{"id":17237,"date":"2018-12-01T08:25:21","date_gmt":"2018-12-01T13:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=17237"},"modified":"2018-12-01T08:25:27","modified_gmt":"2018-12-01T13:25:27","slug":"on-stage-a-little-something-for-everyone-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=17237","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: A little something for everyone this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Michelle Lewis<\/p><\/div>\n

There is a great variety of live music on tap in the area this weekend \u2013 a folk\/country singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, rocking twin sisters from New Jersey, a young Australian singer-songwriter, a Pennsylvania-born song stylist whose repertoire covers more than a half-century, a guitarist-singer-songwriter from Kenya, a heavy twin-guitar band from Georgia and a Frank Zappa tribute band featuring members of the Mothers of Invention<\/p>\n

Southern California transplant Michelle Lewis, just released her latest album \u2013 \u201cAll That\u2019s Left\u201d \u2013 and is having a CD Release Party on December 1 at Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547<\/a>,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com)<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album in Los Angeles \u2013 in Laurel Canyon,\u201d said Lewis, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston.<\/p>\n

Lewis has lived in L.A. for four years but was born and raised in the Boston area \u2013 in Milford, Massachusetts. She also is a graduate of Boston\u2019s Berklee College of Music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded a few of the songs last year and then did the second batch this year,\u201d said Lewis. \u201cI worked with the production team of Anthony J. Resta and mix engineer Karyadi\u00a0Sutedja. It\u2019s been almost 10 years that we\u2019ve been working together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made my first album \u2013 \u2018This Time Around\u2019 \u2013 in 2004. Then, after I graduated from Berklee, I started hitting the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lewis has been a longtime collaborator with Resta (Elton John, Duran Duran, Shawn Mullins) including work on her EPs\u00a0\u201cBroken\u201d\u00a0(2009) and\u00a0\u201cParis\u201d\u00a0(2011), her second full-length album,\u00a0\u201cThe Parts Of Us That Still Remain\u201d\u00a0(2014), and \u201cAll That\u2019s Left\u201d\u00a0(2018).<\/p>\n

What sets Lewis apart from a lot of today\u2019s singer-songwriters is her use of finger-picking when accompanying herself on guitar.<\/p>\n

Hypnotic finger-style guitar melodies give away her Berklee College of Music education. Her fingers move swiftly and lightly over the guitar, an exacting technique applying all five fingers to plucking patterns that build immersive melodies. Her live shows contain an astonishing lack of strumming.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first picked up acoustic guitar as a teenager, my dad said \u2013 you should learn a couple finger-picking songs,\u201d said Lewis. \u201cI did, and I was hooked. I just developed my technique from there. And, finger-picking lends itself to my vocal style.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll That\u2019s Left\u201d is an intense collection of 10 tracks — a transformative journey from regret to compassion. Lewis weaves an emotional journey, conveyed in vivid ashes of sorrow and garnished with comic turns of forbearance. The album gathers upon all the consequences of holding people close.<\/p>\n

More polished than folk and more personal than pop, Michelle writes intensely visual songs with a gut punch of emotion. As a storyteller, she explores life’s defining moments, juggling the immediacy of first-hand experience with the serenity of emotional wisdom.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my songwriting, mostly I\u2019ll get an idea for a song or a lyric will pop up in my head and I want to write a song around it,\u201d said Lewis. \u201cSometimes, a melody will come first. I try to let things come naturally with inspiration. I just kind of let it flow. Once I get the first line, I go from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn my new album, the title track \u2013 \u2018All That\u2019s Left\u2019 \u2013was a completely different song when I wrote it. I kept the chorus and then started from scratch for the rest of the song. The last song I wrote for the album \u2013 \u2018Pillow\u2019 \u2013 came really quickly. I wrote it in a couple hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tend to write mostly on guitar \u2013 mainly because I don\u2019t have a piano now. It would be fun to write on piano and I\u2019ll probably do that on my next album.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Michelle Lewis \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Ccj-HITwdQk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse, which has Seth Glier as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Nalani & Sarina<\/p><\/div>\n

On December 1, Nalani & Sarina will headline a show at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 202-730-3331<\/a>, www.thequeenwilmington.com<\/a>) that is billed as \u201cStudents Give: A Holiday Concert and Gift Drive.\u201d The show also features West Grove\u2019s Amanda Nolan along with Glass Doors and Reece Ratliff.<\/p>\n

