{"id":30797,"date":"2019-01-24T08:48:33","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T13:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=30797"},"modified":"2019-01-24T08:48:39","modified_gmt":"2019-01-24T13:48:39","slug":"on-stage-sarah-borges-makes-return-to-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=30797","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Sarah Borges makes return to Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>

Sarah Borges<\/p><\/div><\/dt>\n

Last year, Point Entertainment brought Sarah Borges to Philadelphia for a show at MilkBoy Philadelphia as the opening act for the Bottle Rockets.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

The show by the Boston-based rocker was hit. She went over big-time with Bottle Rockets\u2019 fans and made a strong impression on the show\u2019s presenters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe show by Sarah Borges at MilkBoy was the best rock-and-roll show of 2018 in my opinion,\u201d said Point Entertainment\u2019s Jesse Lundy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show- and the fans\u2019 reaction \u2013 was so nice, they\u2019re doing it twice. On January 24, Point Entertainment is bringing Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles back to Philly for a show at Dawson Street Pub, 100 Dawson Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/www.dawsonstreetpub.com\/<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

When Borges straps on her guitar and starts to sing, she rocks out. There is country, punk, blues and rock in her musical DNA, but it is the rock element that stands out the most.<\/span><\/p>\n

Borges, who arrived on the national music scene in 2005 as the lead singer of the Broken Singles, has gone from frontwoman to solo act, to frontwoman again. Back in October, Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles released their sixth album \u2013 \u201cLove\u2019s Middle Name\u201d — on Blue Corn Music.<\/span><\/p>\n

The last time she played town, she was backed by her producer Eric Ambel on guitar along with the rhythm section from the Bottle Rockets.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis time, I\u2019m bringing my band,\u201d said Borges, during a phone interview last week from her home in the Boston area. \u201cI\u2019ve got my long-time partner Binky on bass, Alex Necochea on guitar and Jed Williams on drums.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019s collected shiny things, including<\/span><\/p>\n

Borges\u2019 CV includes an Americana Music Awards\u00a0nomination, multiple\u00a0Boston Music Awards, and song credits on TV shows\u00a0Sons of Anarchy\u00a0and\u00a0The Night Shift. The veteran musician, who is a resident of Taunton, Massachusetts, recorded \u201cLove\u2019s Middle Name\u201d with Ambel in Brooklyn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ambel is a highly-respected performer and producer whose credits include the\u00a0Bottle Rockets\u00a0and\u00a0Steve Earle & the Dukes. He was the founding guitarist for Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it last year with Eric on guitar, Binky and two different drummers,\u201d said Borges. \u201cAnd, I sang and played guitar. We made the album in multiple sessions at Cowboy Technical Service, which is Eric\u2019s studio in Brooklyn. I\u2019d make demos and then we\u2019d go into the studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are two covers on the album and the rest are all originals. I wrote all the songs not long before we went to record them. I definitely work better when there is a deadline for writing. Usually, I come up with the music first. I try to think about what kind of songs that we didn\u2019t do yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen, after the music is done, I\u2019ll add the lyrics later. With the lyrics, I\u2019m just telling a story about something that comes up in my head. There are definitely some creepy songs on this album \u2013 and some murder songs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One common denominator in Borges\u2019 songs \u2013 they all rock hard.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe album dropped on October 12 and we only played a couple new songs the last time,\u201d said Borges. \u201cWe were opening for the Bottle Rockets, so we had a shorter set \u2013 a 45-minute set. I had to give a representation of all my songs for the new audience. Their new album and my new album came out the same day \u2013 and we\u2019re fans of each other. Bottle Rockets have a rabid fanbase. Both the band and their fans were so kind to us.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my shows now, I\u2019m playing a lot more songs from \u2018Love\u2019s Middle Name.\u2019 We\u2019ll be touring in East in February and March with our sights set on a European tour followed by a West Coast tour. We need to do the full album cycle until we go back in the studio to record again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Borges\u2019 old songs and new songs are all characterized by musical intensity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe love playing good, fast rock songs,\u201d said Borges, who graduated from Emerson College with a degree in radio. \u201cWe keep evolving but we also keep playing some of the older songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the set list, there are three songs from \u2018Silver City,\u2019 which was my first album in 2005, and a few from \u2018Diamonds in the Dark,\u2019 which came out in 2007. With so many songs I\u2019ve recorded, it\u2019s hard putting together a set list.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Sarah Borges \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/1cL0p9sC3tA<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Dawson Street Pub will start at 8 p.m. Other upcoming acts at the venue in Manayunk are Seth Aaron Band on January 25 and Pitchfork on January 26.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) is a favorite destination for touring musicians. The sound is great. They get fed gourmet food from the adjacent Washington House. The theater is comfortable. Most importantly, the fans are great. Sellersville isn\u2019t near anything (except maybe Perkasie, Silverdale or Trumbauersville \u2013 you get the picture). So, fans in attendance have made it a destination \u2013 a trip planned in advance rather than a spur-of-the-moment decision made on the evening of the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater is also a favorite destination for music fans. They appreciate the great line-up of talent hosted each month by the out-of-the-way venue \u2013 a line-up characterized by quality and variety.<\/span><\/p>\n

