{"id":24022,"date":"2019-04-11T08:31:08","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T12:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=24022"},"modified":"2019-04-11T08:31:18","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T12:31:18","slug":"on-stage-mckay-offers-perfect-musical-compliment-to-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=24022","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: McKay offers perfect musical compliment to spring"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Nellie McKay<\/p><\/div>\n

When Nellie McKay performs on stage, her warm voice and engaging delivery seem to make beautiful musical flowers appear in the air.<\/p>\n

When people pay a visit to Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org<\/a>), there are beautiful flowers in the air and everywhere.<\/p>\n

So, when McKay visits Longwood Gardens on April 12 for a show in the Ballroom, the audience can expect a flowery good time \u2013 especially since the title of McKay\u2019s most recent album is \u201cSister Orchid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just finishing a straight month of touring,\u201d said McKay during a recent phone interview. \u201cI was doing a show pretty much every night for a full month. I was touring the Midwest and the West Coast. I\u2019ve been primarily touring in support of \u2018Sister Orchid\u2019 \u2013 but not exclusively. The show I perform each night depends on where we go and what people ask for.<\/p>\n

McKay treats fans to live renditions of classic songs that are commonly referred to as standards. Her set list might also feature a Beatles song or even the Frank Zappa classic tune, \u201cHungry Freaks Daddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay is touring on-and-off in support of her new album \u201cSister Orchid\u201d \u2013 an album filled with songs that were popular long before she was born. Back in December, she brought her musically-diverse and highly-interesting live show to recently-closed Rrazz Room in New Hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cSister Orchid\u201d includes timeless gems such as \u201cWillow Weep for Me,\u201d which was first recorded in 1932 by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and later was a hit for Billie Holiday in the mid-1950s; \u201cGeorgia on My Mind,\u201d a Hoagy Carmichael song from 1930 that was a hit for Ray Charles in 1960; and \u201cIn a Sentimental Mood,\u201d which was penned and performed by Duke Ellington in 1935.<\/p>\n

On McKay\u2019s website, \u201cSister Orchid,\u201d which was released May 2018 on Palmetto Records, had this description \u2013 \u201cConjuring the image of a lonely all night truck stop along Highway 1 on the California coast, all but lost in the fog that comes creeping along the shoreline…\u00a0this album speaks of the night, the outsider, the plaintive wail of those lost at sea.\u00a0\u2018Sister Orchid\u2019\u00a0was conceived in solitude,\u00a0executed in darkness. It\u00a0comes from a place of quiet, a world of low lights and cool drinks, up against a hard wall.\u00a0 An oasis of hungry eyes and easy promises, warm as a biscuit, the kind of place your mother warned you against.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tackling such classic standards was a tough challenge but McKay proved she was equal to the task.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took me a long time to make this album,\u201d said McKay. \u201cI\u2019ve known some of these songs since I was little. All of them are standards. For many years, I thought about doing a solo album like this. It seemed right. Selecting the songs to record was extremely difficult \u2013 almost impossible \u2013 because there are so many great songs. The songs I chose blended together well on this album.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album features McKay on vocals with just piano accompaniment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded it last summer in Pennsylvania and New York,\u201d said McKay. \u201cThe song list was large. We had about 40 songs and then whittled it down. Everything had something going forward. It was just me on this record. I sang and played piano. I think it has a different flavor than most albums \u2013 no other instruments.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay first played shows in this area back in 2004 to accompany the release of her debut album \u201cGet Away from Me\u201d on Columbia Records<\/p>\n

When she was getting started, McKay\u2019s music bridged the gap between jazz and hip-hop \u2014 a combination not often heard in today\u2019s pop music.<\/p>\n

The versatile performer was born in London and raised in New York, the Pacific Northwest and Pennsylvania\u2019s Pocono Manor. When she was still in her teens, she was living in her own apartment in New York \u2014 at the edge of Harlem at 123rd and Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

McKay, who attended school at Pocono Mountain Junior and Senior High, learned to play a variety of instruments including piano, cello, timpani, vibes, triangle and saxophone. Her main concentration has always been on keyboards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played with the East Stroudsburg University Jazz Ensemble when I was still in high school,\u201d said McKay. \u201cPatrick Dorian, a music professor at ESU, gave me my first formal jazz training. He taught me a lot about composition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, McKay began playing gigs at New York piano bars such as Don\u2019t Tell Mama\u2019s, Stonewall Bistro, Psychic Cafe, Regents, Rose\u2019s Turn, and Mozart Caf\u00e9 (where she was canned because she liked to play Christmas songs in August when people weren\u2019t sick of them). A record deal with Columbia followed and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

