On Stage: Festival of the Arts in Philly

Three legendary country performers share Wilmington stage

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

The Kimmel Center is presenting a huge cultural event called the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) from April 8-23 at a variety of venues in downtown Philadelphia.

One of the top shows in the early portion of the festival will take place on April 9 at the Kimmel Center (Broad and Spruce streets, Philadelphia, 215-731-3333, www.kimmelcenter.org) — a concert featuring renowned trumpeter, santur player, vocalist and composer Amir El Saffar and his ensemble performing “Rivers of Sound.”

“Rivers of Sound” is a new work, featuring a 17-musician ensemble and traditional instrumentation from across North America, the Middle East and Central Asia.

The eclectic mix of instruments includes the oud (lute), qanun (plucked zither), santur (hammered-dulcimer), nay (reed flute), as well as Western instruments, such as saxophone, trumpet, drum set, bass, retuned piano, vibraphone, guitar, and vocalists from corresponding traditions.

“This is the first live date in over a year,” said El Saffar, during a phone interview Tuesday night from his home in New York. “We performed it April 15, 2015 at Lincoln Center and then recorded it the following day at Avatar Studio.

“We recorded it all analog — directly to tape. We recorded the 85-minute work all in one day — 11 a.m.-3 a.m. The line-up for the 17-piece band is basically the same that we will have in Philadelphia. We have two shows in the U.S. — Philadelphia and Cleveland — and one at New York University in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).”

“Rivers of Sound” consists of composed melodies, forms, and rhythmic formulas but is performed in an improvisational fashion, fostering variations on the musical material and spontaneous interaction between musicians. The large ensemble’s combination of instruments, each with distinct timbral properties, allows for the emergence of new sonic textures and nuanced interaction between musicians, completely unique to each performance.

In the framework of a large ensemble of improvising musicians, this opens new channels for spontaneous communication, based entirely on the music and sound, rather than the rules or idiosyncrasies of a given genre. Melodies are not confined to the single-tonic system of the Middle East, nor are they bound by equal temperament.

By freeing the pitches from fixed positions, traditional constructs/constraints/functions are allowed to fall away. As pitches become fluid so do cultural boundaries, de-emphasizing elements that traditionally divide musicians from different backgrounds such as ethnically-specific modes or scales.

“The effort is worth it — even for just one show,” said El Saffar. “It’s not an easy thing to put together. The album was recorded a year ago but it won’t be out until October. So, this show is like a preview. It took one day to record but a lot of days to mix it.

“The line-up of instruments for the show includes two ouds, tenor sax, alto sax, bass sax, qanun, trumpet, santur, drums, nay, bass, piano, vibraphone and guitar. I’m the only one who is singing.”

The composition, which is a suite in eight movements, brings together Western jazz traditions with maqam, a system of melodic modes used in traditional Arabic music, which is mainly melodic.

“In the beginning, it was very difficult to bridge these two musical styles — maqam and the West,” said El Saffar. “But, over time, I have found a lot of similarities.

“I wrote harmonies and microtonal counterparts. I developed a new concept. It’s not so much about cross-cultural — it’s just that this is my palette. Maqam forms the tonal basis for the whole project and the combination of meters draws from contemporary jazz.”

Video link for Amir El Saffar — https://youtu.be/p8ZZQ3cIE0Y.

The show at the Kimmel Center will start at 8 p.m. on April 9. Tickets are $20, $30 and $36.

Video link for PIFA — https://youtu.be/6UoMnoEbAkI.

Other opening week PIFA performances are “Cirkus Cirkör presents Knitting Peace” (April 6-10, Merriam Theater), “Article 13: Cie Carabosse & Teatro Linea De Sombra” (April 8-10, Penn’s Landing), “Paper Planet: Polyglot Theatre” (April 9-23, Hamilton Garden), “Vision Song: Our Hearts, Our Future, Our Voices’ (April 9-10, SEI Innovation Studio) and “Attack Point” (April 10, Verizon Hall).

On April 9, fans of Americana and country music will have an opportunity to hear three legendary performers play together onstage when the Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org) presents a show featuring Ricky Skaggs, Ry Cooder and Sharon White.

Skaggs is an American country music artist — and bluegrass singer, producer, and composer. Mandolin is his first instrument but he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo. White is a member of The Whites, an American country music vocal group. She has been married to Skaggs since 1981 and they frequently work together.

Cooder is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, and record producer — a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work. He has collaborated with many musicians, notably including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young, and The Doobie Brothers.

