{"id":11406,"date":"2017-05-10T09:49:51","date_gmt":"2017-05-10T13:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=11406"},"modified":"2017-05-10T09:49:58","modified_gmt":"2017-05-10T13:49:58","slug":"on-stage-bonus-shannon-mcnally-celebrates-americana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=11406","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Bonus): Shannon McNally celebrates Americana"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Staff Writer, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Shannon McNally<\/p><\/div>\n

Wednesday is often called \u201cHump Day\u201d \u2013 the mid-point of the work week.<\/span><\/p>\n

For many, Wednesday night is a night to celebrate moving closer to the weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a good concert to cap off a good \u201cHump Day,\u201d you\u2019re really in luck on May 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/span><\/a>) will welcome Shannon McNally\u2019s long-awaited return to the area on May 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

McNally is touring in support of her new album \u201cBlack Irish,\u201d which will be released on June 9 on Compass Records.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really happy to be with Compass Records,\u201d said McNally, during a phone interview Monday afternoon as she travelled north on the New Jersey Turnpike to a gig in New York City.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re right on Music Row in Nashville and the last of the privately-owned independent labels. They do a lot of Americana so I was happy when they came on board.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely think my music is Americana \u2013 or you could call it American roots music \u2013 blues, soul, country and some that\u2019s more like pop music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded \u2018Black Irish\u2019 in Nashville in 2016 with Rodney Crowell as my producer. We recorded some of it at his studio and some at other studios in Nashville, including Sound Emporium. We had about a half-dozen recording sessions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRodney found me some years ago and we\u2019ve been friends ever since. This is his first time to produce me but I sang on his record \u2018Famous Last Words of a Fool.\u2019 (from his \u201cTarpaper Sky\u201d album in 2014).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The lead track on the McNally\u2019s new album \u2013 \u201cYou Made Me Feel For You\u201d — was written Crowell, and serves as a metaphor for their collaboration.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Crowell, \u201cI first heard of Shannon McNally through John Leventhal, who described her vocal skills as having just the right amount of girlish smoke. At the time, I was looking for just the right singer to make a cameo appearance on a song I was recording called \u2018Famous Last Words of a Fool.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTrusting John\u2019s appraisal — from his description I imagined something of a cross between Joan Jett and Lauren Bacall — I set about tracking the mystery singer down.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I eventually discovered in the small town of Holly Springs, Mississippi was this dark-eyed beauty who wrote grownup songs, played a pretty mean Fender Stratocaster and, at times, sounded a lot Jesse Mae Hemphill.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom our first meeting, I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that I was the right man for the job of shepherding the next Shannon McNally record into existence. Now that the record is made, I hope music lovers around the world will come to know what I and many others already know — this girl belongs in the Americana Music spotlight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The album concept began in 2013 when McNally was going through what she calls \u201ca miserable divorce,\u201d raising her daughter Maeve, and nursing her terminally ill mother Maureen. Her parents had relocated to Holly Springs, Mississippi, and McNally moved in, caring for her mom until her death in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWorking with Rodney was pretty inspiring,\u201d said McNally, who spent time in this area years ago getting a degree from the College of Anthropology at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to write songs that he thought were good. My sings for the album were building up and Rodney wrote a few.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

McNally co-wrote three of the album\u2019s 12 songs — one with Crowell, who also penned two more for her. The rest include her personal favorites by Stevie Wonder (\u201cI Ain\u2019t Gonna Stand For It\u201d), Robbie Robertson (\u201cIt Makes No Difference\u201d), and J.J. Cale (\u201cLow Rider\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, McNally makes her home in the Mississippi hill country which she calls \u201cthe most Southern place on earth.,\u201d Her musical journey began in New York, where she was born on St. Patrick\u2019s Day and raised in Hempstead, Long Island. Growing up in the age of \u201880s MTV-pop, she found an escape route.<\/span><\/p>\n

