{"id":24171,"date":"2019-05-02T09:47:17","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T13:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=24171"},"modified":"2019-05-02T09:47:24","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T13:47:24","slug":"on-stage-kategory-5-steps-up-for-candlelight-benefit-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=24171","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Kategory 5 steps up for Candlelight benefit show"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Kategory 5<\/p><\/div>\n

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) is a non-profit theater nestled in the village of Ardentown, Delaware — a picturesque artistic community established in 1900.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Candlelight presents a season of great \u2013 and well-attended — shows every year but it is still a non-profit theater featuring talented actors working on a volunteer basis.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the things that keeps the theater running smoothly is its annual fundraiser concert. This year\u2019s concert will be held on May 3 and will feature Kategory 5 — the winner of the 2016 102.9 MGK House Band Competition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local favorite Kategory 5, which has performed several times at Kennett Flash in Kennett Square, features Kat Pigliacampi (lead vocals, keyboards), Al Mullins (drums, vocals), Brian Becker (lead guitar, vocals), Chris Lewis (guitar), Kyle Frederick (bass guitar) and John Cassidy (synthesizer).<\/span><\/p>\n

Kategory 5 is a classic rock band covering the best of rock, blues, R & B and pop music from the 1970s (give or take a decade). With female and male lead vocals, keyboards, dual lead guitarists and a powerful rhythm section, Kategory 5 is able to perform the most challenging music from the classic rock era. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe play mostly music from the 70s \u2014 pop, rock, one-hit wonders, and classic rock,\u201d said Pigliacampi, during a phone interview from her home in Unionville. \u201cWe do songs by Kansas, Boston, Led Zeppelin and Abba. I think we\u2019re the only band around that plays Abba and Led Zep in the same show. People really enjoy being taken back to that era.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kategory 5 Band is a cover band featuring a diverse group of veteran musicians.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll of us have played music in the area for decades,\u201d said Pigliacampi. \u201cPreviously, I had done acoustic shows with both Chris and John. I went to Dickenson High and three of the guys went to high school together at William Penn High. John, Kyle and Al used to be in a band together called 13th Floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a big fan base from our solo work. We\u2019re all in our 40s and 50s and wanted to do the music we loved. We took 70s and 80s songs that aren\u2019t necessarily mainstream and brought them back to life. We\u2019re mixing it up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pigliacampi listed some of the bands whose songs Kategory 5 would be playing \u2014 a diverse list that ranges from Journey to the Beatles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re playing classic rock with an edge,\u201d said Pigliacampi. \u201cOur goal is to play a really good mixture of nostalgia. We are all good singers, so we have a lot of four-part and five-part harmonies. Al calls it ear candy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kategory 5 has amassed many devoted fans in the area. The band has performed <\/span>regularly at Dover Downs Casino and The Queen and has also played the World Caf\u00e9 Live in Philadelphia. The band is known for its \u201cRewind 2 Vinyl\u201d shows.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been recording original material lately,\u201d said Pigliacampi. \u201cOur goal was to have an EP out in 2018 but that didn\u2019t happen. When you start writing, you all must be onboard. We had to feel our way through the process. Right now, we have five or six originals recorded. We\u2019re going to release them as singles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur \u2018Rewind 2 Vinyl\u2019 show is a tribute to an era. Our original stuff is a different thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What fans hear from Kategory 5 depends on where they hear the band play.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI change the set list depending on the venue,\u201d said Pigliacampi. \u201cWhen we played Dover Downs, they had a dance floor so that called for a certain type of songs. The show at Candlelight is more a concert. We\u2019ll do more prog rock \u2013 Yes, Kansas, Boston. We have more than 50 songs we can do so we can mix or match.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kategory<\/span> 5\u2019s repertoire includes songs by a diverse group of music acts including Abba, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Journey, Dave Mason, REO Speedwagon, the Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, America and the Beatles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friday night\u2019s show will be just the start of an ultra-busy weekend for Pigliacampi.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter is getting married on Sunday,\u201d said Pigliacampi, referring to her daughter Sierra, a Unionville High School grad. \u201cShe lives in St. Louis, but the wedding is here at Rockwood Carriage House. It definitely is going to be a hectic weekend. We\u2019ll all relax together on Monday.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to that, Pigliacampi and her bandmates will be rocking hard at the Candlelight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Kategory 5 \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/llUOYionTTM<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The doors at the Candlelight Theater will open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $25. There will be a cash bar and food may be purchased from the food trucks on the premises. Seating is general admission.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you quickly say the names of the two acts playing May 3 at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>), it might sound like a grandfather in Belarus cursing out his pesky grandchildren or someone in Philly clearing out phlegm from a mid-winter post-nasal drip \u2013 Ecce Shnak and Pelekh.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pelekh is Boris Pelekh \u2013 an innovative guitarist who is in the band Gogol Bordello and has his own band called Hey Guy. The show on Friday night at MilkBoy will feature Hey Guy, a provocative and theatrical indie rock band from New York City.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pelekh, who was born Boris Fridrikhovich Pelekh, is a Russian-born singer, composer and guitarist who has been the guitarist of the Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello since 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI came to America in 1991 with my family when I was nine,\u201d said Pelekh, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Queens, New York. \u201cA Jewish organization helped us get out of Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, Pelekh was raised in a family that was able to afford clothes, food, and music lessons. His older brother introduced him to rock music via dubbed cassettes from the West, which were illegal, but they leaked onto the black market. At this time, he studied classical guitar technique from the age of six to nine then emigrated to the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2013, I went back to Russia with Hey Guy,\u201d said Pelekh. \u201cWe did a few shows there and I visited an old friend. We played shows in St. Petersburg and Moscow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1994, Pelekh secured a full scholarship to one of the best music schools in New York City after auditioning in front of a committee. He auditioned at LaGuardia High School for guitar and was the only student in his junior high to nail the audition. \u00a0Once he discovered that he could adapt his classical training to learn Metallica songs, he found his calling. He learned a huge amount of metal and rock songs and was convinced that it was the only thing that he ever wanted to do in life.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