Skaggs played mandolin and sang on stage with Bill Monroe when he was six years old. One year later, he appeared on television’s Martha White country music variety show, playing with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. His life’s path has taken him to various musical genres, from where it all began in bluegrass music, to striking out on new musical journeys, while still leaving his musical roots intact.

The versatile musician started playing mandolin over 50 years ago. The 14-time Grammy Award winner continues to do his part to lead the recent roots revival in music. Skaggs has had 12 consecutive Grammy-nominated classics — from “Bluegrass Rules!” in 1998 to “Ricky Skaggs Solo: Songs My Dad Loved” in 2010.

The touring show which is coming to the Grand will feature a mixture of blues, gospel and bluegrass, with White lending vocals, Joachim Cooder on drums, Mark Fain on bass and special appearances from Buck White and Cheryl White.

“Right now, I’m producing a solo album by Lady Antebellum’s Hilary Scott,” said Skaggs, during a recent phone interview. “It’s a challenge but it’s great. I’m excited to get it out. I’m playing some on it — and singing on it too.

“I’ve produced all my stuff since the early 1980s. I’ve produced The Whites and also produced Dolly Parton’s ‘White Limozeen’ album. I produce a few food things each year. It’s a process that I enjoy doing. It’s a lot different than playing live.

“I’ve had my own studio since 2001 — Skaggs’ Place Studio in Hendersonville, North Carolina. We have a lot of analog gear — and ProTools and RADAR, which is still the best for going from analog to digital.”

Skaggs’ most recent album in “Heart Like Ours,” which he recorded with White and released on his Skaggs Family label.

“We recorded that album in 2013 and released it in October 2014,” said Skaggs. “Sharon and I started doing some touring together after the album and we’re still doing shows together. We just started doing shows with Ry Cooder recently and it’s been a blast. It just fell out of the blue — and I’m glad it did. I love Ry — his passion and his playing. Getting a chance to work with a world-class musician like that is a real thrill. I’ve been such a fan of his music for a long time. I love what he hears. He can paint outside the lines — a lot like Bruce Hornsby.”

The tour also features guest performances by Buck White and Cheryl White of The Whites.

“Having Sharon sing with The Whites is great,” said Skaggs. “Her sister Cheryl sings harmony and her dad Buck, who is 85, plays piano. He really embodies the musical sounds of the 40s, 50s and 60s. He’s also a mandolin player inspired by Bill Monroe.

“We all inspire each other in our live shows — and we’re recording all of them on this tour. There is great camaraderie between all of these talented musicians.”

Video link for Ricky Skaggs — https://youtu.be/oZIHSXpmilw.

The show at the Grand will start at 8 p.m. Tickets prices range from $39-$57.

Other shows at the Grand over the next week are Aoife O’Donovan featuring special guest Cassandra Jenkins on April 9 in the Baby Grand and Luma on April 10.

No matter which political camp you’re in, the Capitol Steps’ latest show “Mock the Vote” is guaranteed to “Rock the Boat” when it visits the area for show on April 8 at the Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610- 917-1228, www.thecolonialtheatre.com).

Since they began, the Capitol Steps have recorded more than 35 albums, including their latest, “Mock the Vote.” They’ve been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS. Most cast members have worked on Capitol Hill — some for Democrats, some for Republicans, and others for politicians who firmly straddle the fence. No matter who holds office, there’s never a shortage of material.

Satire is the use of humor and/or exaggeration to ridicule people’s stupidity or vices — particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. Surprisingly, the current election campaign is making it a bit difficult.

“It’s a good time to be in political satire,” said Elaina Newport, during a recent phone interview from Washington, D.C.

Newport was a founding member of the Capitol Steps in 1981 and is still a key member of the group.

“The challenge is to be funnier than the participants,” said Newport. “Things are so ridiculous right now that it’s hard to make them more ridiculous. Four years ago with Newt and Santorum, it was a pretty good crop last time — but nothing like this.

“When Trump first announced he was running, we wrote a piece quickly. We had already written Jeb Bush and Rick Perry songs and we had a song called ’76 Unknowns.’ We never expected Trump to be around long.

“We were so sorry to see Jeb go because when he was around, we got to bring ‘W’ back — ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.’ They wanted Jeb to be president as part of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ program.”

Even though much of what Trump has been saying is downright scary, it has provided a lot of fodder for the Capitol Steps.

