{"id":15189,"date":"2018-04-26T14:07:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T18:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=15189"},"modified":"2018-04-26T14:07:07","modified_gmt":"2018-04-26T18:07:07","slug":"on-stage-the-residents-a-band-like-no-other","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=15189","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: The Residents, a band like no other"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

The Residents<\/p><\/div>\n

The Residents, who will bring their \u201cIn Between Dreams Tour\u201d to the Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>) on April 26, are band like no other.<\/p>\n

The Residents are a band from San Francisco. They have been around since 1972 and have never revealed the identity of any of their members. Their music has encompassed an amazing array of styles but has always been instantly recognizable as the work of The Residents. They are musical pranksters and serious musicians \u2013 simultaneously.<\/p>\n

As would be expected from a band that has remained anonymous for so long, The Residents do not do interviews. However, the band does communicate through its spokesperson at the Cryptic Corporation — Homer Flynn (who might himself be a member of The Residents, but, even if he were, would never admit it).<\/p>\n

Every album by The Residents is totally different than the one that preceded it yet, at the same time, is instantly recognizably The Residents. The Residents do not push the boundary of rock music — they step outside the boundary and pull it toward them.<\/p>\n

Every tour by The Residents\u2019 album is totally different than the one that preceded it yet \u2013 and totally different from any other tour by a rack band.o<\/p>\n

The official inception of the Residents was the release of \u201cMeet the Residents\u201d in 1974, but members of the group had worked together since 1969 or perhaps earlier. The band is known for its wide range of named guest stars and collaborators, its multitude of concept albums, its ambitious multimedia, audiovisual, and stage projects and the mystery surrounding much of its activities, from its history as a band to the identity of its members.<\/p>\n

The band has consistently stated that it took its name from a rejection letter that it had received from Warner Bros. Records. They sent the label a demo tape anonymously and the rejection letter that followed simply addressed them as \u201cResidents.\u201d<\/p>\n

For decades, The Residents \u201cofficially\u201d had four members \u2013 no matter how many members appeared on stage. On their last few tours, the Residents had just three members on stage. The quartet had become a power trio \u2013 strings, keyboards and the singer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Residents have gone from being a three-piece back to being a four-piece,\u201d said Flynn, during an early morning phone interview last week.<\/p>\n

Flynn, who accompanies the band on tour, had just awakened to a strange situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI woke up in the back of the bus this morning and the bus was in a body shop,\u201d said Flynn, who is responsible for much of The Residents\u2019 graphics. \u201cThe bus had a blowout in the middle of the night and lost a wheel. It\u2019s been kind of crazy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a way, shifting back to a four-piece was getting back to the roots. The previous incarnation of the band had been using a lot of backing tracks. This incarnation is more real.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was an offer about 18 months ago for the band to d six shows in Tokyo. Those shows happened about a year ago. The Residents had been doing the \u2018Shadowland Tour\u2019 and wanted to approach the Tokyo show differently. The Tokyo show was 75 minutes and the show for the European tour that followed was expanded to 90 minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are doing the longer set on this tour and the songs they are playing are drawn from the entire catalog.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Residents have an amazing catalog with more than 50 studio albums, approximately 25 live albums and close to 40 compilation and remix albums.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tour is \u2018In Between Dreams\u2019 with all dream-related material,\u201d said Flynn. \u201cThere are also four very short videos that act as exclamation points. Each is a different character \u2013 like\u00a0 Richard Nixon dreaming he is a blues singer. The Residents definitely like to deal with the surreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

In keeping with The Residents\u2019 tradition, the musicians onstage will conceal their identities. The band\u2019s members have always worn disguises or costumes when they\u2019ve performed — frequently the tuxedo and eyeball-head-with-top-hat outfits that have become the band\u2019s trademark look.<\/p>\n

After starting in Louisiana, The Residents moved to San Francisco and founded Ralph Records in 1972. A few years later, some of the band\u2019s old friends from Shreveport moved to Bay Area and began managing the group so that The Residents would be free from the business end of things. Those friends became The Cryptic Corporation, which has managed the band ever since.<\/p>\n