Ratliff, a sophomore at Wilmington\u2019s Tower Hill School, is taking the lead on this holiday gift drive and fundraiser for Adopt-A-Family and its holiday gift assistance program. He will be releasing his debut EP in the coming months and will be releasing a single from the album at this show.<\/p>\n

Gable Music, producers of the award-winning Ladybug Music Festival, is assisting in organizing the event and is proud to present Nalani & Sarina as the event headliner. The twin sisters from New Jersey were recently presented keys to the city by Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki during the Ladybug Festival over the summer.<\/p>\n

Nalani & Sarina have been building a huge fan base in the Mid-Atlantic region for the last five years. The duo has performed at a variety of venues around the area including Kennett Flash, the Eagleview Concert Series in Exton, The Queen, and the Ladybug Festival. The highly-talented twins, who are in their early 20s, have already established themselves as top-flight vocalists, songwriters, and multi-instrumentalists.<\/p>\n

They have self-released several well-crafted albums and singles. Now, they are ready to take it to another level \u2013 with a sparkling new album called \u201cThe Circle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album dropped in May,\u201d said Nalani Bolton, during a phone interview Friday, as the duo travelled to an afternoon radio interview in Bowling Green, Ohio and an evening show in Louisville, Kentucky.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album is doing great,\u201d said Sarina Bolton. \u201cIt\u2019s on our own label \u2013 Telepathy Records \u2013 and is distributed by Kobalt (a label servicing company that handles publishing, licensing and other services). It took about two years to complete the album. We\u2019ve been getting great responses.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we\u2019re doing this circle tour to get the music out there. We\u2019re circling the country and we\u2019ve had our fair share of biscuits and gravy. The goal for a lot of these places is to visit radio first and get our name out. We did a radio swing down here in the South in September and have been building up a fanbase through social media. Radio has been really supportive. We did a Triple A Radio convention in Boulder, Colorado in the summer and that helped a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nalani said, \u201cThe demographics are different in every city. In Nashville, we had a ton of young people out. In Chattanooga, we had music lovers of all ages. It\u2019s great to actually hear people respond after waiting so long to get the album out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just kept writing songs \u2013 songs that kept changing. We did all the recording with our engineer Julian Herzfeld and Greg Thomas at Julian\u2019s studio in Wayne and also at Carriage House Studio in Stamford, Connecticut.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the songwriting, we had a new approach this time. The songs on our last album were based on personal experiences. This time, it\u2019s other people\u2019s stories \u2014 more of a world-wide approach. It is observational writing geared to people our age. It\u2019s a combination of first person and third person.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re writing about people our age \u2013 observing other people\u2019s stories. It\u2019s like a story about kids\u2019 lives from their early to late 20s \u2013 love, first relationships, work. The songs are about what life is like for people our age. But, people of all ages can relate to these songs. We\u2019ve had older people tell us that they can identify with these songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nalani said, \u201cThe vibe of the album is very mature. We think the sound and the material has matured. Our early stuff was all about relationships. Now, we are more worldly. We look at the world the way it is today \u2013 especially for people our age. We always like to challenge ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sisters graduated from high school with honors but never looked to continuing their education on in college.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe graduated early from Hunterdon Central High a few years ago and we\u2019ve been doing music ever since,\u201d said Nalani.<\/p>\n

With roots based in rhythm-and-blues, soul, rock and especially funk, the sisters create vocal harmonies that only twins can make.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re identical twins,\u201d said Nalani. \u201cWe both started playing classical piano when were six and then studied operatic vocals when we were in sixth grade. Classical music and opera provided good basics for us. Our mom was a folkie, so we listened to a lot of folk music when we were young \u2014 great songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. And, we\u2019ve listened to a lot of classic rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always have the funk. It\u2019s impossible for us to keep the funk out. We\u2019ve always had funk in our blood. We play shows with just the two of us, it always sounds more singer-songwriter. When we do shows with our band, it gets funkier. We\u2019ve been finding ways to combine all our styles. With this record, we\u2019ve meshed the styles.<\/p>\n

Sarina said, \u201cWe love playing The Queen. It\u2019s one of our favorite places. We\u2019ll be going on around 9:15 p.m. There are three other acts. The opening act is Amanda Nolan. We\u2019ve heard her play before and she\u2019s really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Amanda Nolan<\/p><\/div>\n