“With Trump, when we first started, it was all about the hair,” said Newport. “Then, it was the Mexicans — ‘they’re good people, they mow my hair.’  When he took on the Pope, we thought that would be his undoing. But, he’s constantly coming with new stuff.

“We’re having a lot of fun with Bernie — the old guy. Hillary is fun because we get to bring Bill out again. We recently retire our Rubio song ‘Marco Man.’”

The Capitol Steps’ show remains amazingly up-to-date with songs dealing with Hillary Clinton (“Deleter of the Pack”) and Bernie Sanders (a parody of “If There Were No Rich Men” from “Fiddler on the Roof .”

“We always go after both sides,” said Newport. “It’s a 90-minute show with about 30 songs and skits. Joe Biden sings a rock song and Obama does a show tune. And, Putin does a dance.”

Video link for the Capitol Steps — https://youtu.be/bWRNA8Qj5EM?list=PLkJvNIwvrAzum8NSGRMelIzLZy5v3jYtW.

The show at the Colonial Theatre will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are Gold Circle: $44.50, Orchestra: $39.50, Front Balcony: $34.50, Rear Balcony: $27.50.

New York-based The Looking just released a refreshing new album titled “Lead Me to the Water.” Now on the road, The Looking will come to town on April 8 for a show at the Grape Room (105 Grape Street, Philadelphia, 215- 930-0321, http://graperoommusic.com).

The Looking is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Todd Carter and features a number of top players including bassist Andy Hess (The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule),  Diego Voglino (Marshall Crenshaw) on drums, Steve Elliott (Shooter Jennings) on guitar and background vocals by Sasha Dobson (Norah Jones).

Carter is a student of everything from punk rock to opera to Americana, yet there is a real consistency and fluidity to be found in “Lead Me To Water.” On this album, Carter’s various influences come together in a very coherent manner. The Looking has its roots in not only indie-rock and country but also in the well-crafted 1970s singer-songwriter classics. 

“I grew up in a small town in Indiana called Carmel,” says Carter, during a phone interview last Friday from his home on New York’s Upper West Side. “I started playing music in high school — punk rock and garage band. I had a knack for singing.

“Before that, we were all listening to cassette tapes of bands like April Wine and Foreigner.

“When I found out I could sing, I decided to take it somewhere. I was into writing songs even when I was a teenager. I had a band in my early college days. I did a little vocal training when I was a student at Indiana University. I had people who wanted me to get into the opera world.

“Then, 10 years later, I did some opera training and opera recitals. I’ve studied voice for a long time — and I teach voice a little bit. I practice every day — do some warm-ups to open up and then go through the repertoire. I love going into the American songbook.”

Carter has worn many hats over the years.

“I’m always in and out of music,” said Carter. “I was a specialist working with autistic individuals. I worked in Europe and played in rock bands in the south of France. I went to divinity school for awhile and did interfaith work. All along — music came in and out.”

Carter has been in full musician mode for awhile now.

“I released an EP at the end of last year that was a little heavier with a rock vibe,” said Carter. “But, there was still this academic element and country element from the album before that was being hit by old country music and old Broadway music.

“The new album ended up being a mix of country and folk that was coming out naturally as simple pop tunes. I had already had a bunch of songs ready to go and these songs called to me. It took me four days in the studio to make the album. It was a joy and the band was amazing.”

Video link for The Looking — https://youtu.be/21IUvUQ1xCw.

The show at the Grape Room will get underway at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Anyone who is heading to the Electric Factory (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215-627-1332, www.electricfactory.info) on April 8 to hear The Cult play should plan on getting there early — early enough to hear the set by the opening band Holy White Hounds.

Holy White Hounds are touring in support of their debut album “Sparkle Sparkle,” which is scheduled to come out on May 6 via Razor & Tie. The first single “Switchblade” has just been released.

Longtime friends Brenton Dean and Ambrose Lupercal formed Holy White Hounds in 2013. After the release of their self-released debut “Oh Mama” EP, they joined forces with Seth Luloff and James Manson to complete the band. Soon after, they were on the road performing with acts including Cage The Elephant, Sick Puppies, Cake, Wavves and Surfer Blood. Holy White Hounds is Brenton Dean (vocals/guitar), Ambrose Lupercal (bass), Seth Luloff (drums) and James Manson (guitar).

“I’ve been to the East Coast a lot but Iowa still feels like home,” said Dean, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston. “Growing up on Des Moines, the mantra for all the kids is ‘I can’t wait to get out of here.’ I can honestly say I never felt that way. Living in Iowa is great for our songwriting.

