{"id":15010,"date":"2018-04-12T14:54:19","date_gmt":"2018-04-12T18:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=15010"},"modified":"2018-04-12T17:25:29","modified_gmt":"2018-04-12T21:25:29","slug":"on-stage-philly-area-girls-prove-they-rock-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=15010","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Philly area girls prove they rock this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Philly area girls rock \u2013 and they\u2019re ready to prove it once again tonight.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Soraia<\/p><\/div>\n

Back in September, Soraia \u2013 ZouZou Mansour (lead vocals, tambourine), Travis Smith (bass guitar, backup vocals), Mike Reisman (guitar, background vocals), Brianna Sig (drums, percussion, background vocals) \u2013 headlined a show at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The event was a had a \u201cCD Release Party\u201d to introduce Mansour\u2019s band\u2019s new album \u201cDead Reckoning.\u201d<\/p>\n

On April 12, Soraia, a Philadelphia-based rock\/garage\/punk\/blues-influenced band, returns to MilkBoy to rattle the rafters again.<\/p>\n

The music Soraia creates captures the essence of gritty blues-influenced rock music \u2014 the kind of rock you\u2019d hear in smoky bars back in the 1960s. It\u2019s not a retro-sound but rather a tapping into the emotional nature of the music.<\/p>\n

Soraia is the stage name of singer ZouZou Mansour and also the name of her band.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis line-up has been together two years now and is going strong,\u201d said Sig, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as the band prepared to leave for a gig in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\u201cA few years ago, I was playing in another band. Someone told me I looked like Soraia. Our bands shared a bill and I hinted that I wanted to be their drummer.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot long after that, Soraia needed a drummer for a tour and contacted me. I played on that tour and eventually, it turned into I was her drummer. That was two-and-a-half years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sig grew up in Norristown\u2019s West End and was the daughter of local jazz musician Bill Signorovitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI began drumming when I was about 10,\u201d said Sig. \u201cMy dad was a jazz guitarist, so I was exposed to music early. I graduated high school in 2007 and had my first band in 2010. It took a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sig found a home with Soraia and fit in well with the band\u2019s two veterans.<\/p>\n

\u201cTravis and I are the core of the band and we\u2019ve been together for over 10 years,\u201d said Mansour. \u201cWe released our first album \u2018The Valley of Love and Guns\u2019 in 2013, \u2018Soraia Lives\u2019 in 2014 and \u2018Less Than Zero\u2019 in 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the last year or so, Soraia has been playing songs from \u201cDead Reckoning,\u201d which was released on October 13 on Wicked Cool Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really helpful to tour before we recorded the album,\u201d said Sig. \u201cWe had a few months to road test the songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mansour said, \u201cLast summer, our label people told us to write songs and then play them live. We\u2019ve done it the other way and it didn\u2019t do that good. Live is when the magic starts to happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings are going really well with the band. We\u2019ve been touring a lot. Wicked Cool Records is owned by Little Steven Van Zandt from Bruce Springsteen\u2019s E Street Band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soraia had been building up songs for the new full-length for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started writing the songs last summer,\u201d said Mansour. \u201cWe sat down to write as many songs as we possibly could. My co-writer Travis and I worked on different ideas we had.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, he\u2019d give me a song idea and I\u2019d come up with the music. This time, we spent more time writing together. We\u2019re growing as writers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the new album in January at Renegade Studio in New York. Our label really wanted to capture our live sound. We did two songs with Little Steven and 10 with producing ourselves with engineer Geoff Sanoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band just set up and played live in the studio. It was all analog and recorded directly to tape \u2013 which was exciting. It was our first time to record analog so it was really special. It was nice to go in and be our own producer.\u201d<\/p>\n

It has taken Mansour a while to reach where she wants to be musically. It has also taken years for Mansour to find where she wants to be emotionally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was 17 when my mother died,\u201d said Mansour. \u201cI had just graduated from high school. That changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a period of time that included stretches of drug use, alcohol abuse and being homeless, Mansour got her life back on track. She became one of the survivors.<\/p>\n

