{"id":28865,"date":"2018-06-20T09:08:02","date_gmt":"2018-06-20T13:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=28865"},"modified":"2018-06-20T09:08:06","modified_gmt":"2018-06-20T13:08:06","slug":"on-stage-champions-of-magic-dazzle-at-merriam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=28865","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Champions of Magic dazzle at Merriam"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Time<\/em>s<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Champions of Magic<\/p><\/div>\n

Champions of Magic sounds like a grand title for a touring entertainment show but the name hits the nail on the head when it describes the magic show that is visiting Philadelphia this week.<\/p>\n

From June 20-24, the Kimmel Center is presenting Champions of Magic at the Merriam Theater (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The five world-class illusionists that make up this mind-bending theatrical production are coming to Philadelphia for the very first time, following sold-out shows, rave reviews and a run in London\u2019s West End.<\/p>\n

The show features illusionists Young & Strange, acclaimed\u00a0mind reader\u00a0Alex McAleer<\/a>, escapologist Fernando Velasco and close-up magician Kayla Drescher.<\/p>\n

The production features mostly original magic that was created or devised by the performers and production designers. The show is known for its production including a large lighting rig and pyrotechnic effects.<\/p>\n

The cast of top magicians includes international award-winners presenting incredible mind reading, stunning close-up magic and daring large-scale illusions. The production includes disappearances, levitation, teleportation and a heart stopping finale — all presented with lighting and special effects to rival the biggest theatrical spectacles.<\/p>\n

Champions of Magic opened in the UK in October 2013 at Reading Hexagon Theatre\u00a0and has since completed six U.K. tours and a run in London.\u00a0The show completed a U.S. tour in 2017 which was extended due to demand, concluding in March 2018.<\/p>\n

The show features illusionists Young & Strange, acclaimed\u00a0mind reader\u00a0Alex McAleer<\/a>, escapologist Fernando Velasco and close-up magician Kayla Drescher. The show features mostly original magic that was created or devised by the performers and production designers. The show is known for its production including a large lighting rig and pyrotechnic effects<\/p>\n

Young & Strange met when they were eight years old. Their early childhood friendship developed through a common interest in all things magic. They spent their early teenage years attempting, and failing, to make Las Vegas-style illusions with cardboard and tape. With little money, they were forced to innovate, creating original illusions and magic tricks. This soon caught the attention of magicians around the U.K. as an act to watch in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe both grew up in Carterton, a small town just west of Oxford,\u201d said Sam Strange, during a recent trans-Atlantic phone interview from his home in Oxford.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve known each other since we were kids. We started doing private parties when we were young. We had a passion for stage illusions. David Copperfield was a big inspiration. He\u2019s still a world leader. The emotion he gives to the audience is amazing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne magician we\u2019d like to go watch is Houdini \u2013 to see if he could live up to the hype. All acts look hard to find something new but it\u2019s quite difficult to be wholly original with illusion shows. We try very hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recent years, Young & Strange\u2019s development and innovation of spectacular illusions have landed them spots on prime-time television and the large venues around the U.K.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you perform a trick for an audience, when they re-tell the story, it gets misrepresented,\u201d said Strange. \u201cThey change the details. It plays into the hands of the magician. The dialogue still resonates.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we did parties in our teenage years, we had a passion for stage illusions. We used all our money to buy stage illusions. We had props \u2013 but no stage. We ended up renting local theaters and learned how to market it. We\u2019re lucky in the U.K. because we have the Edinburgh Fringe Art Festival. We did that for four years and our fan base started to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Young & Strange are famous for large-scale illusions with impressive pyrotechnics and arena-rock lighting. Both Strange and Young are members of The Magic Circle and were recently promoted to become Associate Members of The Inner Magic Circle. This is the highest qualification achievable through performance examination.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got picked up on this tour a few years ago,\u201d said Strange. \u201cIt was a great state to put on our show. Over the course of six years with Champions of Magic, our show has evolved \u2013 and so has Champions of Magic. It started with small tours of the U.K. and now it tours worldwide. Young & Strange and Alex (McAleer) have been there since the start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Champions of Magic — https:\/\/vimeo.com\/215531871<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Young & Strange — https:\/\/youtu.be\/JVTiGwlOsVs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Merriam is running now through June 24. Ticket prices range from $25-$125.<\/p>\n

