{"id":11846,"date":"2017-06-15T14:27:46","date_gmt":"2017-06-15T18:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=11846"},"modified":"2017-06-15T14:27:53","modified_gmt":"2017-06-15T18:27:53","slug":"on-stage-foxtrax-comes-back-from-the-wilderness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=11846","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: FOXTRAX comes back from the wilderness"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

FOXTRAX<\/p><\/div>\n

The band FOXTRAX has the rare distinction of sharing its name with a glowing hockey puck.<\/p>\n

FoxTrax was a glowing puck — an augmented reality system that was utilized by Fox Sports\u2019 telecasts of the National Hockey League. It only lasted one season.<\/p>\n

FOXTRAX, which is performing June 15 at The Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>), is a rock trio from Long Island that already has shown more longevity than the TV sports show gimmick.<\/p>\n

Long Island natives Ben Schneid (Vocals, Guitar), Jared Stenz (Bass), and Jon Stenz (Drums), began making their own brand of indie rock together in early 2015 after they each graduated from college.<\/p>\n

Deciding that music was their true calling, they holed themselves up in a cabin in the woods of North Carolina for six weeks. The result was \u201cThe Cabin\u201d EP.<\/p>\n

The trio\u2019s time in the wilderness also provided inspiration for the band\u2019s name when they realized that the fox tracks left in the snow outside their cabin represented their own unpredictable and meandering path into music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cabin we went to was in Murphy, North Carolina \u2013 out in the middle of nowhere,\u201d said Schneid, during a phone interview last week as the band traveled to Albany, New York for the first show of the tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just a cabin in the woods \u2013 and old-style, all-wood cabin. It affected the music in a major, major way. Internet reception was terrible so we had very few distractions. We stayed focused on the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to now be out on the road and have a fresh take on our songs. The songs from \u2018The Cabin\u2019 are fun to play live. And, it\u2019s fun to put out new material. Road testing songs is the most essential thing for any band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to the tour, FOXTRAX was hard at work on a batch of new songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were recording for a week-and-a-half in Brooklyn,\u201d said Schneid. \u201cWe were doing some pre-production with an amazing production team. I think we made real magic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put the band together a few years ago when we lived in Long Island. We moved to L.A. a year ago but we\u2019re originally from Oceanside in Long Island \u2013 the \u2018Dirty O\u2019 as it\u2019s called.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe move to the West Coast has been great for us. We\u2019re in L.A. but we\u2019re spread out a bit. Jon and Jared live in Calabasas and I live in Westwood.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three guys got established in L.A. and then hooked up with producer\/engineer, Ben Roulston (Florence and the Machine, Wolf Alice). He heard \u201cThe Cabin\u201d demos and decided he could bring them to a new level.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the original version of \u2018The Cabin\u2019 in late 2015 and then moved to L.A.,\u201d said Schneid. \u201cThe mixes on the EP were great but they seemed like they were missing something.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got together with Ben and did the new mixes for the EP. That was in the middle of 2016. Once the new mixes were done, we took the old version down from online and put the new version up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roulston added production and a fresh mix to the EP and Brian Lucey (Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant, Black Keys) hopped on board to master the tracks. \u201cThe Cabin EP\u201d was greeted with a warm receptive from both critics and fans.<\/p>\n

Video link for FOXTRAX \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/7S-BjAcIy3U<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Foundry, which also features Barns Courtney, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Fillmore and The Foundry are Carrie Underwood on June 15, Day Wave on June 16, Blurred on June 17, Lizzo on June 18, Jarabe de Palo on June 19, Jason Isbell on June 19, and Reel Big Fish and Tunnel Vision on June 20.<\/p>\n

Another band from New York with a new release will also be playing a show in Philly on June 15.<\/p>\n

But, this band is from Buffalo rather than Long Island and its new release is an album rather than an EP.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Head North<\/p><\/div>\n

Buffalo-based cosmic rock band Head North, which just released its debut LP, \u201cThe Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World\u201d on June 2, MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Head North — Brent Martone, Ben Lieber, Alex Matos and Eli Ritter \u2013 has been a band since 2014.<\/p>\n

Their roots are in Williamsville, New York \u2013 a small town in the Buffalo suburbs that was home to electronic music pioneer Robert Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesizer, as well as New England Patriots\u2019 start Rob Gronkowski.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Brent went to high school together in Williamsville,\u201d said Lieber, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Buffalo.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur bassist Alex grew up in Buffalo and we knew each other for a while. Eli lives downstate and we met him in the music scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started the band right out of high school. We were angsty kids playing fast punk music. It was what we were looking for at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we got older and moved into adult stage, we refined our music more. We homed in on being high-caliber musicians creating music that mattered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had two EPs and two split-singles and now this is our first full-length. We recorded it at Barbershop Studios in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrior to that, we had done all our recording in Buffalo. With our shift in sound, we also wanted a shift in scenery. We lived in an apartment on Lake Hopatcong when we were making the record last May.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World\u201d w<\/em>as produced and mixed by Brett Romnes (I Am the Avalanche) and mastered by Jesse Cannon (Animal Collective, Man Overboard).<\/p>\n

