On Stage: Philly’s new Fillmore opens tonight

New Fishtown music venue to open with Hall & Oates

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

Starting tonight, the live music scene in Philadelphia will have a new look. A new high-profile venue has come to town. October 1 will mark the Grand Opening of Philadelphia Fillmore (Frankford Avenue and Richmond Street, Philadelphia, http://www.thefillmorephilly.com) with a sold-out show featuring Hall & Oates, which features Chester County native and Owen J. Roberts alum, Darryl Hall.

The spectacular Philadelphia Fillmore, which is being billed as the “best live rock music venue in the United States,” has formed a uniquely special bond to the legacy of the original Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco after discovering an extraordinary link to the past in its own back yard. The results will be unveiled on opening night as a treasured keepsake for everyone in attendance.

To commemorate the sold-out Grand Opening, Live Nation has commissioned 1960s Fillmore poster artist Bonnie MacLean, a Philadelphia native and the onetime wife of legendary concert impresario and Fillmore Auditorium founder Bill Graham, to design a distinctive souvenir poster which will be handed out free to ticket-holders that evening.

The Fillmore Auditorium, which first opened in San Francisco in1965, is one of this country’s landmark performing stages. That Fillmore was the focal point of the psychedelic music scene during the 1960s and ‘70s, helping to launch the careers of iconic rock acts such as the Grateful Dead, Santana, The Doors and The Allman Brothers Band.

MacLean was among the driving forces behind the rise of the San Francisco rock music scene of the late ’60s, with the success of the Fillmore Auditorium due in no small part to her groundbreaking posters promoting the venue’s concert attractions.

She moved back to the East Coast in 1972 and settled in rural Bucks County, where she has been living ever since. She remains best-known for her series of historical hand-drawn rock posters, among the most sought-after collectible poster art in rock. Some of MacLean’s posters sell today for as much as $10,000.

The opening of The Philly Fillmore, which has a capacity of 2500, marks the seventh Fillmore now open in the U.S., and the latest addition to a legendary group of music venues that traces its lineage to rock history’s golden era. The newest Fillmore is a major component in the continued revitalization of iconic Fishtown. It is located in the former Ajax Metal Factory at the intersection of Frankford Avenue and Richmond Street.

It actually will be two state-of-the-art music venues under one roof. In addition to the Fillmore, there will be the separate 450-capacity Foundry club.

Upcoming shows for the next two weeks are Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls (October 2), Flux Pavilion (October 4), Adventure Club (October 9), Brandi Carlile (October 11) and Joe Walsh (October 12).

Ironically, one of the most popular bands from the home of the original Fillmore will be playing in the area the same night. On October 1, the Bay Area’s Doobie Decimal System will be performing at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com).

The Doobie Decibel System (DDS) has two configurations. The DDS Duo features Jason Crosby and Roger McNamee. The DDS Band features Jason Crosby, Roger McNamee, Pete Sears, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz and Jay Lane. The show in Ardmore will feature the band.

The Doobie Decibel System was the brainchild of Crosby and McNamee. As the Dewey Decimal System organizes library materials by discipline or field of study, the Doobie Decibel System throws its diverse musical talents together to create riffs and songs that cross genre and generation.

Both musicians have impressive credentials.

Crosby has been a member of Robert Randolph and the Family Band and the Susan Tedeschi Band, among others. In recent years, Crosby has played with Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Carlos Santana, Pete Seeger, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews in various configurations.

McNamee is lead vocalist and plays bass and guitar with Moonalice, performing 90-100 shows a year. Moonalice has leveraged technology to help build a national audience. The Moonalice Couch TourTM on Moonalice.com enables fans to watch any show on a smartphone, PC or tablet without an app. Moonalice works with 24 poster artists to produce a unique poster that is given to guests at every concert.

The Doobie Decibel System also supports the creative community by offering a commemorative poster by a well-known artist to fans at each show. Live streaming video in HD of every performance is available and archived for free listening via their website http://www.doobiedecibelsystem.com/ and social media channels.

“When we play shows with the band line-up, we start as a duo and then we bring up the band,” said McNamee, during a phone interview Monday afternoon. “It’s unbelievable. We’re a new band and we can be 2,000 miles from home and we sell out every night. It’s really encouraging. Our debut album comes out in two weeks.”

It’s fortunate for DDS that its fans are very supportive because they could listen to DDS music and never have to pay for it.

