{"id":32075,"date":"2019-07-04T08:44:02","date_gmt":"2019-07-04T12:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=32075"},"modified":"2019-07-04T08:44:14","modified_gmt":"2019-07-04T12:44:14","slug":"on-stage-shakespeare-comes-to-life-at-phoenix-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=32075","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Shakespeare comes to life at Phoenix Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

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

If you\u2019re looking for a different and interesting way to celebrate the holiday weekend, you can celebrate the opening of Chester County\u2019s newest cultural attraction \u2013 the opening weekend of the Phoenix Theatre (The Phoenix Theatre at SALT Performing Arts, 1645 Art School Road, Chester Springs, https:\/\/www.thephoenixtheatrepa.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Most new theater companies would choose to introduce themselves with a safe opening production \u2013 a hit musical like \u201cLegally Blonde\u201d or \u201cCats.\u201d The Phoenix Theatre has chosen a path less obvious.<\/span><\/p>\n

In residence at SALT Performing Arts in Chester Springs, this brand-new company dedicated to re-envisioning classics, producing bold contemporary pieces, and forging new works, debuts with a production of William Shakespeare\u2019s\u00a0\u201cThe Tempest\u201d with a run from July 5-21. Official opening night is July 6 at 7 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

The theater\u2019s mission statement is \u2013 \u201cThe Phoenix Theatre is a professional, non-profit theatre company dedicated to building and inspiring community. \u00a0We strive to tell stories that encourage our audiences to see the world in a new light and rise to action. We are committed to making people laugh, cry, and cheer by re-envisioning classics, producing bold contemporary pieces, and forging new works.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It has long been a dream of the company\u2019s founders — Artistic Director Seth Reich, his wife Development Director Jessica Myhr Reich and Managing Director Michael Hajek — to run their own company.\u00a0This production of Shakespeare\u2019s\u00a0\u201cThe Tempest\u201d is being directed by Reich.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the back of our minds, we knew we would eventually start a theater,\u201d said Seth Reich, during a phone interview last week.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe moved from New York \u2013 Long Island City \u2013 two years ago to Chester Cunty. We wanted to come to a community that supported the arts and welcomed art.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know we were going to start it now. It happened because of my uncle Marc Adelman who teaches at the Performing Arts Studio in West Chester. I thought I\u2019d take my time and just teach at the studio. My wife has her own image and branding business. But my uncle pushed us to start now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Phoenix Theatre\u2019s production of \u201cThe Tempest\u201d is a contemporary re-imagining of Shakespeare\u2019s final play utilizing modern design concepts to create magic along with strong movement work and dynamic music. A full immersion experience of Prospero\u2019s island, where creatures, spirits and people alike crave connection and understanding — reminding audiences of the many strengths and fragilities of being human.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re re-invigorating Shakespeare,\u201d said Reich, who has worked with numerous theatre companies and educational institutions including Actors\u2019 Shakespeare Company, the American Repertory Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, Classic Stage Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Theater with a View, Columbia University, Emerson College, New York Film Academy, and New York University.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to bring it back to life \u2013 trying to keep it light with music and visuals. And, to keep it to about two hours.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hajek plays the role of Prospero and Myhr Reich is Ariel. The cast also features Lorenzo Landini as Stephano, Lydia Joy Carswell as Caliban, Dani Joy Foley as Alonso, Trina Tjersland as Antonio, Katrina Hall as Gonzalo, and Tiffany Bacon as Sebastian. Another key member of the crew is Resident Designer Stephan Moravski.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Phoenix Theatre\u2019s inaugural season will feature two productions. The second will be Tennessee Williams\u2019 \u201cThe Glass Menagerie\u201d from January 17-February 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018The Tempest\u2019 and \u2018The Glass Menagerie\u2019 are perfect for the concept of this season \u2013 \u2018Season of Dreams\u2019,\u201d said Reich.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe ain\u2019t your mama\u2019s Shakespeare. It\u2019s very contemporized. Part of our mission is to re-invigorate the classics \u2013 jealousy, ambition and love\u2026these things are never going to go away in our culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018The Glass Menagerie\u2019 fits perfectly with \u2018The Tempest.\u2019 The Phoenix Theatre \u2013 rising from the ashes \u2013 give this classic work a rebirth. We\u2019re taking a lot of liberties with concept and design. We\u2019re creating experiences you can\u2019t capture on video.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPhoenixville is a great place to bring art to. We fell in love with the community. In the end, we\u2019re all about the community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tickets for\u00a0\u201cThe Tempest\u201d\u00a0are $25 for adults, $17 for students and seniors, and\u00a0free for anyone under 18.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another act playing the area this weekend has looked to the past for inspiration on modernizing works from long ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as the Phoenix Theatre is bringing Shakespeare back to life with a new look, Joanie and Matt are reaching back to the Jewish Bible to find song material.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joanie and Matt, who are performing on July 5 at World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Joanie & Matt<\/p><\/div>\n