\u201cSister Orchid\u201d\u00a0marks\u00a0McKay\u2019s seventh label release in just 31 years. Her previous albums include\u00a0\u201cGet Away from My Head,\u201d \u00a0\u201cPretty\u00a0Little\u00a0Villagers,\u201d \u201cObligatory Pie,\u201d \u201cNormal as Home: A Tribute\u00a0to\u00a0My\u00a0Day,\u201d \u201cSweet Mobile\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cBlueberry\u00a0Reader.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay is like a modern-day \u201cRenaissance Woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Broadway, she\u00a0won a Theatre\u00a0World\u00a0Award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum in\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Threepenny\u00a0Opera.\u201d She also\u00a0co-created and starred in the award-winning Off-Broadway hit\u00a0\u201cOld Hats,\u201d\u00a0and has\u00a0written and produced musical biographies around a compelling gallery of ladies\u00a0\u2013 from\u00a0environmental pioneer\u00a0Rachel Carson to the life,\u00a0conviction, and execution at San Quentin\u00a0of\u00a0underdog\u00a0Barbara Graham.<\/p>\n

Recent projects include \u201cThe Big Molinsky \u2013 Considering Joan Rivers,\u201d and \u201cA GIRL NAMED BILL \u2013 The Life and Times of Billy Tipton,\u201d which was named one of the \u201cBest Concerts of the Year\u201d by\u00a0The New York Times.<\/p>\n

McKay\u2019s screen work includes roles\u00a0in\u00a0\u201cPS I Love You\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cDowntown Express.\u201d She contributed movie\u00a0music to\u00a0\u201cRumor Has It,\u201d \u201cMonster-in-Law,\u201d \u201cGasland,\u201d \u201cLast Holiday,\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cPrivate Life.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the television world, her music has been heard on\u00a0\u201cMad Men,\u201d \u201cBoardwalk Empire,\u201d \u201cWeeds,\u201d \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy,\u201d \u201cNCIS,\u201d \u201cNurse Jackie,\u201d and\u00a0\u201cSMILF.\u201d Additionally, McKay\u2019s writing has appeared in\u00a0The Onion,\u00a0Interview, and\u00a0The New York Times Book Review.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, it\u2019s a cabaret act,\u201d said McKay. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019ll do \u2013 a classic cabaret show. I\u2019ll be playing all the songs from the album. Also, people call out request and I like to oblige them.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay also has devoted much of her life to projects combating animal abuse.<\/p>\n

She is a recipient of PETA\u2019s\u00a0Humanitarian Award and The Humane Society\u2019s Doris Day Music Award\u00a0in recognition of her dedication to animal rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a vegetarian since I was eight,\u201d said McKay. \u201cI\u2019ve been vegan since 2004. Non-violence begins on your plate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Musically, McKay always has a lot on her plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m doing a couple songs with Spencer Day,\u201d said McKay. \u201cAnd, I\u2019m recording something with Angel Olson. There is always something going on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, I\u2019ve been writing. It would be great to have another album out this year. I\u2019ve already got some songs ready.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Nellie McKay — https:\/\/youtu.be\/9X4ziRTmA-k<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Longwood Gardens will start at 8 p.m. Reserved seating is $35 and includes all-day Gardens Admission.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Boney James<\/p><\/div>\n

Boney James, who is headlining a show on April 11 at the Scottish Rite Auditorium (315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, New Jersey, scottish<\/a>rite<\/a>auditorium.com<\/a>), is a saxophonist, songwriter, and record producer \u2013 one of America\u2019s most popular soul, jazz and R&B saxophonists.<\/span><\/p>\n

