Looking has its roots in not only indie-rock and country but also in the well-crafted 1970s singer-songwriter classics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI grew up in a small town in Indiana called Carmel,\u201d says Carter, during a phone interview last Friday from his home on New York\u2019s Upper West Side. \u201cI started playing music in high school &#8212; punk rock and garage band. I had a knack for singing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cBefore that, we were all listening to cassette tapes of bands like April Wine and Foreigner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWhen I found out I could sing, I decided to take it somewhere. I was into writing songs even when I was a teenager. I had a band in my early college days. I did a little vocal training when I was a student at Indiana University. I had people who wanted me to get into the opera world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThen, 10 years later, I did some opera training and opera recitals. I\u2019ve studied voice for a long time &#8212; and I teach voice a little bit. I practice every day &#8212; do some warm-ups to open up and then go through the repertoire. I love going into the American songbook.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Carter has worn many hats over the years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI\u2019m always in and out of music,\u201d said Carter. \u201cI was a specialist working with autistic individuals. I worked in Europe and played in rock bands in the south of France. I went to divinity school for awhile and did interfaith work. All along &#8212; music came in and out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Carter has been in full musician mode for awhile now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI released an EP at the end of last year that was a little heavier with a rock vibe,\u201d said Carter. \u201cBut, there was still this academic element and country element from the album before that was being hit by old country music and old Broadway music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe new album ended up being a mix of country and folk that was coming out naturally as simple pop tunes. I had already had a bunch of songs ready to go and these songs called to me. It took me four days in the studio to make the album. It was a joy and the band was amazing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for The Looking &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/21IUvUQ1xCw\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/21IUvUQ1xCw<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at the Grape Room will get underway at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1329196\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/holy-white-hounds-300x200.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1329196\" class=\"wp-image-1329196 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/holy-white-hounds-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"holy white hounds\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1329196\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Holy White Hounds<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Anyone who is heading to the Electric Factory (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215-627-1332, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.electricfactory.info\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.electricfactory.info<\/span><\/a>) on April 8 to hear The Cult play should plan on getting there early &#8212; early enough to hear the set by the opening band Holy White Hounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Holy White Hounds are touring in support of their debut album \u201cSparkle Sparkle,\u201d which is scheduled to come out on May 6 via Razor &amp; Tie. The first single \u201cSwitchblade\u201d has just been released.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Longtime friends Brenton Dean and Ambrose Lupercal formed Holy White Hounds in 2013. After the release of their self-released debut \u201cOh Mama\u201d EP, they joined forces with Seth Luloff and James Manson to complete the band. Soon after, they were on the road performing with acts including Cage The Elephant, Sick Puppies, Cake, Wavves and Surfer Blood. Holy White Hounds is Brenton Dean (vocals\/guitar), Ambrose Lupercal (bass), Seth Luloff (drums) and James Manson (guitar).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI\u2019ve been to the East Coast a lot but Iowa still feels like home,\u201d said Dean, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston. \u201cGrowing up on Des Moines, the mantra for all the kids is \u2018I can\u2019t wait to get out of here.\u2019 I can honestly say I never felt that way. Living in Iowa is great for our songwriting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cAmbrose and me have been playing together in bands since high school. One day, we decided to take things more seriously. So, we got this lineup of guys together. We started listening to other musicians a lot and modeled ourselves after guys we admired.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThen, Ambrose went off to college &#8212; to the University of Iowa. Right when he got back from school, the band got started. By then, we already had a bunch of songs and we started working on the album before we had the other musicians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cFor the next album we make, they will be a big part of writing the new songs. We\u2019re all from different backgrounds so there are a lot of different flavors. They\u2019re also bringing spice to the older songs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Holy White Hounds tried to steer clear of influences when making \u201cSparkle Sparkle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe weren\u2019t listening to a lot of music because we didn\u2019t want to rip off something accidentally,\u201d said Dean. \u201cWe stayed with listening to the stuff we were listening to in middle school. It wasn\u2019t too heavy &#8212; Stephen Malkmus &amp; the Jicks, Modest Mouse, Blink 182.