{"id":22280,"date":"2016-12-01T08:38:25","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T13:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=22280"},"modified":"2016-12-01T08:38:32","modified_gmt":"2016-12-01T13:38:32","slug":"on-stage-wright-fischer-bring-distinctive-voices-to-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=22280","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Wright, Fischer bring distinctive voices to area"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Staff Writer, The Times<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Chely<\/a>

Chely Wright<\/p><\/div>\n

Two very distinctive and very influential female vocalists will be performing in the area in December 3 \u2013 Chely Wright in Sellersville and Lisa Fischer in Bryn Mawr.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright will be sharing the bill with the Amy Ray Band at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/span><\/a>) on December 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Wright grew up in a musical family in a small town in Kansas. She began singing professionally at age 11, and by her senior year of high school was working as performing musician at the Ozark Jubilee, a country music show in Branson, Missouri. After graduating, she went directly to Nashville as part of the music production at Opryland USA theme park.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright burst onto the country music scene in 1994 and floored listeners with her debut album. The Academy of Country Music<\/span><\/a> (ACM) named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright\u2019s first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with \u201cShut Up and Drive.\u201d Two years later, Wright\u2019s fourth album \u201cSingle White Female\u201d produced several hit singles, including the Number 1 title track and her first gold album certification.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Wright is more than just a talented singer\/songwriter that has been one of the best female vocalists in country music for more than two decades \u2013 she is also a gay rights activist.<\/span><\/p>\n

In May 2010, Wright became one of the first major country music performers to publicly come out as lesbian. Country music is not a genre that is known for its tolerance for the LGBT community. In her 2010 Random House memoir, \u201cLike Me,\u201d Wright wrote about her coming out as a lesbian and about all the trauma and inner turmoil she had been through.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHomophobia is real,\u201d said Wright, during a recent phone interview from her home in New York City. \u201cThat\u2019s why it was so scary to come out of the closet. It was a really hard decision \u2013 especially with my community on country music and where I came from. I knew my audience and it was pretty scary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A documentary film about Wright\u2019s extended coming out, \u201cWish Me Away,\u201d was released in 2011. The film shares its title with one of the tracks on her 2010 album, \u201cLifted Off the Ground.\u201d The film premiered at the 35th annual Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco on June 22, 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright took some time off from music. She married LGBT rights advocate Lauren Blitzer in 2011 and gave birth to identical twin boys in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Wright jumped back into the country music scene and released a fresh new album filled with tasty songs. \u201cI Am the Rain\u201d\u00a0<\/span>was released via MRI\/Sony\/Painted Red Records on September 9, 2016 after being funded by fans through a Kickstarter<\/span><\/a> campaign which was launched in September 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright approached the writing process for \u201cI Am the Rain\u201d with a new-found hope and excitement that a musical and lyrical expression unique to her alone was in her reach.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Wright, \u201cI spent time in the hospital room with my mother while she was dying. I\u2019d recently written \u2018At the Heart of Me,\u2019 and as my mom listened to the demo of that song, it became clear to me that it was time to start a new record. The first song recorded for the album, \u201cSee Me Home,\u201d set the stage for the rest of the songs to come. That song became the rudder of the whole album.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With the release of \u201cI Am the Rain,\u201d Wright served notice that she was back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe album was recorded the first week in September 2014 and came out that exact same week in 2015,\u201d said Wright. \u201cI recorded in L.A. for the first time \u2013 at Sunset Studio. It\u2019s an amazing studio. In the past, I\u2019ve done records in New York, Memphis and Nashville but this was my first in Los Angeles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was in L.A. for 10 days and recorded eight days in total. I cut 14 and kept 13. I\u2019m always writing songs. I put them in the \u2018Big Old Pile of Songs\u2019 folder in my computer. In the summer of 2014, I had the urge to pull them out and put an album together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI teamed with (producer) Joe Henry and he dug through the pile. He said to me \u2013 there definitely is a narrative there. It\u2019s a sonic narrative \u2013 a narrative in that\u2019s it\u2019s to be absorbed from end-to-end \u2013 put your phone down, put headphones on and hit play.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a vulnerable record for me in a way. On this one, I\u2019m so right. I fully absorb the responsibilities and the right to be wrong \u2013 and I can also be celebrating a triumph in life. I\u2019m a human and that\u2019s O.K. I\u2019m all right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Chely Wright — https:\/\/youtu.be\/AZjgVEe34Cg?t=12<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The show in Sellersville, which also features the Amy Ray Band. will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 and $40.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Gary Hoey on December 1, Popa Chubby on December 2, Ornament on December 4, and Peter Murphy on December 7.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Lisa<\/a>