Video link for The Residents — https:\/\/youtu.be\/k5niCqW32i0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Foundry will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Foundry are Drew Baldridge on April 27, Assembly of Dust on April 28, Jeremy Loops on April 29, Zahsosaa and Gang! on May 1.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Peter Hook<\/p><\/div>\n

There will be another show on April 26 featuring a band with a lot of history on display when Peter Hook & the Light headlines a concert at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Peter Hook and The Light is an English rock band, formed in May 2010 by the former Joy Division and New Order<\/a> bassist, Peter Hook. The band also features Hook’s son Jack Bates (bass), as well as Andy Poole (keyboards) and Paul Kehoe (drums), who both played with Hook as part of Monaco, one of Hook’s previous groups. The band is noted for performing the Joy Division and New Order albums live.<\/p>\n

Peter Hook & The Light return to North America from late April to early June 2018 with a run of shows performing Joy Division and New Order\u2019s legendary Factory Records compilation albums \u201cSubstance\u201d live — sequentially and in their entireties.<\/p>\n

Released in August 1987, New Order\u2019s \u201cSubstance\u201d was originally conceived as a way for Factory Records boss, Tony Wilson, to play the New Order singles on the CD player of his new Jaguar car. Substance became the best-selling New Order album ever upon its release with the double LP going on to sell two million copies in America alone.<\/p>\n

Widely considered New Order\u2019s strongest album (\u201ctheir most popular, well known, highly rated and arguably the most influential\u201d — Sputnik Music), Factory Records\u2019 200th release featured the bands seminal 12-inch mixes of their singles as well as versions of \u201cConfusion\u201d and \u201cTemptation\u201d re-recorded for the LP.<\/p>\n

Running from \u201cCeremony\u201d in 1981 up to \u201cTrue Faith\u201d in 1987 (again recorded especially for the album), the set takes in the high points of New Order\u2019s catalogue, including \u201cTemptation,\u201d \u201cThieves Like Us,\u201d \u201cThe Perfect Kiss\u201d and \u201cBizarre Love Triangle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Released the following year in July 1988, Joy Division\u2019s \u201cSubstance\u201d features all the singles which did not appear on the albums such as \u201cTransmission,\u201d \u201cKomakino,\u201d \u201cLove Will Tear Us Apart\u201d and \u201cAtmosphere,\u201d as well as B-sides, tracks from their EP \u201cAn Ideal For Living\u201d and the Factory Records sampler.<\/p>\n

Factory Records\u2019 250th release begins with \u201cWarsaw\u201d and takes in the development of the band through \u201cDigital\u201d and \u201cDead Souls\u201d to the band\u2019s final tracks. The collection demonstrates the same energy as a full-length LP with several key B-sides added.
\nPeter Hook & The Light have toured Joy Division and New Order\u2019s albums extensively since debuting \u201cUnknown Pleasures\u201d back in 2010 with dates all across the world which have been very well received by critics and fans alike.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen New Order finished in 2007, I worked as a deejay for a while,\u201d said Hook, during a recent phone interview from his home just outside Manchester, England.<\/p>\n

\u201cI missed playing. In 2010, I realized that it had been 30 years since (Joy Division singer) Ian Curtis passed. I turned to friends in Monaco to get together and celebrate 30 years. I wanted to find a way to do it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, Hook set about to do an ongoing series of tours celebrating the music of Joy Division and New Order.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done a lot of the albums already,\u201d said Hook. \u201cI still have a few more to do. Then, I\u2019ll be doing all the B-sides.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe interesting things about Joy Division \u2013 I didn\u2019t look at any of the music in depth until 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the songs were never played live. It just feels really special to get them out there. When New Order decided to re-unite without me, it was a sense of loss. It helps that I\u2019ve been re-united with these songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finish this cycle in America \u2013 even though promoters want more. This is the last time with these songs. We\u2019ll start working with new albums as soon as we get back to the U.K.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been recording shows. We\u2019ve put out live renditions of every Peter Hook tour \u2013 vinyl, CD, and download. Vinyl has done really well. It\u2019s nice to see the shift to vinyl. Nothing can replace the tactical feel of a vinyl record.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tours have been surprising in a way. I thought it would be a bunch of old blokes at the live shows \u2013 a 48-60 demographic. But, I\u2019m finding a lot of youngsters at the shows too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Peter Hook & the Light \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/UM1nrDwpbS4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Union Transfer will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Hayley Orrantia<\/p><\/div>\n

