{"id":29517,"date":"2018-08-28T15:43:49","date_gmt":"2018-08-28T19:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=29517"},"modified":"2018-08-28T15:43:53","modified_gmt":"2018-08-28T19:43:53","slug":"on-stage-phillip-phillips-hits-the-state-at-parx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=29517","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Phillip Phillips hits the state at Parx"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Phillip\u00a0Phillips<\/p><\/div>\n

Fans of \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d and \u201cOne Tree Hill\u201d — take notice.<\/p>\n

On August 28, the Parx Casino\u2019s Xcite Center will host a special twin-bill featuring co-headliners\u00a0Phillip\u00a0Phillips\u00a0(\u201cAmerican Idol\u201d winner) and\u00a0Gavin\u00a0DeGraw (who wrote the theme song for \u201cOne Tree Hill\u201d). Doors for the show will open at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

Phillips is billing his tour as the \u201cMagnetic Tour,\u201d taking its name from his new single \u201cMagnetic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Phillips is an American singer and songwriter who won the\u00a011th season\u00a0of\u00a0\u201cAmerican Idol\u201d\u00a0in 2012. His coronation song, \u201cHome,\u201d released after his win, became the all-time best-selling song from \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d series. His debut album\u00a0\u201cThe World from the Side of the Moon\u201d\u00a0was released in November 2012. His second album,\u00a0\u201cBehind the Light,\u201d was released in May 2014 and his third album,\u00a0\u201cCollateral,\u201d\u00a0was released January 19, 2018.<\/p>\n

Ever since his success on the TV contest show, Phillips has taken his expansive brand of earthy, guitar-fueled rock to stages across the globe. With his soulful vocals and ruggedly warm sensibilities, the Georgia-bred 26-year-old has attracted audiences young and old.<\/p>\n

\u201cGavin and I have been on the road about two weeks now,\u201d said Phillips, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Albany, New York. \u201cI\u2019m also doing some one-off shows of my own.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a new band earlier this year for my headline shows in the spring and I have the same guys for this tour. We\u2019re killing it and having fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of these guys have recorded with me. My old band played on my last two records. This year, I decided to go with some new guys.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded \u2018Collateral\u2019 over the last few years. I was involved in a lawsuit about the music and had to do what I felt was right. It took time but now we\u2019ve finally been able to release \u2018Collateral.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI started writing and recording the songs a while back. Some were done at Bear Creek Studio in Seattle and four were done in Nashville.\u201d<\/p>\n

Producer\u00a0Ryan Hadlock\u00a0(The Lumineers,\u00a0Foo Fighters) has been Phillips\u2019 primary collaborator, but Phillips has also worked with\u00a0Nathan Chapman,\u00a0Jon Nite, John Paul White and Todd Clark, with whom he wrote the singles \u201cGone\u201d and \u201cRaging Fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fun working with Ryan Hadlock,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cHe showed me a lot. He has an incredible studio in an old barn. A lot of people have recorded there including Eric Clapton and Lionel Ritchie.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the songs on the album were about me and my wife \u2013 also other people I\u2019ve seen go through things. It\u2019s also about going through the legal stuff. It talks about the last few years \u2013 the hard times and the good times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always writing. Every once in a while, I\u2019ll write on piano. My songwriting usually starts with a guitar riff and then I\u2019ll sing a weird melody. Then, I\u2019ll write the lyrics and tighten up the melody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Phillips offers a lot of variety in his live shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do a different show every night,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cSometimes, I\u2019ll do several songs from the new album or I might do just a few. And, I throw in an occasional cover like Aerosmith\u2019s \u2018Sweet Emotion.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cOn this tour, Gavin and I each do a 75-minute set and we alternate who goes on last. Me and Gavin often talk about how we\u2019re so blessed to be able to play music. That\u2019s 85-90 per cent of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Philip Philips \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/t2LgQyF4-FE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Parx Casino\u2019s Xcite Center featuring Phillip Phillps and Gavin DeGraw will start at 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from $35-$80.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Cecily<\/p><\/div>\n

Cecily, who will play a show in Philly on August 28, grew up in Washington, D.C. \u2013 the hotbed of American politics \u2013 so it\u2019s not unusual that she was attracted to a career in the political realm.<\/p>\n

Growing up, she was also exposed to a lot of music. Her father was a jazz buff and her mother was a die-hard fan of Smokey Robinson.<\/p>\n

Cecily attended Swarthmore College as a political science major. But, her love of music \u2013 especially her love of singing \u2013 emerged victorious. Cecily released her debut album, \u201cSongs of Love and Freedom\u201d\u00a0on May 4 and is now touring in support of her new LP. The tour brings her to Philadelphia Tuesday night to perform as part of the Sound Check Series at Pub Webb (1527 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Philadelphia,http:\/\/thesoundcheckseries.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young, I always took voice lessons and sang in choirs,\u201d said Cecily, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon as she travelled from Rochester, New York to a show in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to college at Swarthmore and majored in political science. But, I was still always singing. My extra-curricular activity was always music-oriented.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring my junior year in college, I realized that singing was my true calling. I was at a concert at the Sound Check Series and I realized that at that morment, I really wanted to be on stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight then, I slowly started shifting gears. I began to take my songwriting more seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her parents\u2019 music tastes definitely influenced Cecily\u2019s taste in music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was listening to R&B and jazz,\u201d said Cecily. \u201cMy dad was a huge Miles Davis \u2013 so much so that my brother\u2019s name is Miles. I also listened to a lot of 70s soul music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cecily \u2013 and the world \u2013 just lost one of her all-time favorites when Aretha Franklin passed away last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just did a show in Rochester and opened with an Aretha song,\u201d said Cecily. \u201cShe left so much. You can\u2019t really want more. She always kept it vert classy. I really love a lot of her work \u2013 especially the early 70s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Known for her sweet soprano, honest lyrics and pure vocals, Cecily brings her own vulnerability to each song, telling her story and hopes that, at the end, the audience feels vulnerable enough to tell their own stories.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first started, I was doing mostly covers,\u201d said Cecily. \u201cThen, I went to songwriting showcase and that forced me to take my original music more seriously. I still throw in a few covers on my live show. \u201cI started recording the album last July and finished in tin April. I recorded here in Maryland when I live now. All of the songs were originals except one \u2013 a cover of song by Gil Scott-Heron.\u201d<\/p>\n