McNally became a performing singer\/songwriter\/guitarist in college and eventually signed with Capitol Records. After some time in Los Angeles, she moved to New Orleans soaking up that city\u2019s music. Later, she moved to North Mississippi.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI live on Oxford, Mississippi,\u201d said McNally. \u201cHurricane Katrina picked Oxford for me \u2013 and I\u2019m happy here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMississippi, Memphis and New Orleans are places that never really leave you. There\u2019s a depth. Bringing all those experiences with you \u2013 essentially all the places and things along with big life moments that form you.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese places are real great, greasy, soulful, historically-challenges places. They light a fire \u2013 and they bring the honesty. They all were a part of my new album which I guess you could say is the bluesiest album I\u2019ve ever made.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty much playing the whole record in my shows now. I\u2019m touring as a duet with Brett Hughes, a singer and guitarist from Burlington, Vermont. We\u2019re also playing a lot of songs from my previous albums.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Shannon McNally \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/iwVDwO2N644<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Ardmore Music Hall, which has John Francis as the opener, will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528, www.bootandsaddlephilly.com<\/span><\/a>) will have a show featuring two young bands representing the best of both coasts \u2013<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Family Crest<\/p><\/div>\n

The Family Crest, an American orchestral indie rock band from San Francisco, and OhBree, a Philly band playing a hometown gig.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Family Crest features Liam McCormick, Voice and Guitar; John Seeterlin, Bass; Charlie Giesige, Drums, Percussion; Laura Bergmann, Flute, Percussion, Voice; George Mousa Samaan, Trombone; Charly Akert, Cello; and Owen Sutter, Violin.<\/span><\/p>\n

The brainchild of McCormick, The Family Crest was started as a recording project in 2009 with co-founder John Seeterlin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started out six or seven years as a recording process,\u201d said McCormick, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Round Rock, Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were finishing up playing with another group and we wanted to make something we could be proud of. We got musicians together and it turned out to be a lot more than we expected.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an ongoing collaborative thing ever since. We were doing shows around the (San Francisco) Bay area and did residencies in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to McCormick, \u201cWe always liked making music with people — getting a bunch of people together and singing. So, we put ads everywhere. We posted on Craigslist and emailed old friends from school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve worked with a lot of conservatory students as well as people who just sing in the shower. It became a lot about giving these people a chance to express themselves without being locked into a commitment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The outcome was greater than the original duo imagined, with 80 people credited on the first recording the band produced. From that a band emerged, at the urging of the guest musicians, who wanted to hear the songs performed live.<\/span><\/p>\n

The result was a seven-piece core band boasting over 400 \u201cExtended Family\u201d members who have contributed to the music.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Family Crest\u2019s most recent album\u00a0\u201cBeneath the Brine,\u201d which came out in 2014, is a musical buffet that features huge array of instruments including bassoon, vibraphone and French horn.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few weeks ago, the band released a new EP titled \u201cPrelude to War.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually a prelude to an upcoming project we have called \u2018War,\u2019\u201d said McCormick. \u201cWe started writing it after the release of our album \u2018The Village\u2019 in 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Beneath the Brine\u2019 was supposed to be an EP but it spiraled out of control and became an album. We\u2019ve been working on \u2018War\u2019 for the last few years. It\u2019s a very long project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen John and I started the group, we taught ourselves what to do. Even now, out of necessity and artistic reasoning, we do everything ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a mobile rig. We did a headline tour about two years ago and recorded a lot of the shows \u2013 done specifically for recording and filming. We also do on-the-road recording with other artists.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMirror Love\u201d is the first single released from the new EP.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe song \u2018Mirror Love\u2019 was written about people talking about their representative self. We play it in our current show along with other tracks from the new EP, some newer songs and some older stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for The Family Crest \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/0zUpZKHy6N8<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

OhBree<\/p><\/div>\n

In mid-May, OhBree will be releasing its third full length record, \u201cBurn Bridges, Burn Pies,\u201d an album that will serve to connect the worlds of the band\u2019s previous releases.<\/span><\/p>\n

OhBree\u2019s first album, \u201c<\/span>We Miss You Edward, Come Home<\/span>,\u201d was a bizarre pit-orchestra-influenced assemblage of 17 songs that manifested in a lighthearted theatrical head trip.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group\u2019s second LP, \u201cDeath By Broomstick,\u201d took a much darker spin on the band\u2019s pop sensibilities. Soon after the release of \u201cDeath By Broomstick,\u201d OhBree released a well-received EP called \u201cFeed Me Poison.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Like The Family Crest, OhBree is a large ensemble of indie rock musicians.<\/span><\/p>\n

