{"id":31209,"date":"2019-03-12T09:57:15","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T13:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=31209"},"modified":"2019-03-12T09:57:23","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T13:57:23","slug":"on-stage-john-5-and-the-creature-to-rock-sellersville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=31209","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: John 5 and The Creature to rock Sellersville"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

John 5<\/p><\/div>\n

Prog rock fans have a lot of concerts from which to choose every year and the smart ones know that anytime John 5 and the Creatures play the area, it is a concert not-to-be-missed.<\/p>\n

On March 12, John 5 and his band return to the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) to treat fans to an evening of progressive music with an emphasis on tasty guitar work.<\/p>\n

John 5 is a musician with impressive credentials. He has been the guitarist for several arena-filling acts including Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and David Lee Roth.<\/p>\n

He is also a solo artist with nine guitar albums in his discography. His most recent album was recorded with his band The Creatures \u2013 Ian Ross on bass and Logan Miles Nix on drums. The album \u2014 \u201cIt\u2019s Alive!\u201d \u2014 owes a lot to the previous disc \u201cSeason of the Witch,\u201d which was released in 2017.<\/p>\n

Both albums relate heavily to the Sellersville Theater. \u201cIt\u2019s Alive!\u201d was recorded last April when the band played Sellersville while touring in support of \u201cSeason on the Witch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, John 5 and The Creatures are almost ready with a new album of sonic adventures.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m working hard on an album, a video and the tour,\u201d said John 5, during a recent phone interview from his home in Los Angeles. \u201cI\u2019m really, really busy \u2013 and I love it. It\u2019s a labor of love. I really enjoy it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album is almost done. It should be out in July. Right now, I\u2019m releasing singles and videos. It\u2019s a great way to promote the music. It keeps an album alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking videos is so challenging \u2013 so difficult to do. A lot of these videos are animated. The new video \u2018Zoinks\u2019 is all animated \u2013 and it took forever.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no pressure for a release date for the album. I have no manager and no record company. It\u2019s the greatest thing ever that I\u2019m doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the music is finished,\u201d said John 5. \u201cEverything is basically done and mixed but I\u2019m still working on a couple things. It\u2019s a wonderful, wonderful record.\u201d<\/p>\n

John 5\u2019s new album will offer a wide variety of music with everything from samples to pedal steel\u2026from EDM to Metallica-style metal.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t get bored with this album,\u201d said John 5. \u201cIt takes you in every which direction. It has a lot of diversity. That\u2019s just who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

John 5 talked about his connection with the Sellersville Theater and how the live recording happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really came about unexpectedly,\u201d said John 5. \u201cWe were at the Sellersville Theater setting up. A guy asked if we wanted to record the show that night and we said yeah. I told the band to be careful with their playing because of it. And, I told the audience we were recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t change the order of the set list. I just told the guys \u2013 let\u2019s do a perfect show. It\u2019s such a great place and the people were awesome. Everybody that was at that show is on this record.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Season of the Witch\u2019 is my favorite record. It\u2019s been incredible playing all these songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeason of the Witch\u201d is a fully-instrumental album that features his band The Creatures and showcases experimentation with various genres such as western swing, Spanish flamenco, heavy metal and straight-ahead rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing instrumental albums on my own since 2004,\u201d said John 5. \u201cWhat I did with this album, I started with the way people get their music. Last year, I put a song with a video on YouTube. Everyone watches videos. So, I put out one-a-month for six months.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were getting a million views. I would have never gotten a million spins on radio. When I was done with the videos, I started rehearsing for the first tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both John 5 and his fans are liking the new album.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked very hard on this record because I had time to do it,\u201d said John 5, who has written for acts Avril Lavigne, Ricky Martin, Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Garbage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did everything at Doghouse Studio in Woodland Hills (California). It\u2019s a good thing I don\u2019t have a studio in my home because if I did, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d ever leave. I play guitar so much \u2013 hours and hours and hours every day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I play live, I get a very diverse crowd. \u00a0When you come to our shows, you\u2019ll see fans of Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, kids who like shredders, adults who are into hard rock and guitar fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all I want to do \u2013 inspire people. And, I just want to influence kids to pick up guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for John 5 \u2014\u00a0 https:\/\/youtu.be\/1uWAGs10D6Q<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are times when losing is not necessarily a loss.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