Lisa Fischer<\/p><\/div>\n

Lisa Fischer will be performing at Bryn Mawr College\u2019s Goodhart Hall (150 North Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, 610- 526-5000, http:\/\/www.brynmawr.edu\/arts\/series.html<\/span><\/a>) with her band Grand Baton as part of Bryn Mawr College\u2019s Performing Arts Series.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fischer released her first album \u201cSo Intense\u201d in 1991 \u2013 an album that featured the hit single \u201cHow Can I Ease the Pain.\u201d The song reached number one on the R&B charts and won her a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1992.\u00a0 The album spawned three Top 20 R&B hits and peaked at #5 on the Top R&B\/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #100 on the Billboard 200 chart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fischer\u2019s sophomore album has yet to be recorded. In the last two decades, Fischer has become one of the most sought-after back-up singers in the music world.<\/span><\/p>\n

She began her music career providing backing vocals for artists such as Melba Moore, Billy Ocean, Chaka Khan, Teddy Pendergrass, Roberta Flack and Luther Vandross. Her duets with Mick Jagger have become staples in every Rolling Stones tour since 1989 \u2013especially \u201cMonkey Man\u201d and \u201cGimme Shelter,\u201d which showcase her vocal talents and are frequently on the set lists during their live concerts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy connection with the Stones began when I was touring with Luther Vandross,\u201d said Fischer, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from her home in New York City. \u201cMick was going on a solo tour and was looking for a singer so they asked me to come down for an audition. I gave him my tape and he put it in his boombox. When he was listening to it, he got up and did his cat moves. There was a vibe there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fischer joined the Rolling Stones on tour for the first time for their 1989 Steel Wheels tour and when the spotlight catches her singing with Jagger, she is a quintessential rock and roll goddess.<\/span><\/p>\n

The unexpected success of the Oscar-winning documentary \u201cTwenty Feet from Stardom\u201d (2013) altered the course of Lisa’s musical journey. The film told her story, complete with clips of her 1991 Grammy-winning R&B hit \u201cHow Can I Ease the Pain,\u201d live footage of her legendary duets with Mick Jagger on \u201cGimme Shelter,\u201d and glowing testimonials from famous colleagues like Sting, Patti Austin, and Chris Botti. It showcased her virtuosity and vulnerability and earned her a second Grammy Award.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fischer and her band Grand Baton first set out on tour in 2014, with no product to sell and no recordings or video to help book or promote shows. Despite all that, based on Fischer\u2019s reputation alone, they were invited to play in clubs and at the Newport and Monterey Jazz Festivals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe catalyst for my solo touring was the film,\u201d said Fischer. \u201cI had been working with the Stones and Sting and was in between tours. I was living moment-to-moment. After the film became a hit, I\u2019d do promotional gigs about the movie at film festivals and people kept asking me \u2013 are you going to do any shows?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI asked Linda Goldstein, who is Bobby McFerrin\u2019s manager, to help me. She found J.C. Maillard to be my musical director. Now, he plays keys, guitar and sings with Grand Baton along with Aiden Carroll on bass and Thierry Arpino on drums. We have great musical rapport. The whole trio listens to me and they listen to each other \u2013 and they listen to their hearts. I feel safe with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Their music is an organic gumbo of progressive rock, psychedelic soul, and African, Middle Eastern, Caribbean rhythms and classical influences. In performance, they re-invent songs by Led Zeppelin, Amy Grant, Little Willie John, and The Rolling Stones as well as Fischer\u2019s originals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do songs that were close to me because of the work I\u2019ve done throughout the years with acts like the Stones and Tina Turner,\u201d said Fischer. And, I do \u2018Breath of Heaven,\u2019 a Grover Washington song. After that, I start branching out and choosing things that intrigued me \u2013 things that had stories \u2013 songs that I thought would be fun to cover.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMelodies are important to me. They provide the pathway to timeless space. It\u2019s kind of like working with clay \u2013 feeling it in your hand and then, all of a sudden, something takes shape. I always try to capture a story.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Lisa Fischer \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/u6Xpj0Eag_c?t=6<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Bryn Mawr College will get underway at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, $18 for seniors over 65, $10 for students with ID and $5 for children under 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"consider-the-source\"<\/a>