Joanie & Matt (JAM) is made up of NYC-based award-winning singer\/songwriters Joanie Leeds and Matthew Check. <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Between them, they have earned an Emmy nomination, won various songwriting awards and have been featured in People Magazine, the New York Times and Washington Post.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in 2008, Joanie & Matt co-wrote a collection of songs for a Jewish Children\u2019s Bluegrass album during their daily lunch breaks while working at Central Synagogue, one of NYC\u2019s largest synagogues. \u201cChallah, Challah,\u201d the first \u201cJewgrass\u201d children\u2019s album, was born.<\/span><\/p>\n

The duo toured nationally with their own individual projects over the past decade. Now, Joanie & Matt have reunited and are taking their musical collaboration to the next level — music for grownups.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe first started playing and writing together in 2008,\u201d said Check, during a phone interview last week. \u201cAfter our first album, Challah, Challah,\u2019 we took a songwriting break for about a decade.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Leeds said, \u201cWe worked well together but we were both busy doing our own projects.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Leeds started a kids\u2019 rock band called Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights for which she was a winner of a Gold Parents\u2019 Choice Award and a NAPPA Gold Award. She was also a finalist in The USA Songwriting Competition and The John Lennon Songwriting Competition as well. Further accolades from that period include multiple features in People Magazine, Parents\u2019 Magazine and The New York Times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Check\u2019s banjo playing meanwhile was captured on an Emmy-nominated song. He also launched The Bluegrass Kabbalat Shabbat Experience which he brought to different parts of the U.S. and the U.K.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Life kept happening. <\/span><\/p>\n

Leeds was married in 2012 and had a daughter in 2015. Check finished a memoir in 2017 about his life as a Jewish banjo player while continuing to produce both albums and music videos for other musicians.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During this era the songs from \u201cChallah, Challah\u201d took on a life of their own. They enjoyed national success both on Jewish radio stations as well as in the homes of families through PJ Library.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe unexpectedly got back together as a songwriting team,\u201d said Leeds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check suddenly returned home early from India and Southeast Asia after his relationship came to an end with his girlfriend and traveling partner. Leeds, whose marriage was coming to a close, moved back to Manhattan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe found that we were living 10 blocks apart in Manhattan,\u201d said Check. \u201cJoanie was interested in stories from the Hebrew Bible. I had wanted to write songs about the Hebrew Bible for a long time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Leeds said, \u201cWe wanted to challenge ourselves as songwriters. We wanted to modernize these stories from the Hebrew Bible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The songs for Joanie and Matt\u2019s new album, \u201cSterling,\u201d which will be released on July 19, are inspired by stories and characters from ancient texts. The album artfully showcases story songs inspired by the Bible but retold through a modern, feminist lens controversially embodying themes like the #MeToo movement, female empowerment, substance abuse, the LGBTQ community and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

The song, \u201cSterling,\u201d was inspired by the story of Tamar, who was\u00a0raped by her half-brother Amnon in 2 Samuel. Joanie & Matt’s song, sung from Tamar\u2019s viewpoint rather than the Bible\u2019s third person, is #MeToo timely, sung from the perspective of both a woman and a victim — a voice that\u2019s not at all found in the Bible and other ancient religious texts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTamar was King David\u2019s daughter who was raped by her half-brother,\u201d sad Leeds. \u201cTamar didn\u2019t have a voice. The King didn\u2019t want to have anything to do with it. We wrote it first person \u2013 in Tamar\u2019s voice. It was the first song we co-wrote in a decade.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe song, \u2018How Far the Mighty Have Fallen,\u2019 is about Jonathan and David. We used it to bring relevance to the LGBTQ community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Check said, \u201cI have a master\u2019s degree in Jewish education and my Hebrew is really good. When we worked on the songs, we read it in English. For some passages, we would go to the Hebrew.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s show is the New York duo\u2019s first out-of-state show \u2013 and a homecoming for Check.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Bucks County \u2013 in Newtown,\u201d said Check. \u201cI went to high school at The George School and then went to college at the University of Pittsburgh.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Joanie and Matt \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/o4khlg5U0kA<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at World Caf\u00e9 Live, which also features Matt Wheeler & Vintage Heart, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at World Caf\u00e9 Live are \u201cHYPE! Presents Love Fest\u201d on July 6, Better Than Ezra on July 7, Philly Is Dead on July 9 and Gilbert O\u2019Sullivan on July 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>In 2012, fans of Static-X had good reason to believe that the end of recordings and shows from the band had arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n