At age 15, his group Demur headlined the LaGuardia High School \u201cRising Stars 3\u201d performances (featured in the film \u201cFame\u201d) in front of 3,000 people. The band was offered a record deal from Arista Records at the end of the show. Demur never followed up on the offer because Pelekh opted to attend Berklee College of Music to hone his craft. He ended up receiving a scholarship to Berklee at age 17 and went on to study jazz guitar and composition for three years. Immediately after graduating he began touring.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith Hey Guy, I\u2019ve been writing songs under that name since 2014,\u201d said Pelekh. \u201cThe quartet that I have now came together three or four years ago. I\u2019ve also been really busy with Broadway and other things. I\u2019ve been the guitar player in big Broadway shows and I toured with \u2018American Idol\u2019 for a few years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Hey Guy<\/p><\/div>\n

Hey Guy is a rare modern rock act that pairs haunting melodies and fierce stage energy with infectious humor, defining their own genre as \u201cserious music with a sense of humor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Keeping with an expressive sonic approach and stage presence, the aptly-named Hey Guy is as bold and memorable as their name. The band\u2019s catchy songs are cunningly layered, exhibiting a knack for uncanny melodies coupled with fierce riffs and sprawling atmospherics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hey Guy features Boris Pelekh, Oskar Hagdahl, Gill Alexandre, and Georgios Pefios.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a well-oiled musical scene in North Astoria, Queens and that\u2019s where we all met,\u201d said Pelekh. \u201cOskar, our drummer, is from Finland. Gill, who plays bass and sings, is from Brazil. Georgios, who also plays guitar, is from Bulgaria and I\u2019m Russian. I\u2019ve had this band for a while, and I joined Gogol Bordello in 2015.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gogol Bordello is an American gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The group, which was formed in 1999 by lead singer Eugene H\u00fctz, is known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring. Much of the band\u2019s sound is inspired by Gypsy music mixed with punk and dub.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy life is now basically split between Gogol Bordello for five months a year and Hey Guy for seven months a year,\u201d said Pelekh. \u201cI structure work with Hey Guy around Gogol Bordello tours. I\u2019m heavily involved with Gogol Bordello \u2013 more than just guitar. I help run it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first Hey Guy full-length came out in 2011. Then, I did multi-media releases from 2011-2015. We wanted to do everything live in the studio on camera. Then, we did a four-song EP in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we\u2019re releasing a new album \u2013 single by single. I like it better this way because recording an album with 11 tracks is such a huge undertaking. The new single \u2013 \u2018Stereo\u2019 \u2013 was just released on March 1. It\u2019s also available at our merch table as a red flexi-disc.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur live set now is almost all new stuff and maybe two favorites form the past. What we\u2019re playing onstage is all the stuff we\u2019re going to put out throughout this year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Hey Guy \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Frfia0GP70c<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ecce\u00a0Shnak<\/p><\/div>\n