We Three<\/p><\/div>\n

We Three, a band of siblings from McMinnville, Oregon made it all the way to the semifinals of the \u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent\u201d television show and that could hardly be considered a loss.<\/p>\n

We Three is a family affair featuring siblings, Joshua Humlie, Bethany Blanchard\u00a0and Manny Humlie. Joshua plays the piano and drums \u2013 sometimes simultaneously, Manny the guitar, and Bethany the bass.<\/p>\n

The trio gained great national exposure and used the appearances on the show to propel the group to making its debut album. Now, the band is touring in support of its debut album and its \u201cLifeline Tour\u201d is coming to the area on March 13 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The band had a three-month journey competing on \u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent\u201d \u2013 a journey that screeched to a halt one stop before the end of the line \u2013 the finals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no regrets about how things went on \u2018America\u2019s Got Talent,\u2019\u201d said Bethany, during a phone interview last week as the band travelled in its van to session of Billboard Live. \u201cWe showed people what we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bethany (25), Manny (22) and Joshua (28) have been making music together a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all officially started piano at age 10,\u201d said Manny. \u201cWe started playing together as a group 10 years ago. We would do arrangements of Stevie Wonder songs. We played more covers than originals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joshua said, \u201cWe had also been playing with our dad and his siblings\u2019 band when we were young. I started playing percussion with him. When we started playing with the three of us, our first gig was at a farmers\u2019 market in McMinnville.\u201d<\/p>\n

Manny said, \u201cIn our area, we have a lot of wineries. So, we did the wine tour for a couple years. Then we shifted into being a wedding band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bethany said, \u201cWhen we started playing originals, that\u2019s when we moved to a different level. That was three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, We Three moved to an even higher level thanks to the TV talent show.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were playing gigs before \u2018America\u2019s Got Talent\u2019 but being on that show pushed us over the edge,\u201d said Joshua.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, our fans want us to play original music,\u201d added Bethany.<\/p>\n

We Three\u2019s fans are getting what they band. The three siblings released their debut album on December 14.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut the album with producer Keith Sommers in McMinnville last summer,\u201d said Manny. \u201cMost of the songs were new. There was only one really old song.<\/p>\n

\u201cFans are drawn into our songs by the combination of lyrics and music. For us, lyrics are important. People can tell if you\u2019re fake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bethany said, \u201cThis tour is our first headline tour. We just had our first show last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tour will feature a one-of-a-kind augmented reality poster, developed by world-renowned IT-artist and creator of AR.\u00a0 Gallery. All posters will be encrypted with a QR code that when scanned with a smartphone through the AR. Gallery App (available in Apple App Store and Google Play Store, or via a link on the band\u2019s website) will bring the poster to life and transport the viewer into We Three\u2019s \u201calternate world,\u201d where the band will be in conversation about the tour and offering the sounds of exclusive unreleased music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew the guy who created the poster,\u201d said Bethany. \u201cWe met with him in L.A. and came up with the idea together. It\u2019s an augmented reality poster. Hold your phone to the poster and it takes you to a different world. We tell you about the tour. And, there are also a couple secret things \u2013 and a back door that takes you to a concert hall. It\u2019s nice because we\u2019re able to constantly update it.\u201d<\/p>\n

We Three may have lost the chance to be in the final round but the three talented young musicians definitely came away as winners.<\/p>\n

Video link for We Three \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/FH-VMtAU2-U<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A Fragile Tomorrow<\/p><\/div>\n

On the same night, another band featuring three siblings will be playing Philly. On March 13, A Fragile Tomorrow will headline a show at Bourbon and Branch (705 North Second Street, Philadelphia, 215-238-0660, bourbonandbranchphilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