That variety is in evidence this week with a quintet of headliners from different genres \u2013 a singer-songwriter-rocker, a bluegrass band that has been around for more than four decades, a top-flight Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tribute act, one of America\u2019s best young jazz singers, and a rocking, blues-influenced power trio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lissie<\/p><\/div>\n

It all starts with Lissie.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lissie has played shows at venues all over the area but there are a few still on her bucket list. The Sellersville Theater has a long and impressive list of acts who have graced its stage but Lissie is not one of them. That will change on January 24 when Lissie makes her Sellersville Theater debut.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lissie\u2019s career path has not followed any norms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rock musicians from all over the country migrate to California on a regular basis. Or, they might venture off to one of the country\u2019s other hot spots for musicians such as Austin, Brooklyn or Nashville.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a musician from the Midwest and have been able to break free from the gravitational pull of the nation\u2019s heartland, chances are you\u2019re not heading back anytime soon to the \u201cI\u201d states \u2013 Illinois, Iowa or Indiana. Lissie is the exception to the rule.<\/span><\/p>\n

A while back, Lissie left her home in Rock Island, Illinois and moved to Colorado to attend Colorado State University. Then, the talented singer\/songwriter\/guitarist headed to Southern California to pursue a music career there. But she never abandoned her down-home roots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Lissie, whose full name is Elisabeth Corrin Maurus, is back in the Midwest \u2014 living on her own farm in northeastern Iowa.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was in Ojai (California) for seven years,\u201d said Lissie, during a recent phone interview Wednesday. \u201cPrior to that, I was in Hollywood for five years. I moved to Ojai because it\u2019s in the country \u2013 away from the Hollywood\/L.A. scene. Before I lived in Hollywood, I was in Colorado for a few years. Ojai was nice, but I missed the Midwest \u2013 so I went back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lissie\u2019s latest project is \u201cCastles,\u201d her fourth full-length album. It was released in March 2018 on Lionboy\/Thirty Tigers. Additionally, the album\u2019s hit single \u201cBest Days\u201d hot the Top 10 on Triple A Radio.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lissie\u2019s relocation to the Hawkeye State informed her new album.<\/span><\/p>\n

Written predominantly from Lissie\u2019s farm in northeast Iowa, \u201cCastles\u201d represents a new openness in her approach to songwriting and recording. Having moved out of the music industry machine and back to her native Midwest, the grounding she found living and working on a farm ushered in a period of exploration.\u00a0\u201cCastles\u201d is a portrait of an artist who has always been on the move and is finally creating a sense of permanency.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started writing songs for \u2018Castles\u2019 in 2016 and spent a year working on the album,\u201d said Lissie. \u201cThe song \u2018My Wild West\u2019 was about leaving California, going back to the Midwest and buying a farm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The album was also informed by some painful, personal problems Lissie had experienced in recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGoing into the writing of \u2018Castles,\u2019 I had been in this confusing and painful relationship,\u201d said Lissie. \u201cI knew that it wasn\u2019t going to work out \u2013 that it was unhealthy. Emotions and words were coming in real time as I dealt with that relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI sang my feelings around the house. It allowed me to create in a natural way \u2013 out in nature planting trees and gardening. Music was a byproduct of the environment. Other creative activities informed my ability to write from a stream of consciousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very much a cathartic experience. I re-evaluated what I want \u2013 to use my music to chronicle my experiences\u2026which are also universal experiences. I\u2019ve found that audiences can relate to the songs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans from around the country consistently tell Lissie how relevant the songs are to their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Lissie, \u201cIt\u2019s the record people always wanted me to make but I couldn\u2019t really make it until I got to be in charge. Before I was trying to please too many people. It stopped being fun. But eventually you get to the stage where you accept yourself for who you are. I\u2019m not trying to keep up with anyone else. If I can make a living doing something I\u2019m passionate about, that\u2019s a good life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lissie received help on \u201cCastles\u201d from old friends like Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses) and Martin Craft, Jim Irvin, Julian Emery and Curt Schenider (who worked in a large capacity on her previous album \u201cMy Wild West\u201d), as well as new collaborators like producers AG and Liam Howe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I moved back to Iowa, people expected an acoustic album,\u201d said Lissie, who also appeared in the most recent season of David Lynch\u2019s \u201cTwin Peaks\u201d television show.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the opposite. I used more technology than ever. I emailed tracks to my producer in London. Later, I went to London to add to the tracks. I also recorded some tracks in L.A. It was piecemeal \u2013 but, it gave me a lot more freedom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lissie has toured a lot in support of her latest album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI toured the states, dis a European tour and played festivals,\u201d said Lissie. \u201cNow, \u2018Castles\u2019 is wrapping up. I\u2019ve made four studio albums in 10 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn April, I\u2019ll release a new album \u2013 a piano\/vocal album. It will have re-interpretations of my songs from the last 10 years along with a few covers. In February, I\u2019ll start releasing songs from it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded a lot of the album in Berlin. When I was on tour in Europe, I\u2019d stop in Berlin for a few days. Two different guys played piano on it. All the Berlin tracks were recorded at Martin Craft\u2019s studio there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy live shows with the piano stuff won\u2019t start until April. My shows in January and February are solo acoustic shows \u2013 a one-woman band. It\u2019s nice to just let my voice have space to breathe. I want to just do what makes me happy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Lissie \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/YgyuYgoamfo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville, which has Maggie Pope as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and $39.50.<\/span><\/p>\n

