{"id":42974,"date":"2024-06-06T08:31:14","date_gmt":"2024-06-06T12:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=42974"},"modified":"2024-06-06T08:31:15","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T12:31:15","slug":"on-stage-slambovian-circus-of-dreams-celebrating-25-years-with-show-at-sellersville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=42974","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Slambovian Circus of Dreams celebrating 25 years with show at Sellersville"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n
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Slambovian Circus of Dreams<\/p><\/div>\n

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams has an annual schedule that includes a variety of traditional events — the \u201cSlambovian Circus of Dreams Halloween Show,\u201d the \u201cFairport\u2019s Copredy Convention,\u201d \u201cKingston Earth Fair,\u201d \u201cA Very Slambovian Christmas\u201d show and the \u201cSlambovian Circus of Dreams New Year\u2019s Eve Eve\u201d show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a><\/u>).<\/div>\n

The band also has a tradition of playing a show in the Delaware Valley to welcome summer followed by a tour of the United Kingdom.<\/div>\n
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This summer, the Slambovians are heading to the land of bangers and mash and shepherd\u2019s pie for a series of shows around the London area. Prior to that, the band is performing a much-anticipated how at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com<\/a>) on June 7.<\/div>\n

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The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, which has been making music since 1998, features a trio of founding members Joziah Longo (singer, songwriter, guitarist, leader of the band), his wife Tink Lloyd (accordion, cello, flute, ukulele, theremin, keyboards) and Sharkey McEwen (guitar,\u00a0mandolin, backing vocals).\u00a0The current line-up also features RJ McCarty (keys, sax, banjo, backing vocals), Bob Torsello (bass), and Matthew Abourezk (drums).<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing summer shows in the U.K. since 2008,\u201d said Lloyd, during a phone interview week from upstate New York where she and Longo reside. \u201cWe\u2019ve gone over every year except 2020 and 2021 because of COVID.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Last summer, the Slambovian Circus of Dreams played the Fairport Convention\u2019s Copredy Convention\u00a0in Banbury and was named the \u201cfans\u2019 favorites.\u201d They also played the Wickham Festival in Wickham with the Waterboys headlining.<\/div>\n
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\u201cOur first time to play in the U.K. was the Rhythm Festival,\u201d said Lloyd. It was a classic rock festival with acts like the Animals and the Zombies. Jim Driver, who is involved with the Glastonbury Music Festival, asked us to play at the festival.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The\u00a0Rhythm Festival, which was last held in 2011,\u00a0was an outdoor\u00a0music festival\u00a0held in\u00a0Bedfordshire. From 2006 until 2010 it was held at\u00a0Twinwood Arena, near the village of\u00a0Clapham. In 2008, it was held from August 29-31.<\/div>\n
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Performers included\u00a0Jefferson Starship,\u00a0Saw Doctors,\u00a0Richie Havens,\u00a0Michelle Shocked,\u00a0Big Star,\u00a0Steve Cropper,\u00a0Quicksilver Messenger Service,\u00a0The Zombies,\u00a0Chas and Dave,\u00a0Jah Wobble,\u00a0The Pretty Things,\u00a0Nine Below Zero, The Foxes,\u00a0Neville Staple\u00a0and\u00a0Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams.<\/div>\n
\u201cThey had us as the opening act for the festival,\u201d said Lloyd. \u201cAnd they also had us play as the closing act. People just freaked out over us. It was pretty crazy.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Now, the Slambovians are heading back across the pond for a series of shows, including a pair of festivals — Devizes Arts Festival in Devizes and First Light Festival in Lowestoft. They also will play shows in Pocklington, Saltaire, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Chelmsford and London.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019ll be very busy in the U.K.,\u201d said Longo. \u201cWe have nine shows in 11 days.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The focus on the tour will be the 25th anniversary of the band\u2019s debut album, \u201cA Good Thief Tips His Hat.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The album was initially released in 1999 and then re-released in 2021 after the band got control of its catalogue.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe album was never released in the U.K. and is just now being released by a British label,\u201d said Longo. \u201cWe\u2019ll be playing songs from that album and songs from our most recent album, \u2018A Very Unusual Head.\u2019 Learning to play songs from a 25-yratr-old album was like learning new stuff.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt should be fun at Sellersville. It\u2019s our last show before we head to London. We\u2019ll be playing songs from the tour set list \u2013 and a couple of the classics. We\u2019re playing a lot for \u2018A Very Unusual Head.\u2019 I\u2019m happy with the response to that album. People really get it \u2013 especially songs like \u2018Fi.\u2019\u201d<\/div>\n