Consider The Source<\/p><\/div>\n

Vocals will not be in the spotlight at the concert on December 1 at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/span><\/a>). When Consider the Source performs at AMH, there will be no vocals at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider the Source is an American instrumental trio from New York City. Formed in 2004, the group has released five studio albums, two live albums, toured extensively across The United States, and visited Israel, Turkey, Germany, and India. The band features Gabriel Marin, Guitars; John Ferrara, Bass; Jeff Mann, Drums and Percussion.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the band\u2019s bio on its website, \u201cIf intergalactic beings of pure energy, after initiation into an order of whirling dervishes, built some kind of pan-dimensional booty-shaking engine, powered by psychedelics and abstract math, it\u2019d probably just sound like a CTS tribute band. Drawing from progressive rock, fusion and jazz, with alien sounds soaked in Indian and Middle Eastern styles, CTS blends disparate parts into a striking, utterly original whole. Dubbed \u201cSci-Fi Middle Eastern Fusion\u201d, the band\u2019s music strikes a rare balance between cerebral and emotional, intellectual and primal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider the Source\u2019s eighth album \u201cWorld War Trio (Parts 2 and 3)\u201d came out in June 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018World War Trio\u2019 was the last album we did,\u201d said Mann, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in New York City. \u201cIt\u2019s a three-CD series with close to three hours of music. We\u2019re just beginning to work on material for a new album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cComposing songs starts mostly with parts of ideas that we share with each other. But, there are times when someone will come in with a fuller idea for a piece.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Marin, the group\u2019s lone remaining founding member, \u201cOur music combines influences from Turkish, Bulgarian, North and South Indian styles with jazz and fusion, and then we filter it through our own heavy, rock and psychedelic sounds and approaches.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The band is also known for its use of alap, which is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t really take a raga structure,\u201d said Mann. \u201cIt\u2019s more the Indian rhythm that we steal. We will improvise with a solo piece and we do the alap to start every show. Actually, a lot of our influence comes from Turkish music.\u2019
\nMann is the newest member of Consider the Source.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI joined a little over four years ago,\u201d said Mann. \u201cA friend who was a booking agent gave me a Consider the Source CD a while ago. Later, I was in another band that opened for them in Savannah.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut, we actually got together through Craig\u2019s List. I saw a Craig\u2019s List ad that described the sound and said \u2013 world fusion progressive band seeks drummer who can play unusual time signatures. I answered the ad and finished by saying \u2013 is this Consider the Source. I think that\u2019s a big reason they contacted me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was definitely interested in world music. I\u2019ve gained a lot more knowledge since I joined the band and have messed around with different types of percussion including dumbek and kanjira.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor the show in Ardmore, we\u2019ll be playing two sets. The first set will be our style covers of Radiohead songs. In the second set, we\u2019ll be playing all original compositions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Consider the Source — https:\/\/youtu.be\/DuhAwSVHB5E?t=19<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show in Ardmore, which has the band Tweed doing a set between the two CTS sets, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Ardmore Music Hall are Hoots & Hellmouth on December 2, Lima Bean Riot on December 3, Sherwood Brothers on December 4, and BVT Live! on December 5.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a live show to attend on December 2, you could face the daunting challenge of choosing between Barb Wire Dolls and Whores. \u2013 or you could opt to check out a show by Slim Cessna.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Barb<\/a>