On January 25, the Sellersville Theater will present a concert by the legendary bluegrass band Seldom Scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Seldom Scene<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe visit the Sellersville Theater every other year,\u201d said Seldom Scene guitarist\/vocalist Dudley Connell, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from his home in Gaithersburg, Maryland.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe love the venue. They feed us great food and the audience is great. The audience knows the band. They know the material. They have songs they want to hear, and we try to accommodate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans will get to hear new Seldom Scene songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Scene\u2019s first record for Rounder Records is coming out in March,\u201d said Connell. \u201cWe just finished mixing the last song on Saturday and it\u2019s now getting mastered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis album is kind of a big deal for Seldom Scene. It\u2019s a departure from what we\u2019ve done in the past. It\u2019s a record of old folk tunes \u2013 singer\/songwriter stuff from the 60s and 70s\u2026the time of Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan and John Prine. We\u2019re just digging back into the realm of singer\/songwriters from that era.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThose songs were so well-written back then. A lot of songwriters from that era were true storytellers. We tried to stay true to the songwriter\u2019s version and, at the same time, add our own twist \u2013 to come up with Seldom Scene interpretations. Of all the records I\u2019ve ever recorded, this was the most challenging \u2013 and the most rewarding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Seldom Scene has been playing Americana music a long time \u2013 longer than the term \u201cAmericana\u201d has been in existence. The band formed out of the weekly jam sessions in the basement of banjo player Ben Eldridge. These sessions included John Starling on guitar and lead vocals, Mike Auldridge on Dobro and baritone vocals, and Tom Gray on bass. Then mandolinist John Duffey, was invited to the jam sessions at the time when Auldridge arranged for the group to play as a performing band. Each of the band members had a job during the week. So, they agreed to play one night a week at local clubs, perform occasionally at concerts and festivals on weekends, and make records.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band\u2019s first home scene was the Red Fox Inn in Bethesda, Maryland, where it spent six years before starting weekly performances at The Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia. Now, there are no original members left in the lineup. Seldom Scene kept a nucleus of Auldridge, Duffey and Eldridge through 1995 when Auldridge left and Duffey died of a heart attack.<\/span><\/p>\n

The line-up of Eldridge (banjo, guitar), Dudley Connell (guitar, vocals), Ronnie Simpkins (bass), Fred Travers (dobro, vocals) and Lou Reid (mandolin, guitar, vocals) held steady until recently when Eldridge retired.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eldridge began his musical career with The Heights of Grass and then continued professionally with groups such as The Virginia Squires, Tony Rice Unit, and Emmylou Harris\u2019 The Red Dirt Boys.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen is still around but he left the band in January 2016,\u201d said Connell, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Gaithersburg, Maryland.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was just tired of the road. He\u2019s 78 and being out on the road was getting to be a burden for him. He\u2019s still playing music but not with any band.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Life on the road can be a challenge \u2013 even for a band of young musicians. \u201cOne of the things that has kept this band together is that we don\u2019t go out on bus tours together,\u201d said Connell. \u201cWe don\u2019t have to go for weeks smelling each others\u2019 feet. We can get nice hotel rooms.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Connell plays a variety of guitar styles and provides powerful lead vocals for Seldom Scene \u2013 a band that has a reputation for challenging the boundaries of bluegrass. Connell\u2019s musical virtuosity has pushed the group beyond these bounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

