{"id":28845,"date":"2020-12-31T08:45:25","date_gmt":"2020-12-31T13:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=28845"},"modified":"2020-12-31T08:45:31","modified_gmt":"2020-12-31T13:45:31","slug":"on-stage-ring-in-the-new-year-with-some-good-old-funk-via-livestream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=28845","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Ring in the new year with some good old funk via livestream"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will be a bustle of activity on New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n

The theater in Bucks County, which is one of the only venues in eastern Pennsylvania to still stage live concerts, will present three shows on December 31.<\/p>\n

The acts will be performing onstage but without live audiences. All three shows began as ticketed events with assigned, socially distanced seats.<\/p>\n

Then, the latest round of COVID-19 restrictions was posted for Pennsylvania and the possibility of ticketholders entering the venue were wiped out. All three shows \u2013 AM Radio Tribute Band at 2 and 7 p.m. and Arthur Thomas & The Funkitorium at 10:30 p.m. \u2013 will be performed live as Livestream only events. <\/p>\n

The vibe of Arthur Thomas & The Funkitorium is similar to the vibe of New Year\u2019s Eve — paying respect to what has gone before it and boldly looking forward to the future. A concert by Arthur Thomas & The Funkitorium is a celebration \u2013 a party where everyone has a good time.<\/p>\n

Arthur Thomas & The Funkitorium is \u2013 as its name would suggest \u2013 a funk band. It features Arthur Thomas and Re-Mus on vocals along with Zavetis on guitar, The Jus Man on bass, Chops on drums and DJ n.dot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going on two years together,\u201d said band founder Arthur Thomas during a phone interview Tuesday night from his home in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys are all from Philadelphia. Re-Mus is from North Philly, Zavetis from Frankford, The Jus Man from West Philly, Chops from South Philly, n.dot from Southwest and I\u2019m from West Philly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had never played with a band before. I did eight years of hip hop. I did songs with so many people. I dropped an album in 2017 right after my twins \u2013 Zariah and Zafar \u2013 were born. I had signed with a management company called Who Entertainment. In September 2017, I dropped an album called \u2018Welcome to Who-ville.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cDepression made me decide to get out of hip hop. I wasn\u2019t happy with that music. Funk music allows me to express my art. I started working on a funk album.<\/p>\n

\u201cI changed to Arthur Thomas & The Funkitorium and asked people to be in my band. I met n.dot because we were working in the same building. He was a producer using beats from classic funk samples.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas and his band have been working on a new album called \u201cWelcome to Funktar\u201d on Spring Garden Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started recording the album in December 2019 at Spring Garden Records\u2019 studio at 18th<\/sup> and Spring Garden. Spring Garden Records is part of Community College of Philadelphia. When COVID hit, the studio had to close. So, I started bouncing tracks around with the band members.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Welcome to Funktar\u2019 is finished and hopefully will come out in the first quarter of 2021. It sounds like early Funkadelic, soul and rock. My biggest inspiration was James Brown.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Funkitorium hails from Planet Kunktar. Funktar is an imaginary place. From there, we\u2019re spreading our music across the universe.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the places Arthur Thomas & The Funkitorium are spreading their music is Sellersville.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did a Soundbooth Sessions show at Sellersville back in September,\u201d said Thomas, who graduated from University City High School and played football for the Jaguars.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Soundbooth Sessions show was cool. We played music and did interviews \u2013 and a question-and-answer session. The people who run Sellersville Theater liked us so much, they invited us to come back and play on New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they first asked, attendance was limited to 66. Then, it got cut back to 33 and, after the last restrictions, it got cut back to 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I\u2019m not concerned about that. If we play like we rehearse, it\u2019s going to be a party every time. We should be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Arthur Thomas & The Funkitorium — https:\/\/youtu.be\/4O00JcvABI4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Arthur Thomas & The Funkitorium show at the Sellersville Theater on December 31 will start at 10:30 p.m. Livestream tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