On this project, she has collaborated with several DC-based producers and musicians, including Aaron \u201cAb\u201d Abernathy, Diggs Duke, Drew Kid, and Columbia Nights members Jason \u201cBrother Spanky\u201d Edwards and John Daise.<\/p>\n

Cecily, a Strathmore Artist-In-Residence, presented her album release concert at her opening performance at The Strathmore Mansion on May 9th.<\/p>\n

In 2017, Cecily and her band were invited by the US Embassy to perform in Colombia at the VI Annual Mompox Jazz Festival.\u00a0 While there, Cecily also presented a masterclass for local vocal students.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019m doing a few shows on the east Coast and I\u2019ll head out to the rest of the country later this year,\u201d said Cecily. \u201cAlso, I just started writing some new stuff for my next project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Cecily — https:\/\/youtu.be\/NQ_ZxVl94lI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Pub Webb, which has Bree and The Reeds as the opening act, will start at 9 p.m. Ticket proves range from $10-$25.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

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

The Chamanas, a band from the El Paso, Texas\/Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua area featuring vocalist\u00a0Paulina Reza, keyboardist\/producer\u00a0Manuel Calderon, guitarist\/producer\u00a0Hector Carreon\u00a0and drummer\u00a0Alejandro\u00a0Bustilloshe, bill themselves as a \u201cFronterizo Indie pop fusion ensemble\u201d<\/p>\n

On August 28, The Chamanas\u2019 Jarritos-sponsored \u201cSuper Good Tour 2018\u201d touches down locally for a show at PhilaMOCA (531 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, 267-519-9651, www.philamoca.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The band utilizes a unique combination of various styles and genres ranging from traditional Mexican folklore, Pop, Brazilian Bossa Nova, Indie, Danzon, among other obscure and synthetic sounds. As a result, they are able to create a musical connection between two countries. The border between\u00a0El Paso, Texas<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua<\/a>\u00a0has given birth to this band, who represent the culture of this metropolitan border and transmits it through their music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together approximately four years,\u201d said Calderon, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Hector worked out of Sonic Ranch Studio, which is this great studio located on a pecan farm. We were in the studio doing music and tyhen we started to play live shows. We spent eight months in the studio working on our chops.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of different influences in the music we make \u2013 Ranchero, Bolero, Son Huasteco, Serrucho, Norte\u00f1o. I\u2019m also influenced by bands like Flaming Lips and Portishead. Hugo\u2019s songwriting is more traditional Mexican. We use Norte\u00f1o more in songwriting than in producing. It\u2019s like traditional Mexican with drum machines and synthesizers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther big influences have been Los Lobos, Flaco Jimenez, Selina and Tex-Mex bands \u2013 especially the oldies. Also, Caf\u00e9 Tacuba was a big influence, A lotof people compare us to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

On July 20, the Chamanas\u00a0released NEA II,\u201d a deluxe version of their acclaimed 2017 album,\u00a0\u201cNEA.\u201d The new album updates the band\u2019s 2017 sophomore album with five new tracks, including their first ever English-language single,\u00a0\u201cLa Verdad”<\/a>, along with five songs from the original LP.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do most of the creative process in our home studio,\u201d said Calderon. \u201cThen, we go to Sonic Ranch to record. Tony (Rancich, owner of Sonic Ranch) has been a big supporter of the band. Some of the best pecans around are at the Sonic Ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chamanas\u2019 recent single \u201cIf You Build It We Will Break It\u201d deals with Trump\u2019s proposed border wall with Mexico with a poignant chorus \u2013 \u201cIf you build, it, we will break it, brick and mortar won\u2019t separate us; If you build, it, we will break it, tied together through generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the single with Jim Ward and Kiko Rodriguez,\u201d said Calderon. \u201cJim Ward is a local hero \u2013 a celebrity. We had a really fun session at the Sonic Ranch Studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Chamanas \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/9XofOn0R<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at PhilaMOCa will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Fans of \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d and \u201cOne Tree Hill\u201d — take notice. On August 28, the Parx Casino\u2019s Xcite Center will host a special twin-bill featuring co-headliners\u00a0Phillip\u00a0Phillips\u00a0(\u201cAmerican Idol\u201d winner) and\u00a0Gavin\u00a0DeGraw (who wrote the theme song for \u201cOne Tree Hill\u201d). Doors for the show will open at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[10569,6518,10568,10570],"class_list":["post-29517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-cecily","tag-featured","tag-phillip-phillips","tag-the-chamanas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29517","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=29517"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29517\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29518,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29517\/revisions\/29518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}