OhBree\u2019s line-up features Andrew Scott (vocals\/keys), Adam Laub (drums), Bob Iacono (trumpet), Tyler Mack (trombone\/guitar), Lucas Kozinski (guitar), Kyle Press (saxophone), Michael Aherne (bass), and Connor Przybyszewski (trombone).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together for a while now,\u201d said Scott, during a phone interview last week from his home in Boston, Massachusetts. \u201cWe started playing together in 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were all students at Drexel University studying different aspects of the music business. I was a music industry major.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI actually started writing music on my own in my sophomore year in college. We all got a house together in a row home in West Philly. We made one of the rooms into a small studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI spent time in the studio writing songs. Then, I taught the songs to the guys and we began playing live shows. It all clicked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing we did was make a full-length called \u2018Bleed Safety Trim Line Fold.\u2019 It was pretty different than what we\u2019re doing now with a lot more synths and less horns.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That album was more a demo than a real release.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the songs got re-done later,\u201d said Scott. \u201c\u2018We Miss You Edward, Come Home\u2019 was the first real full-length that we did back in 2011. We did really good songwriting and we were cranking out songs in our home studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Death By Broomstick\u2019 came out in 2014 and the music had changed \u2013 drastically changed. The first record was silly and Monty Python-esque. It didn\u2019t have the happiness and silliness of the first record.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith \u2018Death,\u2019 I wasn\u2019t in one of my best places ever. With this record, I ended up going deeper into myself and singing about darker characters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn \u2018Poison,\u2019 we wrote a whole bunch of songs about death. I wanted to keep it silly and keep it darker. With \u2018Burn Bridges, Burn Pies,\u2019 I didn\u2019t want to continue the darker part \u2013 but I wanted to keep the Philly sarcasm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Scott, \u201c\u2018Burn Bridges Burn Pies\u2019 is the record that brings our message together. The themes remain dark, but we bring back the Monty Python\/Dr. Seussian absurdity of our first record.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBurn Bridges, Burn Pies\u201d will be released digitally and on beautiful blue vinyl records featuring the art of Debbie Fong on May 19.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for OhBree \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/eR1NvmBi420<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Boot & Saddle will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $13.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com<\/span><\/a>) on May 10 will feature a band from Detroit called ADULT.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

ADULT.<\/p><\/div>\n

ADULT. is a duo featuring Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller. They played their first live show together in Germany in 1997 under the name Artificial Material.<\/span><\/p>\n

In early 1998, they released their first 12-inch under the name Plasma Co. Later that year, they released their first 12-inch under the name ADULT.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, they have released six albums and 19 EPs or singles on Ghostly International, Thrill Jockey and Clone Records, as well as on their own label Ersatz Audio. They have remixed over 20 acts as well, including Tuxedomoon, John Foxx, Death in Vegas and Pet Shop Boys.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two veteran musicians are also multimedia artists.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kuperus and Miller make sculpture, paintings, films, photographs, performances, videos and installations. They strive to intersect the lines between art and audio and have exhibited their work at institutions such as the Austrian Cultural Forum (New York), MOMAS (Saitama, Japan), and Centre d’art contemporain de Meymac (France).<\/span><\/p>\n

They have shown their film \u201cThe Three Grace(s)\u201d triptych at spaces such as Anthology Film Archives (New York), Distrital Film Festival (Mexico City), and Grey Area for Art and Technology (San Francisco).<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, the duo is touring in support of its new album \u201cDetroit House Guests.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDetroit House Guests\u201d is a collaborative project conceived by ADULT. Based on the visual artist residency model, each musician came to ADULT.\u2019s studio for a three-week period with the parameter that they all live, work and collaborate together.<\/span><\/p>\n

The result was a total anthropological sound experiment and a full-length album.<\/span><\/p>\n