“We recorded 27 songs and videos for all of them are up on our website (http://www.ddsband.com),” said McNamee, who lived in Delaware County for 20 years when his was the chair of the music department at Swarthmore College. “We also broadcast all our shows and then archive them on the site.

“And, we do a different poster for every show. We’re big believers in the integration of music and art. Right now, we have 31 artists that we work with.”

The other three DDS Band member also sport impressive musical resumes (especially attractive to jam band fans) — Pete Sears: bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals (Moonalice, Sam Gopal Dream, Rod Stewart, Long John Baldry, original Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna, Peter Rowan, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh & Friends, Steve Kimock, David Nelson, John Lee Hooker and more); Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz: guitar, steel guitar, vocals (ALO, Lebo & Friends, Jack Johnson, Phil Lesh, Steve Kimock Band, Brokedown in Bakersfield and more); Jay Lane: drums, vocals (Primus, Further, Golden Gate Wingmen, RatDog, Scaring the Children, Alphabet Soup, Jay’s Happy Sunshine Burger Joint, Ice Age, The Uptones, The Freaky Executives and more).

“We started Doobie Decimel System only a year ago,” said McNamee. “In the Bay Area, members of the Grateful Dead have opened clubs — Bob Weir’s Sweetwater (Music Hall & Café) and Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads.

“They changed the scene dramatically. They provided a place where musicians could do ‘friend’ concerts with the main artist and his invited friends. Because of Lesh and Weir, the city has a new level of interest for local acts.

“With Doobie Decimel System, we play psychedelic music but it’s played in folk music style. We do covers of artists such as the Beatles, Beck and Pink Floyd — songs hat emphasize two-part harmonies. Our repertoire has close to 50 songs and it grows by several each week.”

Video link for DDS — https://youtu.be/Yy5NWw3Dyos.

The DDS Band will share the bill with Splintered Sunlight tonight. The show starts at 8 p.m. with tickets priced at $12.

Other shows at the Ardmore Music Hall over the next week include Turkuaz on October 2 and Naughty Professor along with Out of the Beardspace on October 7.

Turkuaz is a nine-piece power funk army from Brooklyn, NY whose modern twist on the classic sound has placed them at the forefront of a new funk evolution. With the obvious influences — Parliament, Sly & The Family Stone, Rick James and Earth, Wind & Fire — as the basic recipe, Turkuaz adds healthy doses of jittery, world-pop-dance groove along with Motown and R&B.

The band is touring in support of its new album “Digitonium,” a 23-track album with a funky 1980’s rock feel. Turkuaz’s prior album “Future 86” was released last year.

Turkuaz’ line-up includes Dave Brandwein (Lead & Backing Vocals / Guitar), Taylor Shell (Bass), Michelangelo Carubba ( Drums), Craig Brodhead (Guitar / Keys), Josh Schwartz (Tenor & Baritone Sax / Lead & Backing Vocals / Percussion), Greg Sanderson (Alto & Tenor Sax / Backing Vocals / Percussion), Chris Brouwers (Trumpet / Keys / Backing Vocals / Percussion) and Sammi Garett (Lead & Backing Vocals / Tambourine).

“The band has been together for about five years — touring the country and playing shows,” said Brouwers, during a phone interview last week.

“Most of us went to school together in Boston at Berklee. We got together in basement jamming. We finished school in Boston and moved to Brooklyn as a band. We all had a lot of different musical backgrounds.”

The band’s music has a lot of influences but its core is funk.

“It’s always been funk but it’s changed in the years we’ve been together,” said Brouwers. “It was very song-oriented in the beginning — not a lot of improv. Now, there is more improv. It’s still song-based but it opens up to let the musicianship show off.

“Five of us have been along for the whole ride. The guys who started the band were Dave and Taylor — the songwriters — and the three horns…Josh, Greg and me. ‘Future 86’ was one of the first albums we did a big tour to support.

“We did the EP ‘Sterochrome’ earlier this year. The whole time, we were working on ‘Digitonium.’ We’ve been working on it for quite awhile. There was a whole month when the band lived in the studio. We recorded it in Syracuse at More Sound Studio with our friend Jocko.

“Most of the songs were written in the studio or right before we went in. There was certainly a concept. A lot of the songs were arranged in the studio. It really developed organically. The songs work really well live. Our live show is a high-energy dance party.”

