{"id":24531,"date":"2017-06-06T07:14:52","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T11:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=24531"},"modified":"2017-06-06T07:14:55","modified_gmt":"2017-06-06T11:14:55","slug":"on-stage-bonus-get-your-mid-week-music-jam-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=24531","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Bonus): Get your mid-week music jam on"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Selwyn Birchwood<\/p><\/div>\n

Frequently, mid-week can be a slow time for live music.<\/p>\n

Such is not the case this week at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) which has a high-powered blues act on Tuesday evening and a top-flight blues\/rockabilly show on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

A few weeks ago, Selwyn Birchwood released his new album \u201cPick Your Poison\u201d on Alligator Records while he was on tour in France.<\/p>\n

Now, Birchwood is back in the states \u2013 touring America in support of the new disc. The tour brings him to the area for a show on June 6 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live.<\/p>\n

The new album is a testament to Birchwood\u2019s overflowing talents as a blues master \u2013 despite his young age of 32.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started making \u2018Pick Your Poison\u2019 in May of last year,\u201d said Birchwood, during a phone interview last Wednesday as he travelled through Tennessee to a show in Durham, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a real challenge for us to get in the studio because our tour schedule was so crazy. I had to do it two or three days at a time. I didn\u2019t finish it until December. We did it at Phat Planet Studio in Orlando. It\u2019s a great studio with a lot of great gear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had already been performing half the record on the road. We finished out the rest of the tracks while working on them over a nine-month period.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood is one of the brightest new stars to emerge in the world of blues music in recent years. In 2013, he won the world-renowned International Blues Challenge — beating out 125 other musicians from the U.S. and abroad.<\/p>\n

He also took home the Albert King Guitarist of the Year Award. After that, it didn\u2019t take long for Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer to offer Birchwood a contract.<\/p>\n

\u201cBruce heard me play at IBC (International Blues Challenge) in Memphis,\u201d said Birchwood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave him some of my tracks to listen to. I was just hoping to get his opinion on them. Instead, he asked me to make an album for his record label.\u201d<\/p>\n

His album, \u201cDon\u2019t Call No Ambulance,\u201d which was his third overall and first for Alligator Records, received the Living Blues Critics\u2019 Award for Best Debut Album Of 2014.<\/p>\n

Birchwood was born in 1985 in Orlando, Florida. He first grabbed a guitar at age 13 and soon became proficient at mimicking what he heard on the radio. But the popular grunge rock, hip-hop and metal of the 1990s didn\u2019t move him, and he quickly grew bored.<\/p>\n

Then he heard Jimi Hendrix. By the time he was 17, Birchwood was deep into the blues — listening to Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Lightnin\u2019 Hopkins and especially Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young, I decided I wanted to play an instrument and landed on guitar,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cI was bored with just hearing the stuff on the radio in the late 90s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard Jimi Hendrix for the first time, I was blown away. It was like a spaceship landed. Then, I started listening to Hendrix\u2019 roots — Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuddy Guy was one of my favorites. He was coming on tour to the House of Blues in Orlando when I was 17 and living there. I went to his show and was completely floored. I said — what I\u2019m feeling coming off this stage is what I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood not only is a strong player, he is a very good writer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m writing all the time,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cI write by myself and bring it to the band. My way to write songs is always different. It\u2019s kind of sporadic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a lot of time on the road with these tours so I think about songs and start working on them. I grew up listening to Muddy Waters and B.B. King. So, when I\u2019m writing, it feels like blues to me no matter what the form.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album is another step in that direction. It\u2019s blues but we\u2019re developing a sound we can call our own. I take old blues songs that I love so much and bring our style. This is our fourth album of all original music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe normally like to road-test songs because they seem to develop out of improvisation. I really dig all kinds of blues \u2013 Delta, Piedmont, Chicago and Hill Country blues. Now, I\u2019m trying to make some Florida blues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Selwyn Birchwood — https:\/\/youtu.be\/cTtQ8H3p81U<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Skullers<\/p><\/div>\n

Philadelphia has a long tradition of producing scullers \u2013 oarsmen who propel racing boats with oars. The name comes from \u201csculls,\u201d which are light oars. Philly is known for its scull races along Boathouse Row\u2013 especially the Dad Vail Regatta.<\/p>\n

On June 6, the World Caf\u00e9 Live will host a group with a name that sounds identical to that of the oarsmen but has a different spelling and an entirely different meaning.<\/p>\n

The music venue in Philly will host the Skullers — a band from Weehawken, New Jersey. The Skullers play blues-soaked, modern rock and roll with down-to-the-bone rockabilly soul.<\/p>\n

The Skullers\u2019 line-up features Jack Skuller – vocals, guitar, harmonica; Gabriel Scholis-Fernandez \u2013 drums; and Luigi Sardi \u2013 bass.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a solo artist since I was 13,\u201d said Jack Skuller, during a phone interview last week from his home in Weehawken. \u201cWhen I was 14, I recorded my first single — \u2018Love Is a Drum.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe single came out on Bar None Records and was produced by Daniel Rey, who was the Ramones\u2019 producer. It did well and I toured 15 cities on the Radio Disney Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

More singles followed including a cover of the Johnny Cash classic\u00a0\u201cGet Rhythm.\u201d Skuller\u2019s song \u201cYou\u2019ll Never Take My Holiday\u201d premiered on\u00a0Teen Vogue\u00a0and was picked up by the ASPCA for a\u00a0holiday campaign.<\/p>\n