The album features collaborations with a whole host of musicians and artists — Douglas J McCarthy from Nitzer Ebb, Michael Gira from Swans, Shannon Funchess from Light Asylum, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe aka Lichens, Austrian thereminist Dorit Chrysler and multidisciplinary artist Lun*na Menoh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor over a decade, we\u2019d see friends on the road like Douglas and say \u2013 we wish we could hang out more,\u201d said Miller, during a phone interview last week as they travelled from Austin, Texas to a gig in Dallas, Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were always like two ships passing in the night. So, we decided to do a project where we could hang out and collaborate. Three years ago, a foundation came to Detroit and was offering grants. We applied for a grant and we got it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

ADULT.\u2019s manifesto for the project stated, \u201cLet us explore new modes of music making. Let us take the intensity of the studio session and drop it into the home. If the \u201cavant-garde\u201d is thought to be un-domestic then what impact does this domestic situation have on the shape and sound of our project?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan the radical even exist inside the domestic? It\u2019s so private in the home. How vulnerable are we? Are the shades down and the curtains drawn? Can we become out of order? A rug turned at a slight angle, resisting not to straighten it as you pass by.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe merger of soft and dark sides, melodic voices and angular jabs, organic and pre-programmed, dinner parties and carry out. A dislocated and disjointed dance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The duo successfully turned the concept into relaity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll the artists had to be touring musicians who were adaptable \u2013 vocalists and songwriters \u2013 different criteria like that,\u201d said Kuperus. \u201cWe picked the artists and they all agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe residencies were held in downtown Detroit. The first was with Douglas McCarthy two years ago. It took a year for other artists to fit it in their schedules. Then, Mute Records came along and picked the record up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With such varied input on the album, recreating the disc live is an almost impossible task.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re only able to perform a couple songs from the album,\u201d said Miller. \u201cThis is the 20<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> anniversary of us playing live so we wanted to assess our career. We looked at every album we did \u2013 120 songs in 20 years. We tried to pick something from each album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted songs that were energetic so some songs didn\u2019t work. Our live set gets ugly and aggressive in the middle. But, our songs are more universal in nature than political.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen choosing the songs, we went all the way back to our first album. It\u2019s fun to bring back old songs and re-work them. For the current shows, it\u2019s just the two of us. Nicola only does vocals and I play the electronics.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for ADULT. \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/MBOXBE9V5Zo<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s, which has Ritual Howls and Void Vision as opening acts, will start at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n

On May 10, the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/span><\/a>) will host the North Mississippi Allstars\u2019 \u201cThe Prayer For Peace Tour,\u201d which also features Alvin Youngblood Heart and Rev. Sekou.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rev. Sekou<\/p><\/div>\n

Rev. Sekou is touring in support of\u00a0his debut album\u00a0\u201cIn Times Like These,\u201d which was just released on May 5.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou is an author, documentary filmmaker, public intellectual, organizer, pastor and theologian.<\/span><\/p>\n

He is the Pastor for Formation and Justice at The First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain. Raised in the rural Arkansas Delta, he is a third-generation ordained Elder in the Church of God in Christ (Pentecostal).<\/span><\/p>\n

Considered one of the foremost religious leaders of his generation, Rev. Sekou published a collection of writings titled \u201cGods, Gays, and Guns: Essays on Race, Religion, and the Future of Democracy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His book, \u201cRiot Music: Race, Hip Hop, and the Meaning of the London Riots\u201d is based on his exclusive interviews in the aftermath of the 2011 riots that swept the United Kingdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

To make his debut album, \u201cIn Times Like These,\u201d Rev. Osagyefo Sekou went back to his Southern home searching for his family\u2019s musical roots in the deep Arkansas blues and gospel traditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Produced by six-time Grammy nominated Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, featuring Luther\u2019s brother Cody Dickinson, and supported by Thirty Tigers, Rev. Sekou\u2019s debut solo album is a new vision for what Southern blues and rock can mean today.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Times Like These\u201d is drenched with the sweat and tears of the Mississippi River, the great tributary that ties so much of the South together.<\/span><\/p>\n