“Ambrose and me have been playing together in bands since high school. One day, we decided to take things more seriously. So, we got this lineup of guys together. We started listening to other musicians a lot and modeled ourselves after guys we admired.

“Then, Ambrose went off to college — to the University of Iowa. Right when he got back from school, the band got started. By then, we already had a bunch of songs and we started working on the album before we had the other musicians.

“For the next album we make, they will be a big part of writing the new songs. We’re all from different backgrounds so there are a lot of different flavors. They’re also bringing spice to the older songs.”

Holy White Hounds tried to steer clear of influences when making “Sparkle Sparkle.”

“We weren’t listening to a lot of music because we didn’t want to rip off something accidentally,” said Dean. “We stayed with listening to the stuff we were listening to in middle school. It wasn’t too heavy — Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Modest Mouse, Blink 182.

“We’ve stayed in Iowa because this is where our families are. We’re still building our hometown audience. Our music is rock and roll music. It shouldn’t be taken too seriously. We take our music seriously but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We’re lucky to be in a band with people we love.”

Video link for Holy White Hounds — https://youtu.be/MXlhQ6Dy-Z8.

The show at the Electric Factory will start at 8:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $35.

On April 9, the Electric Factory will have a show with Big Gigantic, Louis The Child, Melvv, Wax Future and Horizon Wireless.

On April 8, Johnny Brenda’s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com) will host one of the most promising new bands to come out of Canada in recent years — The Dirty Nil.

The Dirty Nil — Luke Bentham (guitar/vocals), Kyle Fisher (drums), and David Nardi (bass/vocals) — is a hard rock trio from Dundas, a suburb of Hamilton, Ontario. The band is touring in support of its debut album “Higher Ground.”

Quite simply, The Dirty Nil play rock and roll — loud, distorted and out of control. Using a combination of distorted guitars, pounding drums and howled vocals, the long-time friends make music that packs a wallop.

“We all started playing together in high school,” said Bentham, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. “That was the lineup that became what it is now. It started with just Kyle and I messing around — writing songs and playing our instruments. When David joined, that took it up to another level — more touring, more recording.

“Our touring schedule really picked up in 2014. We waited until now to release our first album because we wanted to build up some momentum before we got into larger releases. Prior to the album, we had four 7-inch singles, a 10-inch single and a 7-inch limited-release.”

All that led up to the making of “Higher Ground.”

“We cut most of ‘Higher Ground’ at Candle Recording in Toronto,” said Bentham. “We did the guitars and vocals in Hamiltion. We recorded it in pieces. Everything was done by the fall of 2015 and it came out in the beginning of 2016 on Dine Alone Records.

“We all write the band’s songs together. We’ve played together for 10 years now and we know what works. Making this album was a total band effort. Even though many of the songs have been around for awhile, we have no fatigue in playing them. It’s fun being comfortable with a song. Also, they’ve mutated in their live form over the years — a little faster, a little louder.

“Last summer, we played on the Warped Tour. We participated in it to get exposure. Meeting all the people we did was a great experience. We’ve toured the states a few times. One of our first really great American shows was in Philadelphia at Kung Fu Necktie.”

Video link for The Dirty Nil — https://youtu.be/5ncXZzSpWcI.

The show at Johnny Brenda’s, which starts at 9 p.m., also features Creepoid and Restorations. Tickets are $15.

It has been said that good things come in threes. Such is the case with Ralph Peterson and his new album “TriAngular III.” Peterson will treat fans to live performances of some of the album’s compositions when performs on April 10 at the Ethical Society (1906 South Rittenhouse Square, 215-735-3456.

With the new album, Peterson returns to the trio format for only the third time in 30 years. Secondly, the album is the third installment in Peterson’s “Live at Firehouse 12” series.

Most importantly, the album is a celebration of Peterson’s victory in hs battle against colorectal cancer.

Peterson, a drummer and composer, released “TriAngular III” on April 8 via Peterson’s own Onyx Music label and Truth Revolution Records. On this disc, he is joined by brothers Zaccai and Luques Curtis on piano and bass, adding a new incarnation to the prestigious TriAngular lineage.

Recorded live at New Haven’s Firehouse 12, “TriAngular III” provides not only a showcase for Peterson’s boundless energy and imagination, but also a testament to the healing power of music. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered as Peterson was being diagnosed and treated for colorectal cancer, becoming a sterling symbol of his successful battle against the disease.