Moving over to the world of music, there are several interesting shows around the area on June 20.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bad Bad Hats<\/p><\/div>\n

MilkBoy Philadelphia (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>) is hosting a show by Bad Bad Hats.<\/p>\n

Bad Bad Hats is an indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota featuring\u00a0Kerry\u00a0 Alexander\u00a0(vocals, guitar), Chris Hoge (drums), and Noah Boswell (bass).<\/p>\n

The band just announced that it will be releasing their sophomore full-length album, \u201cLightning Round,\u201d on August 3 via Afternoon Records. The 10-song collection explores themes of dependence and independence in relationships, bolstered by the band\u2019s signature equal parts grit-and-melody instrumental compositions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded most of it in spring 2017,\u201d said Alexander, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Cleveland, Ohio. \u201cWe recorded a few more songs in January.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it in Minneapolis. We made it with Brett Bullion, the same guy who produced our first album. In one of our first shows, we played with Danny O\u2019Brien. We talked to him about recording and he suggested Brett. When we were going to make our first album, we remembered that. We contacted Brett and he got back to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexander and Hoge began writing songs together in 2010 and recorded a collection of demos that would later become their first EP. The addition of their friend Boswell in 2012 solidified the line-up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all met at Macalester College in Saint Paul when we were students there,\u201d said Alexander .\u201cIt just happened — and then worked out really well.<\/p>\n

Before the three joined forces, Alexander recorded rough demos in her mom\u2019s walk-in shower and sang 90s pop covers at open mic nights. Hoge played electric guitar in high school but took up drums in college to fill out his own fuzzy recordings. Boswell played in jazz band by day and spun turntables by night in a teen experimental rap squad called The Erotic Assassins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in a musical household,\u201d said Alexander. \u201cMy mom plays viola. I took violin lessons when I was younger and also studied piano. When I got older, I didn\u2019t see how I could make the music I liked with those instruments. So, I picked up guitar when I was about 13. I was listening to Michelle Branch and Alanis Morrisette. Letters to Cleo was the band that got me rocking out more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore I started working with Chris and Noah, I was playing a lot of open mics at a coffee shop near school. I played a fair amount of covers and was making demos on my computer with GarageBand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The indie rock trio\u2019s songwriting quickly caught the ear of Minneapolis label Afternoon Records\u2014a label that also featured Yellow Ostrich, Now Now, Haley Bonar, and One for the Team. Afternoon Records signed Bad Bad Hats and released the trio\u2019s \u201cIt Hurts\u201d EP in early 2013. Two years later, the band released its debut LP, \u201cPsychic Reader.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were going into the studio for the first album, Brett suggested we hire a drummer to add a new sound,\u201d said Alexander.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrett had worked with Noah on several projects before. We did as couple shows to practice the songs and then did a tour before we went in the studio. More brains and more hands in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bolstered by the experimental touches of the album\u2019s producer Brett Bullion, \u201cPsychic Reader\u201d drew from the influences of all three members and explores a variety of musical styles over the course of 33 minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the songs we wanted to make and the sounds we wanted to make, it was time to go into the studio and do an album,\u201d said Alexander.\u00a0\u201cIt took about a month-and-a-half to make. There are 10 songs but it\u2019s only just over 30 minutes. The songs are short and sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new album, which will see the light of day soon, shows the band\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a lot of songs written prior to going into thr studio to record When we were going into the studio for the first album, Brett suggested we hire a drummer to add a new sound,\u201d said Alexander. \u201cBrett had worked with Noah on several projects before. We did as couple shows to practice the songs and then did a tour before we went in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, two years later, Bad Bad Hats has a new album that showcases the band\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a lot of songs written a while before we went into the studio to record \u2018Lightning Round,\u2019\u201d said Alexander. \u201cBut, we were on tour a lot after \u2018Psychic Reader\u2019 came out so the new album kept getting pushed back. It was all done early this year and then we had to spenda few months getting the ducks in a row.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tried a lot of different things oin the new album \u2013 including different ways of tracking. There\u2019s more spontaneity. To me, it feels more organic and loose. When we were in the studio, we didn\u2019t limit ourselves in any way.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we\u2019re on a tour before the album comes out. I don\u2019t know if we meant this to happen. But, we weren\u2019t sure when the album was going to come out. We\u2019re playing the new songs and gauging the crowd\u2019s reaction. Five of the 10 songs we play are from the new album. The rest are form the EP and the first LP \u2013 and there is one new song that came after the album was made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Bad Bad Hats \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/2DZv_NQBeFg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at MilkBoy, which has Future Teens as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ciaran Lavery<\/p><\/div>\n

Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528, www.bootandsaddlephilly.com<\/a>) will present a twin-bill featuring Ciaran Lavery and Cicada Rhythm.<\/p>\n

Lavery just arrived in the states this week from his home in Aghagallon, a small town just west of Belfast in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, I\u2019m at home in Ireland \u2013 organizing the last few things before the tour,\u201d said Lavery, during a trans-Atlantic phone interview last week from his Irish home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a two-week tour of the states that starts in Philly. I\u2019m travelling on my own. I love Aghagallon. It\u2019s the perfect space where I can disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n

The award-winning singer-songwriter from Aghagallon in County Antrim, Ireland may be decorated at home by the Northern Ireland Music Prize (for his 2016 album \u2018Let Bad In\u2019) and might have racked up more than 80 million streams on Spotify during his five-year solo career, but it\u2019s the unrivalled knack he has for a poetic heart-stopping lyric that\u2019s set to earn him wider recognition as a treasured singer-songwriter.
\nBut, Lavery took am indirect route on hs way to becoming as sensitive singer-songwriter.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a teenager, I was influenced by friends \u2013 anything that was sparking anarchy. I was drawn to that music \u2013American punk music, hip hop, Eminem. My brother-in-law would drop off CDs for me to listen to \u2013 artists like Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell. I was quite impressionable at the time and that was my first exposure to singer-songwriters. Then, I picked up guitar and started writing songs in my teen years. And, I grew a diverse taste in music.<\/p>\n

\u201cOriginally, I wanted to jump to electric guitar because I was a Green Day and Rage Against the Machine fan. I was in a terrible three-piece garage band for about a year. Then, I moved back to acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar was like putting on comfortable clothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I got more switched on to storytellers. I always admired artist who can make albums that stick with you for years. I still approach recording like that. When I was on holiday with my parents when I was 15, my mom gave me a copy of Fleetwood Mac\u2019s \u2018Rumours.\u2019 Now, it\u2019s one of those nostalgic albums for me. It\u2019s a time machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther singer-songwriters who were great storytellers that I drew inspiration from were Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Townes van Zandt. Like most musicians, you\u2019re a chameleon at first and then develop your own style. I\u2019ve tried on different hats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavery\u2019s current stateside tour is in support of his new album,\u00a0\u201cSweet Decay,\u201d which\u00a0was released April 13 via AllPoints.<\/p>\n

The new record was recorded over a period of time,\u201d said Lavery. \u201cI started in the summer of 2016. I walked in the studio with a few tracks. The next thing I knew, we had a live band in the room. I also spent a lot of time touring.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, I\u2019d block out a period of time and work on the album until it was finished. This time, I\u2019d be in the studio for a few days, then tour, then go back in the studio. It was tough to jump in-and-out of that bubble. It probably took about a year altogether \u2013 at irregular intervals. I made the album with producer Ruadhri Cushnan at Camden Studios in Dublin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavery has received a lot of critical acclaim for his ability to tell stories through his songs. \u2013 but he offers no answer whether his is a storyteller who writes songs or a songwriter who tells stories.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to making songs, I don\u2019t consider myself as either\/or for songwriting and storytelling. I create my music with acoustic guitar and piano. I never consider myself to be a traditional storyteller.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to write as honestly as I can. Right now, I need to write in a style like diary entries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Ciaran Lavery \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/TnyHSHEAm0U<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Boot and Saddle, which also features Cicada Rhythm and Orion Freeman, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Champions of Magic sounds like a grand title for a touring entertainment show but the name hits the nail on the head when it describes the magic show that is visiting Philadelphia this week. From June 20-24, the Kimmel Center is presenting Champions of Magic at the Merriam […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[6593,10365,10366,6518],"class_list":["post-28865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-bad-bad-hats","tag-champions-of-magic","tag-ciaran-lavery","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28865","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=28865"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28865\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28866,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28865\/revisions\/28866"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}