Group members fell out of synch with each other and Static-X disbanded in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

Any hopes for a reconciliation and reunion were dashed when front man Wayne Static died at age 48 in November 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Static-X still had more life left.<\/span><\/p>\n

In October 2018, original member Tony Campos revealed plans for Static-X to reunite with the other half of the original lineup — Koichi Fukuda and Ken Jay — to release a new album in 2019 called \u201cProject Regeneration.\u201d The album will include previously unreleased tracks with Wayne Static’s vocals.<\/span><\/p>\n

The trio also had talks about a tour which resulted in Static-X\u2019s \u201c20th Anniversary Wisconsin Death Trip Tour.\u201d The tour brings the band to the area for a show on July 7 at Reverb (1402 North Ninth Street, Reading, 610-743-3069, www.reverbconcerts.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about the tour after we figured out that we were going to celebrate some anniversaries,\u201d said Campos, during a recent phone interview.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the 25th anniversary of \u2018Wisconsin Death Trip\u2019 and it\u2019s also the 25th anniversary of the band. When we got together, things just snowballed. We began finding old demo tapes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, it was just these five tapes that Wayne had given to a producer friend of ours before his passing. Then, we discovered these other eight vocals that Wayne sang on. What was funny about the stuff we found later, a lot of it was just Wayne\u2019s vocals. He was using two machines to record his vocals and guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to write music for a lot of it. Wayne\u2019s vocals \u2013 he was singing a lot more on the vocals. Wayne didn\u2019t sing melodically too often but, when he did, he sang <\/span>well. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe made \u2018<\/span>Project Regeneration\u2019 using Wayne\u2019s vocals. We\u2019re now in the process of finishing up the tracks to send to producer Ulrich Wilde. We\u2019re hoping to have all the tracks finished before the tour and he\u2019ll have time to work with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Featuring an unnamed vocalist wearing a Wayne Static mask, the band is touring in celebration of its debut album \u201cWisconsin Death Trip.\u201d The masked front man is simply known as \u201cXer0.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLive, we\u2019ll be playing the majority of \u2018Wisconsin Death Trip\u2019 and the rest of the set will be our quote\/unquote hits,\u201d said Campos, who also is now or was a member of Fear Factory, Ministry, Asesino, Prong, Soulfly, and Possessed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started rehearsing, all the stuff from \u2018Wisconsin Death Trip\u2019 and \u2018Machine\u2019 came back amazingly well. We\u2019re playing almost all the songs from our first album and some form the second.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans will hear \u201cWisconsin Death Trip\u201d performed live just as they remember it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to present it live,\u201d said Campos. \u201cThis is not Static-X with a new singer. We\u2019re not trying to come back with a new singer. We want it to be pretty close to what it felt like.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to pay ultimate respect to Wayne and to celebrate the music that has been in all of our hearts for more than 20 years. Xer0 know Wayne so, for him, it\u2019s almost as personal. He\u2019s wearing the mask and playing all Wayne\u2019s parts. He\u2019s stepping up to the plate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Static-X — https:\/\/youtu.be\/_340zcRUO5g<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tour features co-headliners and metal giants DevilDriver and will also feature support from heavy mainstays Dope, Wednesday 13 and Raven Black.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

DevilDriver<\/p><\/div>\n

DevilDriver is an American heavy metal band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002, featuring vocalist Dez Fafara (the only remaining original member), guitarists Mike Spreitzer and Neal Tiemann, drummer Austin D’Amond, and bassist Diego “Ash<\/span><\/p>\n