“I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer on November 5 last year,” said Peterson, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore where he is an artist-in-residence. “I was bleeding so much that I was in the ICU for two days before they could even do a biopsy. I had three trips to the hospital, surgery and five-and-a-half weeks of radiation and chemotherapy.

‘The album was recorded live on October 30 at Firehouse 12. We did two sets. The first tune on the album is actually the last tune of the night and the last tune on the record is the last tune of the first set. Since they turned the house, we were able to play the same set at both shows.

“After my stay in the hospital, I wasn’t going to let it get to me. I wasn’t going to stay at home and feel sorry for myself. I mixed and mastered the album all while I was dealing with this life-altering condition. Now, I’m on the other side.”

Putting the album on hold was not an option according to Peterson who said, “Early on I thought that if this is my time, I’ve got to get this music finished and out because I’m real comfortable with this being my swan song. If it’s not, I still wanted to get it out because I’m really excited about this music that we put together.”

Peterson, who just celebrated a landmark 20 years drink and drug free, was excited to be performing with a trio format again. The album is a fitting successor to its two predecessors — 1988’s “Triangular” with Geri Allen and Essiet Essiet, and 2000’s “Triangular 2” with David Kikoski and Gerald Cannon.

 “I love the trio format,” said Peterson, who is a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. “I think it’s one of the purest vehicles for expressing jazz. I love piano music. My father loved piano music. He met my mother when he was playing piano.

“I met Luques Curtis when he was a student at Berklee. I had a student ensemble and needed a bass player. He came to a rehearsal and he was great. I told him — you’re at a level way above this ensemble. He said — I want to do it because I just want to play with you. His attitude really impressed me.

“Later, he said — you’ve got to meet my brother Zaccai. When I heard Zaccai, I was really impressed with his playing. ‘The Duality Perspective’ album, which I recorded in 2012, featured Luques and Zaccai. We’ve been playing together for 12 years. I’m like a mentor. My decision to do a trio album with them happened a long time ago.”

Video link for Ralph Peterson — https://youtu.be/DMyzvKFjfh8.

The show at the Ethical Society will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $16.

Another concert just a few blocks away from the Ethical Society will feature music in a very different style on April 10 when the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, philly.worldcafelive.com) presents Evie Ladin.

Ladin is touring to celebrate the release of her new album “Jump the Fire.” Ladin (lead vocals, banjo, guitar, body music, and feet) will be performing in a duo with her husband Keith Terry (bass, cajón, gankogui, bass harmonica, body music, vocals).

“Jump the Fire” tells a story. The album opens with the title track, an ode to summer festival jams, and then a folk operetta emerges. Ladin fronts the band and writes the lyrics.

The daughter of an international folk dance teacher and old-time folk music devotee, Laydin grew up believing that playing music, dancing and singing with others is what people do. Tradition bearers came through her house and played in her living room.

 The neo-trad-kinetic-folk of her music is a mingling of the deep Appalachian sound of clawhammer banjo, guitar, bass and percussive dance with contemporary storytelling and also her attraction to the African and African-American elements of Appalachian music.

Terry and Ladin met on the dance floor and live a double life between the folk/Americana circuit and the International Body Music scene they helped create.

“This week, we’re finishing a whole other International Body Music thing with a cast of seven international artists,” said Ladin, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Oakland, California. “This is our second big rehearsal period — creating a theatrical show that will be playing in big theaters. It will premiere in Paris at the International Body Music Festival in October.”

Prior to that, however, is a spring and summer of performing shows in support of “Jump the Fire.”

“I recorded ‘Jump the Fire’ in October,” said Ladin. “The majority of the songs were inspired from a songwriting retreat I did the previous winter. I had been working for 25 years as a musician and dancer so I took a two-month sabbatical. I really focused on the artistic aspect of songwriting.

“I first got into music because my mother was an international folk dance teacher. And, my dad was in love with music from the American South. We started banjo lessons when I was young. I was singing southern harmony songs and also started dancing.”

Body music, which incorporates step dancing, body slapping and other percussion, folk dancing and Americana music all swirl together in Ladin’s shows.

“Putting together old-time folk music and body music is a natural progression for me,” said Ladin.

“We always have some dance in every show — clogging, step dancing and body percussion — and there are a lot of polyrhythms in my banjo playing. One of the main things I do is study a lot of different kinds of step dancing and modern jazz dance. Music is dance and dance is music.”

Video link for Evie Ladin — https://youtu.be/UtYM5thA2bg.