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019ve stayed in Iowa because this is where our families are. We\u2019re still building our hometown audience. Our music is rock and roll music. It shouldn\u2019t be taken too seriously. We take our music seriously but we don\u2019t take ourselves too seriously. We\u2019re lucky to be in a band with people we love.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Holy White Hounds &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/MXlhQ6Dy-Z8\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/MXlhQ6Dy-Z8<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at the Electric Factory will start at 8:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $35.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On April 9, the Electric Factory will have a show with Big Gigantic, Louis The Child, Melvv, Wax Future and Horizon Wireless.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1329198\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/the-dirty-nil-300x214.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1329198\" class=\"wp-image-1329198 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/the-dirty-nil-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"the dirty nil\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1329198\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Dirty Nil<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On April 8, Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.johnnybrendas.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.johnnybrendas.com<\/span><\/a>) will host one of the most promising new bands to come out of Canada in recent years &#8212; The Dirty Nil.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Dirty Nil &#8212; Luke Bentham (guitar\/vocals), Kyle Fisher (drums), and David Nardi (bass\/vocals) &#8212; is a hard rock trio from Dundas, a suburb of Hamilton, Ontario. The band is touring in support of its debut album \u201cHigher Ground.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Quite simply, The Dirty Nil play rock and roll &#8212; loud, distorted and out of control. Using a combination of distorted guitars, pounding drums and howled vocals, the long-time friends make music that packs a wallop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe all started playing together in high school,\u201d said Bentham, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. \u201cThat was the lineup that became what it is now. It started with just Kyle and I messing around &#8212; writing songs and playing our instruments. When David joined, that took it up to another level &#8212; more touring, more recording.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOur touring schedule really picked up in 2014. We waited until now to release our first album because we wanted to build up some momentum before we got into larger releases. Prior to the album, we had four 7-inch singles, a 10-inch single and a 7-inch limited-release.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">All that led up to the making of \u201cHigher Ground.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe cut most of \u2018Higher Ground\u2019 at Candle Recording in Toronto,\u201d said Bentham. \u201cWe did the guitars and vocals in Hamiltion. We recorded it in pieces. Everything was done by the fall of 2015 and it came out in the beginning of 2016 on Dine Alone Records.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe all write the band\u2019s songs together. We\u2019ve played together for 10 years now and we know what works. Making this album was a total band effort. Even though many of the songs have been around for awhile, we have no fatigue in playing them. It\u2019s fun being comfortable with a song. Also, they\u2019ve mutated in their live form over the years &#8212; a little faster, a little louder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cLast summer, we played on the Warped Tour. We participated in it to get exposure. Meeting all the people we did was a great experience. We\u2019ve toured the states a few times. One of our first really great American shows was in Philadelphia at Kung Fu Necktie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for The Dirty Nil &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/5ncXZzSpWcI\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/5ncXZzSpWcI<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s, which starts at 9 p.m., also features Creepoid and Restorations. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1329199\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Ralph-Peterson-Trio-e1455643248505-300x209.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1329199\" class=\"wp-image-1329199 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Ralph-Peterson-Trio-e1455643248505-300x209.jpg\" alt=\"Ralph-Peterson-Trio-e1455643248505\" width=\"300\" height=\"209\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1329199\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ralph Peterson Trio<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It has been said that good things come in threes. Such is the case with Ralph Peterson and his new album \u201cTriAngular III.\u201d Peterson will treat fans to live performances of some of the album\u2019s compositions when performs on April 10 at the Ethical Society (1906 South Rittenhouse Square, 215-735-3456.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">With the new album, Peterson returns to the trio format for only the third time in 30 years. Secondly, the album is the third installment in Peterson\u2019s \u201cLive at Firehouse 12\u201d series.