Hayley Orrantia<\/a>, the actress that America has fallen in love with from her role on the TV comedy \u201cThe Goldbergs,\u201d has another side to her career in the entertainment world. She is also an accomplished singer.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, Orrantia took her music on the road. She us currently touring the states with her \u201cStrong, Sweet and Southern Tour,\u201d which is named after her single of the same name.<\/p>\n

The new tour consists of 20 live performance dates between April 5 and May 19 \u2013 including a show on April 26 at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 202-730-3331, www.thequeenwilmington.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cI started the tour a few weeks ago in my hometown \u2013 Dallas,\u201d said Orrantia, during a phone interview last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my very first tour. It\u2019s a fun learning process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike many acts, Orrantia is not on the road touring in support of a new album.<\/p>\n

Most people are familiar with Orrantia from her role as Lainey Goldberg in \u201cThe Goldbergs.\u201d She released her first single in 2015, and has continued to drop new singles steadily over the last two years, with the most recent being \u201c<\/a>Give Me Back Sunday\u201d and \u201cStrong, Sweet and Southern.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have an album to tour,\u201d said Orrantia. \u201cI prefer just releasing singles. I have three new songs ready to go. I think singles is the best way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orrantia grew up in Texas but relocated to places more suitable for her twin careers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI live in L.A. and Nashville now,\u201d said Orrantia. \u201cI do my recording in Nashville. It\u2019s country-pop \u2013 but it\u2019s really more like country. Working with musicians in Nashville, it just naturally came out more country.<\/p>\n

\u201cLately, I go into the studio and do just one song at a time. I\u2019m touring now with a band I assembled for the road. We\u2019ve got piano, guitar, mandolin, drums and bass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orrantia had a little bit of a setback last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had vocal surgery,\u201d said Orrantia. \u201cI had a polyp on my vocal cord. I had to do the surgery and then had to rest for one month. I still am having issues on and off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Goldbergs,\u201d which is shot in L.A., is set in the 1980s in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. Orrantia had the opportunity to visit Jenkintown for the first time the other day \u2013 and get her first taste of Philly cheesesteaks.<\/p>\n

In the TV show, many references to real-life Philadelphia-area businesses are made — including the Wawa, Gimbel’s department store, Willow Grove Park Mall and Kremp’s Florist of Willow Grove.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things I was looking forward to has been visiting Kremp\u2019s Florist,\u201d said Orrantia.<\/p>\n

In conjunction with the local connection, there is a special two-for-one deal for Jenkintown residents on the day of the Wilmington show for those who can present proof of residency at the box office.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have 15 songs in my live set and 13 are originals,\u201d said Orrantia. \u201cI started with music on piano. So, I write mostly on piano. I also write on guitar. It\u2019s a mix of both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Hayley Orrantia \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/30hSOZtCUX0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Queen, which has Brennley Brown as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

Vinyl Shockley and Stone Shakers on April 27, Black Stone Cherry on April 28, and The Used on May 1.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Echosmith<\/p><\/div>\n

On April 27, Echosmith will bring its energetic and engaging brand of indie-rock to the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Even before Echosmith released its debut album \u201cTalking Dreams\u201d in 2013, the Los Angeles alt-pop band had been gaining popularity at an amazing rate. The Sierota siblings — Sydney (vocals\/keyboard), Jamie (vocals\/guitar), Noah (vocals\/bass), and Graham (drums) \u2013 grew up in Southern California in a musical household and shared a love for playing instruments and listening to bands as varied as Coldplay, The Smiths, U2, Joy Division, and Fleetwood Mac.<\/p>\n