The show at the World Café Live will be a Folk Show Lunch starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10. The duo will also perform live on WXPN on April 10 at 8 p.m.

Rising death metal sextet The Convalescence just released its latest album “Poison Words” on 3Thirteen Entertainment Group/eOne Music now is on the road headlining the “Poison Words Tour.” The tour arrives in Philadelphia on April 10 at the Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-222-1255).

The Convalescence is a death metal/deathcore band formed in Toledo, Ohio in 2011 by vocalist Keith Wampler. After several member changes throughout the years, the band is now based all over the country and also includes keyboardist/vocalist Katie McCrimmon (ex Archetyped) from El Paso, Texas; guitarist/vocalist Zac Lunsford from Fort Wayne, Indiana; guitarist John Jones (ex The Weight Of Us), bassist Spencer Kropog and drummer Justin Dubay (Adrift Of River Styx) from Cleveland, Ohio.

“We started back in 2011 and have had close to 50 member changes since then,” said Wampler, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Toledo. “It started with the local band phase with a lot of different line-ups. And, bass players have come and gone over the years.”

Wampler was unexpectedly at home in the middle of a three-month tour.

“We were supposed to be playing in Montreal tonight but we weren’t able to get into Canada,” said Wampler. “We have band merchandise that we give away at shows and the custom officials didn’t believe that they were free. So, they wanted to make us pay for expensive visas. They just were looking to hassle us.”

Within weeks of its formation in 2011, the band released a five-song EP titled “Memories” and began growing faster than anyone expected. The band went on to do multiple tours and festivals in support of the EP including Bludgeonfest with Mobile Deathcamp, The Lone Wolves Tour with Winterus, The All Freaks Halloween Ball and The Road to the Metalfest Tour.

“One of the reasons that musicians have left the band is our schedule,” said Wampler. “We tour a lot and don’t make much money. It’s hard for people to make a living when touring for 6-9 months straight in a school bus.

“Our lineup is pretty stable now. Katie was in a band that opened for us in Texas a few years ago. John was in a touring band that hired me to book their tours so he joined our band when they stopped.

“He knew Zack from playing together in a local band in Fort Wayne. Justin was in another band I managed so he left to join us. Spencer is still also the bassist in Adrift Of River Styx.

“We recorded ‘Poison Words’ in October. We were in the studio for 10 days. We went in with absolutely nothing written. We decided to go into the studio and just wing it. We were banging out three or four songs a day. I wrote all the lyrics in one night. We gambled big time and it worked out.

“We did everything piece-by-piece. We like working with Johnny Burke as our producer because he pushes us. Then, we had the album mixed and mastered by Cryptopsy’s Chris Donaldson at a studio in Montreal and he did a great job.

“This new album is a little different. It’s still death metal and deathcore but it’s not as heavy as some of the albums we’ve done in the past. It covers a lot of different genres.”

Video link for The Convalescence — https://youtu.be/t4oQfJO0A-8.

The show, which also features So This Is Suffering and Beside The Silence, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8.

On April 11, Francesca Blanchard will make her Philadelphia debut with a show at the Fire (412 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, 267-671-9298, thefirephilly.com). The

French-American singer-songwriter has been compared to Norah Jones and Eva Cassidy as well as French singers Françoise Hardy and Carla Bruni.

Blanchard was born and raised in France, traveled the globe with her family and settled in the Vermont countryside when she was ten years old.

Blanchard’s first full-length release, “deux visions,” was produced by Chris Velan (Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars), mixed by acclaimed Montreal producer Jean Massicotte (Lhasa, Patrick Watson) and mastered at the prestigious Metropolis Studios in London. The album was featured on numerous “Best of 2015” lists.

Her intimate original songs, performed in French and English, reflect on her life journeys, both physical and emotional.

“My parents were both incredible music lovers,” said Blanchard, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Charlotte, Vermont. “We travelled the world. My parents just appreciated culture. My mother was a USAID nurse and my father worked with Doctors Without Borders. They met along the Red Sea in Eritrea.”

Born in the south of France where her family resided until she was ten, Blanchard also lived and went to school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Bujumbura, Burundi. Family journeys have taken her to countries such as South Korea, Mauritania, Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt, Thailand, Australia, Honduras, Tanzania, Guatemala and India. She has grown up in a household consisting of a French father, an American mother, and adopted siblings from Ethiopia and Guatemala.