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Most importantly, the album is a celebration of Peterson\u2019s victory in hs battle against colorectal cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Peterson, a drummer and composer, released \u201cTriAngular III\u201d on April 8\u00a0via Peterson&#8217;s own\u00a0Onyx Music\u00a0label and\u00a0Truth Revolution Records. On this disc, he is joined by brothers\u00a0Zaccai\u00a0and\u00a0Luques Curtis\u00a0on piano and bass, adding a new incarnation to the prestigious TriAngular lineage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Recorded live at New Haven&#8217;s Firehouse 12,\u00a0\u201cTriAngular III\u201d\u00a0provides not only a showcase for Peterson&#8217;s boundless energy and imagination, but also a testament to the healing power of music. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered as Peterson was being diagnosed and treated for colorectal cancer, becoming a sterling symbol of his successful battle against the disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI was diagnosed with colorectal cancer on November 5 last year,\u201d said Peterson, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore where he is an artist-in-residence. \u201cI was bleeding so much that I was in the ICU for two days before they could even do a biopsy. I had three trips to the hospital, surgery and five-and-a-half weeks of radiation and chemotherapy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u2018The album was recorded live on October 30 at Firehouse 12. We did two sets. The first tune on the album is actually the last tune of the night and the last tune on the record is the last tune of the first set. Since they turned the house, we were able to play the same set at both shows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cAfter my stay in the hospital, I wasn\u2019t going to let it get to me. I wasn\u2019t going to stay at home and feel sorry for myself. I mixed and mastered the album all while I was dealing with this life-altering condition. Now, I\u2019m on the other side.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Putting the album on hold was not an option according to Peterson who said, \u201cEarly on I thought that if this is my time, I&#8217;ve got to get this music finished and out because I&#8217;m real comfortable with this being my swan song. If it&#8217;s not, I still wanted to get it out because I&#8217;m really excited about this music that we put together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Peterson, who just celebrated a landmark 20 years drink and drug free, was excited to be performing with a trio format again. The album is a fitting successor to its two predecessors &#8212; 1988&#8217;s\u00a0\u201cTriangular\u201d\u00a0with Geri Allen and Essiet Essiet, and 2000&#8217;s\u00a0\u201cTriangular 2\u201d<i>\u00a0<\/i>with David Kikoski and Gerald Cannon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0\u201cI love the trio format,\u201d said Peterson, who is a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. \u201cI think it\u2019s one of the purest vehicles for expressing jazz. I love piano music. My father loved piano music. He met my mother when he was playing piano.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI met Luques Curtis<b>\u00a0<\/b>when he was a student at Berklee. I had a student ensemble and needed a bass player. He came to a rehearsal and he was great. I told him &#8212; you\u2019re at a level way above this ensemble. He said &#8212; I want to do it because I just want to play with you. His attitude really impressed me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cLater, he said &#8212; you\u2019ve got to meet my brother Zaccai. When I heard Zaccai, I was really impressed with his playing. \u2018The Duality Perspective\u2019 album, which I recorded in 2012, featured Luques and Zaccai. We\u2019ve been playing together for 12 years. I\u2019m like a mentor. My decision to do a trio album with them happened a long time ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Ralph Peterson &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/DMyzvKFjfh8\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/DMyzvKFjfh8<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at the Ethical Society will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $16.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1329200\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/evie-ladin-300x149.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1329200\" class=\"wp-image-1329200 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/evie-ladin-300x149.jpg\" alt=\"evie ladin\" width=\"300\" height=\"149\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1329200\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evie Ladin<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Another concert just a few blocks away from the Ethical Society will feature music in a very different style on April 10 when the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, <a href=\"http:\/\/philly.worldcafelive.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">philly.worldcafelive.com<\/span><\/a>) presents Evie Ladin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Ladin is touring to celebrate the release of her new album \u201cJump the Fire.\u201d Ladin (lead vocals, banjo, guitar, body music, and feet) will be performing in a duo with her husband Keith Terry (bass, caj\u00f3n, gankogui, bass harmonica, body music, vocals).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cJump the Fire\u201d tells a story. The album opens with the title track, an ode to summer festival jams, and then a folk operetta emerges. Ladin fronts the band and writes the lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The daughter of an international folk dance teacher and old-time folk music devotee, Laydin grew up believing that playing music, dancing and singing with others is what people do. Tradition bearers came through her house and played in her living room.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0The neo-trad-kinetic-folk of her music is a mingling of the deep Appalachian sound of clawhammer banjo, guitar, bass and percussive dance with contemporary storytelling and also her attraction to the African and African-American elements of Appalachian music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Terry and Ladin met on the dance floor and live a double life between the folk\/Americana circuit and the International Body Music scene they helped create.