She returned to college and graduated with a teaching degree. Then, she was lured back into the music world by her first love \u2014 singing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad always said \u2014 where there\u2019s a will there\u2019s a way,\u201d said Mansour. \u201cIt looks like I proved that he was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Soraia \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/mgDjOEfv5OE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at MilkBoy Philadelphia, which has Tomato Dodgers and Church Girls as the opening acts, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at MilkBoy are Andy Frasco and the U.N. on April 13 and 14, iNFiNiEN on April 15 and Fatai on April 18.<\/p>\n

Soraia will also be performing on April 16 at Fujiyama Sunset Lounge in Pottstown and on April 19 at 1984 in Wilmington, Delaware.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Janiva Magness<\/p><\/div>\n

Dealing with life as a homeless child is something that another female artist playing the area on April 12 \u2013 Janiva Magness — had to deal with when she was young.<\/p>\n

And, like Mansour, Magness turned a major negative into a positive. Hard times gave Magness the experience to sing the blues and R&B songs with authenticity.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a fan of the blues, you\u2019re probably already familiar with the music of Janiva Magness. If you\u2019re not, you owe it to yourself to rectify the situation.<\/p>\n

When Magness sings the blues, it\u2019s the real deal. While many blues\/country\/Americana artists claim to be singing the blues, they\u2019re missing the point.<\/p>\n

Blues needs to come from the heart as well as the vocal chords. Magness, who has a show at the Sellersville Theatre (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) on April 12, definitely sings from the heart.<\/p>\n

If the \u201cSchool of Hard Knocks\u201d is the place to learn the blues, Magness is a summa cum laude graduate — with a doctor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Born in Detroit, she lost both parents to suicide by the age of 16 and lived on the streets, bouncing from one foster home to another. At 17, she became a teenage mother who had to give up her baby daughter for adoption.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ran away from home when I was 13 and never went back again,\u201d said Magness, during a phone. \u201cI\u2019ve been living on my own since I was 13 and became an emancipated minor when I was 17.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest turning point was that I got lucky and found a great foster parent. That really changed the landscape for me. Someone stood up for me when I couldn\u2019t stand up for myself. That changed my life. It\u2019s a debt I can never repay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe she can\u2019t repay it but Magness has found a way to give back. She is an ambassador for Foster Care Alumni of America and and Child Welfare League of America.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe smallest act of kindness can change the life of a child,\u201d said Magness. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m honored to be a spokesperson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magness has also been honored other ways. She was a 2017 Grammy nominee, and has won the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award as well as seven Blues Music Awards (nominated 26 times) and was the 2015 Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year.<\/p>\n

The veteran singer is currently touring in support of her new album \u201cLove Is an Army,\u201d which was released in February on Fathead Records\/Blue \u00c9lan Records<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of the songs on the new album are essentially protest numbers. So, it seems appropriate that they take musical inspiration from the \u201960s and \u201970s recordings by artists such as The Staple Singers\u00a0and Al Green \u2013 artists whose lyrics about strength and love cut through the hubris and deceit that surrounded the Civil Rights struggle and the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut \u2018Love Is an Army\u2019 last year,\u201d said Magness Tuesday evening as she travelled through Virginia to a gig in Richmond.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took about a year to make. We took our time writing the songs \u2013 crafting the songs. The actual recording process didn\u2019t take that long. We recorded the album in L.A.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLove Is an Army\u201d captures the essence of the Memphis R&B sound that was generated in the Stax Records and Hi Records studios.<\/p>\n

The list of guest artists on the album includes Poco\u2019s pedal steel player Rusty Young, legendary Grammy-winning R&B singer Delbert McClinton, Grammy-nominated Mississippi hill-country blues singer Cedric Burnside, and banjo virtuoso Courtney Hartman.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be current and speak to what is happening in our lives, our communities and our world,\u201d said Magness. \u201cThe album is about things happening around the world. There is so much unrest in the world. People are really hurting. I can\u2019t think of another tine more necessary for our voices to be heard \u2013 standing up and speaking out\u2026speaking out to be heard.<\/p>\n

Video link for Janiva Magness — https:\/\/youtu.be\/a0ZSJAkbnV8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville, which has Mike Guldin and Rollin’ & Tumblin’ as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50 and $30.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue in Sellersville are Mountain Heart on April 13, Beru Revue on April 14, Janis Ian on April 15, Todd Snider on April 17 and Project\/Object on April 19.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Coping Skills<\/p><\/div>\n