DevilDriver\u2019s last full-on metal album was \u201cTrust No One,\u201d which was released on Napalm Records in 2016. The band did release \u201cOutlaws \u2019til the End: Vol. 1\u201d last year but that was an outlaw country covers record rather than a full blast of DevilDriver\u2019s intense music.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, DevilDriver has a new album ready to be unleashed on the world. Actually, two new albums are in the works.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe just got the album mastered,\u201d said Spreitzer, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Richmond, Virginia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s two different records. We\u2019re going to be staggering the release. We\u2019ve got 20 songs ready that we recorded with producer Steve Evetts in his studio in Garden Grove. Dez finished his vocals in June. It\u2019s all been a big blur.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNeil and I started writing for this two years ago. There is quite a bit of diversity in the songs. We\u2019ve ventured int areas we\u2019ve never gone before \u2013 but it\u2019s still DevilDriver. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve ever strayed away from heavy metal. Even the \u2018Outlaws\u2019 album was definitely heavy metal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoing a double record was a bigger undertaking than we expected \u2013 especially the guitar playing. We had to do so many layers<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTrust No One\u201d was DevilDriver\u2019s first with the current lineup.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Tiemann, \u201cWe recorded \u2018Trust No One\u2019 in California a few years ago. It was the first album with the band for me and drummer Austin D\u2019Amond. We both joined DevilDriver in 2015. I had been friends with Dez for a while before I joined the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe first hooked up through our wives. They met on Instagram because they\u2019re both into Harlequin Great Danes. That was the connection. The first time we all got together, Dez and I hung out listening to Pantera albums.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFortunately for me, DevilDriver\u2019s old guitarist quit and I jumped right in. Austin came on a little later. Producer Mark Lewis told us \u2013 you\u2019ve got to use Austin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn interesting thing about making the album was the circumstances. Usually, a band has time to rehearse and play. This time, we wrote the songs before we even played together. It really just started with writing. Mike and I and Austin write all the music and Dez does the lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the beginning, we\u2019d write a little on our own and then get together at Mike\u2019s. As the songs developed, some were collaborations and some we wrote on our own. It was a lot more democratic than I expected.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The band recorded and released the \u201cOutlaw\u201d album and then Tiemann and Spreitzer turned their focus to the new music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Technically, Neal and I went into this record with the idea of slowing it down a little,\u201d said Spreitzer. \u201cIt\u2019s still really heavy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a propensity to write songs that were faster. I didn\u2019t do it this time. There are about five songs in our set that we speed up live but most are close to the original. We\u2019re not doing any \u2018Outlaw\u2019 songs on this tour.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for DevilDriver — https:\/\/youtu.be\/hlDPWmwO7SU<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Theatrical metal band Raven Black has given fans a teaser of its upcoming 2020 release \u201cBlack\u201d with the just-released single \u201cRisen from the Ashes.\u201d The single was produced by Ulrich Wild (Buckcherry, Static-X, Deftones), and continues Raven Black\u2019s story, as told in the first installment of the band\u2019s ongoing comic book series, \u201cA Dark Metal Carnival – The Beginning,\u201d and the upcoming issue, \u201cA Dark Metal Carnival – We Came Across the Darkness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The comic book series lays out Raven\u2019s past, where a voodoo doctor finds a lost, scared young girl and uses his dark magic to turn her into a doll. The spell did not work and left Raven as a half-human\/half doll creature. Through her life with the Doctor, Raven secretly studied his magic, and eventually used it to conjure up a demon named Muppet. Muppet became Raven\u2019s eternal protector, trapped inside of her heart. Along with the Doctor, Muppet then created a character named Stitches to seek out other looking to join their dark metal carnival world.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to Raven on vocals, the lineup of Raven Black features the three other main characters from the books — Muppet (Drums\/Vocals), The Doctor (Lead Guitar\/Vocals) and Stitches (Bass).<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Raven Black — https:\/\/youtu.be\/S1M8AgxFHt0<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The all-ages show at Reverb featuring Static-X, DevilDriver, Raven Black, Dope, Wednesday 13, Husk, 1818, It Is Written, and Syrin, will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Reverb are Set It Off on July 5 and L.A. Guns on July 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Better Than Ezra<\/p><\/div>\n