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Longo, a Philly native who went to St. John Neumann High which back then was called Bishop Neumann High, has been staying extremely busy at his home along the Hudson.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m working on three musicals and four new albums,\u201d said Longo. \u201cI\u2019ve been writing a lot.<\/div>\n
\u201cThe musical is moving along. The whole skeleton is coming together. I\u2019ve been reading books about scriptwriting. It\u2019s really about articulation.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe albums are written and arranged. Matthew and I have been laying down tracks for one of them.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cA Very Unusual Head,\u201d which\u00a0is the band\u2019s sixth studio album, was released January 21, 2022, on their new label, Storm King Records.<\/div>\n
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\u201cA Very Unusual Head\u201d was recorded over four years in five studios and two countries. The album is a step away from the\u00a0guitar-based Americana vibe heard on their previous albums.<\/div>\n
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\u201cA Very Unusual Head\u201d is a real\u00a0Slambovian\u00a0tribal project with contributions from many friends and a few \u201cspecial guests\u201d such as Dar Williams,\u00a0Anthony Thistlethwaite (The Waterboys),\u00a0Kolson Pickard (Tall Heights, Pico Romanesque), drummer\u00a0Felipe Torres\u00a0(protege of Carmine Appice and sideman for Davey Jones), drummer\u00a0Matt Abourezk\u00a0(Thin White Rope) and Tristan Tadin\u00a0(keyboards).<\/div>\n
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Canadian engineer\u00a0Dio Tadin\u00a0(Tristan\u2019s father) recorded the bulk of the album on a former reindeer farm near Peterborough, Ontario and at Big Blue in Cornwall, New York. Tadin\u2019s resume includes work at Daniel Lanois\u2019 studio in Hamilton, Ontario.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe recorded two-thirds of the album in 2018,\u201d said Lloyd. \u201cWe got half of it mixed and then COVID hit. We released \u2018Beez\u2019 as a single and made an EP that was only sold at our U.K. tour.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThen, we pulled together all the tracks recorded over the last five years. We did a lot of work with Dio Tadin in Peterborough, Ontario. Then, the Tadins moved their studio (Big Blue) to Cornwall, New York \u2013 which is near us. We finished making the album there.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Inspired by the Surrealists and early British Psychedelia and the paths they pioneered, the songs on the album deal with topics ranging from the pseudo-scientific to the pseudo-religious realms and other forms of hob-nobbery for fun and profit.<\/div>\n
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The diverse album has a song about Steven Hawking (\u201cForce of Nature\u201d), the planets (\u201cPluto\u201d) and an inspirational song about the importance of bees in the ecosystem (\u201cBeez (I Know Where the Beez Have Gone\u201d).\u201d<\/div>\n
As always, the Slambovians\u2019 songs feature great instrumentals accompanied by lyrics that are intelligent, socially aware, witty and mindful. Longo is a modern-day troubadour bringing a message to the people of 2024.<\/div>\n
The new album displays many of the band\u2019s influences \u2014 Beatles, Bowie, Incredible String Band, Syd Barrett, Brahms and The Waterboys\u2026along with a good measure of Woodstock-era psychedelia.<\/div>\n
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Video link for the Slambovian Circus of Dreams \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/9UTTwqUOJPE<\/a><\/div>\n
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The show on Jube 7 will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $29.50 and $39. The show will also be available for home viewing on Livestream with tickets priced at $15.<\/div>\n
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Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Kathy Mattea on June 6, Chris Ruggiero on June 8, Craig Shoemaker on June 8, ABBAFAB on June 9, and Creed Fisher on June 12.<\/div>\n
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Kelli Baker<\/p><\/div>\n