Coping Skills \u2013 a non-binary rock duo featuring Rachel Dispenza and Lauren DeLucca \u2013 will headline a show at Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684,www.johnnybrendas.com<\/a>) on April 12.<\/p>\n

The two roommates and friends had a good knowledge of the music business when they embarked on music career a few years ago.<\/p>\n

They graduated from the University of the Arts having majored in \u201cMusic Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology.\u201d They worked in music venues in Philly \u2013 and still do. They knew what it took to make it in the music biz.<\/p>\n

The only thing they didn\u2019t know was how to play their instruments.<\/p>\n

DeLucca and Dispenza met by chance when they ended up moving into the same house after they both enrolled in college for the second time.<\/p>\n

They started working the same jobs, dreading the same bosses, and decided to learn how to play instruments so they could start a band. Coping Skills is that band.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met in college, lived in the same house and graduated from the same program,\u201d said Dispenza, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from their Philly home. \u201cWe began working jobs together and making music together.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeLucca said, \u201cGoing through school and learning about music, we wanted to start playing in a band and writing songs. We did it without really knowing how to play. Rachel had been playing guitar a little. I had never played bass before.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe graduated in 2015. We\u2019ve lived in three different houses with different roommates. Actually, we\u2019ve been living together since we met.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two come from diverse backgrounds.<\/p>\n

DeLucca grew up in nearby Lansdale, graduated from Germantown Academy and went to college initially at Fordham University.<\/p>\n

Dispenza graduated from Tunkhannock High in a small Poconos area town northwest of Scranton and started her collegiate career at Syracuse University.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a weird series of events that brought us together,\u201d said DeLucca. \u201cWe decided to be a band because it was something we both wanted to do. But, the way we did it is not the way you\u2019re supposed to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dispenza said, \u201cWhat has helped us is that we had knowledge of other building blocks. I know how to book shows. We knew how to record. And, we knew what it looked like to be a band.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also helped that both members of Coping Skills have worked for a while as servers at Boot & Saddle, one of Philly\u2019s popular clubs for indie rock music.<\/p>\n

DeLucca said, \u201cYou can see the progress we\u2019ve been making \u2013 from song to song.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since starting the band in 2015, they\u2019ve written a bunch of songs and played a bunch of shows and learned to play their instruments — more or less.<\/p>\n

In 2016, they released a tape called \u201cRelatable Web Content,\u201d which essentially describes the spirit of the thing. They self-identify as \u201cmoderately gay post-ironic bummer pop,\u201d which gives you a good idea of what you\u2019re in for \u2013 or not.<\/p>\n

They have a rotating cast of friends who play drums with them. For a while, they used a drum machine supposedly operated by a stuffed hedgehog named Doug.<\/p>\n

On April 13, Coping Skills is putting out a new record titled \u201cWorst New Music.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album at Big Mama\u2019s Studio in Philadelphia,\u201d said Dispenza. \u201cIt was recorded and mixed by Evan Bernard and Chris Baglivo. We recorded it last July and parts of August.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the songs were written last spring. There were a few we played a lot in our live shows. A lot of the songs were demo\u2019ed before we went in the studio. Right before the sessions, we wrote another song for the album \u2013 \u2018User Error.\u2019 It needed to be in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Coping Skills — https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZvOYdS0Kqqs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Christopher Cross<\/p><\/div>\n

On April 13, there are three talented acts playing in the area who have been making fans smile for quite a long time — Christopher Cross, whose eponymous debut album came out on Warner Bros. Records in 1979; Kim Richey, who released her first album, \u201cKim Richey,\u201d on Mercury Nashville Records in 1995, and Red Molly, who came together in 2004.<\/p>\n

On Friday evening, the Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610- 917-1228, www.thecolonialtheatre.com<\/a>) will host a concert by Christopher Cross, a singer with enduring popularity.<\/p>\n

Cross made history with his 1980 self-titled debut album, winning five Grammy Awards, including the four most prestigious awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year, for \u201cSailing,\u201d plus Album of the Year, and Best New Artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cSailing\u201d along with \u201cArthur\u2019s Theme (Best That You Can Do)\u201d both reached Number One on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 with \u201cSailing\u201d earning three Grammys and \u201cArthur\u2019s Theme\u201d winning the Oscar for Best Original Song.<\/p>\n