As soon as they could hold instruments, they began playing music together as kids. They traded the living room for farmers markets and open mic nights, while quietly honing their songwriting chops.<\/p>\n

\u201cTalking Dreams\u201d earned a prestigious RIAA gold certification, yielding the double-platinum breakout smash \u201cCool Kids,\u201d which notched a quarter-of-a-billion Spotify streams, and the platinum-certified \u201cBright.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2014, Echosmith was named both an MTV \u201cArtist to Watch\u201d and a VH1 \u201cYou Oughta Know\u201d Artist. They have performed all over national TV, from Ellen and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with \u201cCool Kids\u201d to Live!<\/p>\n

Last month, the band released its new single \u201cOver My Head,\u201d which is the first taste of the next album that\u2019s coming this summer. It\u2019s also the latest release since the band returned with the \u201cInside A Dream\u201d EP<\/a> last fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur dad was a musician and songwriter,\u201d said Noah Sierota, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Eugene, Oregon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe played piano and drums. We all got to learn everything \u2013 bass, guitar, upright bass, synthesizer. And, we all play drums. It makes songwriting sessions more fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith songwriting, we stat with what we bring to the group \u2013 melodies or an idea. We write with our dad too. We care about the message we send out. It\u2019s a fun process. Usually, a story idea comes first, and we look for a message.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though the siblings are young \u2013 Graham 19, Sydney 21, Noah, 22 \u2013 they have been doing this for a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started at a very young age,\u201d said Sierota. \u201cAbout 12 years ago, we all played together at a cancer benefit. We played songs by Rage Against the Machine, Rihanna and Coldplay. Ever since then, we\u2019ve been trying to find places to play. We avoided the pay-for-play scene in L.A. \u2013 too much pressure and not my favorite way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did our first recording when we started having a studio at our house. Eventually, we got on YouTube. But, nothing worked until we got signed to Warner Bros. We did a free concert at Warner Bros. pretty soon after we got signed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another step in the band\u2019s development was playing on the Warped Tour in 2013 and 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Warped Tour is a tough tour \u2013 but it\u2019s a fun tour,\u201d said Sierota. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like it. Every single city \u2013 it\u2019s the hottest day. But, you learn that to work in the music industry, you\u2019ve got to grind it out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released our first album in 2013 and it\u2019s been all EPs since then. Our new album is done but we\u2019re still figuring out details. It has no name yet. We do have all the songs done, mixed and mastered and we\u2019re working on the visual components. We\u2019ve had time to work on every aspect.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a little more synth-heavy than our first album. We keep growing as a band and our sound is a little more diverse that it was five years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Echosmith — https:\/\/youtu.be\/AXckdk_po0M<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at TLA will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at TLA are Kate Nash on April 26, They Might Be Giants on April 28, Protest the Hero on April 29, Tricky on April 30, Steel Panther on May 1 and The Sword on May 2.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Quebe Sisters<\/p><\/div>\n

Another act featuring three siblings will be performing in the area on April 27 when the Quebe Sisters headline a show at the Miller Center for the Arts (4 North Second Street, Reading, 610-607-6270, www.millercenter.racc<\/a>.edu).<\/p>\n

The Quebe Sisters are a fiddle-centric Western swing group from Texas. The band features a trio of sisters \u2014 Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe. Formed in 2002, the band performs fiddle music \u2014 Western and traditional Texas style \u2014 along with Western swing and vintage country.<\/p>\n