On July 7, another band that had to deal with the death of a key member and show the resilience to rebound is coming to Philly. On Sunday night, World Caf\u00e9 Live will host Better Than Ezra.<\/span><\/p>\n

Better Than Ezra is an alt-rock band from New Orleans. The band was formed in 1988 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin, lead guitarist Joel Rundell, bassist Tom Drummond, and drummer Cary Bonnecaze. The current lineup features Griffin and Tom Drummond along with Michael Jerome (drums).<\/span><\/p>\n

Rundell died in 1990. The remaining three members of the band took some time off to reassess its future following Rundell\u2019s death. Then, Griffin, Drummond and Bonnecaze reunited Better Than Ezra as a trio by the end of 1990 and continued playing house parties and fraternity shows across southern United States during the early 1990s.<\/span><\/p>\n

After self-releasing the first album \u201cDeluxe\u201d in 1993, the band drew interest from major labels. But it wasn\u2019t until after two years of touring and creating an intense loyal fan base that dubbed themselves the \u201cEzralites,\u201d that Better Than Ezra signed with Elektra Records. Elektra rereleased \u201cDeluxe\u201d and its single \u2018Good\u2019 which reached the #1 position on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart driving the album sales to platinum status.<\/span>
\nBetter Than Ezra band quickly became a staple in the \u201990s pop\/rock scene immediately releasing two new albums within three years of being signed. \u201cFriction, Baby,\u201d released in 1996, and \u201cHow Does Your Garden Grow?\u201d in 1998, produced hits \u201cDesperately Wanting, \u201cKing of New Orleans,\u201d and \u201cAt the Stars.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Better Than Ezra released its eighth album, \u201cAll Together Now\u201d in 2014. The album is still the band\u2019s most recent release.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe next Better Than Ezra album will come out in February,\u201d said Griffin, during a phone in interview from San Francisco last week. \u201cI\u2019m putting out a solo record in October.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe all do so many things that it takes us a while to get together. I live in Franklin, Tennessee. Tom lives in New Orleans and Jerome lives in L.A.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been in the studio writing. We\u2019ve got 13 tracks together and we will do more. We\u2019re in the process of writing songs and recording the ones we love. Usually, the songs reveal themselves. They have a funny way of letting you know what\u2019s best.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like having songs that no-one has heard but we always play new ones. When we play at the World Caf\u00e9, we\u2019ll only play a couple new ones. It\u2019s been a while since we released an album, so we know that on this tour we have to play some new songs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Better Than Ezra has been around long enough that they don\u2019t have to rely on new singles to draw an audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at a point in our career that we\u2019re not really going after a radio hit,\u201d said Griffin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur new album is going to be more of a rock record \u2013 more live sounding\u2026more raw. I still love \u2018All Together Now.\u2019 It was our last shot at being a pop band.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A solo album will be a different venture for Griffin, who has <\/span>also produced, written, and co-written songs for other artists, such as Sugarland, James Blunt, Christina Perri, Taylor Swift, Train, Howie Day, Missy Higgins, Augustana, Debbie Harry, Josh Radin, Tristan Prettyman, Shinedown, and Hot Chelle Rae.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never put a solo album out,\u201d said Griffin, who co-wrote a Christmas song with the Beach Boys\u2019 Mike Love last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI finished recording the last song yesterday and sent it to be mixed. I couldn\u2019t be more proud of it. It\u2019s very satisfying.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made the record at Pink Deer Studio, which is my studio in Franklin, Tennessee. I wanted to build a studio where I don\u2019t have to leave. I made the conscious decision that it had to sound different than Better Than Ezra.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was inspired by Dylan and Nick Drake. It\u2019s still my voice and my songwriting but it\u2019s more acoustic \u2013 more Americana sound. But I still like pop music.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Better Than Ezra \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/JdzegXdk4Ak<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at World Caf\u00e9 Live, which has Andrew Duhon as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $36.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Cassidy Catanzaro<\/p><\/div>\n