James is still out on the road touring in support of his latest album \u201cHonestly,\u201d which was released in late 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out in September 2017,\u201d said James, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon during a tour stop in Newport News,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started recording it in June a year prior. I was doing a lot of it during the turmoil of the election. \u00a0It was influenced by the election. I wantd a positive theme. The music is fun and happy \u2013 a good antidote for all the negativity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of it was about trying to find the positive energy by making music that is fun and uplifting. Music is a wonderful thing. Music is such a vital force in terms of human experience. Music is an important way to bring people together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly,\u201d which is James\u2019 16th album, is his follow-up to \u201cfuturesoul,\u201d another award-winning album. The album before that \u2013 \u201cThe Beat\u201d in 2013 — was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly\u201d debuted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz and Contemporary Jazz charts and has remained there for weeks.\u00a0 In addition, the album debuted at #22 on the Billboard Current Albums chart, which was the highest debut to date for the four-time GRAMMY nominated artist. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery song on the album was co-written except \u2018Skylark,\u2019 which is a cover of a classic by <\/span>Hoagy Carmichael’<\/span>,\u201d said James, who has racked up sales of more than three million records and four RIAA gold albums.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCo-writing happens different ways \u2013 someone will send me something or I\u2019ll have an idea and send it to someone. The bulk of my catalogue is co-writes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI always work with co-writers. This album had about the same number of collaborators as usual. We\u2019ll be working on a song and, if it needs someone, we\u2019ll get them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first start writing a song, I begin with a blank slate. The song could start with a melody or a keyboard chord progression or a sax phrase.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI generally make a version of the song by myself. I\u2019ll create a pretty full arrangement and then replace parts with musicians. Although, sometimes I stay with the original.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u201cHonestly\u2019 album is a little more exposed. I thought the melodies were really strong and that the songs called for less treatment. It\u2019s more sincere.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, James has won a Soul Train Award, received nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and placed 10 albums atop Billboard\u2019s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2009, Billboard named him the #3 Contemporary Jazz Artist of The Decade (trailing just Kenny G and Norah Jones).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe current live set has four songs from the latest record,\u201d said James. \u201cFor this tour, I\u2019ve dusted off a lot of stuff I hadn\u2019t been playing in years. With 16 albums, there is a lot to choose from. Some of the must-play songs are \u2018Sweet Thing,\u2019 \u2018Grazing in the Grass\u2019 and \u2018After the Rain.\u2019 I\u2019m always trying to pay my homage to R&B. At the same time, I just try to make my music individual to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Boney James \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/FU8TAWYq_z4<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Scottish Rite Auditorium will start at 7:30. Tickets are <\/span>$59, $45 and $35.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Get the Led Out on April 12 and 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Grupo Fantasma<\/p><\/div>\n

On April 11, World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) \u00a0is presenting Grupo Fantasma, a Texas band that is touring in support of its new album \u201cAmerican Music: Vol. VII,\u201d which was recently released on Blue Corn Music.<\/p>\n

The nine-piece collective, which formed in 2000 in Austin, Texas, consists of Jose Galeano (timbales, vocals), Kino Esparza (vocals, hand percussion), Beto Martinez (guitar), Greg Gonzalez (bass), John Speice (drums), Matthew \u201cSweet Lou\u201d Holmes (congas), Gilbert Elorreaga (trumpet), Josh Levy (baritone saxophone) and Mark \u201cSpeedy\u201d Gonzales (trombone).<\/p>\n

Austin\u2019s cumbia all-stars Grupo Fantasma has been praised as one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre and has continually defied expectations to create one of the most unique musical voices to come out of the United States in the 21st century. In 2011, they garnered further acclaim by winning a Grammy (their second such nomination) for their self\u2013produced release \u201cEl Existential\u2019 on Nat Geo Music.<\/p>\n

Grupo Fantasma\u2018s incendiary live show has brought the band to major festivals and venues internationally including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, North Sea Jazz Festival (Curacao and Rotterdam) and Lowlands in the Netherlands, Kennedy Center, London\u2019s O2 Arena, Montreal Jazz Festival, WOMEX, WOMAD, Tempo Latino (France) as well as two tours to Kuwait and Iraq to entertain US troops and a recent tour in Pakistan and Qatar. Their diverse spectrum of devoted fans speaks to the ensemble\u2019s universal appeal beyond just Latin or world music.<\/p>\n

In addition, they have served as the backing band for and collaborated on several occasions with the late, great, legendary Prince (ALMA Awards on ABC, Golden Globes, CBS Super Bowl Bash, 21 Nights in London), Fania All\u2013Stars pianist Larry Harlow, Sheila\u2013E, GZA of Wu\u2013Tang Clan, Maceo Parker, Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets, Ruben Ramos, GZA of the Wu\u2013Tang Clan, cult\u2013hero Daniel Johnston, indie rock standouts Spoon, Los Lobos and many others.<\/p>\n