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThis week, we\u2019re finishing a whole other International Body Music thing with a cast of seven international artists,\u201d said Ladin, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Oakland, California. \u201cThis is our second big rehearsal period &#8212; creating a theatrical show that will be playing in big theaters. It will premiere in Paris at the International Body Music Festival in October.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Prior to that, however, is a spring and summer of performing shows in support of \u201cJump the Fire.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI recorded \u2018Jump the Fire\u2019 in October,\u201d said Ladin. \u201cThe majority of the songs were inspired from a songwriting retreat I did the previous winter. I had been working for 25 years as a musician and dancer so I took a two-month sabbatical. I really focused on the artistic aspect of songwriting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI first got into music because my mother was an international folk dance teacher. And, my dad was in love with music from the American South. We started banjo lessons when I was young. I was singing southern harmony songs and also started dancing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Body music, which incorporates step dancing, body slapping and other percussion, folk dancing and Americana music all swirl together in Ladin\u2019s shows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cPutting together old-time folk music and body music is a natural progression for me,\u201d said Ladin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe always have some dance in every show &#8212; clogging, step dancing and body percussion &#8212; and there are a lot of polyrhythms in my banjo playing. One of the main things I do is study a lot of different kinds of step dancing and modern jazz dance. Music is dance and dance is music.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Evie Ladin &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/UtYM5thA2bg\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/UtYM5thA2bg<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will be a Folk Show Lunch starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10. The duo will also perform live on WXPN on April 10 at 8 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Rising death metal sextet The Convalescence just released its latest album \u201cPoison Words\u201d on 3Thirteen Entertainment Group\/eOne Music now is on the road headlining the \u201cPoison Words Tour.\u201d The tour arrives in Philadelphia on April 10 at the Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-222-1255).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Convalescence is a death metal\/deathcore band formed in Toledo, Ohio in 2011 by vocalist Keith Wampler. After several member changes throughout the years, the band is now based all over the country and also includes keyboardist\/vocalist Katie McCrimmon (ex Archetyped) from El Paso, Texas; guitarist\/vocalist Zac Lunsford from Fort Wayne, Indiana; guitarist John Jones (ex The Weight Of Us), bassist Spencer Kropog and drummer Justin Dubay (Adrift Of River Styx) from Cleveland, Ohio.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe started back in 2011 and have had close to 50 member changes since then,\u201d said Wampler, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Toledo. \u201cIt started with the local band phase with a lot of different line-ups. And, bass players have come and gone over the years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Wampler was unexpectedly at home in the middle of a three-month tour.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe were supposed to be playing in Montreal tonight but we weren\u2019t able to get into Canada,\u201d said Wampler. \u201cWe have band merchandise that we give away at shows and the custom officials didn\u2019t believe that they were free. So, they wanted to make us pay for expensive visas. They just were looking to hassle us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Within weeks of its formation in 2011, the band released a five-song EP titled \u201cMemories\u201d and began growing faster than anyone expected. The band went on to do multiple tours and festivals in support of the EP including Bludgeonfest with Mobile Deathcamp, The Lone Wolves Tour with Winterus, The All Freaks Halloween Ball and The Road to the Metalfest Tour.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOne of the reasons that musicians have left the band is our schedule,\u201d said Wampler. \u201cWe tour a lot and don\u2019t make much money. It\u2019s hard for people to make a living when touring for 6-9 months straight in a school bus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOur lineup is pretty stable now. Katie was in a band that opened for us in Texas a few years ago. John was in a touring band that hired me to book their tours so he joined our band when they stopped.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cHe knew Zack from playing together in a local band in Fort Wayne. Justin was in another band I managed so he left to join us. Spencer is still also the bassist in Adrift Of River Styx.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe recorded \u2018Poison Words\u2019 in October. We were in the studio for 10 days. We went in with absolutely nothing written. We decided to go into the studio and just wing it. We were banging out three or four songs a day. I wrote all the lyrics in one night. We gambled big time and it worked out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe did everything piece-by-piece. We like working with Johnny Burke as our producer because he pushes us. Then, we had the album mixed and mastered by Cryptopsy\u2019s Chris Donaldson at a studio in Montreal and he did a great job.