In 2014, Skuller\u2019s songwriting was recognized by the\u00a0Songwriter\u2019s Hall of Fame\u00a0and they awarded him the Holly Prize\u00a0in tribute to the legacy of Buddy Holly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was all part of the development of my career,\u201d said Skuller. \u201cI was 18 when I received the Holly Prize. I\u2019ve been singing since I was eight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d perform just because I loved doing it \u2013 and I was winning talent shows. My parents encouraged me to play guitar. They said \u2013 if you\u2019re going to do this, you have to accompany yourself. That was back when I was 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, I decided to form a band. I got Luigi Sardi, who is from Peru, to play bass, and Gabe Scholis-Fernandez, who is Polish-Ecuadorian, to play drums.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have different influences. I grew up listening to Eddie Cochran, Little Walter, the Everly Brothers and, of course, Buddy Holly. Luigi is more into punk and Gabe\u2019s favorite music is progressive rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been working together for a year but we really broke out early in 2017. We\u2019re focusing on building up our online presence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Skullers, who were recently featured as the Jersey Rock Video Of The Week on WRAT 95.9 Radio, were in the studio this spring with four-time GRAMMY-nominated producer Joel Hamilton to record their debut EP.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been in and out of the studio for a few months now and just finished recording a five-song EP that will be out in September on Mint 400 Records,\u201d said Skuller.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the EP at Studio G in Brooklyn with Joel Hamilton. He\u2019s a great producer \u2013 a true master of finesse. He would never alter the core of what an artist wants to do. He did a great job of capturing our sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Skullers \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/RwbZxaFtPI8<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live, which has The Bad Larrys as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Crazy for You<\/p><\/div>\n

Now through June 25, the highly-entertaining musical \u201cCrazy for You\u201d is being presented by the Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cCrazy for You\u201d is a romantic comedy musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. It is billed as \u201cThe New Gershwin Musical Comedy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hit show is largely based on the songwriting team\u2019s 1930 musical, \u201cGirl Crazy,\u201d but incorporates songs from several other productions as well. \u201cCrazy for You\u201d won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical.<\/p>\n

\u201cCrazy for You\u201d is the story of Bobby Child, a well-to-do 1930s playboy whose sole dream in life is to dance. The show is a high-energy, screwball comedy with mistaken identities, plot twists galore, and fabulous dance numbers.<\/p>\n

The production at Candlelight features Nate Golden turning in a standout performance in the lead role of Bobby Child. Golden shines with both his singing and his tap dancing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned to tap dance when I was in a show \u2013 \u201842nd Street\u2019 \u2013 when I was in high school in West Virginia,\u201d said Golden, during a phone interview last week from his home in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a dream of mine for years to be a country music singer. Then, after high school, I studied at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia. I got my degree in acting with a focus on musical theater.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did several productions at Shenandoah, including the tap musical \u2018Anything Goes.\u2019 After I graduated from Shenandoah, I moved to Philadelphia for an acting apprenticeship with Walnut Street Theatre. Then, I decided to stay in Philly.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recent years, Golden has worked with a variety of area theaters — Walnut Street, Arden, Mauckingbird, Bristol Riverside, Media and Delaware Theatre Company.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my second show with Candlelight,\u201d said Golden, who is also the Artistic Director of Nightcap Cabaret. \u201cI did \u201cHow to Succeed\u201d a couple years ago. Candlelight is one of the nicest places I\u2019ve ever worked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCrazy for You\u201d has become one of Broadway\u2019s timeless classics.<\/p>\n

It features an amazing score by George Gershwin that includes standards such as \u201cI Got Rhythm,\u201d \u201cNaughty Baby,\u201d \u201cThey Can\u2019t Take That Away from Me,\u201d \u201cEmbraceable You,\u201d and \u201cSomeone To Watch Over Me.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1992, in addition to winning the Tony Award for Best Musical, \u201cCrazy for You\u201d also got Tony Awards for Best Costume Design (William Ivey Long) and Best Choreography (Susan Stroman). Stroman, a Delaware native, is a Candlelight alum.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love this show,\u201d said Golden. \u201cYou just can\u2019t help but smile with this show. I love playing Billy even though I never get a moment to sit down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a lot of myself in this character. I grew up wanting to be a song-and-dance man \u2013 and I like getting in disguises. Another reason I like Billy is that he\u2019s not afraid to crack a joke even in serious situations.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur production of the show has really evolved. We get more comfortable every day. The show is massive \u2013 and it never slows down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Candlelight Theatre \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/FsUwE4R4oXk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The buffet menu for \u201cCrazy for You\u201d features: Salad Bar, Shrimp with cocktail sauce, Salmon Diavolo, Tricolor cheese tortellini in a roasted red pepper and basil cream sauce, Fajita strip steak with onions, red peppers with cilantro and fajita seasoning, Meatballs in a Bourbon BBQ Thai Chili sauce, Ham in a dijon mustard\/honey sauce, Chicken stuffed with roasted red pepper and swiss cheese with hollandaise, Garlic mashed potatoes, Broccolli and carrots, Garlic and cilantro white rice and a Dessert bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cCrazy for You\u201d is running now through June 25 with performances Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m.\/show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m.\/show, 3 p.m.) with additional shows on June 14 at 1 p.m. and June 22 at 6 p.m. Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $60 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Frequently, mid-week can be a slow time for live music. Such is not the case this week at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com) which has a high-powered blues act on Tuesday evening and a top-flight blues\/rockabilly show on Wednesday. A few weeks ago, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[9004,6518,9002,9003],"class_list":["post-24531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-crazy-for-you","tag-featured","tag-selwyn-birchwood","tag-the-skullers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24531","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=24531"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24532,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24531\/revisions\/24532"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}