The album\u2019s sonic landscape captures the toil of Southern field hands, the guttural cry of chain gangs, the vibrancy of contemporary street protest, backwoods juke joints, and shotgun churches — all saturated with Pentecostal sacred steel and soul legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe record label 30 Tigers approached me,\u201d said Rev. Sekou, during a phone interview last week from a stop in New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey had heard my first record \u2018Revolution Will Come.\u2019 They suggested Luther Dickinson as a producer. I was inspired by him and his musical family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI went to Memphis to see Luther perform. It was a great show. I appreciated his spirit. They have a great family \u2013 Luther, his brother Cody Dickinson and their deceased father. It felt like a comfortable fit \u2013 and we\u2019re from the same region of the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rev. Sekou delves into hip hop, religion, homophobia, sexism, race, and politics with organic insight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cResist,\u201d which is the opening song, of \u201cIn Times Like These,\u201d opens with a rousing speech given by Rev. Sekou at a rally in Ferguson, Missouri, protesting the shooting of Michael Brown.<\/span><\/p>\n

The album was written in the shadow of the divisive 2016 presidential election, and is testament to the enduring power of protest music and a call-to-arms for a new generation looking to resist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe task of artists in this time \u2013 with music \u2013 is to provide people with inspiration so they can live to fight another day,\u201d said Rev. Sekou.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI sing, preach and write about black people in the American experience. You sing about what you believe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Rev. Sekou \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/JVufn1twZhA<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/span><\/a>) featuring the North Mississippi Allstars, Alvin Youngblood Heart and Rev. Sekou, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $30.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

LANY<\/p><\/div>\n

Lancaster will also be a good destination for music fans on May 10 with LANY at the Chameleon Club and Richie Kotzen at Tellus 360.<\/span><\/p>\n

LANY, which is headlining an all-ages show at the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http:\/\/www.chameleonclub.net<\/span><\/a>), is a bit of a modern-day phenomenon \u2013 a phenomenon brought to life by the digital age.<\/span><\/p>\n

The LA-based trio — Paul Klein, Les Priest and Jake Goss — has amassed a huge live fanbase and last year alone played a total of 117 shows across twelve countries, selling over 35,000 tickets.<\/span><\/p>\n

With 3.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify and combined streams of 92 million, LANY is the most streamed artist of all time through the Spotify Discover feature.\u00a0 The band\u2019s single \u201cILYSB\u201d (i love you so bad) also holds the title of the most-streamed song of all time through Spotify Disco.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are impressive statistics \u2013 especially considering the band has yet to release an album.<\/span><\/p>\n

LANY\u2019s eagerly-awaited debut album will be released on Interscope Records on June 30. The self-titled album features 16 tracks – including their global streaming hit \u201cILYSB.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started this tour in February in Sydney, Australia,\u201d said Klein, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Milwaukee. \u201cWe did a lap around the world and now we\u2019re in the U.S. We\u2019ve toured Europe, Australia, North America and Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt does surprise me that we\u2019re able to tour the world without an album. It\u2019s an indication of the power of the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can write songs that are good enough to connect, this is what can happen. It\u2019s an exciting time to be making music. I don\u2019t know they did it before the internet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

LANY has found a niche with its music — beautiful songs with swashes of synth, spare percussion, echoes of prime 1980s FM pop, of early-1990s R&B, of new-wave electronica — love songs that combine melody and lyrics that hot home with listeners in their heads and their hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Klein offered his thoughts about the universal appeal of LANY\u2019s music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like to think of us as a breath of fresh air,\u201d said Klein. \u201cThere are thousands of bands making the same song in 2017 \u2013 big production with vocals. On the other hand, we started out with our own sound \u2013 and we\u2019re still around.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that content is king. There is an emphasis on singles in the music world right now but I believe that the album is invaluable \u2013 and irreplaceable. I believe in the grand scheme of things. The pendulum will settle and come back to center.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis album will be massively important for us. It\u2019s a body of work. It took us 15 months to do the 16 tracks \u2013 mainly because we\u2019ve been on the road non-stop. We will will play more than 150 shows this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe did 117 shows last year. Every song we wrote during that time was written for the purpose of being on our debut album. We wrote all the songs and produced and mixed everything ourselves. That\u2019s why the album is so cohesive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for LANY — https:\/\/youtu.be\/SSTp0rknOgA<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The all-ages show at the Chameleon, which has goody grace as the opener, will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Richie Kotzen<\/p><\/div>\n