He has become a fan favorite for his renditions of traditional songs like \u201cOld Train,\u201d folk ballads such as \u201cBlue Diamond Mine,\u201d and blues songs like \u201cRollin\u2019 and Tumblin\u2019.\u201d Connell is a former member of The Johnson Mountain Boys.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been with Seldom Scene for 23 years now,\u201d said Connell. \u201cThis is the longest-running lineup we\u2019ve had \u2013 up until Ben left. Rickie, his replacement, is a great player.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Seldom Scene\u2019s debut album was \u201cAct I\u201d in 1972. The band\u2019s most-recent full-length is \u201cLong Time\u2026.Seldom Scene,\u201d which was released in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018Long Time\u2019 at Bias Studio in Springfield, Virginia,\u201d said Connell. \u201cWe don\u2019t do a lot of writing ourselves, but everybody has a say in what we play and what we record. It\u2019s really democratic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe last album had Dylan songs and old standards. Anything is fair game \u2014 from Bruce Springsteen to the Stanley Brothers. And, we have recorded a few originals. The bluegrass community is a pretty tight community and we\u2019ve been around it for years. We play bluegrass our way and it\u2019s been a success. We really mix it up in our live shows. We go back to \u2018Act I.\u2019 We do the whole catalog.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Seldom Scene \u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/4Y_ySz30ACI<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville, which has Midnight Flyer as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 and $45.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

JD Simo<\/p><\/div>\n

On January 30, the Sellersville Theater will present JD Simo. In August 2018, Simo blew the roof off the venue with his blistering set and he\u2019s coming back to do it again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Simo grew up in Chicago\u2019s North Side and began playing guitar before he even started elementary school. In 2006, he moved to Nashville, where he established himself as the lead guitarist in the Don Kelley Band. This led to Simo’s employment as an in-demand session musician.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2010, he joined bassist Frank Swart and drummer Adam Abrashoff to form the rock band SIMO. The band spent much of 2011 on tour and released its debut album in November 2011. SIMO\u2019s third and final album was \u201cRise and Shine\u201d in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe old band \u2013 it had run its course with that particular lineup,\u201d said Simo, during a phone interview Monday afternoon. \u201cA year ago, I had my first solo tour opening for tommy Emmanuel here in America. I had never done that before. It was a very liberating experience. I\u2019d walk onstage and do whatever I wanted to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, Simo has been recording and touring with his own band \u2013 including a tour that is headed this way.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe just left this morning,\u201d said Simo, during a phone interview Monday afternoon. \u201cWe\u2019re riding now. The tour starts Thursday in Rhode Island and Nashville is a long way from Rhode Island. But, it\u2019s all good. Once we get to Rhode Island, everything is close. We\u2019ll tour the Northeast and then do the South.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be in Europe for a few weeks and then come back to do the Southwest and the West Coast. Fortunately, we\u2019re playing the Sellersville Theater on this Northeast swing. It\u2019s one of the nicest venues in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe band is just a trio. It\u2019s pretty much always been a trio. I have always preferred the trio format. When Buddy Guy was touring in the 60s, it was always a trio. When Magic Sam toured, it was always a trio. Playing in a trio is pretty wide open. It\u2019s fun. And, it makes it really easy to improvise. You can really get out there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery night is different. We don\u2019t work with a set list and typically don\u2019t play the same songs every night. And, every song is open to where its going to go. We have 20-30 songs in regular rotation. A few follow similar structures. The rest are really wide open and can be different every night. Every show starts with an improvisation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Simo is touring in support of his new album \u201cOff At 11.\u201d Produced by Simo with his co-manager Michael Caplan, the album features eight tracks that are laid out on the record like a musical journey through a land populated by <\/span>acid rock, traditional blues, folk, soul, free-form jazz.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made the album throughout last year at my home studio \u2013 old school style,\u201d said Simo. \u201cI wanted to make an old school blues record. And, I wanted to go to Mars. When I was touring in Phil Lesh\u2019s and told him that, he said \u2013 JD, you can do both. The Phil Lesh & Friends band always does a lot of improvisation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for JD Simo \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/J1guSRTv-78<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville, which has Chronic Wolf as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theatre are Lights Out (Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Tribute) on January 26, and Jane Monheit on January 27,<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lotus<\/p><\/div>\n