A Fragile Tomorrow, which features singer\/guitarist Sean Kelly, guitarist Brendan Kelly, bassist Shaun Rhoades, and drummer-turned-synth player Dominic Kelly, initially made waves as a leading power pop group and then began a natural shift towards more progressive and complex compositions and production a few years ago. That led to a major reshuffle with Dominic Kelly moving to synths and the introduction of recording and touring drummer Josh Kean.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first show on this run is Philly,\u201d said Sean Kelly, during a phone interview last week from his home in Savannah, Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a short run. Most of us are married now so we do smaller tours. It\u2019s still the same four guys \u2013 Brendan, Dominic, Shaun and me. These shows will be without a drummer.<\/p>\n

A Fragile Tomorrow\u00a0began as a trio of teen brothers who rose above a difficult, tragedy-laden childhood and channeled their emotions into smart, catchy, dreamy pop music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re originally from Montgomery, New York,\u201d said Kelly. \u201cWe moved to Charleston, South Carolina 10 years ago. We had toured the South a lot and had a lot of friends in South Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had done a tour in South Carolina. When we got home from that tour, our parents suggested we move to South Carolina. Once we got here, we fell in love with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Fragile Tomorrow released its debut album \u201cWishful Thinking\u201d in 2006 and its sophomore disc \u201cBeautiful Noise\u201d in 2008. The band followed with \u201cTripping Over Nothing\u201d (2010), \u201cThe Palmetto EP\u201d (2010), \u201cLive at Awendaw Green\u201d (2011), \u201cBe Nice Be Careful\u201d (2013), \u201cBelgique EP\u201d (2014), \u201cMake Me Over\u201d (2015) and \u201cGeneration Loss\u201d this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did our first two albums in New York,\u201d said Kelly. \u201cSince then, basically all our recording has been done in South Carolina. The last two were done at our own studio and were self-produced. We got signed to MPress Records a few years ago and they\u2019ve allowed us to do whatever we wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

The members A Fragile Tomorrow have collectively collaborated with many renowned musicians including Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie), Mark Hart (Crowded House), Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls),\u00a0Susan Cowsill, Peter Holsapple (the dBs) and\u00a0Lucy Wainwright Roche.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been listening to krautrock, Devo and prog. Krautrock has been a big influence,\u201d said Kelly. \u201cPeter Holsapple has ben a friend of ours for years. He told us \u2013 you have to work with Mitch Easter because he\u2019s really into krautrock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneration Loss\u201d was co-produced by Ted Comerford and mixed by Mitch Easter \u2013two of the top names in the business.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a super team effort,\u201d said Kelly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneration Loss\u201d is a quasi-psychedelic pop soundscape touching upon themes of loss and regeneration in our questioning, chaotic social times.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we realized we had something new, we decided not to do power pop,\u201d said Kelly. \u201cIt\u2019s more left-of-center \u2013 just trying to evolve more and challenge ourselves. Brendan and I co-wrote the songs. A lot of the riffs are his. But the album was a real collaboration. Dom brought in ideas and Shaun contributed lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking the album happened over the course of a year. A lot of ideas were sent back-and-forth. The recording was the quickest part for us. Ted has his studio in downtown Savannah \u2013 right in the shopping district. It\u2019s a great studio with a lot of amazing gear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly also works as a music critic at a newspaper in the Palmetto State. With a dual career as a rock musician and a newspaper journalist, it\u2019s obvious that Kelly isn\u2019t \u201cin it for the money.\u201d Instead, he\u2019s doing what he loves \u2013 a trait he shares with his bandmates.<\/p>\n

Video link for A Fragile Tomorrow \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/hfba2iOgq58<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Bourbon and Branch, which has Sleepmonster as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Prog rock fans have a lot of concerts from which to choose every year and the smart ones know that anytime John 5 and the Creatures play the area, it is a concert not-to-be-missed. On March 12, John 5 and his band return to the Sellersville Theater (24 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[11045,6518,8752,11044],"class_list":["post-31209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-a-fragile-tomorrow","tag-featured","tag-john-5","tag-we-three"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31209","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=31209"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31210,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31209\/revisions\/31210"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}