When Kelli Baker headlines a pair of shows at Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) on June 7, it will be another step in Baker\u2019s blossoming love affair with the Philadelphia area music scene — especially her fans at Jamey\u2019s.<\/div>\n

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The first stage was like getting a few twigs and stems, putting them together in a fire pit and lighting them. The second stage was like watching the kindling ignite and beginning to create a fire. The third stage was like seeing a full-scale campfire start to blaze.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis will be my third time to play Jamey\u2019s,\u201d said Baker, during a phone interview Tuesday from Huntington, Long Island while walking Yoshi, her 14-year-old Yorkshire Terrier.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe first time was back in November and there were less than 30 people there. The second time was March 16, and the show was sold out. This weekend\u2019s show had such a demand for tickets that they made it two shows \u2013 and early show at 6 p.m. and a late show at 9 p.m.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Like many musicians, Baker has been making music since she was a kid.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been doing music my entire life,\u201d said Baker, who was\u00a0born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. \u201cI sang in church choir with my mom. After that, I went to a Christian high school and was in a choral group there.<\/div>\n
\u201cThen, I taught myself guitar. I took a few years and then I got into a rock band. I moved to New York in 2012. It was where I always hoped to be.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIn addition to making music, I was also running restaurants and clubs \u2013 including the Purple Elephant in New York. Before that, I was doing it in Arizona.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIn 2018, I began to focus mostly on music. I had an ah hah moment. When I started doing it again, I was mostly doing it myself \u2013fake it until I make it. It was mainly at the Bar Petite every Tuesday night.\u201d<\/div>\n
The Bar Petite is a cocktail bar in Huntington.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI got good at playing,\u201d said Baker. \u201cI also played at a lot of open mics with different musicians and that helped me learn a lot.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Baker also landed a residency gig at the one of the most prestigious music clubs in Manhattan.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been working in house at The Bitter End,\u201d said Baker, who recently signed as a Sony Music Artist under Bad Jeu Jeu Records. \u201cI started playing there two years ago. I\u2019ve done a residency once a month for the last year.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Fans waiting for Baker\u2019s debut album will have to keep on waiting a little while longer.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m doing it single by single,\u201d said Baker, the 2022 winner, Long Island Blues Challenge \u201cRoad to Memphis.\u201d \u201cMy most recent single, \u2018Gone Georgia, Gone,\u2019 came out on May 10.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI finished making my new album in March. It\u2019s all mixed and mastered. There will be at least 10 songs \u2013 mostly originals and a few interesting takes waiting for permission.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m hoping that it will be released by the end of summer or early fall.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt was recorded at VuDu Studios \u2013 Mike Watts\u2019 studio in Long Island. I produced the album myself.”<\/div>\n
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Baker\u2019s band features guitar ace No\u00e9 Socha (Vernon Reid, Paula Cole), drummer Adan Wooten (son of Bela Fleck\u2019s bassist, Victor Wooten) and bassist PJ LaMariana (Oteil Burbridge, John Kadlecik) \u2013 along with Baker on guitar and vocals.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMy genre is blues but I\u2019m a rock girl at heart,\u201d said Baker. The best way to describe it is as blues rooks and rock influences.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Another way to describe Baker\u2019s music is \u201cpopular.\u201d Just ask any of the music fans packing the house at Jamey\u2019s on Friday night.<\/div>\n
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Video link for Kelli Baker — https:\/\/youtu.be\/UnaLWBF3FqU<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.<\/div>\n
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Both shows will also be available as a pay-per-view at $15 each.<\/div>\n
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On June 8, Jamey\u2019s will host Robert Lighthouse. The Swedish-born blues guitarist will perform solo and in band format featuring the Philly Blues Kings Rhythm Section<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.<\/div>\n