Now, more than 30 years after his extraordinary emergence into the music business, Cross continues his recording and performing career with a new album, \u201cTake Me As I Am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake Me As I Am\u201d is a unique offering from Cross. It is a hybrid of sorts. The songs are instrumentals with choruses to create the lyrical landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded most of the album in Austin and some of it in Nashville,\u201d said Cross, during a phone interview last week. \u201cIt was done the middle of last year. I usually put out an album every three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cFans who like my guitar playing have been hounding me for years to do a guitar album. It is a guitar album. And, there are hybrid instrumentals where choruses are sung.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a fun album to make. It was also a little intimidating. I liked that it was a challenge for me to make.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two very special songs are \u201cRoberta,\u201d dedicated to Christopher\u2019s mentor, Joni Mitchell, and \u201cTruth\u201d with a lyric by Rob Meurer, one of the last songs Rob wrote before his tragic passing.<\/p>\n

The album was recorded with a crew of very talented veteran musicians \u2013 Keith Carlock on drums, Will Lee on bass, Andy Suzuki on sax and Eddy Hobizal on keyboards.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill Lee is America\u2019s best bass player,\u201d said Cross. \u201cKeith Carlock was Steely Dan\u2019s drummer. It was a huge thrill to work with Keith. And, he\u2019s on the road with me for this tour. I\u2019m 67 and I\u2019m honored to be working with these musicians.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to studio musicians, this is a real \u2018Dream Team.\u2019 Part of the magic is what they do. Having the right people in the studio is very important. On my early albums, I learned a lot from Michael Omartian. We did four records together for Warmer bros. He\u2019s the most talented person I\u2019ve ever worked with \u2013 great instincts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cross has always taken advantage of great studio musicians. Even his self-title debut album in 1979 featured such luminaries as Don Henley, Michael McDonald, Eric Johnson, Larry Carlton, Nicolette Larson, Jim Horn, Lenny Castro and J.D. Souther.<\/p>\n

Cross\u2019 previous album was \u201cSecret Ladder,\u201d which was released in 2014 on his own label \u2013 Christopher Cross Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn that album, I was working lyrically with Rob Meuer,\u201d said Cross. \u201cI wanted to bring in another songwriter to work with. Rob wrote a lot of the lyrics himself. We\u2019re both in our 60s and we\u2019ve been through a lot. We\u2019re trying to capture the human experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cStaring up my own label was just about the reality of the music business today. Digital has decimated the industry. There has been a huge paradigm shift. So, now I just put my records out myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cross is dealing with the present and the future of his career but never neglecting the past \u2013 especially in his live shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI play all seven of the big hits in my show,\u201d said Cross. \u201cThe fans are important and I give them what they want to hear. I also get a chance to dig into my discography.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Christopher Cross \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/f7ERCJb3xV4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Colonial Theatre will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices are: Gold Circle: $52.50; Orchestra: $47.50; Front Balcony: $47.50; and Rear Balcony: $39.50.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Kim Richey<\/p><\/div>\n

On Friday night, Kim Richey will be headlining a show at Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Richey, a two-time Grammy-nominated, artist is a singer\/songwriter\/guitarist. More importantly, she is a storyteller \u2013 a modern-day minstrel whose words paint pictures. She writes interesting songs and delivers them with a voice that is a treat for the ears.<\/p>\n