When the Quebes (rhymes with \u201cmaybe\u201d) take the stage, the triple-threat fiddle champions play and sing in multi-part close harmony. The trio\u2019s vocal and instrumental performances are authentic all-Americana.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sisters and I started playing music for fun,\u201d said Hulda Quebe, during a phone interview last week from the sisters\u2019 home in Dallas. \u201cWe grew up in Krum, Texas. We never thought we\u2019d play music professionally as fiddlers. We just played little Suzuki violins. It was fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, our teacher encouraged us to enter a fiddle contest. We ended up quitting playing violin and stared fiddling. We started taking lessons and our teachers saw the potential. That\u2019s when we started competing in fiddle contests.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Hulda, Sophia and Grace were ages 7, 10 and 12 in 1998, they attended their first local fiddle competition in nearby Denton, and decided fiddling was what they wanted to do.\u00a0The sisters earned solo and group accolades early on \u2014 winning state and national championships in their respective age groups in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur teachers were Sherry McKenzie and her husband Joey McKenzie, who was a professional fiddler,\u201d said Hulda, the youngest of the three.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey gave us music to listen to \u2014 western, jazz and country. The three of us would sit in the same room and take lessons together. We\u2019d all learn the same kind of material and we kept progressing at the same level. We learned about chords and arranging. Soon, we were playing gigs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince then, we tour all the time. Tours range from a week to a month or more. We\u2019ve been coming to Pennsylvania for a long time. Some of our earliest shows were in Pennsylvania. We love touring. It\u2019s been great to see so much and to meet so many wonderful people along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with headlining their own shows, the Quebe Sisters have shared stages with American music legends like Willie Nelson, George Strait, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Ray Price, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel, and Riders in the Sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first album in 2003 \u2014 \u2018Texas Fiddle\u2019 \u2014 was an all-instrumental album,\u201d said Hulda. \u201cWe weren\u2019t really a band yet. We\u2019re proud of that album. We were kids and we did a good job. One of the people who recommended we do vocals was Ricky Skaggs. He invited us to play the Grand Old Opry.<\/p>\n

Opry announcer Eddie Stubbs told listeners on his own show on Nashville\u2019s WSM \u2014 \u201cOne thing is for sure, you don\u2019t see a group like The Quebe Sisters come along every day. Give them your undivided attention, and if you\u2019re not already, you too, will become a fan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2005, we started singing in our own shows,\u201d said Hulda. \u201cWe\u2019ve been working on building our fan base and finding our sound musically. We\u2019re working together on material for a new album and were just in rehearsals this week. We have a lot of songs \u2013 and we\u2019re trying out some of the new songs live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Quebe Sisters \u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/QANZnAKDvc8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Miller Center will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Tristen<\/p><\/div>\n

Tristen, whose full name is Tristen Gaspadarek, is an American musician and songwriter. When she was eight, her musician father encouraged her to take up the piano.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father is such an amazing musician,\u201d said Tristen, during a phone interview last week from her home in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always exposed to music and I\u2019ve been singing songs since I was four. Later, I sang in choir, theater productions \u2013 anything creative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote my first song when I was eight. It was about a woman who was sad about her man leaving her. People were asking me how I knew about things like that. My real songwriting began when I was 14 when I started playing guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating from De Paul University<\/a> in 2007, where she studied relational group and organizational theories of communication, Tristen moved to Nashville to focus on her music.<\/p>\n

Since then, she has released four albums \u2014 2008\u2019s \u201cTeardrops and Lollipops\u201d (Pupsnake Records), 2011\u2019s \u201cCharlatans At The Garden Gate\u201d (American Myth), 2013\u2019s \u201cC A V E S\u201d (Pupsnake Records) and 2017\u2019s \u201cSneaker Waves\u201d (Modern Outsider).<\/p>\n

\u201cSneaker Waves\u201d was released on July 7. Its first single, \u201cGlass Jar\u201d featured Jenny Lewis, killer vocals by Tristen and a nostalgic feel. The album\u2019s second single, \u201cGot Some,\u201d has been described as dreamy indie-pop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started tracking the album in August 2014,\u201d said Tristen. \u201cI went in with about 30 songs. I was working on it at my home studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I joined Jenny Lewis\u2019s tour as a singer. I didn\u2019t work on my music at all when I was on tour with Jenny. After the tour finished, I came back home in 2016 and worked on it more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to take my time. I write a lot of songs so I like to get space to make sure it\u2019s the best stuff — to make sure I really like it. \u201cThere is no real pressure to do anything. When I got to finishing it in 2016, I focused on what songs were working. I also looked for what was missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