Richie Kotzen, who will headline the show at Tellus 360 (24 East King Street, Lancaster, 717-393-1660, www.tellus360.com<\/span><\/a>) on May 10, is one of the most respected guitarists in American rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kotzen released his new solo album, \u201cSalting Earth,\u201d on April 14 on his own label — Headroom Inc. Now, he is on tour in support of the new disc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Performing in Lancaster is almost a hometown show for Kotzen. Now living in Malibu, California, he was born and raised in the Reading area and graduated from Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kotzen recorded his first solo album when he was 19. In 1991, when he was just 21, he joined glam-metal band Poison.<\/span><\/p>\n

He co-wrote and played on the Poison album \u201cNative Tongue,\u201d which featured two Top 20 singles which Kotzen co-wrote \u2013 \u201cStand\u201d and \u201cUntil You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1999, Kotzen took over as guitarist in the mainstream rock band Mr. Big. Since 2013, he has been a member of the rock supergroup The Winery Dogs with Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI really love Billy and Mike and really love those two records,\u201d said Kotzen, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Michigan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut, being in a band is a fragile relationship \u2013 especially for someone like me. My life doesn\u2019t revolve around being in a band. The majority of my work has been as a soloist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing in a band is fun but I never intend for it to be full-time. That doesn\u2019t mean no more Winery Dogs. The Dogs are sleeping \u2013 but they\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Winery Dogs are on hiatus and Kotzen is focusing once again on being a solo artist \u2013 and playing live shows to support his new album \u201cSalting Earth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like the record because \u2013 for me \u2013 it encompasses what I do as a recording artist,\u201d said Kotzen, who has recorded more than 20 albums over the last 18 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows my influences from the Who and Bad Company to Prince and Stevie Wonder. And, occasionally I get into a jazzy fusion thing. The cool thing about this record \u2013 it shows what I can do as a recording artist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was recorded over the course of many years. The song \u2018Make It Easy\u2019 was recorded all the way back in 2003. When I was working on newer stuff, I went and listened to older things. I heard this and thought it was great with lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome tracks have been ready to go for nine years. The song \u2018Thunder\u2019 is from 2001 \u2013 with the original guitar solo. Other songs like \u2018This Is Life\u2019 and \u2018Divine Power\u2019 are brand new.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I have my own studio, I don\u2019t set aside recording time. That\u2019s the luxury of having a studio in your house. I made my previous album \u2018Cannibals\u2019 the same way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Kotzen, \u201cMy real outlet is touring — playing live as much as I can, wherever I can, whenever I can. It\u2019s one of the few things you can\u2019t copy, steal or download.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an engaging human experience that\u2019s a give-and-take between both the performer and the audience, and there is nothing else like it on this earth.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kotzen\u2019s touring band includes Dylan Wilson on bass and Mike Bennett on drums.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMike has been playing with me for seven years and Dylan has been with me for six,\u201d said Kotzen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a good band.\u00a0 We\u2019re doing six songs from \u2018Salting Earth\u2019 and a lot of older songs. I love the new show. It\u2019s my favorite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to his show in Lancaster on May 10, Kotzen also has upcoming shows in New Hope and Bethlehem \u2013 May 14 at \u00a0<\/span>Havana<\/span> (105 South Main Street, New Hope, 215-862-5501, havana<\/span>newhope.com<\/span><\/a>) and May 17 at Musicfest Caf\u00e9 (101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, www.steelstacks.org<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Richie Kotzen \u2013https:\/\/youtu.be\/0hGxS63e3T8<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Tellus360, which has Corty Byron as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Wednesday is often called \u201cHump Day\u201d \u2013 the mid-point of the work week. For many, Wednesday night is a night to celebrate moving closer to the weekend. If you\u2019re looking for a good concert to cap off a good \u201cHump Day,\u201d you\u2019re really in luck on May 10.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[5647,3162,5644,5648,5650,5645,5646,5649],"class_list":["post-11406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-adult","tag-featured","tag-lany","tag-ohbree","tag-rev-sekou","tag-richie-kotzen","tag-shannon-mcnally","tag-the-family-crest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11406"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11407,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11406\/revisions\/11407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}