AM Radio Tribute Band<\/p><\/div>\n

AM Radio Tribute Band, which is the brainchild of Su Teears and Kevin Burk is exactly what its name implies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe play songs mostly from the \u201960\u2019s, some from the \u201970\u2019s, some older stuff like the Ronettes,\u201d said Teears, during a phone interview Tuesday evening from her home in King of Prussia. \u201cWe also do some stuff from the \u201950\u2019s like Bill Haley & the Comets and Elvis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burk, who is a native of King of Prussia and an Upper Merion High grad, said, \u201cWe\u2019re normally a six-piece band and sometimes for bigger shows we\u2019re a seven-piece with an added guitar. There are also times when we add a horn section and play as a 10-piece.\u201d
\nAM Radio Tribute Band got its start exactly six years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cKevin and I were on a road trip to upstate New York,\u201d said Teears. \u201cAs we travelled north, we listened to the radio until we lost our favorite station,\u201d<\/p>\n

Losing reception of AM radio stations is a common thing.<\/p>\n

AM broadcasting\u00a0is a\u00a0radio broadcasting\u00a0technology which employs amplitude modulation\u00a0(AM) transmissions \u2013 unlike FM which uses frequency modulation.<\/p>\n

AM radio, which is also known as medium wave, covers frequencies from 525-1704 kHz (kilohertz). In the United States, there are clear channel stations which can operate at 50,000 watts 24 hours a day, regional stations which have restrictions on their broadcasting power and local daytime stations with low wattage allowance and limited range.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re driving in Pennsylvania or New York, you can hear powerful clear channel stations from all over the eastern part of the country \u2013 stations such as WSM in Nashville, WABC in New York, WCKY in Cincinnati, WGN in Chicago, WSB in Atlanta, WBZ in Boston and WOWO in Fort Wayne.<\/p>\n

Listening to regional stations is more difficult. These stations are limited in power and often have directional broadcasting. So, if you exceed your favorite station\u2019s range as you travel, the station fades out and is often replaced by a different regional station.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we lost the station we were listening to, we found a station playing all the hits we grew up with,\u201d said Tearrs. \u201cWe toyed with the idea of playing these songs. We started playing them while trying to do things a little left of center.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon, Teears and Burk were assembling a band \u2013 a band that became AM Tribute Radio.<\/p>\n

The lineup of AM Tribute Radio features drummer Jimmy Cavanaugh from Norristown, guitarist Danny Eyer (Absecon, N.J.), Bill Sharrow (Collingdale\/Spring Mount) vocalist\/guitarist Joe Triglia (Lansdale), keyboardist Steve Sauer (Lancaster), Teears (Northeast Philadelphia) and Burk.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first gig was December 2014 at the Bridgeport Ribhouse and we\u2019ve had a stable lineup since then,\u201d said Burk. \u201cOur repertoire now is well over 500 tunes. There is so much to pick from.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teears said, \u201cThis is the music we grew up with. The only younger guy in the band is our keyboard player. He\u2019s almost 40 and he doesn\u2019t know any of the songs we give to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s repertoire features songs from the British Invasion such as the Kinks\u2019 \u201cYou Really Got Me\u201d and \u201cAll Day and All of the Night,\u201d the Dave Clark Five\u2019s \u201cGlad All Over,\u201d the Zombies\u2019 \u201cShe\u2019s Not There\u201d and \u201cTime of the Season,\u201d Manfred Mann\u2019s \u201cDoo Wah Diddy,\u201d and a host of songs by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.<\/p>\n

They can play hundreds of songs by American hitmakers from the era including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Three Dog Night, Sonny & Cher, the Turtles, the Young Rascals, the Partridge Family, Roy Orbison, the Temptations, the Lovin\u2019 Spoonful, the Allman Brothers, Dion & the Belmonts and Jefferson Airplane.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re purists,\u201d said Teears. \u201cWe try to keep it as close as possible to the original.\u201d<\/p>\n

AM Tribute Radio at Sellersville Theater is a reprise of last year\u2019s holiday booking.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe played Sellersville last New Year\u2019s Eve at 7 p.m.,\u201d said Burk. \u201cOur 7 p.m. show sold out before we even had a chance to announce it so a 2 p.m. show was added. After that, they immediately asked us back to play New Year\u2019s Eve this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we\u2019re back again doing shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. \u2013 although a little differently. We\u2019re playing two separate shows, and both will be livestreamed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The AM Tribute Radio shows on December 31 will feature a celebration vibe with New Year\u2019s Eve party emceeing by the Sellersville Theater\u2019s Daniel Faga. Livestream tickets are $17.50.<\/p>\n

