{"id":44924,"date":"2025-11-13T09:27:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T14:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=44924"},"modified":"2025-11-14T15:36:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T20:36:16","slug":"on-stage-lily-valkili-can-lay-down-the-law-and-the-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=44924","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Lily Vakili can lay down the law \u2014 and the blues"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff,<\/strong> Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n
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Lily Vakili<\/p><\/div>\n

In her Linkedin profile, Lily Vakili mentions being a self-employed lawyer who specializes in \u201cContract Negotiation, Biotechnology Industry and +5 skills\u201d and how she worked for more than 20 years at Faber Daeufer & Itrato PC as Principal, Senior Counsel and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She was also Director at Union Bank of Switzerland in the late 1990s.<\/div>\n
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The page included other impressive facts such as graduating from Harvard University Law School, where she was a Pew Fellow.<\/div>\n
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Vakili also graduated from the University of Minnesota Summa Cum Laude with a B.A., Political Science and Government Activities and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.<\/div>\n
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Nowhere on her Linkedin posting does Vakili mention that she is a badass singer\/songwriter\/guitarist fronting a scorching blues\/rock band and also performing as a solo artist.<\/div>\n

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Vakili maintains dual careers and is very good at both.<\/div>\n
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Vakili has released five albums (and a plethora of singles) over the last seven years starting with \u201cOh Alright\u201d in 2018. She followed with \u201cWalking Sideways\u201d in 2021, \u201cHoney\u201d in 2023, \u201cTannersville\u201d in 2024 and \u201cOceans of Kansas\u201d this year.<\/div>\n
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Vakili will be focusing on songs from \u201cOceans of Kansas\u201d when she headlines a show at World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) on November 19.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been writing poems since I was a child,\u201d said Vakili, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Montclair, New Jersey. \u201cThe first one was written to my mother when I was really young.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI never considered myself as a musician, but I knew I had to pursue creative expression.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI went to my mom and said \u2013 I have to have a creative life.\u2019<\/div>\n
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\u201cShe turned, looked right at me and said, \u201cWhat are you waiting for? No-one else will do it for you.\u2019<\/div>\n
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\u201cThat was a great gift that she gave me. I thought I should just do what I can \u2013 and be brave.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI started writing songs and making music 12 years ago. Gradually, I was making good music and writing good songs. I had stories I wanted to tell, and I knew how I wanted to tell them. It was learning as I go.\u201d<\/div>\n
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From when she was a young child, Vakili was exposed to a lot of different lifestyles and cultures. She is the daughter of an Iranian immigrant and an Irish American librarian<\/div>\n
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Her \u201cgrowing up\u201d years were spent in Honduras, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Minnesota and Iowa.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI was born in Honduras \u2013 in La Lima,\u201d said Vakili. \u201cMy father was working there at the time. We lived on a military base. I spent my very young years there.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe moved to Florida, and, after that, we lived in Bangkok, Thailand. Then, we were in Mayag\u00fcez, Puerto Rico where my dad worked in a research station. He was a geneticist.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI spent most of my childhood years in Puerto Rico \u2013 10 years. Then we moved to Ames, Iowa. Coming from Puerto Rico to Iowa \u2013 I was in shock.\u2019<\/div>\n
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After graduating from high school when she was 16, Vakili relocated to Minnesota.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI was in a theater group in Minneapolis,\u201d said Vakili. \u201cI worked in theater for a while. Then, my mom encouraged me to go to university.<\/div>\n
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\u201cSo, I went to New York University and then finished my undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota where I got a degree in political science.<\/div>\n
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\u201cA friend at the University of Minnesota suggested that I should be a lawyer. I figured that if I was going to do that, I should go to the best school for law. So, I went to Harvard.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Vakili has spent over three decades in the law field and more than two decades in the arts \u2013 dance, theater and music.<\/div>\n
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\u201cLaw and art — the right side of the brain is art and the left side is law,\u201d said Vakili. \u201cWith me, I have the two sides of my brain talking to each other.\u201d<\/div>\n
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In June 2025, Vakili began releasing singles starting with \u201cOkoboji<\/a>,\u201d followed by \u201cTannersville<\/a>\u201d in July, \u201cHold On They Say<\/a>\u201d in August, and \u201cOne Human Being<\/a>\u201d in September. Then she released her new album \u201cOceans Of Kansas\u201d on\u00a0October 17.<\/div>\n
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\u201cOceans of Kansas\u201d\u00a0honors what\u2019s been unearthed, what\u2019s been lost, and what\u2019s still surfacing. The songs represent places, people, love, loss and hope – the things that make a life and also make that life worth living.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhat are my inspirations for lyrics,\u201d said Vakili, who has daughters aged 23 and 25 and a 28-year-old son.<\/div>\n
\u201cI spent a lot of my life observing \u2013 because I had to. I\u2019ve always been curious.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Vakili recorded\u00a0\u201cOceans Of Kansas\u201d\u00a0at Second Take Sound in New York City. It was produced by Grammy-winner Reed Turchi and mastered by industry veteran and Grammy-winner Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound.<\/div>\n
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It should be noted that the title of the album is not a joke.<\/div>\n
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There was an ocean in Kansas. During the Permian Period, about 250-290 million years ago, Kansas was covered by a shallow\u00a0sea known as the Western Interior Seaway, which was home to various marine species including sharks and mosasaurs. This period is significant in Kansas\u2019 geological history, as it reflects the state\u2019s past as an oceanic<\/div>\n
environment.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0\u201cOceans Of Kansas\u201d shows another step forward for Vakili. It is an album filled with songs that feature poignant lyrics and tunes that rock hard with a blues influence.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI got this new album out,\u201d said Vakili. \u201cYeah \u2013 I\u2019m getting there.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Video link for Lily Vakili — https:\/\/youtu.be\/cecIijo7E4g<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show at World Caf\u00e9 Live on November 19, which has Mighty Joe Castro as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
Tickets are $19.15.<\/div>\n
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Other upcoming shows at the venue are Sara Naeini & Reza Rohani: Live in Philadelphia on November 15, Patrick Wolf on November 15 and Ayo R&B Night on November 16.<\/div>\n
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Kelli\u00a0Baker<\/p><\/div>\n