Cassidy Catanzaro has performed many times in this area over the last 10 years \u2013 in different venues, with different names and in different bands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cassidy, who had area gigs as a member of the all-female band Antigone Rising from 1999-2008, is back for a show on July 6 at The Living Room at 35 East (35 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, https:\/\/thelivingroomat35east.com<\/a>) sharing the bill \u2013 and the stage — with Robinson Treacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRobinson and I connected,\u201d said Cassidy, during a phone interview Wednesday morning. \u201cWe just wanted to do a cool tour together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2012 as a solo artist, she headlined a show at the sadly-departed Tin Angel using the moniker Boh\u00e8me \u2013 a name she shared with an opera by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was in Antigone Rising, I was just Cassidy,\u201d said Cassidy. \u201cIn the years in between, the rapper named Cassidy came out and was huge. I couldn\u2019t believe Cassidy would be a name for a rapper.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cassidy eventually decided to use Boh\u00e8me for her musical projects — the first of which was her debut album \u201cFollow the Freedom.\u201d The album’s title track featured reclusive frontman Steve Perry of the band Journey. The second solo album, \u201cCassidy and The Music\u201d came out in 2014. Her most recent album, \u201cWhat Is Real,\u201d was released four years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor my new album, I\u2019m doing it a little backwards,\u201d said Cassidy. \u201cI\u2019m going out to test the water \u2013 to see what people want. Then, I\u2019ll go back in the studio to make the record.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy last album \u2013 \u2018What Is Real\u2019 \u2013 came out in 2015. \u2018What Is Real\u2019 was great. I\u2019m super proud of it. I\u2019ve been going through growth spurts since Antigone Rising. I wanted to spread my wings. \u2018What Is Real\u2019 set the stage for what is to come. My new music is more focused \u2013 more about what is happening in my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Two of those things are \u201cWomen Rock\u201d and her current tour with Treacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWomen Rock is a stage production starring 2017 Grammy Award Nominee singer\/songwriter Cassidy Catanzaro, star of \u201cA Night with Janis Joplin\u201d Katrina Rose Dideriksen, and the Broadway, TV and Jazz vocal star Shayna Steele, who most recently starred in \u201cHairspray Live\u201d on NBC. The show features the music of Holly Knight, Carole King, Irene Cara, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton, Heart, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett and Tina Turner.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor \u2018Women Rock,\u2019 I got called in to audition in New York,\u201d said Cassidy. \u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity to sing Carole King in front of an audience \u2013 and an opportunity to sing in front of a 55-piece orchestra. It\u2019s a really exciting show with Katrina Rose Dideriksen and Shayne Steele \u2013 and we get to perform in these really beautiful theaters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe show in Ardmore is in a small room so it will be a nice intimate show. Robison and I met at a show about a year ago at Burlap and Bean and just put this eight-show tour together. I play my songs. He plays his and we play some together. It\u2019s more a show than separate sets.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying out a bunch of new songs from the album I\u2019ll be recording at my studio later this year. The new songs are soul and alt-country. I was living in Louisiana for a while and that\u2019s an influence. I love to explore genres.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Cassidy \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/pCZVSfRfb4Y<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at The Living Room at 35 East will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Joshua Chase Miller<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will have Open Mic with guest host Joshua Chase Miller \u00a0on July 7 and The Zheroes, Cameron Schultz and Congrat on July 9.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will host \u201cMagic Sunday with Steve Friedberg\u201d on July 7.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) will host Brand New Crescent Moon, Hempwick and Kings Arms on July 5 and CPTime, Trent Thomas, Marc Sherfield, Roi Lush and Rose Savage on July 6.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host \u201cDead White & Blue:<\/span><\/p>\n

3 Nights of Splintered Sunlight\u201d from July 4-6, and \u201cA Night with Mary Fishburne\u201d on July 9.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will present Dan May with Lizanne Knott & Special Guest Ciara Grace on July 5, Almost Queen on July 6, and Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters: The Speck Tour with Dominy on July 7.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times If you\u2019re looking for a different and interesting way to celebrate the holiday weekend, you can celebrate the opening of Chester County\u2019s newest cultural attraction \u2013 the opening weekend of the Phoenix Theatre (The Phoenix Theatre at SALT Performing Arts, 1645 Art School Road, Chester Springs, https:\/\/www.thephoenixtheatrepa.com). Most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[11331,11332,8549,6518,11328,11333,11327,11330,11329,11326],"class_list":["post-32075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-better-than-ezra","tag-cassidy-catanzaro","tag-devildriver","tag-featured","tag-joanie-matt","tag-joshua-chase-miller","tag-phoneix-theatre","tag-raven-black","tag-static-x","tag-the-tempest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32075","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=32075"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32076,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32075\/revisions\/32076"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}