Ecce<\/span>\u00a0Shnak\u00a0is a\u00a0seven-person band with two guitarists, two \u201cchamber singers,\u201d a bassist and drummer. It was assembled to play the music David Roush\u00a0composes note-for-note. Ecce Shnak, which is pronounced \u201cEh-kay sh-knock,\u201d will\u00a0release two\u00a0new\u00a0efforts this year \u2013 \u201cJoke Oso,\u201d which came out on April 5, and\u00a0\u201cMetamorphejawns,\u201d which is slated for release this summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEcce Shnak started in Philadelphia in 2011,\u201d said Roush, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Manhattan. \u201cSo, it\u2019s quite an old project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Connecticut. I moved to South Philly in 2007 and was a behavioral health care worker. Then, I moved to Manhattan in 2014. I spent the last several years finding musicians, finishing the recording, making videos and staying on top of the business part. The version of the band you see today is about three years old.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt took a while finding the musicians to perform my compositions. I moved to New York to find the best network for musicians for the project. To find specific players, you have to cast a net as wide as you can.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese days, we think of our music as \u2018chamber punk\u2019 \u2013 a mixture of punk, classical and pop. We\u2019re one part pop music, another part classical music, and a third part punk music. Our songs are about love, sex, death, change, bravery, and food. Some of my main influences have been Clash, Gogol Bordello, Deerhoof, Harry Partch and the Roots.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoke Oso\u201d is Ecce Shnak\u2019s follow-up EP to its 2013 self-released \u201cLetters to German Vasquez Rubio.\u201d It was released on released April 5, 2019 on Records, Man Records LLC.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Billboard\u00a0magazine, \u201cIn the span of about 20 minutes,\u00a0\u2018Joke Oso\u2019\u00a0encompasses punk, ska, twee indie rock a la Belle & Sebastian, rubbery goofball funk in the tradition of Frank Zappa and crunching,\u00a0Meshuggah-esque math metal \u2014 all liberally sprinkled with humor.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe EP is the result of five years intermittent work here and in Philadelphia,\u201d said Roush. \u201cI recorded it with Jeff Lucci. When I moved to New York, I had him finish some awesome mixes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoke Oso\u201d was recorded and produced by Philadelphia-based engineer\u00a0Jeff Lucci\u00a0of Mo Lowda & The Humble in his living room, then remixed by\u00a0Bryce Goggin\u00a0(Pavement, The Apples in Stereo, Antony and the Johnsons). The original masters were by Sarah Register, and the final masters are by Fred Kevorkian (The White Stripes, Iggy Pop, The National, Phish).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have a story I meant to tell between the EP and the album,\u201d said Roush. \u201cMost of the songs were written in the last four years but some are 8-to-10 years old. There wasn\u2019t an intentional theme, but a theme developed. The theme came out of what was there \u2013 comedy and tragedy at once as an interdependent process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video ling for Ecce Shnak \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/KeumDE0LZAY<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at MilkBoy, which also features Creem Circus, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at MilkBoy are Fink & the Fury on May 2, Dave Patten on May 4, HomeGrown Open Mic Showcase on May 7, and LOLO & Garrison Starr on May 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sacred Monsters<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will host Sacred Monsters on May 2, Lil\u2019 Walter Harmonica Tribute on May 3, Terry Reid and the Cosmic American Derelicts on May 4, BLIND HOPE with Hive Mind, Strange Highways, and The Fainz on May 5, Open Mic with guest hosts Canadian Tuxedo on May 5, and We Kids Rock Guitar Showcase on May 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will host Open Mic Night on May 2,<\/span><\/p>\n

First Friday Music Series @Steel City Coffeehouse & Brewery on May 3, and The Peace Creeps with Rob Dickenson on May 4.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) will have its \u201cOpen Mic Talent Show\u201d on May 4.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host Marco Benevento with special guest Sonni Shine on May 2, Valerie June with special guest Parker Gispert on May 3, Stephen Malkmus with special guest Eleanor Friedberger on May 4, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams with special guest Under the Oak on May 5, and Steve Earle & the Dukes with special guest The Mastersons on May 6.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) presents Marshall Tucker Band & The Outlaws on May 4.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will present Della Mae on May 2, Garnet Rogers with Natalia Zukerman & Crys Matthews on May 3, Graham Parker with Adam Ezra on May 4, Cinco De Mayo on May 5, Classic Albums Live Presents Beatles \u2013 Abbey Road on May 5, and Last In Line with Brand Of Julez on May 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481, sonapub.com<\/a>) will present Early Elton Trio on May 3, Mary Fahl on May 4, and Wesley Stace: A Tribute to John Wesley Harding featuring Robert Lloyd on May 5.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 202-730-3331, www.thequeenwilmington.com<\/a>) hosts Bowielive: The Ultimate David Bowie Tribute on May 3, My Chemical Slow Dance (Emo Prom) & Sugar We’re Goin’ Out (Speed Dating) on May 4, Pero Like…Cinco de Mayo on May 5, and Galactic Empire – Revenge Of The Sixth with special guests Lost Continent & Kitty Rotten on May 6.<\/span><\/p>\n

Living Room (35 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, https:\/\/thelivingroomat35east.com<\/a>) will host May 2, 2019 7:30 PM<\/span><\/p>\n

Songwriters Night with Avi Wisnia, Amanda Duncan, Ian Flanigan, and Andrea Carlson on May 2, The LYNNeS on May 3, and Suzanne Lavine CD Release Party on May 4.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) is a non-profit theater nestled in the village of Ardentown, Delaware — a picturesque artistic community established in 1900. The Candlelight presents a season of great \u2013 and well-attended — shows every year but it is still a non-profit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[8809,3912,8808,7138],"class_list":["post-24171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-ecce-shnak","tag-featured","tag-hey-guy","tag-kategory-5"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24171","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=24171"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24171\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24172,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24171\/revisions\/24172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}