Barb Wire Dolls<\/p><\/div>\n

Barb Wire Dolls, who are headlining a show at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com<\/span><\/a>), are a Greek punk rock band from Crete featuring Isis Queen on vocals, lead guitarist Pyn Doll, rhythm guitarist Remmington Pearce, bassist Iriel Blaque, and drummer Krash Doll. The group’s debut EP, \u201cPunk the Fussies!\u201d was self-released in 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Pyn started off in an artists\u2019 commune in Crete called Ikarus,\u201d said Isis Queen, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Columbus, Ohio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started a band because we were fed up with rock and roll. It was too predictable. In rock, you need to be yourself and be different. Punk rock was our main influence \u2013 band like the Sex Pistols and the Clash.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Barb Wire Dolls are one of the most vital new bands in music today, representing all that is inspiring and furious about rock and roll. The band sold everything it owned and left crisis-ridden Greece in 2010 for Los Angeles, at the invite of legendary KROQ DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. Upon their arrival in California, Barb Wire Dolls immediately sold out the world-famous Roxy Theatre in Hollywood.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band\u2019s latest album is \u201cDesperate,\u201d which was released earlier this year on Mot\u00f6rhead Music, a label founded by the late, great Lemmy Kilmister.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaking \u2018Desperate\u2019 was an easy process,\u201d said Isis Queen. \u201cWe wrote it on the road. Before Lemmy picked us up, we were a D.I.Y. band so we always wrote on the road. There is music all around you. When you\u2019re aware of it, you can connect to it and that starts the process. There are always things to write about \u2013 what we\u2019ve seen on the road is hard to describe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a lot of desperation in the world and it seems as if there is no answer for it. But, if you look within, you can find a way to do it. People shouldn\u2019t try to escape. Our songs talk about ways to find to make the most of it. This album is about fighting the demon within.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur first album was \u2018Slit\u2019 a few years ago. It looked more at the world outside. It had a lot of our family in mind. The crisis hit Greece in 2010. People here became more accustomed to their surroundings and the politicians they voted for didn\u2019t come through.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Greece is known for handling times of struggle \u2013 as well as for great art and phenomenal food.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGreek people are very passionate about their culture,\u201d said Isis Queen. \u201cThey do express their emotions. The good thing about it is that great art will come from it. With Greece, whatever goes down must come back up. There definitely is going to be great art coming from this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Barb Wire Dolls\u2019 latest work of great art has been aided greatly by the band\u2019s association with Kilmister, who passed away last December at the age of 70.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLemmy was one of the first people we met when we arrived in L.A.,\u201d said Isis Queen. \u201cHe was great. He liked what he saw in our live shows and he kept collecting our demos. It was a great honor for us that he took so much interest in our band.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Barb Wire Dolls \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/2XPoOzj0Tm0?t=11<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Kung Fu Necktie, which also features Molly Rhythm and Dr. Beardface and the Spacemen, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Whores\"<\/a>

Whores<\/p><\/div>\n

Whores., which shares the bill with Torche and Red Fang on December 2 at Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/undergroundarts.org<\/span><\/a>), is an American noise rock band based in Atlanta. The line-up features vocalist\/guitarist Christian Lembach, bass guitarist Casey Maxwell and drummer Donnie Adkinson.<\/span><\/p>\n