The title of Grupo Fantasma\u2019s seventh full-length album \u201cAmerican Music Vol. VII\u201d takes on definitions of identity, borders and who is illegal or \u201cother.\u201d In presenting their unique multi-ethnic musical mix to audiences over the years, Grupo were constantly challenged by \u201cthe concept of identity, citizenship, and the nationality of music,\u201d especially in the press and music industry. Yet, as they attest, in many ways \u201cmusic is the ultimate assimilator, crossing borders and cultures and mutating to represent the experiences of its performers.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to a statement on Grupo Fantasma\u2019s website, \u201cWe maintain that regardless of language, our music is \u2018American Music\u2019 because we are from here. Our music is a product of our circumstances and we can still celebrate ethnic and cultural heritage while asserting our identity as Americans and sons of this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to stress that Grupo has always had a special polyglot flavor that is an amalgamation of disparate sonic and thematic elements that defy easy characterization and seem to cohere with an impressive naturalness and grace. It\u2019s an expansive and layered sound too, with two lead singers, multiple percussionists, a big brass section, prominent electric guitar, catchy bass lines, plenty of changes, and a whole plethora of influences. Thematically, the band\u2019s lyrics range from the personal to the universal, the political to the social, from party tunes to down-tempo laments that carry the weight of romance gone wrong, loss and disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started recording the new album in January 2018,\u201d said Beto Martinez, during a phone interview Monday afternoon from a tour stop in Washington, D.C. \u201cWe went to a studio outside El Paso to record it. It\u2019s a really amazing facility. You stay there. People cook for you. It\u2019s total immersion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album was recorded at Sonic Ranch, the world\u2019s largest residential recording complex and long on Grupo\u2019s bucket list. The studio is located in the tiny border town of Tornillo, Texas, which, soon after Grupo finished their sessions at the ranch, became infamous as the site of an enormous and shameful immigrant detention center where countless children were housed separately from their families.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe definitely were affected by this tragedy,\u201d said Martinez.<\/p>\n

According to the band, \u201cThis dissonance certainly impacted the album and inspired our message later on as we were creating lyrics and forming the message of the songs and the project as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martinez explained the challenges for a Grupo Fantasma recording session.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith a band like this that has been around for 19 years, the members have a lot of commitments to the projects. When we were looking for a place to record, Sonic Ranch came to mind. We spent a week there with no distractions. We recorded all the basic tracks there.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the next six months, we did overdubs at my studio in Austin and some with producer \u2018Loco\u2019 Bedoya \u2013 a super-talented Colombian guy who lives in Miami.<\/p>\n

Carlos \u201cEl Loco\u201d Bedoya is a highly-regarded Miami-based Colombian producer, audio engineer, musician, and songwriter. His credits are extensive, having worked with artists as diverse and successful as Beyonc\u00e9, Weezer, and ChocQuibTown.<\/p>\n

According to the band, Bedoya \u201cbrought with him a wealth of knowledge and experience as mixer and engineer as well as huge ears and skills as a musician and songwriter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first spoke to \u2018Loco,\u2019 he was very receptive,\u201d said Martinez. \u201cHe propelled a lot of what we recorded. He even played keys on the record.<\/p>\n

\u2018We had started doing the writing for the album a month prior to going to Sonic Ranch. Me and the bass player and the trombonist got together \u2013 trading demos and seeing what we came up with.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we went to Sonic Ranch, we had a number of tracks that weren\u2019t fully finished. There were eight or nine tracks that we wanted to finish writing in the studio with a full band input. Different guys do it different ways. That\u2019s why we wanted to get together in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martinez is the band\u2019s main songwriter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI almost always start with a bass line or a guitar part,\u201d said Martinez. \u201cI start with a groove before a melody. I take it to the vocalists for the melodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished mixing the album last summer in Miami with Loco and then started putting out singles in January this year. The album dropped on March 29.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Grupo Fantasma \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/TkkyNMGiwtI<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the World Cafe Live, which has Interminable as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at World Caf\u00e9 Live are Kiefer on April 12, Minas on April 13, Cyrille Aim\u00e9e on April 14, and Tommy Genesis an April 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Okilly Dokilly<\/p><\/div>\n

Okilly<\/span> Dokilly simultaneously sends very different messages to your brain \u2013 visually and aurally. If you see the band perform live, what you\u2019re seeing does not match what you\u2019re hearing.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can see and hear this sensual enigma in person on April 11 when the band brings its \u201cHowdilly Twodilly Tourdilly\u201d to the Chameleon Club Lizard Lounge (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http:\/\/www.chameleonclub.net<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

If you just listened to Okilly Dokilly\u2019s music and never saw any images of the band, you would expect to find a group of heavily- tattooed, grizzly characters dressed in all black with hair below their shoulders and sneers on their faces.<\/span><\/p>\n

The music has all the force and impact you\u2019d expect from top American metal bands or Scandinavian deathcore groups \u2013 all the way down to guttural screamed vocals.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the flip side, if you just saw a picture of <\/span>Okilly<\/span> D<\/span>okilly<\/span> \u2013 five guys wearing sweaters over collared shirts and wire-rimmed spectacles\u2026with four of the five sporting short hair parted on the side and small, neatly-trimmed mustaches \u2013 you might expect a Christian Rock vocal group.<\/span><\/p>\n