Her early material showed an artist with the twang to be accepted by country audiences and the songwriting prowess to be accepted by the folk music club crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first album was in 1995,\u201d said Richey, during a recent phone interview from her home in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played Philly a bunch. WXPN was always nice to me. Philly has been a good town for me to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being a musician was not always Richey\u2019s occupation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a degree in environmental education,\u201d said Richey. \u201cIn 1988, I was working at a nature center in Bellingham, Washington when Bill Lloyd and Radney Foster asked me to move to Nashville. I\u2019ve lived on-and-off in Nashville ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richey\u2019s first three albums were on Mercury Records — 1995\u2019s \u201cKim Richey,\u201d 1997\u2019s \u201cBittersweet\u201d and 1999\u2019s \u201cGlimmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, her album releases have been 2002\u2019s \u201cRise\u201d (Lost Highway), 2004\u2019s \u201cThe Collection\u201d (Lost Highway), 2007\u2019s \u201cChinese Boxes\u201d (Vanguard), 2010\u2019s \u201cWreck Your Wheels\u201d (Lojinx\/Thirty Tigers), 2013\u2019s \u201cThorn In My Heart\u201d (Lojinx\/Yep Roc) and the recently-released \u201cEdgeland\u201d\u00a0 (Yep Roc).<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople ask why there was a five-year gap between \u2018Thorn in My Heart\u2019 and \u2018Edgeland,\u2019\u201d said Richey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a lot of touring between the last album and the new one. I was supposed to go in the studio with another producer but that fell apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richey recorded \u201cEdgeland\u201d in Nashville with the help of producer Brad Jones. It has 12 original tracks and features songwriting collaborations with Maendo Sanz, Mike Henderson, Bill Deasy, Al Anderson, Jenny Queen, Harry Hoke, Chuck Prophet and Pat McLaughlin, with the latter two also playing guitar and mandolin, respectively, on the album.<\/p>\n

Richey is backed on the album by Chris Carmichael (string arranger), Dan Cohen (multi-instrumentalist), Dan Dugmore (multi-instrumentalist), Robyn Hitchcock (guitar), Doug Lancio (multi-instrumentalist), Jerry Roe (drums) and Wilco\u2019s Pat Sansone (multi-instrumentalist).<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album last summer,\u201d said Richey. \u201cBrad Jones produced it, engineered it and played bass on it. He has strong opinions on stuff. I love working with him because there is no ego thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent a couple weeks in the studio. We cut every song we took in. I had a ton of songs. Brad had a list and I had a list. Together, we worked it out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually have a core tracking band. This time, we had three different tracking bands. Every band was really cool.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven with three bands, it has a uniform sound. The songs informed the players. \u00a0I think we got a pretty good mix of songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

If songs were currency, Richey would be a wealthy woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got songs like crazy,\u201d said Richey. \u201cI could go in the studio and record another one right now. I\u2019m writing less because I\u2019m touring more. Still, I\u2019m trying to write as much as I can. I\u2019ve got a great backload.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn these live shows, we\u2019ll do most of the songs from the new record. And, I always like to play some older songs. It\u2019s a good mix of old and new.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Kim Richey \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/N_41gStSnQo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kennett Flash will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Better Than Bacon and Ted Travorrow on April 12, Jackie \u201cThe Joke Man\u201d Martling on April 14, and Mountain Heart on April 15.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Red Molly<\/p><\/div>\n

Red Molly will visit the area on April 13 for a show at St. Paul\u2019s Church (7809 Old York Road, Elkins Park, 215-635-4185, www.stpaulsfriends.org\/red-molly<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Red Molly is a folk trio featuring Laurie MacAllister (vocals, bass), Abbie Gardner (vocals, guitar, dobro, lap steel guitar), and Molly Venter (vocals, guitar). The group performs original works composed by each of the group members, as well as covers of other songwriters.<\/p>\n

The group is known for its gorgeous harmonies, crisp musicianship, infectious songwriting, and warm, engaging stage presence. The three singer\/songwriters weave together the threads of American music — from folk roots to bluegrass, from heartbreaking ballads to barn-burning honky-tonk \u2014 as effortlessly as they blend their mellifluous voices into their signature soaring, crystalline three-part harmonies.<\/p>\n

The project came into existence at the 2004 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival<\/a>. MacAllister, Gardner, and Carolann Solebello, three solo singer-songwriters<\/a>, were the last ones left at a song circle. They liked the way they sounded together and decided to form a band. The name Red Molly is taken from a character in the Richard Thompson<\/a> song \u201c1952 Vincent Black Lightning<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their career started to take off in 2006. They were the top vote getters in the 2006 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival<\/a> Emerging Artist Showcase. WUMB<\/a> in Boston named them Top New Artist of the Year and picked their Album \u201cNever Been to Vegas\u201d as one of the stations \u201cTop Albums of 2006.\u201d<\/p>\n

Organic musicianship, a respect for the traditions of American music, and an obvious love of crafting music together lend a joyous atmosphere to their legendary live performances, and a natural balance to their studio recordings.<\/p>\n