Amanda Nolan is a singer\/songwriter\/performer from West Grove who describes her sound as \u201cPop with a touch of country and a little bit of soul.\u201d She has just released her third EP of original music — \u201cAll Mine\u201d — and her music has been featured on 93.7 WSTW\u2019s \u201cHometown Heroes\u201d radio program.<\/p>\n

Nolan has been writing her own music and performing originals and covers on guitar and piano at venues all over Pennsylvania and Delaware for the last four years.<\/p>\n

Video link for Nalani & Sarina \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/77tnYL-htDc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Amada Nolan \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Wh2lwfutZCk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Queen, which also features Amanda Nolan, Glass Doors and Reece Ratliff, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Didirri<\/p><\/div>\n

Australian singer-songwriter\u00a0Didirri<\/a>\u00a0has come to America for a tour in support of his new EP \u201cMeasurements\u201d \u2013 a tour that will stop in Philly on December 1 for a Sofar Sounds show (Broad and Bainbridge streets, Philadelphia, www.sofarsounds.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my third time to come to America, but the first two times were just for the business part of it,\u201d said Didirri during a phone interview Friday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston. \u201cThis is my debut tour. It\u2019s a three-week tour and I have one week left.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have just one EP at the moment. I\u2019ve released five singles starting with \u2018Blind You\u2019 in May 2017. The others are \u2018Jude.\u2019 \u2018Bird Sound,\u2019 \u2018Formaldehyde,\u2019 and \u2018I Just Can\u2019t Get Last Night Out Of My Head.\u2019 I\u2019ll be recording an album in January and February in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Didirri is from Warrnambool, a city in Victoria not far from Melbourne. He goes by just one name. The name is derived from an indigenous word and meditative practice Dadirri meaning \u201cDeep, Quiet, Listening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided to use just my first name,\u201d said Didirri. \u201cIt has more meaning. And, it gives me some anonymity.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father is a singer-songwriter and my mother is a painter so I\u2019ve always been creative. In Melbourne, I studied jazz on piano. Then, I started writing songs. I wanted to explore what I could do musically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI put lyrics to music and tried to express them on piano. It wasn\u2019t really what I was looking for, so I decided I was going to start writing on guitar \u2013 and it was perfect. The songs felt like they were true and honest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Didirri\u2019s songs appealed to both him and his fans.<\/p>\n

According to Didirri, “Each song I write tackles a different part of my own morality. I was pondering metaphorically what my scribblings were and came to the conclusion that they are my ‘measuring tape’ to hold up to the world. The yardstick to check myself with.”<\/p>\n

For a while, Didirri was balancing an artistic career with a day job — but just for a little while.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree years ago, I started busking and working full-time,\u201d said Didirri. \u201cI was working for an electronics company. I got fired so then I started touring. I was driving a lot and doing shows. I was booking my own shows and I put a half-million kilometers on my car.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my songs started getting played on national radio, things took off. I got an internet following and it branched out. I was having people in America and the U.K. listening to my music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Didirri is playing small shows in the states to build his career here. It is very different from Australia where he draws large crowds whenever he performs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the challenge to prove myself,\u201d said Didirri. \u201cI like having to convince people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Didirri \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/y2rZeppgSFM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Sofar show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Nellie McKay<\/p><\/div>\n

Nellie McKay treats fans to live renditions of classic songs that are commonly referred to as standards. Her set list might also feature a Beatles song or even the Frank Zappa classic tune, \u201cHungry Freaks Daddy.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay is touring on-and-off in support of her new album \u201cSister Orchid\u201d \u2013 an album filled with songs that were popular long before she was born. On December 1, she will bring her musically-diverse and highly-interesting live show to the Rrazz Room (6426 Lower York Road, New Hope, 888-596-1027<\/a>, www.TheRrazzRoom.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The album includes timeless gems such as \u201cWillow Weep for Me,\u201d which was first recorded in 1932 by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and later was a hit for Billie Holiday in the mid-1950s; \u201cGeorgia on My Mind,\u201d a Hoagy Carmichael song from 1930 that was a hit for Ray Charles in 1960; and \u201cIn a Sentimental Mood,\u201d which was penned and performed by Duke Ellington in 1935.<\/p>\n