Just over a month ago, instrumental jam band Lotus gave its fans an early Christmas present \u2013 a surprise release of a new album titled \u201cFrames Per Second.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, the band, which is based in Denver, Colorado and Philadelphia, will be in Philly for a pair of shows on January 25 and 26 at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, <\/span>www.utphilly.com<\/a><\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though this is the band\u2019s first area show since the release of \u201cFrames Per Second,\u201d the live sounds of the album have already been floating in the ether in downtown Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n

The all-instrumental 19-song studio album and accompanying documentary were tracked live at Rittenhouse Soundworks in Philadelphia with cameras rolling. The project was designed to showcase Lotus in a pure, raw form — live in the studio. Norwegian space-disco and psychedelic rock are just some of the sounds that influenced the expansive audio and video project.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was the 14th album by the quintet — Mike Greenfield (drums), Jesse Miller (bass, sampler), Luke Miller (guitar, keys), Mike Rempel (guitar), and Chuck Morris (percussion).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of us still live in Colorado where the band first started,\u201d said Luke Miller, during a phone interview last week from his home in Denver. \u201cMike G and Jesse are living in Philadelphia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn summer 2017, we got together and started rehearsing songs. Then, we got together later that year in December for two days rehearsal and four quick days in the studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe chose to do the project in Philadelphia because all our gear is in Philly and there are good studios there. Our usual recording process is smaller, and we\u2019ve used Miner Street Studio. This time, we used Rittenhouse Soundworks in Germantown.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs were all written by the time we went in the studio in December 2017. Most of them have sections that are improvised \u2013 but they\u2019re contained in the structure. For this one, we wanted to do something that would reflect our live performance \u2013 doing it in the studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018It was challenging to get a good take because everyone was playing at once. On our previous album, there was a lot of collaboration and it was done track-by-track. This was the antithesis. The album and the video were recorded simultaneously.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it digitally and did at least a couple takes on each song. There wasn\u2019t too much editing. The shortest track was \u2018Forgotten Name\u2019 at 3:25 and the longest was \u2018Cold Facts\u2019 at 7:47.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For \u201cFrames Per Second,\u201d Lotus aimed to incorporate pyschedelia into the album\u2019s sound by combining hypnotic beats with unexpected harmonic or timbral turns. The band also put its own spin on different classic funk styles, like 70s Fusion, West Coast G-Funk, Instrumental Soul, Boogie, and 80s Electric Funk. <\/span><\/p>\n

The recording process featured Lotus playing \u201clive\u201d without a live audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely a different vibe than being on stage with an audience there,\u201d said Miller. \u201cIt was a little more of an intimate setting. It was good in a sense that you\u2019re not forced to overthink it. Sometimes, your gut feeling is best.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Miller\u2019s twin brother Jesse, \u201c\u2018Frames Per Second\u2019\u00a0is a different project than we’ve ever made before. I hesitate to even call it an album. I see it more as a documentary of our current composing and playing. The guiding theme was the idea that we would record live in the studio with cameras filming.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut, since it is not a concert with an audience, big sound system and flashing lights, the energy is very different. It is more intimate and introspective. We set up in a big circle with the primary camera in the center of the room, putting the viewer or listener directly in the middle of the band.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Lotus — https:\/\/youtu.be\/oSz4f6Z3aU0<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The shows at Union Transfer on January 26 and 26 will start at 9 p.m. each night. Tickets are $25 either night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Union Transfer are Amen Dunes and Arthur on January 30 and Liquid Stranger on January 31.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Matt and Kim<\/p><\/div>\n

If there ever is a time that Matt and Kim need to put on a really hot show, it will be on January 26 when the duo performs at Xfinity Live! (1100 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia,www.xfinitylive.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt and Kim \u2013 Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino — will be performing live outdoors at 3 p.m. with the temperature expected to be just below freezing \u2013 and going down as the day goes on. They will be performing as part of a free show \u2013 the \u201cRadio 104.5 Winter Jawn,\u201d which also features Young The Giant, lovelytheband, and The Interrupters.<\/span><\/p>\n