Gracing stages from Denver to Denmark, from Australia to Austin, Red Molly is renowned for their live shows. Four-time featured artist at MerleFest, breakout stars at RockyGrass, and the darlings of the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, the trio makes music that brings audiences to their feet.<\/p>\n

After 11 years of touring, Red Molly announced in September 2015 that the group would be taking an indefinite hiatus from the road. They began working on other musical pursuits \u2013 including solo albums. Recently, they opted to bring Red Molly back into active mode. They chose PledgeMusic as the platform for their first-ever fundraising endeavor \u2013 a project that began on Valentine’s Day 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, we each wanted to make a solo record,\u201d said Gardner, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Jersey City, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe supported each other through that. My solo album came out in January. Laurie\u2019s is coming out in May and Molly\u2019s will be released in June.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made a record together during the Pledge campaign in the early part of last year. It\u2019s called \u2018All for One, One for All.\u2019 It came out privately at first for the Pledge supporters. It\u2019s a six-song EP that we will also be selling at our shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it at Molly\u2019s home in New Haven, Connecticut. We put the couched on their end and recorded in her living room. We made the album with the help of her husband Eben Pariser. It was mostly covers along with a song I wrote called \u2018Sail Away.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cStill, we didn\u2019t have any plans of when we\u2019d come back. We did a few shows last fall in the Northeast and Northwest. Now, we\u2019re doing more shows this spring. We\u2019re touring the month of April every weekend. We\u2019ll do a festival this summer and another month of tours in the fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, all three will be doing solo shows this year in support of their new solo albums.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur live set for this tour is pretty exciting,\u201d said Gardner. \u201cWe have a ton of new songs. We want to inject new life into our shoes and we have a ton of new songs. Some are originals. Some are covers and some are songs from our solo albums.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a nice, solid rhythm section with Eben on percussion and electric guitar and my husband Craig Akin on upright bass. I\u2019m still playing dobro. Molly is playing guitar and tambourine and Laurie is playing guitar \u2013 and a little tambourine. Having taken a break and the challenge of learning new songs has made it a lot more lively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Red Molly \u2013https:\/\/youtu.be\/F_FBnNa43Nc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at St. Paul\u2019s will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 and $40.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will host the Greg Sover Band and Anna Spackman on April 13 and JD Malone & the Experts on April 14.<\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) will present Neil Tapp, Venn Sung, Ari Gans, Nick Shattell Tom Wagner, and Owen\u00a0Crowley on April 13 and Florida Wayne, Grimm, Senvenire, Josh Maddux, and Kevin Cox on April 14.<\/p>\n

Upcoming shows at the Ardmore Music Hall are Ghost Light featuring Tom Hamilton and Holly Bowling on April 12, Everyone Orchestra on April 13, Nik Greeley and Swwik on April 15, and The Mallett Brothers featuring Jon Fishman with special guest Mason Porter and the Wallace Brothers on April 18.<\/p>\n

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com<\/a>) will present Andrea Nardello and Anna Rose on April 13 and Tin Bird Choir with Bethany Brooks on April 14.<\/p>\n

The Academy of Music (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia, 215-731-3333, www.kimmelcenter.org<\/a>) will host the hit musical \u201cOn Your Feet\u201d now through April 15.<\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) presents Iyanla Vanzant on April 12, \u201cOne Night of Queen\u201d on April 13, and Jeanne Robertson on April 15.<\/p>\n

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) presents The Migration on April 12 and 13, Step Afrika on April 13, \u201cClassic Albums \u2013 Sgt. Peppers\u201d on April 14, and Acrobats of Cirque-tacular on April 15.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Philly area girls rock \u2013 and they\u2019re ready to prove it once again tonight. Back in September, Soraia \u2013 ZouZou Mansour (lead vocals, tambourine), Travis Smith (bass guitar, backup vocals), Mike Reisman (guitar, background vocals), Brianna Sig (drums, percussion, background vocals) \u2013 headlined a show at MilkBoy Philly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15005,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[6886,6885,3162,4205,2130,2244,5049],"class_list":["post-15010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-christopher-corss","tag-coping-skills","tag-featured","tag-janiva-magness","tag-kim-richey","tag-red-molly","tag-soraia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15010","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=15010"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15013,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15010\/revisions\/15013"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}