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThis new album is a little different. It\u2019s still death metal and deathcore but it\u2019s not as heavy as some of the albums we\u2019ve done in the past. It covers a lot of different genres.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for The Convalescence &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t4oQfJO0A-8\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/t4oQfJO0A-8<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show, which also features So This Is Suffering and Beside The Silence, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On April 11, Francesca\u00a0Blanchard will make her Philadelphia debut with a show at the Fire (412 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, 267-671-9298, <a href=\"http:\/\/thefirephilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">thefirephilly.com<\/span><\/a>). The<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">French-American singer-songwriter has been compared to Norah Jones and Eva Cassidy as well as French singers Franc<\/span><span class=\"s7\">\u0327<\/span><span class=\"s1\">oise Hardy and Carla Bruni.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Blanchard was born and raised in France, traveled the globe with her family and settled in the Vermont countryside when she was ten years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Blanchard\u2019s first full-length release, \u201cdeux visions,\u201d was produced by\u00a0Chris Velan\u00a0(Sierra Leone\u2019s Refugee All Stars), mixed by acclaimed Montreal producer\u00a0Jean Massicotte\u00a0(Lhasa,\u00a0Patrick Watson) and mastered at the prestigious Metropolis Studios in London. The album was featured on numerous \u201cBest of 2015\u201d lists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Her intimate original songs, performed in French and English, reflect on her life journeys, both physical and emotional.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cMy parents were both incredible music lovers,\u201d said Blanchard, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Charlotte, Vermont. \u201cWe travelled the world. My parents just appreciated culture. My mother was a USAID nurse and my father worked with Doctors Without Borders. They met along the Red Sea in Eritrea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Born in the south of France where her family resided until she was ten, Blanchard also lived and went to school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Bujumbura, Burundi. Family journeys have taken her to countries such as South Korea, Mauritania, Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt, Thailand, Australia, Honduras, Tanzania, Guatemala and India. She has grown up in a household consisting of a French father, an American mother, and adopted siblings from Ethiopia and Guatemala.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cMy freshman year in high school was in Bujumbura,\u201d said Blanchard. \u201cBurundi was very challenging in many ways. Most of my school days were in Vermont. My music career started four years ago with theater. I graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Arts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI just have the itch to sing. I don\u2019t know where it comes from. I started writing songs when I was 14. Obviously, I\u2019ve matured since then. My songwriting has evolved a lot since then. I write on guitar. Ideas will come and I start with the melody. It\u2019s definitely melody-driven<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cMelody shapes the song and the words come later. I\u2019m so focused on the feel of the song that the words are secondary. When it\u2019s time to write the lyrics, I ask myself &#8212; what does the melody make me feel?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI spent 10 days recording the new album in summer 2014 at Lane Gibson Recording studio here in Charlotte. A lot of different elements were there. And, we added a few doo-dads to some of the songs. Chris Velan produced the album and he added a lot of parts. And, we used all local musicians from Burlington, Vermont.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Francesca Blanchard &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/U_7vVffjIzM\"><span class=\"s2\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/U_7vVffjIzM<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at The Fire, which also features Alli and I and Joyel Crawford, will start at\u00a0 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Geography also features in the makeup of another act schedule to perform in the area this week. Marc Hummel &amp; the Golden State &#8211; Lone Star Blues Revue have a show slated for the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.st94.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.st94.com<\/span><\/a>) on April 12.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The band, which as its name implies, features musicians from Texas and California. The group is on the road in support of its self-titled debut album.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Golden State &#8211; Lone Star Revue is an all-star, cross-country melding of musicians from California &#8212; Mark Hummel (harp-blower, vocalist, bandleader and Grammy nominee), Little Charlie Baty (ex-Nightcats bandleader and guitar hero) and RW Grigsby (bassist) &#8212; and Texans Anson Funderburgh (guitarist and Rockets bandleader) and Wes Starr (famed Austin drummer who has played with a who&#8217;s who of Texas music royalty).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe started this band in 2012,\u201d said Hummel, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Rockland, Maine. \u201cI had been working with RW and Wes for a couple years before that. In 2011, we started working with Little Charlie.