On McKay\u2019s website, \u201cSister Orchid,\u201d which was released on May 18 on Palmetto Records, had this description \u2013 \u201cConjuring the image of a lonely all night truck stop along Highway 1 on the California coast, all but lost in the fog that comes creeping along the shoreline…\u00a0this album speaks of the night, the outsider, the plaintive wail of those lost at sea.\u00a0\u2018Sister Orchid\u2019\u00a0was conceived in solitude,\u00a0executed in darkness. It\u00a0comes from a place of quiet, a world of low lights and cool drinks, up against a hard wall.\u00a0 An oasis of hungry eyes and easy promises, warm as a biscuit, the kind of place your mother warned you against.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took me a long time to make this album,\u201d said McKay, during a phone interview last week. \u201cI\u2019ve known some of these songs since I was little. All of them are standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many years, I thought about doing a solo album like this. It seemed right. Selecting the songs to record was extremely difficult \u2013 almost impossible \u2013 because there are so many great songs. The songs I chose blended together well on this album.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album features McKay on vocals with just piano accompaniment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded it last summer in Pennsylvania and New York,\u201d said McKay. \u201cThe song list was large. We had about 40 songs and then whittled it down. Everything had something going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just me on this record. I sang and played piano. I think it has a different flavor than most albums \u2013 no other instruments.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay first played shows in this area back in 2004 to accompany the release of her debut album \u201cGet Away from Me\u201d on Columbia Records<\/p>\n

When she was getting started, McKay\u2019s music bridged the gap between jazz and hip-hop \u2014 a combination not often heard in today\u2019s pop music.<\/p>\n

McKay was born in London and raised in New York, the Pacific Northwest and Pennsylvania\u2019s Pocono Manor. When she was still in her teens, she was living in her own apartment in New York \u2014 at the edge of Harlem at 123rd and Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

McKay, who attended school at Pocono Mountain Junior and Senior High, learned to play a variety of instruments including piano, cello, timpani, vibes, triangle and saxophone. Her main concentration has always been on keyboards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played with the East Stroudsburg University Jazz Ensemble when I was still in high school,\u201d said McKay. \u201cPatrick Dorian, a music professor at ESU, gave me my first formal jazz training. He taught me a lot about composition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, McKay began playing gigs at New York piano bars such as Don\u2019t Tell Mama\u2019s, Stonewall Bistro, Psychic Cafe, Regents, Rose\u2019s Turn, and Mozart Caf\u00e9 (where she was canned because she liked to play Christmas songs in August when people weren\u2019t sick of them). A record deal with Columbia followed and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

\u201cSister Orchid\u201d\u00a0marks\u00a0McKay\u2019s seventh label release in just 31 years. Her previous albums include\u00a0\u201cGet Away from My Head,\u201d \u201cPretty\u00a0Little\u00a0Villagers,\u201d \u201cObligatory Pie,\u201d \u201cNormal as Home: A Tribute\u00a0to\u00a0My\u00a0Day,\u201d \u201cSweet Mobile\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cBlueberry\u00a0Reader.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay is like a modern-day \u201cRenaissance Woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Broadway, she\u00a0won a Theatre\u00a0World\u00a0Award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum in\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Threepenny\u00a0Opera.\u201d She also\u00a0co-created and starred in the award-winning Off-Broadway hit\u00a0\u201cOld Hats,\u201d\u00a0and has\u00a0written and produced musical biographies around a compelling gallery of ladies\u00a0\u2013 from\u00a0environmental pioneer\u00a0Rachel Carson to the life,\u00a0conviction, and execution at San Quentin\u00a0of\u00a0underdog\u00a0Barbara Graham.<\/p>\n

Recent projects include \u201cThe Big Molinsky \u2013 Considering Joan Rivers,\u201d and \u201cA GIRL NAMED BILL \u2013 The Life and Times of Billy Tipton,\u201d which was named one of the \u201cBest Concerts of the Year\u201d by\u00a0The New York Times.<\/p>\n

McKay\u2019s screen work includes roles\u00a0in\u00a0\u201cPS I Love You\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cDowntown Express.\u201d She contributed movie\u00a0music to\u00a0\u201cRumor Has It,\u201d \u201cMonster-in-Law,\u201d \u201cGasland,\u201d \u201cLast Holiday,\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cPrivate Life.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the television world, her music has been heard on\u00a0\u201cMad Men,\u201d \u201cBoardwalk Empire,\u201d \u201cWeeds,\u201d \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy,\u201d \u201cNCIS,\u201d \u201cNurse Jackie,\u201d and\u00a0\u201cSMILF.\u201d Additionally, McKay\u2019s writing has appeared in\u00a0The Onion,\u00a0Interview, and\u00a0The New York Times Book Review.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, it\u2019s a cabaret act,\u201d said McKay. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019ll do \u2013 a classic cabaret show. I\u2019ll be playing all the songs from the album. Also, people call out request and I like to oblige them.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay also has devoted much of her life to projects combating animal abuse.<\/p>\n