“My freshman year in high school was in Bujumbura,” said Blanchard. “Burundi was very challenging in many ways. Most of my school days were in Vermont. My music career started four years ago with theater. I graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Arts.

“I just have the itch to sing. I don’t know where it comes from. I started writing songs when I was 14. Obviously, I’ve matured since then. My songwriting has evolved a lot since then. I write on guitar. Ideas will come and I start with the melody. It’s definitely melody-driven

“Melody shapes the song and the words come later. I’m so focused on the feel of the song that the words are secondary. When it’s time to write the lyrics, I ask myself — what does the melody make me feel?

“I spent 10 days recording the new album in summer 2014 at Lane Gibson Recording studio here in Charlotte. A lot of different elements were there. And, we added a few doo-dads to some of the songs. Chris Velan produced the album and he added a lot of parts. And, we used all local musicians from Burlington, Vermont.”

Video link for Francesca Blanchard — https://youtu.be/U_7vVffjIzM.

The show at The Fire, which also features Alli and I and Joyel Crawford, will start at  7 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Geography also features in the makeup of another act schedule to perform in the area this week. Marc Hummel & the Golden State – Lone Star Blues Revue have a show slated for the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) on April 12.

The band, which as its name implies, features musicians from Texas and California. The group is on the road in support of its self-titled debut album.

The Golden State – Lone Star Revue is an all-star, cross-country melding of musicians from California — Mark Hummel (harp-blower, vocalist, bandleader and Grammy nominee), Little Charlie Baty (ex-Nightcats bandleader and guitar hero) and RW Grigsby (bassist) — and Texans Anson Funderburgh (guitarist and Rockets bandleader) and Wes Starr (famed Austin drummer who has played with a who’s who of Texas music royalty).

“We started this band in 2012,” said Hummel, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Rockland, Maine. “I had been working with RW and Wes for a couple years before that. In 2011, we started working with Little Charlie.

“Anson and Wes live in Texas — Anson in Dallas and Wes in Austin. Charlie and RW live in Sacramento and I live in the Bay Area — in Castro Valley. I just contacted everybody and it’s worked out really well.”

Funderbaugh, who hails from Plano,Texas,  formed Anson & The Rockets with vocalist/harp player Darrell Nulish. The Rockets went on to win 10 Handy Awards (Blues Music Awards).

Harmonica man/singer/songwriter/bandleader/author/impresario Hummel took up an interest in blues harp & rock-blues music in high school. He moved to Berkeley in 1973, because of a more lively blues scene and started to perform regularly in ghetto clubs with many old timers.

Baty, a guitar genius from Birmingham, Alabama, learned harmonica as a pre-teen before his older sister turned him on to blues. In high school in Menlo Park, CA, Charlie started a blues band because of his fascination with Little Walter. After college, Baty moved to Sacramento and started Little Charlie & The Nightcats.

Rounding out the Golden State – Lone Star Revue are Grigsby and Starr. The two old Rome, Georgia natives have played with a “Who’s Who” of famed musicians including Omar & the Howlers, Junior Brown, Jimmy Vaughan, Asleep At The Wheel, Carlene Carter, Hal Ketchum, Earl King, James Cotton and many more.

“I took up harmonica when I was about 14,” said Hummel. “Friends lent me records by blues players like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and James Cotton. I started going to Ash Grove, which had mostly jazz and blues shows. I learned a lot from watching James Cotton play.

“The more I heard the blues, the more I searched for records by blues artists — acts like Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson and Willie Dixon. Between the five of us in this band, we all got into this music in a similar way. We were in our teens, heard records and sought them out.”

Video link for Marc Hummel & the Golden State – Lone Star Blues Revue —

https://youtu.be/AV1FYeQ-lQU.

The show in Sellersville will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50 and $29.50/

On April 13, there will be a show at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com) featuring a pair of intense bands filling the air with what appears to be testosterone-fueled music. In reality, the rocking songs will be delivered by an all-female quintet and a female-fronted trio.

The Subways, an English trio fronted by Charlotte Cooper, will headline the show. PINS, an all-girl quintet from Manchester, England will be the opening act.

The Subways, perhaps best known by American audiences for their modern rock radio smash “Rock & Roll Queen,” will be on the road supporting their new self-titled album, which is set for a US/Canadian release on April 16, 2016 via BODAN KUMA Recordings.

 “We’re doing our last rehearsal for the tour today,” said Cooper, during a trans-Atlantic phone interview Wednesday evening from her home in Hertford, England.