Video link for Turkuaz — https://youtu.be/NsXQUHH8Euo.

The Turkuaz show will start at 8:30 p.m. with opener Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.

Another band from California will be playing in the area tonight when Fairground Saints perform on the Upstairs Stage at the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, philly.worldcafelive.com).

Fairground Saints is a trio from Los Angeles featuring Mason Van Valin (vocals and guitar), Elijah Edwards (vocals, guitar, mandolin, keyboards, Dobro, accordion) and Megan McAllister (vocals, guitar, dulcimer). The band’s self-titled debut album is out now on Verve Music Group/Universal Records.

“Elijah and I met on Facebook about two-and-a-half years ago,” said Van Valin, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston.

McAllister soon joined and Fairground Saints was born.

According to McAllister, the trio gelled quickly and started making music together right away — that it was almost like they were already family.

“We started writing songs the first day we got together,” said McAllister. “The song ‘Somethin’ From Nothin’ was written the second day we sat down.”

Van Valin said, “We were obviously gelling. We were writing for a long time in Malibu. Our first actual show was at Genghis Cohen in L.A.”

McAllsiter said, “We were together almost a year until we did that first live gig. We were recording a lot. We actually had most of the album done before we played our first live gig.”

Fairground Saints has just three members but its list of musical influences is huge.

“Our main influences are groups like Crosby, Stills and Nash,” said Edwards. “We all have similar tastes but separate influences.”

Van Valin said, “We call our music American folk-pop or acoustic soul.”

McAllister said, “For this tour, we’re just a trio. Sometimes, we play as a five-piece with drums but that can be expensive when you’re out on a big tour. We’re doing mostly songs from the album.”

Video link for Fairground Saints — https://youtu.be/LoWiYxMvghc

The show at the World Café Live, which also features Striking Matches, will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $14.

On October 4, the World Café Live will present the Danielle Nicole Band.

The Danielle Nicole Band, which is based in Kansas City, Missouri, emerged from the ashes of another KC band — Trampled Under Foot.

Trampled Under Foot, which specialized in a blend of blues, soul and rock, started as a trio featuring three siblings — Danielle Schnebelen (lead vocals and bass), Nick Schnebelen (guitars and vocals) and Kris Schnebelen (drums and vocals).

The final incarnation also included Jan Faircloth (drums) and Mike “Shinetop” Sedovic (keyboards). The line-up of the Danielle Nicole Band features Danielle Nicole Schnebelen, Sedovic, Faircloth and guitarist Brandon Miller.

“Trampled Under Foot was my brothers and I,” said Danielle Nicole Schnebelen, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. “We had been touring for 12 years and it was time to move on.

“Kris left in 2014. Then, we added musicians so we could go out on a high note. We’re all still playing music. Nick has a power trio and Kris is playing with Albert Castilla, who is a really good blues guitarist.

“With my new band, I’m moving in a new musical direction. It’s still based in roots and blues but there is more. It’s been cool to branch out with my writing. I just put my soul out there. I love the rock genre because it’s wide and it’s timeless.”

The Danielle Nicole Band is releasing its debut self-title EP earlier this year on Concord Records. Concord just released Nicole’s debut album “Wolf Den” on September 25.

“I recorded the album same time as the EP — last September,” said Schnebelen. “We did 14 songs. The EP had six songs — two acoustic, two radio show tracks and two that aren’t on the album.”

The band recorded the EP late last year in New Orleans with Anders Osborne, a guitarist/singer from Sweden who relocated to the Crescent City in 1985.

“Shinetop and I went to New Orleans and recorded it last fall,” said Schnebelen.  “The EP is almost all original songs. It’s my writing — a new facet. On the EP, Anders and I co-wrote songs and he played guitar and produced it. The album is 90 per cent original.  We did 14 tracks in six days — long hours in the studio.

“Stanton Moore (founding member of Galactic) was our drummer. It was a label thing. They wanted some recognizable names on the album. They wanted a kick-ass backing band. With this debut, they wanted to make sure I had a good foundation to build on. Jan, our regular drummer, was a good sport about it.

“We did most of the stuff live in the studio. We’re a live band — a blues-roots band or a blues-funk band. I would classify it more as hard blues but we do take a modern approach.

“I think people do need to be re-educated about the blues. A lot of younger artists are emerging and they have a fresher approach. I love that there are a lot of artists out there playing the blues. I think blues is still really relevant.”