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cAnson and Wes live in Texas &#8212; Anson in Dallas and Wes in Austin. Charlie and RW live in Sacramento and I live in the Bay Area &#8212; in Castro Valley. I just contacted everybody and it\u2019s worked out really well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Funderbaugh, who hails from Plano,Texas, \u00a0formed Anson &amp; The Rockets with vocalist\/harp player Darrell Nulish. The Rockets went on to\u00a0win 10 Handy Awards (Blues Music Awards).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Harmonica man\/singer\/songwriter\/bandleader\/author\/impresario Hummel took up an interest in blues harp &amp; rock-blues music in high school. He moved to Berkeley in 1973, because of a more lively blues\u00a0scene and started to perform regularly in ghetto clubs with many old timers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Baty, a guitar genius from Birmingham, Alabama, learned harmonica as a pre-teen before his older sister turned him on to blues. In high school in\u00a0Menlo Park, CA, Charlie started a blues band because of his fascination with Little Walter. After college, Baty moved to Sacramento and started Little Charlie &amp; The Nightcats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Rounding out the Golden State &#8211; Lone Star Revue are Grigsby and Starr. The two old Rome, Georgia natives have played with a \u201cWho\u2019s Who\u201d of famed musicians including Omar &amp; the Howlers, Junior Brown, Jimmy Vaughan,\u00a0Asleep At The Wheel, Carlene Carter, Hal Ketchum, Earl King, James Cotton and many more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI took up harmonica when I was about 14,\u201d said Hummel. \u201cFriends lent me records by blues players like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and James Cotton. I started going to Ash Grove, which had mostly jazz and blues shows. I learned a lot from watching James Cotton play.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThe more I heard the blues, the more I searched for records by blues artists &#8212; acts like Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson and Willie Dixon. Between the five of us in this band, we all got into this music in a similar way. We were in our teens, heard records and sought them out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for Marc Hummel &amp; the Golden State &#8211; Lone Star Blues Revue &#8212;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s8\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/AV1FYeQ-lQU\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/AV1FYeQ-lQU<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s3\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show in Sellersville will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50 and $29.50\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On April 13, there will be a show at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.milkboyphilly.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">www.milkboyphilly.com<\/span><\/a>) featuring a pair of intense bands filling the air with what appears to be testosterone-fueled music. In reality, the rocking songs will be delivered by an all-female quintet and a female-fronted trio.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Subways, an English trio fronted by Charlotte Cooper, will headline the show. PINS, an all-girl quintet from Manchester, England will be the opening act.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Subways, perhaps best known by American audiences for their modern rock radio smash \u201cRock &amp; Roll Queen,\u201d will be on the road supporting their new self-titled album, which is set for a US\/Canadian release on April 16, 2016 via <i>BODAN KUMA Recordings<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re doing our last rehearsal for the tour today,\u201d said Cooper, during a trans-Atlantic phone interview Wednesday evening from her home in Hertford, England.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe have two warm-up shows here in England on Thursday and Friday and then we leave for the United States on Sunday. It will be a four-week tour &#8212; mostly on the East Coast and West Coast with stops in Toronto and Chicago along the way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Subways are ready to unleash a whole new bunch of songs on their American fans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe\u2019ve played all the new songs live at least once,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cWe\u2019ll be playing a lot of them in our live set on the stateside tour. But, it\u2019s been eight years since we\u2019ve been to the states so we\u2019ll do a mixture of songs from all four of our albums.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe made the new album over a long period of time and it came out in February 2015. It was the first time we produced an album ourselves. We would record some songs and then stop and do some shows\u2026record some more songs and then do some more shows. It took us 18 months altogether to record the album. We\u2019d have ideas that we\u2019d try in sound checks then we\u2019d come back together as a three-piece for rehearsals. We road test a lot of our songs before we record them. We always have. For example, our song \u2018Taking All the Blame\u2019 is a song we\u2019ve played live a lot. We\u2019ve also been playing \u2018I\u2019m in Love and It\u2019s Burning in My Soul\u2019 and \u2018We Get Around\u2019 for quite some time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It has been eight years since The Subways have toured America and half that long since they released the album before their latest disc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe put out our third album \u2018Money and Celbrity\u2019 in 2011,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cFour years between albums is a pretty long time. But, because we were recording it ourselves, it took a long time. When you do things on your own, you have to keep reminding yourself not to be too much of a perfectionist. At times, you just have to stop and be satisfied with what you have.