With such a prolific writing style, choosing the songs that make the final cut can be a challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cSelecting the songs to use isn\u2019t that hard,\u201d said Tristen. \u201cThere is just a feeling at the very end. Then, you get all the songs that are done and decide on the order.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tristen is comfortable with her songwriting style.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t try to obfuscate,\u201d said Tristen. \u201cThere are some allegories. I like to use phrases that have weight and meaning. I want people to see themselves in the songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to find repeating patterns \u2013 pieces of advice that I tell other people or that other people tell me. I enjoy writing about love.<\/p>\n

\u201cWriting is a part of who I am. Every day, I work on it in some capacity. I never stop learning stuff and making things.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a lot of touring lately, Tristen\u2019s songwriting has been forced to the back burner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t really been writing in a while,\u201d said Tristen. \u201cI\u2019m itching to do that. The main focus is on making my next album. I can write lyrics on the road. But, I don\u2019t actually get into my headspace until I\u2019m home alone in my studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cTouring is the most grueling kind of work. People see that one-and-a-half-hour of fun at a show and think what a great job it is. They don\u2019t see all the behind-the-scenes work. I\u2019ve learned how to develop a flow and determine what is the best show I can do.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor this tour, it\u2019s a duo \u2013 me and Buddy Hughen. Buddy is my sidekick, husband and collaborator \u2013 and lead guitarist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Tristen \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/hV0Sns23W8k<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Underground Arts, which has Robyn Hitchcock as headliner, will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $28.<\/p>\n

On April 27, Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/undergroundarts.org<\/a>) will host a show with Trsiten opening for Robyn Hitchcock.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Underground Arts are The Ghost of Paul Revere on April 28 and Backtrack on April 29.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

El Dusty<\/p><\/div>\n

Cinco de Mayo may still be a few days away but you can get in the spirit of the holiday early by attending El Dusty\u2019s concert on April 27 at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Raised and rooted in Corpus Christi, Texas, producer, DJ, and nu-cumbia pioneer El Dusty translates the Southern Texas border experience into new barrio anthems where the MPC2000 sampler and chopped clips of Latin music history collide.<\/p>\n

El Dusty\u2019s self-taught approach is as collaborative as it is singular, drawing from a crate-digging and turntablist tradition that links Latin classics with the new generation of bass-heavy sound system and hip-hop cultures.<\/p>\n

As a producer, El Dusty\u2019s aesthetic is an effortless rendering of his palette for old school sounds thanks to growing up in a home soundtracked by Tejano anthems, Chicano soul music, classic rock, \u201870s Latin soul. These classic sounds are balanced by a solid education in hip-hop, and house music in their earliest stages thanks to his older brother, with this combination of aesthetics and generations laying the groundwork for the massive sample catalog he\u2019s been building non-stop for years.<\/p>\n

El Dusty always wanted to be a DJ, inspired by DMC videos and top-notch turntablism routines from the likes of Bad Boy Bill and Richard \u201cHumpty\u201d Vission\u2019s open format approach to mixing genres and razor-sharp scratching routines. He got his start practicing on a pair of Technic 1200s at home at the age of 12, teaching himself turntablism skills that landed him on the radio with his own mix show by the age of 16.<\/p>\n

El Dusty\u2019s work has not gone unnoticed. He received a Latin Grammy Nomination for \u201cBest Urban\/Fusion Performance\u201d for his song \u201cCumbia Anthem\u201d and was named to Rolling Stone\u2019s 10 New Artists You Need to Know, Billboard\u2019s New Latin Act to Watch in 2016, and Pandora\u2019s Latin Artists to Watch 2016.<\/p>\n