Okilly Dokilly is a metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona that plays what it calls \u201cNedal\u201d music — a subgenre of metal music themed around the animated character Ned Flanders from the television series The Simpsons.<\/p>\n

All five of the band\u2019s members perform dressed as Flanders, and the majority of the lyrics to their songs are quotes of his. The band\u2019s original members went by the names Head Ned, Bled Ned, Red Ned, Stead Ned and Thread Ned. The current line-up features Head Ned (lead vocals, guitars, mandolin), Dread Ned (drums), Shred Ned (guitar, vocals, triangle), Bed Ned (bass) and Zed Ned (synth, vocals).<\/p>\n

In November 2016, Okilly Dokilly released its Billboard-charting debut album \u201cHowdilly Doodilly.\u201d In 2017, the band\u2019s first personnel change happened when original guitarist Stead Ned and original bassist Thread Ned departed the group. They were replaced by Cred Ned and Dead Ned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band\u2019s line-up change had mostly to do with touring,\u201d said Head Ned during a phone interview from a tour stop in Omaha, Nebraska. \u201cWhen we started, we just wanted to play locally. When the touring started, the rest of the guys got tired of being on the road so much and wanted to get back to their families. So, we just got some Neds who are used to the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Okilly Dokilly has a strange storyline.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt all started with drummer Bled Ned,\u201d said Head Ned<\/span>. \u201cHe wanted to come up with a heavy metal band with a silly name and <\/span>Okilly<\/span> D<\/span>okilly<\/span> came up. Then, we thought \u2013 what if the front man dressed as Ned Flanders.\u00a0 And then, we thought \u2013 what if the whole band dressed as Ned Flanders.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe came up with the name because it\u2019s one of Ned Flanders\u2019 catch phrases. Our music centers around one of the friendliest characters on television fronting a band with angry music<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea came up in 2014 and we worked on the idea for a whole year \u2013 figuring out how we\u2019d set it up. It was a side project. We weren\u2019t adamant about a time deadline. That\u2019s why it took so long to come together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were playing in different indie\/alt-rock bands. The band me and the drummer were in was compared to Weezer. This was a unique opportunity to branch out into a totally different genre.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So, the five musicians went from average-looking indie-rock artists to nerdy-looking, mustachioed hardcore metal rockers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a little difficult to change how we played,\u201d said Head Ned. \u201cScreaming vocals was like a different instrument to try. Fortunately, the way that I scream doesn\u2019t push on the vocal chords too much.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Head Ned, \u201cUs Neds are very excited to be embarking on the \u2018Howdilly Twodilly Tourdilly\u2019 to say \u2018Howdilly Doodilly\u2019 to our neighborinos across the U.S. We’ve got some new tunes and we can guarantee it\u2019s gonna be brutalino!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The band spent a lot of time on the road prior to making its new album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were touring a lot so we took a little break to write some new music,\u201d said Head Ned. \u201cBy the time we were done touring, the original guys split. I knew I wanted to keep on touring. Getting new players for the band was a slow assembly. It started around December 2017 and into 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost of it was word-of-mouth. The new band came together over a few months in 2018. Necessary requirements were 60 per cent mustache and 40 per cent ability to play the songs. As long as the old crumb duster works, everything is all right.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn October 2018, we tiered the U.K. It was out first trip on the road with the new group. The album was recorded in December 2018 and we had already road-tested the new songs. We knocked it out in a month-and-a-half \u2013 not straight all the way through \u2013 more bits and pieces. I did pretty much all the songwriting and the other guys contributed theirs parts<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Head Ned explained the evolution of the band\u2019s music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first album was written just for fun,\u201d said Head Ned. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what the skill level would be. We kept the tracks pummeling and simple. On the new album, we kept the simplicity but also added parts more complicated \u2013 a tad more technical.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Okilly Dokilly — https:\/\/youtu.be\/8lnfOvc_jGg<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at the Chameleon Club Lizard Lounge, which has Playboy Manbaby as the opening act, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming acts at the Lizard Lounge are Wild Belle on April 12, and Split and Deep Rest on April 13.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Cloak<\/p><\/div>\n

If you wa<\/span>nt a metal act that looks more like a metal act, Cloak is coming to town.<\/span><\/p>\n