On October 28th, 2016 Whores. released its new album \u201cGold\u201d via Entertainment One (eOne). The debut LP was recorded\u00a0at Parhelion Studios with producer Ryan Boesch (Helmet,\u00a0Fu Manchu, Melvins)\u00a0\u201cGold\u201d is the follow-up to the highly-acclaimed EP \u201cClean,\u201d which came out in 2013 on Brutal Panda Records. \u201cClean\u201d\u00a0is now on its fourth pressing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Formed in 2010, Atlanta, Ga. noise merchants\u00a0Whores.\u00a0have quickly become infamous, thanks to their crushing live shows and no-holds-barred punk rock attitude. The band signed to Brutal Panda Records in 2011 to unleash its debut, \u201cRuiner.\u201d Recorded at The Factory in Atlanta, \u201cRuiner.\u201d featured five crushingly-heavy tracks of noise rock perfectly suitable for fans of Helmet, Pissed Jeans, Harvey Milk and The Jesus Lizard.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe line-up now is very different from when we started,\u201d said founding member Lembach, during a phone interview Monday afternoon as the band travelled from a gig in Houston to a show in Atlanta.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDonnie joined three years ago and Casey joined a year-and-a-half ago. Neither of them were on \u2018Clean.\u2019 It took a while to find a line-up that worked. You have to put your heart into it. Not everybody is built for touring.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the new album in June and July. We did all the basic tracks at the same time. Once we got done with the guitar and singing, we mixed it as we went. We had a studio of our own in Atlanta to use so we weren\u2019t chained to a clock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a few ideas at the end of last year. At the beginning of this year, we made a definite decision to take time off the road and to stay in our practice space a lot. When we\u2019re writing, usually it will all start with one riff and maybe we\u2019ll put a second part with it. So, it has a call-and-response thing. Then, it all takes shape when we start to play it together. We think about different arrangements and how to place the parts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn this tour, we\u2019re one of the opening bands so we only get to play a short set. But, we like playing short sets \u2013 just riff as hard as we can and make the most intense music possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Whores. \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/FDCkaw19u7A?t=4<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Underground Arts, which also features Torche and Red Fang, will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Slim<\/a>

Slim Cessnas Auto Club<\/p><\/div>\n

Also on December 2, Slim Cessna\u2019s Auto Club will be headlining a show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com<\/span><\/a>). The band\u2019s line-up includes Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Rebecca Vera, Ian O’Dougherty, and Andrew Warner. Led by Slim Cessna himself, he and his band of old traditionalists have been around in one form or another since 1993. The sound is classic country with elements of rock and bluegrass and Cessna delivers his lyrics with the fervor of a gospel choir.<\/span><\/p>\n

Newly returned from a triumphal European tour, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club is touring North American in support of its newest album\u00a0\u201cThe Commandments According to SCAC.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been 24 years since Slim Cessna formed Slim Cessna’s Auto Club with a group of talented peers after parting ways with The Denver Gentlemen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than resting on its laurels, the Auto Club challenged itself to break with well-worn modes of operating for the new record.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Commandments According to SCAC\u201d will be the first full-length album of original material released on the Auto Club\u2019s own imprint, SCACUNINCORPORATED. The title evokes the themes of cosmic punishment and redemption that have served the band\u2019s songwriting engine so well in the past. But this set of songs sounds more hopeful and expansive.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be our first time out since the release of the album,\u201d said Cessna, during a recent phone interview from his home in Denver. \u201cWe put the album out in September on our own label.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe album was pretty much recorded all of last year. We took our tine and used a lot of basements in our houses. Half of it was written before we started recording and the other half was written during the sessions. On this album, every song was written by Munly. That\u2019s the direction we\u2019ve been going for the last few albums. We\u2019ve learned to use our strengths.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMostly, we did it and pieced it all together. It was almost like a collage project. We had to do a little tweaking at the end.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

By now, the band members are able to get on the same page fairly easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMunly, Dwight and I have been together 17-18 years,\u201d said Cessna. \u201cRebecca has been with us three years and Ina one. The drummer has been with us since summer. Hopefully, it\u2019s all stable now. A lot of bands from Denver have gone on to significant success while others have come and gone. We just keep going. We\u2019re older than most but we still blow away younger bands. We have more experience. We\u2019re known for our live shows.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album, there was a concept. Every song was to be around commandments \u2013 but not Biblical commandments. We do have fun with making an album from beginning to end. We do enjoy making concept records. But, every song on this record also works as an individual song.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Slim Cessna\u2019s Auto Club \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/IWFOV1ZdTmg?t=3<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s, which also features Mercury Radio Theater, will start at 9:15 p.m. Tickets are $14.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Driftwood\"<\/a>