Soon, audiences around the world will be introduced to El Dusty\u2019s modern take on cumbia when he releases his debut album in May.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been working on an album for a couple years,\u201d said El Dusty, during a phone interview Monday from a tour stop in Boston. \u201cI\u2019ve been collecting tracks \u2013 especially stuff I\u2019ve done with other peipole. I\u2019ve bene trying to get people to sibg my lyrics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to be my first album. I have a mashup EP from a few years ago at SXSW 2010. That was a bunch of old cumbia tracks that I\u2019d mashup. My goal now is to make songs more than mashups \u2013 songs the traditional way.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are still some songs on the album that are samples but I feel the way to go is to have real songs. EDM (electronic dance music) is great but real songs are lyrics talking to the listener. I want to make this genre bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cumbia is folkloric rhythm and dance from Colombia that began as a courtship dance practiced among the indigenous population on the Caribbean coasts of Colombia. It later mixed with African and European instruments, steps and musical characteristics. By the 1940s cumbia began spreading from the coast to other parts of Colombia and eventually spread to other Latin countries like Peru, El Salvador and Mexico.<\/p>\n

El Dusty\u2019s modern take on cumbia can be heard on his latest single \u201cLa Cumbia\u201d and the accompanying video that was shot in the streets of Corpus with dancers of all ages moving to the beat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a fun song to make and it used different influences. I took cumbia crunk drums and some classic Colombian samples and then re-recorded it live. The video was made on Dia de Los Muertos in Corpus Christi.\u201d<\/p>\n

El Dusty has been working on his craft for a while.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI started DJing in 1992 when I was 12 and started producing in 1998,\u201d said El Dusty. \u201cI listened to my mom\u2019s records \u2013 a lot of Tejano and Chicano \u2013 a lot of everything. She inherited her record collection from her cousin who was a DJ. I got it and it was a trailerful \u2013 soul, Spanish soul, Tejano, cumbia. A lot of the artists were super soulful.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Corpus, cumbia is a big deal. Selena (Selena Quintanilla-P\u00e9rez, the late American singer, songwriter, spokesperson, model, actress, and fashion designer who was known as the \u201cQueen of Tejano music<\/a>\u201d) is from Corpus. A lot of bands there play cumbia \u2013 more in the Tejano style.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got interested in it and learned a lot of different styles. Cumbia was brought from Africa to Colombia and became popular in a lot of Latin countries. My music has South American cumbia, a lot of gangster and some spooky stuff. I also have a band \u2013 Master Blaster Sound System with Brian Ramos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for El Dusty \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/KFLM-myvgbw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at MilkBoy, which also features Cut Chemist, will start at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at MilkBoy are The Heavy Pets on April 26 and Eyes Everywhere on April 28.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Harmonica & Rockett 88<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will have Dr. Harmonica & Rockett 88<\/a> on April 27 and Rust \u2013 A Tribute to Neal Young on April 28, and Yarn on May 2.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will host Play Ball Etc.\u2019s Spring Comedy Thing on April 27 and 92nd<\/sup> Street with ray Adkins on April 28.<\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) will host Nxt2normal and Tree Rats on April 28.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will present \u201cDreams: Playing the Music of The Allman Brothers Band feat. Ron Holloway\u201d on April 27, Billy Squier & GE Smith on April 29 and \u201cA Night of Bowie: David Bowie Tribute w\/ members of Philadelphia’s Night of Stardust Band\u201d on May 2.<\/p>\n

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com<\/a>) will present John Flynn with Katie Barbato on April 27 and TDFI on April 28.<\/p>\n

The Merriam Theater (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org<\/a>) will is hosting the National Tour of \u201cSound of Music\u201d now through April 29.<\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will have Trout Steak Revival on April 26, Joseph with Becca Mancari on April 27, Suzanne Vega on April 28, Bookends (Simon & Garfunkel Tribute)<\/a> on April 29, and Manu Delago on May 2.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Residents, who will bring their \u201cIn Between Dreams Tour\u201d to the Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com) on April 26, are band like no other. The Residents are a band from San Francisco. They have been around since 1972 and have never revealed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[6934,6936,3162,6933,6932,6935,6931,5405],"class_list":["post-15189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-echosmith","tag-el-dusty","tag-featured","tag-hayley-orrantia","tag-peter-hook","tag-quebe-sisters","tag-the-residents","tag-tristen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15189","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=15189"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15190,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15189\/revisions\/15190"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}