On April 12, the Atlanta-based metal band Cloak will start its first tour of 2019 with a show at The Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Cloak, which features <\/span>Scott Taysom, Vocals\/Guitar; Sean Bruneau, Drums; Max Brigham, Guitar; and Billy Robinson, Bass, will be on the bill of the Decibel Beer & Metal Prefest 2019 along with Integrity, Full of Hell, and Devil Master.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPhilly is our first show on this tour,\u201d said Taysom, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Atlanta. \u201cWe leave Thursday night and will be doing 16 shows in 17days. This is actually going to be our first tine to play Philly and it\u2019s almost sold out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cloak is still touring in support of its debut album \u201cTo Venomous Depths\u201d as well as its new EP \u2013 \u201c2 Hits From Hell EP\u201d \u2013 which was just released on March 29.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo Venomous Depths\u201d is an amalgamation of Nordic black metal with catchy hooks and melodic rock. The quartet\u2019s bold and blackened metal teems with dark energy, and \u201cTo Venomous Depths\u201d is a testament to the genre\u2019s primal power and magic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started the band in 2013 and then went on hiatus,\u201d said Taysom. \u201cIn 2015, we got back together with a solid plan. We wanted to do something different from what was out there. We wanted a vibe you could take seriously \u2013 something with a rock bottom. The metal scene was so oversaturated. I went back to the bands I listened to a long time ago. It\u2019s got to be special. Anyone can sit in their room and make a record with GarageBand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cloak\u2019s music seems to have metal as its main ingredient with flavorings of classic Southern Rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people have said the Southern Rock thing,\u201d said Taysom. \u201cI think I can sort of hear it. But it wasn\u2019t a conscious move. But, something in southern soil is very haunting with a sinister presence. You can feel it at night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t associate us with what is called \u2018Southern Metal.\u2019 Our roots are in black metal sound. \u00a0It\u2019s not a genre. It\u2019s about a presence I\u2019m looking for. I still love classic heavy metal like Iron Maiden and Wasp.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo Venomous Depths\u201d offers a strong glimpse at what the band is looking for.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it at the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017 at Aria Studio in Atlanta,\u201d said Taysom. \u201cThe songs were all ready before we went in the studio. We were very well prepared and organized. We did a lot of demos before we were ready to record. It took about three months in the studio, Then, it came out later in 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re almost done making the next album. Two more vocal tracks to finish up and the second album will be all done. It\u2019s a total step up. I write most of it but everyone puts in their input. We\u2019re plying one song from it on this tour. We\u2019re not going to break them out until the album is done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re primarily a live band. The energy is there but you don\u2019t quite get it on the record. When we\u2019re onstage, we give it our all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Cloak \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/SHXSgMU7Z2U<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at The Foundry, which also features Integrity, Full of Hell, and Devil Master, will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/span><\/p>\n

Function on April 13, Grimposium And Uneasy Sleeper Present Enslaved 25: The Early Years on April 14, Terror Jr on April 16, and This Wild Life on April 17.<\/p>\n

For music fans who want a show that is a bit more gentle, the Philadelphia Folksong Society has just what you\u2019re looking for \u2013 a concert of acoustic music.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Scott Mulvahill<\/p><\/div>\n

Like so many of today\u2019s singer\/songwriters, Scott Mulvahill graduated from college and made the trek to Tennessee \u2013 to Nashville, the home of fresh, young, sensitive singer\/songwriters.<\/p>\n

But there was something different about Mulvahill, who will be performing on April 12 at Philadelphia Folk Song Society (6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, https:\/\/pfs.org\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Mulvahill is not a singer\/songwriter who crafts tunes by strumming on an acoustic six-string guitar or by plunking melodies on a variety of keyboards. His instrument of choice is the acoustic bass guitar.<\/p>\n

The talented singer\/songwriter grew up in a little Texas town outside Houston called Friendswood and then attended North Texas State University in Denton.<\/p>\n

\u201cI graduated, got my cap and packed it up and headed to Nashville,\u201d said Mulvahill, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon as he travelled to a gig in Port Clinton, Ohio.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompared to New York, Austin or L.A., I chose Nashville because of its reputation as a songwriting community. For me, it was just hearsay and a hunch. I now know there are a lot of great songwriters here.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlaying bass wasn\u2019t just a whim. My dad played guitar when I was growing up. A guitar was in the house, but I wasn\u2019t interested. A friend at summer camp played bass and that got me interested. I asked if I could play bass and my family was OK with it. I stared with electric bass. The first garage and I was in was called Kid Charlemagne. It was so much fun. I stated writing songs toward the end of high school and then got more into it when I was in college. I was studying music, but it had mothing to do with songwriting. I majored in jazz bass in college \u2013 taking performance with composition aspect\u2026classes in arranging in jazz and big band settings. It was really focused on upright bass. I kind of had a split personality. I was a jazz-trained bass player, but I also came up in rock and pop. I had this desire to write rock songs. I had this side dream of performing my songs. I\u2019d write those songs on guitar and piano. As a songwriter, I was influenced by James Taylor and Paul Simon. With bass, Jaco Pastorius is my hero.<\/p>\n