On November 15, Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will welcome the return of \u00a0Kelli\u00a0Baker.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Recently signed to Gulf Coast Records by blues legend Mike Zito, powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Kelli Baker continues her meteoric rise as one of the most electrifying voices in modern blues-rock.<\/div>\n
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With a voice that commands attention and lyrics that cut to the bone, Baker has earned a reputation for setting stages ablaze across the country.<\/div>\n
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Crowned the winner of the 2024 615 Blues Revival Competition in Nashville — judged by blues icons like Kenny Wayne Shepherd \u2013 Baker is more than a performer — she\u2019s a reckoning.<\/div>\n
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Her July tour included support dates for Grammy-winning guitarist Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram and genre-defying Samantha Fish, placing her alongside the most influential names in contemporary blues.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been recording a new record at the Blues Revival 615 in Nashville,\u201d said Baker. \u201cI won a recording session at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been writing a lot. The songwriting depends on the song. Lyrics usually come while I\u2019m driving. I\u2019ll save it and then work on it at home.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Baker released her new album, \u201cGranite,\u201d on October 24. The first single from the album was \u2018Silk Flowers\u2019 \u2013 a fast blues song.<\/div>\n
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Like many musicians,\u00a0Baker\u00a0has been making music since she was a kid.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been doing music my entire life,\u201d said\u00a0Baker, who was\u00a0born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.<\/div>\n
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\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
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\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 \u2018ah hah\u2019 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
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The Bar Petite is a cocktail bar in Huntington.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI got good at playing,\u201d said\u00a0Baker, the 2022 winner at the Long Island Blues Challenge \u201cRoad to Memphis.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u00a0\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\u00a0also landed a residency gig at 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\u00a0Baker. \u201cI started playing there a few years ago. I\u2019ve done a residency once a month for the last year.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Baker\u2019s band features guitar ace No\u00e9 Socha (Vernon Reid, Paula Cole), drummer Adam Wooten (son of Bela Fleck\u2019s bassist, Victor Wooten) and bassist PJ LaMariana (Oteil Burbridge, John Kadlecik) \u2013 along with\u00a0Baker\u00a0on guitar and vocals.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMy genre is blues but I\u2019m a rock girl at heart,\u201d said\u00a0Baker.<\/div>\n
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Video link for\u00a0Kelli\u00a0Baker\u00a0\u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/UnaLWBF3FqU<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show at Jamey\u2019s on November 15 will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.<\/div>\n
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The show is also available on pay-per-view for $15.45.<\/div>\n
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Other upcoming shows at Jamey\u2019s are Kate Gaffney\u2019s Corner with Pete Gustavson on November 13, Bluestime on November 14 and Sunday Blues Brunch and Jam featuring Steve Shanahan\u2019s Blues Muthas on November 16.<\/div>\n
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Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is hosting The Jazz Jam Returns featuring Sandy Eldred on November 13, the Kennett Flash Encore on November 14 and One Alternative on November 15.<\/div>\n
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Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) will present the Laugh Lounge on November 13, Mutlu on November 14, the Moanin\u2019 Frogs on November 15 and Dueling Pianos on November 19.<\/div>\n
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The Colonial Theater (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, thecolonialtheatre.com\/events<\/a>) will host \u201cHUSH: An Immersive Speakeasy Experience<\/a>\u201d on November 14.<\/div>\n
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Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com<\/a>) will host Marshall Crenshaw on November 13, Obey Your Master on November 14, Crystal Ship on November 15 and Mike Farris on November 18.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times In her Linkedin profile, Lily Vakili mentions being a self-employed lawyer who specializes in \u201cContract Negotiation, Biotechnology Industry and +5 skills\u201d and how she worked for more than 20 years at Faber Daeufer & Itrato PC as Principal, Senior Counsel and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair. She was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[6518,14752,15310],"class_list":["post-44924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-kelli-baker","tag-lily-valkili"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44924","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=44924"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44927,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44924\/revisions\/44927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}