Video for Danielle Nicole — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ayC5UZlYhuk.

The show at the World Café Live will start at 8 p.m. with opening act Liz Vice. Tickets are $14. 

Another area concert tonight will delight fans of the blues. On October 1, Shemekia Copeland headlines a show at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com).

Copeland is touring in support of her new album “Outskirts of Love,” which was just released on September 11 on Alligator Records. Her previous album was “33 1/3” in 2012.

“I feel like I’ve had this album made forever,” said Copeland, during a phone interview this week from a tour stop in Davenport, Iowa. “I started making it a year ago. We did it in pieces. I like working on it, stopping and reflecting and then going back.

“It was recorded at two studios — Southern Ground and Sound Emporium. I used the same producer at both — Oliver Wood. He’s a genius. I love working with him. Oliver makes the calls and he’s usually right. I trust him to make the right decision.”

Copeland was born in Harlem, New York on April 10, 1979, and came to her singing career naturally. Her bluesman father (the late Johnny Clyde Copeland) recognized his daughter’s talent early on. He always encouraged her to sing at home and even brought her on stage to sing at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club when she was just eight. At that time Copeland’s embarrassment outweighed her desire to sing.

But when she was 15, and her father’s health began to slow him down, she received the calling. At 16, Copelasnd joined her father on his tours after he was diagnosed with a degenerative heart condition. Soon enough Copeland was opening, and sometimes even stealing her father’s shows.

Copeland stepped out of her father’s shadow in 1998 with her groundbreaking debut CD “Turn The Heat Up,” which was recorded when she was only 18.  Since then, she has recorded seven more albums — including “Outskirts of Love.”

“With the new album, the choice of songs took forever,” said Copeland. “Songs are so important. If you’re putting something out in the universe, you have to do it right. On my last three albums, I’ve started doing some songs that are a little more political — topics like religious hypocrisy and domestic abuse.

“On this tour, I’m doing a lot of songs from the new album. And, I’m doing songs from all my previous albums. But, I’m not doing any covers. I have enough of my own to draw from.”

Video link for Shemekia Copeland — https://youtu.be/HBuuJqzH9-g

The show at Sellersville will begin at 8 p.m. with opening act Bev Conklin, Tickets are $29.50 and $45.

On October 5, the Sellersville Theater will host Peter Tork, the former guitarist of the Monkees, along with his band Shoe Suede Blues.

Tork just finished a big tour with fellow Monkees member, Micky Dolenz, Now, he is heading back on the road to play the music that uis his main love — the blues. Tork’s band, Shoe Suede Blues, is an entertaining foursome of exceptionally talented musicians.

SSB has toured the U.S. and overseas since 1994 — performing for audiences that include both blues fans and diehard Monkees fans. Tork has found a comfortable space playing in intimate settings that are ideal for connecting with fans and playing music that has called to him ever since his childhood.

Shoe Suede Blues will play a handful of Monkees’ hits — including a smoky bluesy rendition of “Last Train to Clarksville” — along with a mixture of blues, rhythm & blues, and grass roots rock. The band’s latest album is “Step By Step.”

“I’ve had Shoe Suede Blues together for awhile,” said Tork, during a phone interview this week from his home in northeast Connecticut. “On and off, it’s probably been about 20 years with various changes in personnel.

“Shoe Suede Blues has been a lot of fun. I have a lot of fun at Monkees shows but I really take off and fly at Shoe Suede Blues shows. I always thought the blues were special. I didn’t realize at first about my ability to play the blues. Blues is very honest.”

Tork has had a long career in music. Way back with the Monkees, he played guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, banjo, harpsichord and other instruments on their recordings.

“I went out to California in my early 20s to seek my fame and fortune — and I found it,” said Tork. “The ‘California Dream’ is a dream and, for me, it was in many respects. But, I also found that life goes on. When the party stopped, I was on my own — and didn’t have much money left.”

Fortunately, the Monkees have found new life playing for their old fans and Tork keeps his life interesting playing with Shoe Suede Blues.

“When Shoe Suede Blues plays, we do play some Monkees’ songs because no show with Peter Tork should be without Monkees’ songs,” said Tork. “We play ‘I’m a Believer’ straight but our version of  ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ is really bluesy.”

Video link for Peter Tork — https://youtu.be/AK5hlXAWjh4.