“We have two warm-up shows here in England on Thursday and Friday and then we leave for the United States on Sunday. It will be a four-week tour — mostly on the East Coast and West Coast with stops in Toronto and Chicago along the way.”

The Subways are ready to unleash a whole new bunch of songs on their American fans.

“We’ve played all the new songs live at least once,” said Cooper. “We’ll be playing a lot of them in our live set on the stateside tour. But, it’s been eight years since we’ve been to the states so we’ll do a mixture of songs from all four of our albums.

“We made the new album over a long period of time and it came out in February 2015. It was the first time we produced an album ourselves. We would record some songs and then stop and do some shows…record some more songs and then do some more shows. It took us 18 months altogether to record the album. We’d have ideas that we’d try in sound checks then we’d come back together as a three-piece for rehearsals. We road test a lot of our songs before we record them. We always have. For example, our song ‘Taking All the Blame’ is a song we’ve played live a lot. We’ve also been playing ‘I’m in Love and It’s Burning in My Soul’ and ‘We Get Around’ for quite some time.”

It has been eight years since The Subways have toured America and half that long since they released the album before their latest disc.

“We put out our third album ‘Money and Celbrity’ in 2011,” said Cooper. “Four years between albums is a pretty long time. But, because we were recording it ourselves, it took a long time. When you do things on your own, you have to keep reminding yourself not to be too much of a perfectionist. At times, you just have to stop and be satisfied with what you have.

“Our third album sounded quite British. We worked with producer Stephen Street and he had worked with a lot of Brit-Pop bands. And, we also recorded in the center of London. With the new one, we took sounds we developed here in Hertford.

“Over the years, we’ve grown up a lot. We made our first album when we were 18 and 19 and we’re now in our early 30s. But, what we love about music is still there.”

Video link for The Subways — https://youtu.be/cMzJGMlRnyY.

PINS are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 2011. The group features

Faith Vern (vocals/guitar), Anna Donigan (bass), Lois Macdonald (guitar), Sophie Galpin (drums) and Kyoko Swann (synths/guitar).

PINS earlier this year released their standout second album “Wild Nights.” The album was recorded in Joshua Tree at Rancho De La Luna with Dave Catching (QOTSA, Eagles of Death Metal) and Hayden Scott, and mixed in New York with Ben Baptie at Atomic Sound NYC (Mark Ronson).

“We recorded the album in October 2014 and it came out last June,” said Vern, during a phone interview Wednesday evening from Los Angeles. ‘We were just in the states for one week making the album. We always record our own demos. So, we had an album’s worth of songs to work with when we went into the studio. We didn’t write any new ones in the studio but we did change some using Dave’s ideas.

“We were a lot more relaxed on ‘Wild Nights.’ With our first album ‘Girls Like Us,’ it was our first time in a real studio and we had just lost our drummer It was a lot different circumstance.

“With ‘Wild Nights,’ we all knew the songs better. And, it was a relaxed atmosphere in the desert at Joshua Tree. We weren’t afraid to try different things.”

Vern was the driving force inputting PINA together a few years ago.

“I think there were a lot of people to play music with in Manchester — a lot of bands so I just started looking for people to play with,” said Vern. “I came across some women and it worked.

“But, in the beginning, being an all-female band wasn’t the issue. I didn’t want to just be a guitar player in a band playing behind a front man with a big ego. I think our band is a band with five front people.”

Video link for PINS — https://youtu.be/BaSqb__TYSE.

The show at MilkBoy will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of show.

The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will have Anatomy of an Outcast, This Show Is Fire, and Statesmen on April 8; Rolling Thunder Blues Review and The Groove Merchants on April 9; and Area 302, Suburban Curb, Julie & Aidan, and Brandon Mesen on April 10.

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) will host Cliff Hillis and John Faye on April 8 and Christine Havrilla with Porter & Sayles on April 9.

Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com)  will present Kevin Cox, Nismah Osman and Chris Kudela on April 8 and White Elephant Burlesque on April 9.

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com) will present The Rocket Queens (all female Guns N’ Roses tribute) on April 8, and Pink Talking Fish (a tribute to Pink Floyd, Talking Heads & Phish) and The Heavy Pets: The Walrus (Beatles set) on April 9.

Doc Watson’s Public House (150 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, 610-524-2424, docwatsonspublichouse.com) will host 4th Base on April 8 and Ruckus Roxxx on April 9.

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com) will present Dan Navarro with Jeremiah Tall on April 8 and Chuck Brodsky with Michael Braunfeld on April 9.