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The show, which starts at 8 p.m., will also be available as a pay-per-view at $15 each.<\/div>\n
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Jamey\u2019s features a popular \u201cJazz at Jamey\u2019s\u201d on Thursday featuring many of the best singers in the region performing a set from 7-8 p.m. with the backing of the Dave Reiter Trio and occasional guest musicians.<\/div>\n
Every Sunday, Jamey\u2019s presents \u201cSUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM\u201d featuring the Philly Blues Kings.<\/div>\n
The Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313, <\/a><\/div>\n
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www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) has a new mainstage production, \u201cMoon Over Buffalo.\u201d The play opened on May 11 and is running through June 16.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMoon Over Buffalo\u201d\u00a0is a 1995\u00a0comic\u00a0play\u00a0by\u00a0Ken Ludwig\u00a0set in\u00a0Buffalo, New York\u00a0in 1953. This play marked the return of\u00a0Carol Burnett\u00a0to the\u00a0Broadway\u00a0stage after a 30-year absence.<\/div>\n
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This madcap comedy by Ken Ludwig centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950s playing Private Lives and Cyrano de Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York. On the brink of a disastrous split-up caused by George\u2019s dalliance with a young ing\u00e9nue, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom.<\/div>\n
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Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of The Scarlet Pimpernel.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMoon Over Buffalo\u201d\u00a0relies heavily on\u00a0situation comedy\u00a0for its humor, as well as some sexual innuendo and a little\u00a0slapstick. The actor who plays George, in particular, must be able to deliver a highly physical performance. George engages in a mock\u00a0fencing\u00a0match with Charlotte, a\u00a0wrestling\u00a0match with Howard, and a stunt fall into the\u00a0orchestra pit.<\/div>\n
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The action and dialogue are fast paced, as the characters are constantly bickering or frantically trying to resolve some confusion. It bears numerous similarities to Ludwig\u2019s previous farce,\u00a0\u201cLend Me A Tenor\u201d — period timeframe, Northeastern city, drinking-and-womanizing male star, justifiably jealous wife, young stage manager desperately trying to keep things together, important person(s) in the audience, at least one character who has passed out and is believed missing, non-actors forced to go onstage, etc.<\/div>\n
Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m.\/show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m.\/show, 3 p.m.).<\/div>\n
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Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $70.50 for adults and $35 for children (ages 4-12).<\/div>\n
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Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will present \u201cThe Last Laugh Showcase at The Kennett Flash\u201d with Zack Lyman, Michael Vabner and Lamarr Todd on June 7.<\/div>\n
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On June 8, Kennett Flash will celebrate the opening of its 2024 Rooftop Concert series with \u201cATOMIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA: A Tribute to E.L.O.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The Rooftop Concert shows are presented outside, on the top floor of the Kennett Square Parking Garage located at 100-198 E. Linden Street in Kennett Square.<\/div>\n
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Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) will present Back In Black on June 6, The American Ride on June 7 and Sugar Mountain on June 8.<\/div>\n
Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com<\/a>) will host Damn The Torpedoes–Tom Petty Concert Experience<\/a> on June 8.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Slambovian Circus of Dreams has an annual schedule that includes a variety of traditional events — the \u201cSlambovian Circus of Dreams Halloween Show,\u201d the \u201cFairport\u2019s Copredy Convention,\u201d \u201cKingston Earth Fair,\u201d \u201cA Very Slambovian Christmas\u201d show and the \u201cSlambovian Circus of Dreams New Year\u2019s Eve Eve\u201d show at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[6518,14752,7553],"class_list":["post-42974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-kelli-baker","tag-slambovian-circus-of-dreams"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42974","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=42974"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42975,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42974\/revisions\/42975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}