She is a recipient of PETA\u2019s\u00a0Humanitarian Award and The Humane Society\u2019s Doris Day Music Award\u00a0in recognition of her dedication to animal rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a vegetarian since I was eight,\u201d said McKay. \u201cI\u2019ve been vegan since 2004. Non-violence begins on your plate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Nellie McKay \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZuA1CtFF18w<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Rrazz Room (6426 Lower York Road, New Hope, 888-596-1027<\/a>, www.TheRrazzRoom.com<\/a>) will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45.<\/p>\n

Moving to America from another country can be a challenge \u2013 even in the days before Trump instituted his questionable immigration policies.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

J.S. Ondara<\/p><\/div>\n

Singer-songwriter J.S. Ondara found this out five years ago \u2013 and it had nothing to do with passports, country of origin or visas.<\/p>\n

Ondara, who is opening for Lindsey Buckingham on December 1, came to America from his home in Nairobi, Kenya. His destination was Minneapolis, Minnesota \u2013 and its far-from-equatorial climate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI moved to Minnesota when I was 20,\u201d said Ondara, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon when he was on the road in upstate New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have a concept of how cold it would be. Even now, we\u2019re driving in a blizzard here in New York State. I was on this spiritual journey flowing Bob Dylan and I knew he was from Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up in Nairobi, I was listening to Dylan and to American and British pop songs on my battery-powered radio. I was listening to bands like Nirvana and Radiohead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was taught the English language in school, but it was through listening to this music that I really learned how to speak English. My first language is Swahili and I also speak Kisii.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Kisii language \u2013 also known as Gusii — is a Bantu language spoken in the Kisii district in western Kenya. Swahili is also a Bantu language. It is spoken in Kenya and other parts of eastern and southeastern Africa, including Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started learning guitar after I moved to the states,\u201d said Ondara. \u201cI had some relatives scattered around the states, but I wanted to pursue music and there was no music in my family. I had the idea that I was going to move here and start a band. It didn\u2019t work out that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, Ondara had to pursue a music career as a solo act.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to open mics and, slowly but gradually, the word spread,\u201d said Ondara. \u201cI kept writing more and playing more. My first big break was when The Current, a public radio station in Minneapolis, started playing my music and invited me to play at their birthday show.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the heels of his first official single release, Ondara has been named an NPR Music Slingshot Artist! Ondara\u2019s debut album, \u201cTales of America,\u201d is set for release in February on Verve Forecast.<\/p>\n

The completely acoustic album was produced by Grammy-nominated Mike Viola (Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis) and recorded at Boulevard Recording and East West Studios in Los Angeles. All lyrics were written by Ondara and the album features collaborations with artists including Andrew Bird, Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes and Joey Ryan of The Milk Carton Kids.<\/p>\n

From a stockpile he says is hundreds of songs deep, Ondara chose 11 for \u201cTales of America.\u201d They are captivating tunes built around acoustic guitars and adorned with subtle full-band accompaniment for an openhearted folk-rock feel. He sings in a strong, tuneful voice well-suited to the gorgeous melancholy he expresses in his songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in the studio for a long time,\u201d said Ondara. \u201cI started making the album December last year. Then, I toured and went back and finished it in July. I\u2019ll put out a new single next week, another in January and then put the album out on February 15.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Ondara will have to endure another chilly winter in North America.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the time of year that I really miss Nairobi,\u201d said Ondara, as the snow swirled around his car in blustery upstate New York.<\/p>\n

Video link for J.S. Ondara \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/MMq4A6Tk0a0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, which has Lindsey Buckingham as the headliner, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $69.50, $59.50 & $39.50.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are holiday concerts by Dave Koz on December 5 and the Mavericks on December 8.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Double Ferrari<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re a rock music fan who appreciates instrumental music but is looking for something other than prog rock or strummed acoustic guitars, Double Ferrari is just what you need.<\/p>\n