The concept album revolves around an alternate world where both God and love are forbidden. The personal narratives are\u00a0told through the perspectives of principal songwriters — Martone, Lieber and Matos.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all contribute to the songwriting,\u201d said Lieber. “It\u2019s a universal effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album is meant to be a full piece. It\u2019s not an album fill of singles. We wrote it with the intent of being one long piece start-to-finish. It tells a story.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like the escapism concept. We transport listeners to a different environment. It\u2019s about a separate world where love and religion are banned and being the only person who still pursues these things.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are feelings of both bleakness and hope. I feel like we did a pretty good job of pushing listeners through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Head North \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/6exlQqWiM0E<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at MilkBoy, which also features gates and Vasudeva, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at MilkBoy Philly are J.C. Brooks on June 16, Los Colognes on June 17 and Jared and the Mill on June 21.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Band of Heathens<\/p><\/div>\n

On June 15, if you actually head north, you can travel to the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) to attend a concert by Band of Heathens.<\/p>\n

The Band of Heathens \u2013 Ed Jurdi (Guitar, Keys, Vocals), Gordy Quist (Guitar, Vocals), Trevor Nealon (Keys, Vocal), Richard Millsap (Drums, Vocals) and Scott Davis (Bass, Vocals) \u2013 are touring in support of their new album \u201cDuende.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out in January and we\u2019ve been touring pretty much non-stop ever since,\u201d said Jurdi, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon as the band travelled from Raleigh, North Carolina to a date in Richmond, Virginia.<\/p>\n

The Band of Heathens are an Americana band that has been in existence long before the term \u201cAmericana\u201d was coined. The band from Austin, Texas released its debut album \u201cLive from Momo\u2019s\u201d in 2006 and have had seven album releases between that album and \u201cDuende.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe response to \u2018Duende\u2019 has been really great,\u201d said Jurdi. \u201cWe did most of it in Austin with engineer Jim Vollentine at Tree Fort Studio and we did some in Nashville and Asheville.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe use Tree Fort because of Jum. He\u2019s a great engineer. The studio is located up in the hills outside of Austin and has a great vibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album was recorded all analog. Almost everything on the record was recorded through a tube. Jim is really into it and has built a lot of the analog gear there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Band of Heathens took their time making the new disc.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album throughout all of 2016,\u201d said Jurdi. \u201cIt took a little longer than some of pour previous records because of all the touring we were doing. We\u2019d go in and out of the studio whenever we had a break from touring. We had 40 songs and recorded 20. We did a four-song EP from the sessions that was released in Spring 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n

The word \u201cduende\u201d loosely means \u201chaving soul,\u201d — a heightened state of emotion, expression and authenticity, often connected with flamenco. The term was derived from the duende, an elf or goblin-like Magic creature in Spanish mythology.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe word \u2018duende\u2019 is a word that doesn\u2019t translate well to English,\u201d said Jurdi. \u201cIn Spain, they get it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a state like what they refer to in sports as being \u2018in the zone.\u2019 For us, it was about shutting off stuff around you and being in an elevated state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearly, duende permeated the making of the \u201cDuende\u201d album.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you make a record, you want to sequence it a certain way,\u201d said Jurdi. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting to create continuity and still have variety.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis album was a quest to get to the quintessential soul of what the band is all about. It was also about a search for connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Band of Heathens \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Uxvn0QAxQYw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show in Sellersville, which has Reed Foehl as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $ $19.50 and $29.50.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Masters Of The Telecaster featuring G.E. Smith, Jim Weider & Tom Principato<\/a> on June 16, Giada Valenti: From Venice With Love on <\/a>June 17, Jimmy Beaumont & The Skyliners<\/a> on June 18, and Joseph Arthur<\/a> with Allison Pierce<\/a> on June 21.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Cirque Italia<\/p><\/div>\n

Last summer, Delaware City hosted the first area visit by the prestigious Cirque Italia.<\/p>\n

The world-acclaimed show is returning to Delaware this weekend with a series of performances at Delaware Park (777 Delaware Park Blvd, Wilmington, Delaware, 941-704-8572, cirqueitalia.com\/tickets<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The circus will have eight performances now though Sunday \u2013<\/p>\n