Once Mulvahill relocated to Nashville, his life changed\u00a0after\u00a0meeting\u00a0American music icon Ricky Skaggs and joining his Grammy winning band, Kentucky Thunder. \u00a0He toured with Ricky for over five years, and in that time, first started writing songs on his upright bass.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were touring with Bruce Hornsby,\u201d said Mulvahill. \u201cEventually, I got to a point where I asked Bruce if I could pick his brain about songwriting. He gave me some really vital constructive criticism. He said \u2013 the sings you\u2019re writing are fine but there is nothing really special about them. He said to dig deeper to find what I had. That led me back to look at my work on bass. At first, it was hard to put the two things together but after a while I was comfortable enough to write on bass.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young Texas musician had found a new path.<\/p>\n

According to Mulvahill, \u201cI started music as a bass player, but when it came to singing and writing songs, all my favorite writers played guitar or piano, and I just figured I had to as well. But while in Ricky Skaggs\u2019 band, I started performing \u201820\/20 Vision\u2019 in the show, which opened with just the bass and my voice, and it was a revelation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized that this sound, this concept could work, and I honestly wondered why I hadn\u2019t had the courage to do it before. So, I started writing songs on the bass. I tried to make the bass parts complete arrangements with harmony and rhythm and weave my melodies between all that –the first song I wrote that way was \u2018Fighting for the Wrong Side.\u2019 And that\u2019s when the music became unique. I was finally bringing all of my varied skills to the table and doing something that few others could.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Mulvahill is on the second leg of his nationwide tour supporting his new album \u201cHimalayas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the shows are just me onstage \u2013 all on standup bass,\u201d said Mulvahill. \u201cBut on this nine-show run in the Midwest and Northeast, I\u2019ll be joined by a guitarist named Zach Torres.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Scott Mulvahill \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/HwgV6MJneR8<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Philadelphia Folk Song Society will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Carsie Blanton<\/p><\/div>\n

Area fans of Carsie Blanton are in for a double treat over the next few days.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blanton is touring in support of her new album \u201cBuck Up\u201d and the tour will bring her to Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528,www.bootandsaddlephilly.com<\/a>) on April 12 and Tellus 360 (24 East King Street, Lancaster, 717-393-1660, www.tellus360.com<\/a>) on April 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

Based in New Orleans, Blanton is not your typical singer-songwriter. She makes music that focuses on witty, intelligent songwriting. \u201cBuck Up\u201d is a melodic mandate for survival, commenting on the recent election and the changes we\u2019ve seen in the country since. As much as\u00a0Buck Up\u00a0reflects political and personal catastrophe, these themes are always presented in a humorous and playful way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blanton\u2019s sound is influenced by blues, jazz and pop styles On the new record, the darker subject matter is lightened by bright, catchy melodies and her engaging vocals. As much as\u00a0Buck Up\u00a0reflects political and personal catastrophe, these themes are always presented in a humorous and playful way.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut the album over a year ago,\u201d said Blanton, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Even though Blanton lives in New Orleans \u2013 a city with music everywhere a lot of great studios, she came to the Philly area to record her latest disc.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it at Pete Donnelly\u2019s studio in Haddonfield, New Jersey,\u201d said Blanton.<\/p>\n

Blanton <\/span>is a talented singer-songwriter whose music spans a variety of genres. She is also adaptable when it comes to finding a place to call home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blanton<\/span> grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountain area in Virginia, moved to Eugene, Oregon when she was 16 and relocated to Philadelphia a few years later.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was 21 when I moved to Philly,\u201d said Blanton. \u201cI had a fun and pretty easy time there. I still love Philly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Blanton<\/span> released her debut album \u201cHush\u201d in 2002 and followed with \u201cAin\u2019t So Green\u201d in 2009, \u201cBeau\u201d EP in 2010 and \u201cIdiot Heart\u201d in 2012. Her two albums prior to \u201cBuck Up\u201d were \u201cNot Old, Not New,\u201d which was released in 2014, and So Ferocious,\u201d which came out on 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBuck Up,\u201d which was just released on February 15, was produced by Pete Donnelly and Blanton and engineered and mixed by Donnelly at Westmont Station Recording Studio in Haddon Township, New Jersey. Some bass and vocal tracks were engineered by Patrick Firth at The Patty-O in Queens, New York. The album was mastered by Jim Salamone at Cambridge Sound Studios in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the third record Pete and I did together,\u201d said Blanton. \u201cHe\u2019s a great producer. We were there for two weeks and a couple days. We had a core group and then different crews of musicians in and out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The core group on \u201cBuck Up\u201d was Patrick Firth on keyboards, piano, and backing vocals; Nicholas Falk on drums, percussion, banjo, and backing vocals; Joe Plowman on bass, banjo, backing vocals, keys, and string arrangements; Donnelly on guitar, backing vocals, keys, drums, and percussion, and Blanton on vocals, guitar, toy piano, and percussion.<\/p>\n