Double Ferrari is an instrumental four-piece band from Athens, Georgia that explores the vibrational and harmonic capabilities of the electric guitar in a high-energy, up-tempo hard rock context.<\/p>\n

On December 2, Double Ferrari will roar into the area for a show at The Mothership (602 South 52nd Street, Philadelphia, www.facebook.com\/The-Mothership-prev-Eris-Temple-106865082707217\/<\/a>). The quartet is touring with kindred spirits (and fellow Athens locals) Lazer\/Wulf.<\/p>\n

Guitarists Jace Bartet and Bryant Williamson, drummer Ryan Houchens, and Bass VI player Luke Fields have each cut teeth in various bands for more than a decade, with current projects spanning stylistically from the propulsive juggernaut of Cinemechanica and the DIY multimedia experiment of Bit Brigade, to the exuberant big-band folk rock of Family and Friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been on the road for several months and we\u2019re about to go back out again,\u201d said Bartet, during a phone interview Friday afternoon from a tour stop in Richmond, Virginia. \u201cWe\u2019ve done 100 shows so far this year. I\u2019m feeling pretty tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, when Bartet and his bandmates hit the stage, all signs of fatigue disappear.<\/p>\n

By eschewing vocals, Double Ferrari asserts that the human voice is merely one among many instruments that may or may not be included in music. The stories of Double Ferrari songs are subjective but real.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to Bartet, \u201cIt sounds like kite-surfing with guitar strings, except the kite is a fighter jet that drops pizza instead of bombs. It\u2019s meant to be an ode to the inclusive potential and universally adrenalizing nature of electric guitar harmony.\u201d<\/p>\n

Double Ferrari officially came into existence a few years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current group has been playing in Athens since 2014,\u201d said Bartet. \u201cIt\u2019s been a slow-moving thing. We\u2019re not playing the most sexy and fashionable music out there. Instrumental bands are not what SoundCloud wants.<\/p>\n

Double Ferrari evolved from Bartet\u2019s previous band National Anthem, which he formed with Brent Blalock, guitarist Allen Owens, vocalist Nick Simmons and drummer Tim Payne in 2011.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrent and I wanted to be a metal band without a singer but that didn\u2019t really gel,\u201d said Bartet. \u201cThe band folded but I still had these riffs. Then, I joined Bit Brigade, a video game tribute band,\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2014, Bryant Williamson and Luke Fields, who were members of Bit Brigade, asked Bartet to rework some of National Anthem\u2019s material into instrumental tracks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey said to me — what if we just do this band with your riffs,\u201d said Bartet. \u201cA lot of this material had been simmering for a while. It\u2019s been a passion project. In 2014, we became Double Ferrari. I wanted to change gears from National Anthem.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was already a National Anthem song called \u2018Double Ferrari\u2019 so we decided to call the band Double Ferrari. We thought it was a good name to describe the two-guitar harmonies. It\u2019s a weird, sly, abstract reference to two-guitar harmony.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s self-titled debut album was produced by Tim Green at Louder Studios (The Champs, Melvins, Joanna Newsom) in Grass Valley, CA and was released by Ernest Jenning Record Company on vinyl, compact disc, and Nintendo Entertainment System cartridge in October 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re greatly into The Champs,\u201d said Bartet. \u201cThey\u2019re heavy without being metal. We wanted to have Tim Green, who is in The Champs, produce our album. We did the drums in Athens and then went to Tim\u2019s studio in California to record the guitars and bass.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a vision of what I want our second album to be. Now, I need time off just to write songs and finish the album.\u201d
\nVideo link for Double Ferrari \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/KObc1-Gyblo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at The Mothership, which also features Lazer\/Wulf and Stinking Lizaveta, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Another show on December 2 will feature Project\/Object, who will perform the music of Frank Zappa at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389<\/a>,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Project\/Object is the longest continually touring alumni-based Zappa tribute in the world. The band features former Zappa members Napoleon Murphy Brock and Denny Walley along with founding member Andre Cholmondely. This is a band that has been around for quite a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cAndre has had Project\/Object going for over 20 years,\u201d said Walley, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Atlanta, Georgia. \u201cI\u2019ve been playing with him over a period of time \u2013 eight-to-10 years. I\u2019m looking forward to hitting the road. We don\u2019t need to practice \u2013 we need to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past two decades, Project\/Object has hosted onstage more Zappa alumni than anyone other than Zappa himself. Project\/Object is the band that brought most of the currently touring Zappa alumni out of retirement and onto the road. To date, more than 20 musicians, from every era of Zappa\u2019s history, have performed with Project\/Object.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe seed for Project\/Object was planted when I was 16 and got deeply into Zappa,\u201d said Cholmondely, during an interview. \u201cIn 1989, I started hosting a \u2018Zappa Party\u2019 at my house and invited friends to listen to a ton of his music. Around 1990, we started performing a few Zappa songs and people dug it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe realized that there was a need there \u2014 an audience who had never heard of Zappa. I sent Ike (Willis) a tape of what we\u2019d been doing, and he loved it. In August 1996, he came and said he was going to whip us into shape \u2014 and he did. We\u2019d bring him east from Portland now and then to do a few gigs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officially billed as \u201cProject\/Object: The Music of Frank Zappa,\u201d the band goes through a cycle of touring followed by hibernation. But, when it\u2019s time to hit the road, all the players line up ready to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a while since our last tour,\u201d said Walley. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for Andre to get everybody together because they have other commitments. It was just a matter of co-coordinating people\u2019s availability. Andre has been busy, and Ike and I have been touring. Now, we have the time. That\u2019s why it\u2019s finally back on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band is back on the road with a short tour that reunites old bandmates Napoleon Murphy Brock & Denny Walley. The setlist features material that they performed on tour together with Frank, as well as Zappa classics and favorites from other albums they did with him.
\nBrock, the front man for Zappa\u2019s early seventies bands, first appeared on the breakthrough album \u201cApostrophe (\u2018), and then handled lead vocals and sax for the \u201cRoxy and Elsewhere\u201d LP.<\/p>\n