June 15 and 16, 7:30 p.m.; and June 17 and 18, 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Cirque Italia is a show like no other. It is the first traveling water circus in the United States.<\/p>\n

The circus\u2019 stage holds 35,000 gallons of water and features a dynamic lid which lifts 35 feet into the air, allowing water to fall like rain from above as fountains dazzle below.<\/p>\n

This incredible show takes place under \u201cGrande Tenta\u201d \u2014 the circus\u2019 majestic white and blue big top tent which came all the way from Italy.<\/p>\n

Manuel Rebecchi, Cirque Italia\u2019s owner and founder, has a deep-seeded history in the circus industry. His late aunt, Moira Orfei, ran one of the largest circus shows in Europe.<\/p>\n

When Rebecchi came to the states several years ago, he wanted to create something special and memorable. He was actually inspired to create the water stage while drinking a bottle of water one day.<\/p>\n

This production is a European style circus show with no animals and a Las Vegas style water show. It\u2019s a water spectacular similar to a smaller-scale Bellagio fountain show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beginning in 2017, Cirque Italia, the first traveling Water Circus, introduces a second unit, the Gold Unit — a luxurious experience where technology and preforming arts are mixed to create a one-of-a-kind show.<\/p>\n

This new performance will feature an ultra-modern water curtain that controls every droplet of water meticulously. A careful casting selection has united the best artists from all over the world.<\/p>\n

This production will feature acts all the way from Russia to Mexico including Argentinian twin jugglers and a contortionist who is able to bend her body in ways you would never imagine.<\/p>\n

Video link for Cirque Italia \u2013 https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B2q89BETs63PVHROd0tXemY0bGc\/view?usp=drive_web<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices range from $10-$50.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jim Beard and Jon Herrington<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/em><\/a>) \u00a0will have Jim Beard and Jon Herington of Steely Dan<\/a> on June 15, andThe Wonderful Winos featuring Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez<\/a> on June 16.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/em><\/a>) will host Stu & the Gurus and Jack Greenwald on June 16 and BJ Sarkissian and many Rivers on June 17.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/em><\/a>) will present \u201cAn Allstar Tribute To Harry Nilsson’s ‘Nilsson Schmilsson’ featuring Reverend TJ McGlinchey, Tim Celfo of Mason Porter, Kevin Monko, and Frank Brown of Travel Lanes<\/a>,\u201d Cliff Hillis, and Railroad Fever<\/a> on June 15; \u201cArdmore Pop: A 50th Anniversary Celebration of Monterey Pop Festival<\/a>\u201d \u00a0with tributes from Indigenous (Jimi Hendrix), Johnny Showcase (Otis Redding), Dean & Company (The Grateful Dead), Zach Djanikian (Simon and Garfunkel), Ali Wadsworth (Janis Joplin), and The End Of \u00a0America (The Byrds<\/a>) on June 16; and Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles<\/a> along with Chris Turner<\/a> on June 18.<\/p>\n

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) is presenting \u201cCrazy for You\u201d now through June 25.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cCrazy for You\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/FsUwE4R4oXk<\/a><\/p>\n

Now through June 18, the Kimmel Center\u2019s \u201cBroadway Philadelphia\u201d series will present \u201cFun Home\u201d at the Forrest Theatre (1114 Walnut Street, Philadelphia,www.forrest-theatre.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cFun Home,\u201d which is based on Alison Bechdel\u2019s best-selling graphic memoir of the same name, was a smash hit on Broadway that won several Tony Awards for the 2015 season.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cFun Home\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/8mYQPMEysko<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Forrest Theater is running now through June 18 with 8 p.m. shows June 16-17, a 2 p.m. show on June 17 and 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. shows on June 18. Ticket prices range from $67-$132.<\/p>\n

Valley Forge Casino (1160 First Avenue, King Of Prussia, 610-354-8118, www.vfcasino.com<\/em><\/a>) will have The Great American Variety Show on June 15 and \u201cWho\u2019s Bad\u201d on June 16.<\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) will host Get The Led out on June 16 and 17, Vince Gill on June 18 and the \u201cHappy Together Tour 2017\u201d with The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, The Association, Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night), The Boxtops, The Cowsills, and The Archies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times The band FOXTRAX has the rare distinction of sharing its name with a glowing hockey puck. FoxTrax was a glowing puck — an augmented reality system that was utilized by Fox Sports\u2019 telecasts of the National Hockey League. It only lasted one season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[5813,5815,3162,5812,5794,5814,5816,5817],"class_list":["post-11846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-band-of-heathens","tag-cirque-italia","tag-featured","tag-foxtrax","tag-fun-home","tag-head-north","tag-jim-beard","tag-jon-herington"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11846","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=11846"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11847,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11846\/revisions\/11847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}