AM Tribute Radio also has other small upcoming shows at bars and restaurants. The band has come full circle and plays regularly at the Bridgeport Ribhouse (1049 Ford Street, Bridgeport,www.ribhouse.net<\/a>) \u2013 including a show on January 2.<\/p>\n

Video link for AM Radio Tribute \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/an3eLlSQmIw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Bridgeport Ribhouse\u2019s January schedule also includes shows by\u00a0Brian Quinn & Danny Beissel on January 6, 13, 20 and 27.<\/p>\n

Beissel has spent the past decade performing with such musical stalwarts as Jeffrey \u201cSkunk\u201d Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers), Barry Goudreau (Formerly of Boston), James Burton (Elvis, Ricky Nelson) and Fosterchild (with Quinn).<\/p>\n

Quinn co-founded the Philadelphia-based rock band\u00a0Octane\u00a0and was named \u201cBest Guitarist\u201d in the Philadelphia region by the Philadelphia Music Awards in 2001 and 2004. A decade later, Quinn joined Candlebox when the band needed to replace its guitarist.<\/p>\n

Video link for Brian Quinn & Danny Beissel — https:\/\/youtu.be\/pfH9zjsgqjY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center\u2019s virtual\u00a0\u201cFifth Annual New Year\u2019s Eve Gala\u201d\u00a0will be held\u00a0December 31 from 8-10 p.m. and will feature a diverse lineup of music and performance acts.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Hanna Gaffney<\/p><\/div>\n

The theater\u2019s \u201cFifth\u00a0Annual New Year\u2019s Eve Gala\u201d\u00a0will support Uptown!\u2019s\u00a0\u201cRaise UP! the Curtain\u201d Campaign to reopen the theater after its shutdown because of the state\u2019s COVID-19 restrictions. Thanks to\u00a0local philanthropist Penny Wilson, who has pledged a $150,000 challenge gift, donations to the campaign will now receive a \u201cDollar for Dollar\u201d match, thus doubling the impact of each contribution.<\/p>\n

The lineup for the\u00a0\u201cFifth Annual New Year\u2019s Eve Gala\u201d\u00a0includes Jazz Cocktail Hour\u2019s \u201cBill Withers Re-Imagined,\u201d Kun-Yang Lin Dancers, Cabaret with Hanna Gaffney, classical duet with J. Andrew Dickenson & June Suh, \u201cDueling Pianos\u201d by Windish Music & Productions, \u200bTenor Alex Moreno & Los Panas Band, WC Studio\u2019s Uptown! Singers, Flamenco dancer Liliana Ruiz and DJ Clyde.<\/p>\n

Throughout the evening, Master of Ceremonies Craig Smith joined by\u00a0Billboard Critic\u2019s Choice Artist\u00a0Meghan Cary, will be auctioning off big-ticket raffle items including\u00a0vacations, home improvement, golf outings, wine tastings, and more. Winners will be announced during the festivities.<\/p>\n

There will also be live music at Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The \u201cOutdoor Christmas Musicians Holiday Series\u201d is running now January 3 in Pierce-du Pont House Plaza.<\/p>\n

Longwood visitors can revel in the delightful instrumental sounds of Rob Dickenson and the Brandywine Christmas Minstrels as they celebrate\u00a0\u201cA Longwood Christmas.\u201d Performances will be held nightly Fridays through Sundays from 5-8 p.m. — weather permitting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com) will be a bustle of activity on New Year\u2019s Eve. The theater in Bucks County, which is one of the only venues in eastern Pennsylvania to still stage live concerts, will present three shows on December 31. The acts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[10326,10327,3912,10325],"class_list":["post-28845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-am-radio-tribute-band","tag-arthur-thomas-the-funkitorium","tag-featured","tag-hanna-gaffney"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28845","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=28845"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28846,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28845\/revisions\/28846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}