His vocals on \u201cOne Size Fits All\u201d are legendary, and he appeared with Denny Walley on the iconic \u201cBongo Fury,\u201d which documents Zappa\u2019s 1975 collaborative tour with his old friend Captain Beefheart. Brock provided harmony vocals for \u201cSheik Yerbouti,\u201d one of Zappa\u2019s biggest selling albums. He also appears on \u201cThingfish\u201d and \u201cYou Can\u2019t Do That Onstage Anymore – Helsinki.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walley, a key member of Zappa\u2019s mid-70s and early-80s tours, is the band member that goes back the furthest with Zappa \u2013 all the way to elementary school. Walley also spent time playing in the Magic Band \u2014 a band that played the music of Captain Beefheart (aka Don van Vliet).<\/p>\n

The Captain recorded some albums on his friend Frank Zappa\u2019s label. Walley appears on Beefheart\u2019s classic \u201cBat Chain Puller\u201d album and on Zappa favorites such as \u201cJoe\u2019s Garage\u201d and \u201cYou Are What You Is.\u201d Zappa and van Vliet, who shared a love for avant-garde rock, are both deceased now.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrank, Don and I went to high school together,\u201d said Walley. \u201cWe went to Antelope Valley Union High School in Lancaster, California. My best friend in school was Frank\u2019s brother Bobby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Project\/Object re-creates Zappa\u2019s music better than any other band around \u2014 and has more authenticity.<\/p>\n

\u201cAndre never goes out without Zappa alumni in the bad,\u201d said Walley. \u201cIt gives the band more street cred. When making the set list, Andre more or less makes the decisions, but he asks band members for suggestions. We wanted to do some things that the band hasn\u2019t done in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

The current show features a performance of the entire classic Zappa\/Mothers\/Beefheart album \u201cBongo Fury,\u201d which featured both Brock and Walley. The band will also play a second set featuring classics, rarities and fan favorites.<\/p>\n

Video link for Project\/Object — https:\/\/youtu.be\/GdLSV3CsbN4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Ardmore Music Hall, which also features Consider the Source, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $16.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times There is a great variety of live music on tap in the area this weekend \u2013 a folk\/country singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, rocking twin sisters from New Jersey, a young Australian singer-songwriter, a Pennsylvania-born song stylist whose repertoire covers more than a half-century, a guitarist-singer-songwriter from Kenya, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[2930,7569,3162,7570,7568,2098,6905],"class_list":["post-17237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-amanda-nolan","tag-didirri","tag-featured","tag-j-s-ondara","tag-michelle-lewis","tag-nalani-sarina","tag-nellie-mckay"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17237","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=17237"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17238,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17237\/revisions\/17238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}