The last time Matt and Kim played Philly, it was nine months ago \u2013 indoors at the Electric Factory.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve gone many a place since then and come full circle,\u201d said Johnson, during a recent phone interview from the couple\u2019s home in Brooklyn. \u201cWe\u2019re back in New York. It\u2019s been a good year and we have high hopes for 2019 that life will be much better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt and Kim suffered a major setback in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

The duo was performing\u00a0last March at the Vaiven Festival in Mexico when drummer Kim Schifino suffered a traumatic leg injury onstage. Schifino jumped from the stage platform and saw she was about to jump on someone. When she landed, the top half of her leg went in one direction and the bottom half headed in another direction.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKim had a serious injury \u2013 a torn ACL and meniscus,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cWe got onstage, and it happened in the first 10 minutes of the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat pretty much took us out for an entire year. Before that, we were either recording or else on the road non-stop. I think that up to that point, the longest we were ever off the road was four months.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are just now starting to tour again. That was such a long time off. I felt like I had retired.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought we\u2019d use the time to work on music. But, the first few months, we were focusing on recovery \u2013 surgery and learning to walk again. We thought we could use the time, but we had to split the focus.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith my brain, I can only focus on one thing. Songwriting has to be the main focus if I want to write songs. Maybe three of four months after Kim\u2019s surgery, we started to put our heads down and write some songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe live in New York, but we were in L.A. at the time. We don\u2019t have a car in New York. We ride the subway and New York can be a tough city to deal with if you have a disability.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But Matt and Kim are troopers and they kept pushing ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c2017 was a tough year for all of us,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cWe\u2019ve been lucky as a band to have had a good life. In the past, we hadn\u2019t written songs to get things off our chest. Last year, writing had to be therapeutic \u2013 making lemonade out of lemons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt and Kim\u2019s trademark upbeat music didn\u2019t suffer from the setback. Instead, the duo created a tasty and lively new album called \u201cAlmost Everyday,\u201d which came out last May on the Fader label.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith songwriting, a lot of times, I\u2019ll start the idea and then Kim will crack the whip and make it faster,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cThat\u2019s her drummer mentality. She comes from a place with no rules. We also write lyrics together. Even though I sing the songs, a lot comes from Kim\u2019s voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the album as we went along. We\u2019d record at home and then bring the tracks to the studio. We cut it mostly at a studio in North Hollywood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost of it was done in the second half of 2017. We had 30 songs when we started \u2014 15 got finished and 10 went on the album. I only ever want to make 10-song albums. I want people to listen through without stopping.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we finished the album, we realized it had a theme \u2013 appreciating what you got before it\u2019s gone. We saw what it would be like if we didn\u2019t do this anymore. It\u2019s a good theme. It felt like an album from beginning to end.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Matt and Kim \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/JyVzPx4ecHA<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Xfinity Live! will run from noon-5 p.m. Tickets are free. It is an Outdoor Show and will be held rain or shine or snow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Hot Club of Cowtown<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0<\/span>http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a><\/span>) will present Upstate and Under the Oak on January 24, Benefiddle – A Concert to Benefit Davey Poland with Blue Corn Dawgs, Brad Newsom & Friends, Brandywine Valley Green Grass Ramblers, Buffalo Chip and the Heard on January 25, Beatlemania Again – A Tribute to The Beatles on January 26, and The Hot Club of Cowtown on January 29.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, <\/span>www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a><\/span>) will host Christine Havrilla on Jabuary 26.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0<\/span>http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a><\/span>) will present All Good People on January 26.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0<\/span>www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a><\/span>) will have Big Something and Passafire on January 24, Broken Arrow with special guest AM Radio on January 25, Splintered Sunlight on January 26 and Crack the Sky on January 27.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) presents Neko Case on January 25.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Annenberg Center (3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, https:\/\/annenbergcenter.org\/events<\/a>) presents Martha Graham Dance Company\u2019s \u201cThe EVE Project\u201d on January 25 and 26.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481, sonapub.com<\/a>) will feature Matt Santry and Everything Turned To Color on January 26.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Entertainment Editor, The Times Last year, Point Entertainment brought Sarah Borges to Philadelphia for a show at MilkBoy Philadelphia as the opening act for the Bottle Rockets. The show by the Boston-based rocker was hit. She went over big-time with Bottle Rockets\u2019 fans and made a strong impression on the show\u2019s presenters. \u201cThe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[6518,10287,10925,10701,8614,10926],"class_list":["post-30797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-lissie","tag-lotus","tag-sarah-borges","tag-seldom-scene","tag-the-hot-club-of-cowtown"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30797","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=30797"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30798,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30797\/revisions\/30798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}