The list of \u201cspecial guests\u201d included Erin Busch on cello, Matt Cappy on trumpet, Zach Jones on drums and backing vocals, Oliver Wood on guitars and vocals on \u201cBuck Up\u201d. \u00a0The album also features ambient sounds gathered by Blanton in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the songs were pretty new and some older,\u201d said Blanton. \u201cA few of the songs were influenced by the 2016 election.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the first songs for \u201cbuck Up\u201d was \u201cBed,\u201d which dates back to November 2016 and includes the poignant line \u2013 \u201cI\u2019m not gonna get out of bed today\/I\u2019ve tried to do it but what can I say\/Every time I turn on the news it\u2019s a kick to the head\/Why don\u2019t you wake me up when the president\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Blanton, \u201cThat song shook loose a lot of feelings I had about the political landscape and growing up in America. If I can write one song that really captures the feeling of a project, then the rest come more easily. \u2018Buck Up\u2019 is a \u2018rallying cry.\u2019 Enough with the sadness and wallowing about America. We have to get people together to make change, even though it\u2019s daunting. Though \u2018Buck Up\u2019 may be basically about being depressed, if there\u2019s not a sense of humor or playfulness, I don\u2019t want to listen to it. Music is about play.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Making music that makes people smile and being a political activist have been parts of Blanton\u2019s persona for a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been someone political my whole life,\u201d said Blanton. \u201cI\u2019ve radicalized more in recent years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Blanton, \u201cThere are two themes on this record. One is the feeling of catastrophe happening in American politics, and the other is this feeling of personal catastrophe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But Blanton is not one to wallow in doom and gloom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important that we all pull together,\u201d said Blanton. \u201cWe must. I want to get across that feeling helpless isn\u2019t going to work \u2013 being hopeful is. We need a revolution. It\u2019s the most pragmatic. We need to buck up and make things happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Video link for Carsie Blanton \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/d89fe_p4gX4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Boot and Saddle, which has Chris Kasper as the opener, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Tellus 360, which has Chris Kasper as the opener, will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

John Eddie<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will present Soften the Glare with iNFiNiEN on April 12, John Eddie and His Dirty \u2018Ol Band on April 13, and Brad Rau with Tony Yoo on April 14.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will host Open Mic Night hosted by Steivan W. Johnson on April 11 and Beaucoup Blue Ans the Greg Sover Duo on April 13.<\/p>\n

The Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610- 917-1228, www.thecolonialtheatre.com<\/a>) will host Point Entertainment presents Blue \u00d6yster Cult on April 14.<\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) presents Rhythm of Recovery featuring Bernard Sarkissian on April 13 and Tribute Night\u00a0featuring\u00a0Mulberry Hill, LaBella & Poole, Brick Nova, and Icky Thump on April 14.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host Golden Gate Wingmen on April 11, Peace Drums Project Fundraiser on April 13, Robert Glasper Trio on April 14 and Adrian Belew with special guest Saul Zonana on April 17.<\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) presents Kris Kristofferson on April 11, \u201cAin\u2019t I A Woman: My Journey to Womanhood\u201d by Laverne Cox on April 12, and Heavy Hittas of Comedy on April 13.<\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) hosts Angel Ft. Punky Meadows & Frank DiMino And Starz \u00a0on April 11, Los Lonely Boys with Gary Douglas Band on April 12, Dar Williams with Jessy Tomsko on April 13, the church on April 14, llusionist Rick Thomas on April 15, Dimmer Twins: Patterson Hood & Mike Cooley Of Drive-By Truckers on April 16, and Ana Popovic on April 17.<\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481, sonapub.com<\/a>) presents Roger Street Friedman and Marion Halliday on April 12 and Joe Burke & Co, Max Seidman and Hunter Tynan Davis on April 13.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times When Nellie McKay performs on stage, her warm voice and engaging delivery seem to make beautiful musical flowers appear in the air. When people pay a visit to Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org), there are beautiful flowers in the air and everywhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[5716,8754,3912,8753,7764,6636,8755],"class_list":["post-24022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-boney-james","tag-cloak","tag-featured","tag-grupo-fantasma","tag-nellie-mckay","tag-okilly-dokilly","tag-scott-mulvahill"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24022"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24023,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24022\/revisions\/24023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}