The show at Sellersville will get underway at 8 p.m. with the Laura Cheadle Band. Tickets are $29.50 and $45.

Another veterans recording artist with a diverse musical background will be performing On October 2 when Joan Armatrading plays the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com).

The legendary singer/songwriter/guitarist is back travelling around North America on the second leg of her last major world tour.

Armatrading’s fans should not be alarmed by the finality implied by the singer’s claim that this will be “her last major world tour.”

“The tour started in April 2014,” said Armatrading, during a phone interview last week. “I just started the American leg. My tours are usually always long. A short tour for me is six months. I’m not going to stop touring. I’m just going to tour much shorter after this. A month will be a long tour.”

Armatrading’s “Me Myself I” world tour has been winning rave reviews from the media globally.

“The show is about 90 minutes,” said Armatrading. “I’ve changed it a bit from what it was when we started the tour. It’s basically the same but the last few gigs I’ve changed it a bit.

“On the last segment, I used four set lists — ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C’ and ‘D.’ It turned out that I used ‘A’ 90 per cent of the time. I do fan favorites — and what I want to hear as well. I generally just go with whatever happens.”

Armatrading’s music covers a wide array of genres — folk, jazz, blues, rock, soul, and even reggae.

“One of the only albums I decided to stay in one genre with was ‘Into the Blues’ back in 2007,” said Armatrading. “I write on keyboard and guitar. Melodic songs tend to be on keyboard and percussive songs more on guitar. The songs dictate the key, the length, everything. There is no formula for my writing. It’s whatever happens first — melody, lyrics — it always changes. I tend to write about what I’m looking at — what I’m observing. Writing comes naturally. Some songs take a little longer. The whole process is never a chore. I don’t go through angst. I tend to be just who I am. I just go my own way.”

Fortunately for her fans, Armatrading goes her won way but isn’t going away.

“This tour isn’t a retirement tour,” said Armatrading. “My plan is to never retire. If you really love what you’re doing, you don’t want to stop. I’m a songwriter and I’ll be writing until the day I die.”

Video link for Joan Armatrading — https://youtu.be/LqLbFlPws4U.

The show at the Keswick starts at 8 p.m. with the opening act Marti Jones & Don Dixon. Ticket prices range from $39-$69.

On October 3, Circa Waves will play a show at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com).

Circa Waves is a relatively new British indie-rock band that came together in Liverpool in 2013. The band features Kieran Shudall (vocals, guitar), Sam Rourke (bass), Colin Jones (drums) and Joe Falconer (guitarist). The band released its debut single “Get Away” in December 2013 on Transgressive Records.

“Two years ago, I had basically given up on the idea of being a real musician,” said Shudall, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon on his way to a show in Virginia. “I was making demos — very garage-y. A Radio One DJ played one of my songs and it became big very quickly.

“I got calls from agents and record companies. So, I put a band together. Joe was a bass player in a band I knew and I convinced him to join when he was drunk. I met Sam playing football (soccer). Our original drummer left and that’s when we got Colin.

“We played a lot of shows under secret names like Malkovich Malkovich and Wet Wet Wet Wet Wet — shows around Manchester. I started writing more songs and then we signed with Virgin Records.”

Once with Virgin Records, Circa Waves released its second single “Stuck In My Teeth” in March 2014 to coincide with an appearance on the prestigious NME Awards tour alongside Interpol, Royal Blood and Temples. The tour culminated in a rapturous sold-out show at London’s Brixton Academy.

“Virgin signed us and gave us complete control,” said Shudall. “We signed with a major label because we want to tour the world. We spent a month making our first album in March 2014 with Dan Grech at the famous RAK studios in London. We tended to do everything as live as possible. We set up in the same room. I think it was the best way to do it.”

Circa Waves makes high-energy music — pop music with enough punk rock in its DNA to inspire audiences to pogo the night away.

“I listened to bits of punk but I’ve always been a fan of newer bands like the Maccabees or Arcade Fire,” said Shudall. “I also listen a lot to songwriters like James Tayor, Carole King and Joni Mitchell.

“I want to create the rawness of punk with punk guitar rhythms and pop sensibilities. I’d be happy to look out in our audience and see a lot of kids doing the pogo.”

Video link for Circa Waves — https://youtu.be/vBp8QwT4_R0.

The show, which starts at 8 p.m., also features Crater and headliner MS MR. Tickets are $26.