Driftwood<\/p><\/div>\n

Driftwood is a bluegrass band from upstate New York featuring Dan Forsyth (guitar, vocals), Joe Kollar (banjo, vocals), Joey Arcuri (bass) and Claire Byrne (fiddle, vocals). MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/span><\/a>) is a rock club in downtown Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n

On December 3, they will come together when Driftwood headlines a show at the Center City venue. The match will work because Driftwood is not your average bluegrass band dripping with Americana vibes and MilkboyPHilly is not a genre-specific club.<\/span><\/p>\n

Based in Binghamton, New York, Driftwood is a band with a rock-and-roll soul and a folk-art mind. Carving out a name for themselves with electrifying live performances, the four musicians bring one of the most unique, raw sounds to the Americana\/roots music scene. Incorporating upright bass, banjo, acoustic guitar and violin, the ghost of traditional American folk music lives in their palette. But the melodies, the harmonies and the lyrics are something else entirely.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band\u2019s new album \u201cCity Lights\u201d came out on November 4. The disc shows Driftwood\u2019s versatility with songs representing a variety of genres including folk, old-time, country, punk, and rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018City Lights\u2019 in January 2016 after staring pre-production in November,\u201d said Arturi, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Framingham, Massachusetts<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe process of making the album was longer than we expected with the overdubbing and mixing. We recorded it in our home studio in Binghampton. Joe Kollar has some great equipment. We had the freedom to take our time because we didn\u2019t have the tight schedule of a studio. When we finished, we sent the tracks to a producer in Syracuse for the remixing. We also went back and did a few things over before we finished with it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In his description of the Driftwood sound, Kollar said, \u201cI consider our sound to be more of an attitude and an approach \u2013 the result of all of our influences in a completely open musical forum where the only stipulation is to use bluegrass instruments and create it from the heart.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe other three write but I don\u2019t,\u201d said Arturi. \u201cThey each write separately, bring it to the band and we all finish the song. It will evolve and everyone adds their input. For me, the song speaks for itself and a bass line will come out of the air.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Arturi is not one of the original members.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the most recent member and I\u2019ve been with the band five years,\u201d said Arturi. \u201cJoe and Dan grew up together and went to the same high school. They were in various bands together \u2013 funk, rock and electric guitars. Dan moved to Colorado for a year and was around bluegrass. When he came back, they started Driftwood and got into singer\/songwriter music instead of jamming. That\u2019s why Driftwood is a song-driven band.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album, we\u2019re the tightest we\u2019ve ever been. We\u2019ve been in tihs formation the longest. It\u2019s the most mature representation of ourselves. It\u2019s also the first album with songs Claire wrote sand they\u2019re just great. With producing it ourselves, it\u2019s the most hands-on album we\u2019ve done. We kept the string band ting and expanded it a bit. We spent a lot of time on it and it\u2019s pretty special.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Driftwood \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/hZrO9_uqloI?t=7<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Milkboy Philly, which also features Black Horse Motel, will start at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Steve<\/a>

Steve Forbert<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/span><\/a>) will host Steve Forbert on December 2, Angelee on December 3 and Open Mic with William Rose on December 4.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/span><\/a>) will have St. Phoenix, Stone Eye, Mind\u2019s Eye Society and Mike Muli on December 2, and Kyle Swartzwelder and Ryan Cohen on December 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com<\/span><\/a>) will present Claire Phillips on December 2, and Matt Duke with John Craigie on December 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/span><\/a>) presents Donovan on December 1 and Art Garfunkel on December 4.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times Two very distinctive and very influential female vocalists will be performing in the area in December 3 \u2013 Chely Wright in Sellersville and Lisa Fischer in Bryn Mawr. Wright will be sharing the bill with the Amy Ray Band at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[8273,8271,6300,8274,6518,8272,5203,8275],"class_list":["post-22280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-barb-wire-dolls","tag-chely-wright","tag-consider-the-source","tag-driftwood","tag-featured","tag-lisa-fischer","tag-steve-forbert","tag-whores"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22280","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=22280"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22281,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22280\/revisions\/22281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}