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOur third album sounded quite British. We worked with producer Stephen Street and he had worked with a lot of Brit-Pop bands. And, we also recorded in the center of London. With the new one, we took sounds we developed here in Hertford.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOver the years, we\u2019ve grown up a lot. We made our first album when we were 18 and 19 and we\u2019re now in our early 30s. But, what we love about music is still there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Video link for The Subways &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cMzJGMlRnyY\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>https:\/\/youtu.be\/cMzJGMlRnyY<\/i><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">PINS are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 2011. The group features<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Faith Vern (vocals\/guitar), Anna\u00a0Donigan\u00a0(bass), Lois Macdonald (guitar), Sophie\u00a0Galpin\u00a0(drums) and Kyoko Swann (synths\/guitar).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">PINS earlier this year released their standout second album \u201cWild Nights.\u201d The album was recorded in Joshua Tree at Rancho De La Luna with Dave Catching (QOTSA, Eagles of Death Metal) and Hayden Scott, and mixed in New York with Ben Baptie at Atomic Sound NYC (Mark Ronson).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe recorded the album in October 2014 and it came out last June,\u201d said Vern, during a phone interview Wednesday evening from Los Angeles. \u2018We were just in the states for one week making the album. We always record our own demos. So, we had an album\u2019s worth of songs to work with when we went into the studio. We didn\u2019t write any new ones in the studio but we did change some using Dave\u2019s ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWe were a lot more relaxed on \u2018Wild Nights.\u2019 With our first album \u2018Girls Like Us,\u2019 it was our first time in a real studio and we had just lost our drummer It was a lot different circumstance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cWith \u2018Wild Nights,\u2019 we all knew the songs better. And, it was a relaxed atmosphere in the desert at Joshua Tree. We weren\u2019t afraid to try different things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Vern was the driving force inputting PINA together a few years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI think there were a lot of people to play music with in Manchester &#8212; a lot of bands so I just started looking for people to play with,\u201d said Vern. \u201cI came across some women and it worked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cBut, in the beginning, being an all-female band wasn\u2019t the issue. I didn\u2019t want to just be a guitar player in a band playing behind a front man with a big ego. I think our band is a band with five front people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s3\">Video link for PINS &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/BaSqb__TYSE\"><span class=\"s4\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/BaSqb__TYSE<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The show at MilkBoy will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of show.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/i><\/span><\/a>) will have Anatomy of an Outcast, This Show Is Fire, and Statesmen on April 8; Rolling Thunder Blues Review and The Groove Merchants on April 9; and Area 302, Suburban Curb, Julie &amp; Aidan, and Brandon Mesen on April 10.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com\/\"><span class=\"s5\">www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/span><\/a>) will host Cliff Hillis and John Faye on April 8 and Christine Havrilla with Porter &amp; Sayles on April 9.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/chaplinslive.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/i><\/span><\/a>) \u00a0will present Kevin Cox, Nismah Osman and Chris Kudela on April 8 and White Elephant Burlesque on April 9.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ardmoremusic.com\/\"><span class=\"s5\">www.ardmoremusic.com<\/span><\/a>) will present The Rocket Queens (all female Guns N\u2019 Roses tribute) on April 8, and Pink Talking Fish (a tribute to Pink Floyd, Talking Heads &amp; Phish) and The Heavy Pets: The Walrus (Beatles set) on April 9.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Doc Watson\u2019s Public House (150 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, 610-524-2424, <a href=\"http:\/\/docwatsonspublichouse.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">docwatsonspublichouse.com<\/span><\/a>) will host 4th Base on April 8 and Ruckus Roxxx on April 9.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Burlap &amp; Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.burlapandbean.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>www.burlapandbean.com<\/i><\/span><\/a>) will present Dan Navarro with Jeremiah Tall on April 8 and Chuck Brodsky with Michael Braunfeld on April 9.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three legendary country performers share Wilmington stage By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times The Kimmel Center is presenting a huge cultural event called the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) from April 8-23 at a variety of venues in downtown Philadelphia. One of the top shows in the early portion of the festival will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,4],"tags":[7309,7310,7311,7312,7313],"class_list":["post-19008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-featured","tag-amir-el-saffar","tag-ricky-skaggs","tag-ry-cooder","tag-sharon-white","tag-the-capitol-steps"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19008","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=19008"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19015,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19008\/revisions\/19015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}