{"id":19533,"date":"2019-10-10T09:23:20","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T13:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=19533"},"modified":"2019-10-10T09:23:30","modified_gmt":"2019-10-10T13:23:30","slug":"on-stage-cabaret-comes-to-west-chester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=19533","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: ‘Cabaret’ comes to West Chester"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Cabaret<\/p><\/div>\n

The Resident Theatre Company (RTC) at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (236 North High Street, West Chester, http:\/\/www.rtcwc.org<\/a>) has embarked on its third season and has started the journey with a musical that is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser \u2013 \u201cCabaret.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe took an email survey last season to find out which shows audiences wanted to see and \u2018Cabaret\u2019 was Number One,\u201d said The Resident Theatre Company Marketing Director Rachael Lutcher, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her office at the theater in downtown West Chester.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur first season was 2017-2018 and we presented \u2018Monty Python\u2019s Spamalot,\u2019 \u2018Next to Norma,\u2019 and \u2018Bullets Over Broadway.\u2019 Last year, our three shows were \u2018Evita,\u2019 \u2018Lend Me a Tenor,\u2019 and \u2018Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis season, we start this month with \u2018Cabaret.\u2019\u00a0 We\u2019ll present \u2018Into the Woods\u2019 in December. The third production is \u2018Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike,\u2019 a comedy that is set in Bucks County.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCabaret\u201d has a storied history. The hit musical has won a Tony Award for Best Musical, a Tony Award for Best Original Score and a Tony Award for Best Musical Revival.\u00a0 The RTC\u2019s production of the show is running now through October 20 under the direction of RTC Artistic Director Kristin McLaughlin Mitchell.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCabaret\u201d features some of the most memorable songs in theater history. Set in the infamous Kit Kat Klub, the show features some of the most well-known songs in theater history \u2013 songs such as \u201cCabaret,\u201d \u201cMaybe This Time\u201d and \u201cWillkommen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Kit Kat Klub featured Sally Bowles, the Emcee, and a rousing ensemble known as the Kit Kat Klub Band. Their invitation to audiences was to come to the Cabaret and leave their troubles outside.<\/span><\/p>\n

The story focuses on Cliff Bradshaw, a young writer from America, and his relationship with the English cabaret performer Sally Bowles.<\/span><\/p>\n

A sub-plot involves the doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fr\u00e4ulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Kit Kat Klub and its activities serve as a metaphor for the gloom-portending political scene in Weimar Germany in the early 1930s. The show demonstrates how people just wanted to have a good time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCabaret\u201d premiered on Broadway in 1966 and won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical as well as the New York Drama Critics\u2019 Circle Award and the Outer Critics\u2019 Circle Award.<\/span><\/p>\n

The initial revival of \u201cCabaret\u201d first opened on Broadway in 1998 and won four Tony Awards \u2014 including Best Revival of a Musical. It ran on Broadway for six years.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show returned to Broadway at Studio 54 in March 2014, with Alan Cumming<\/a> reprising his Tony-winning role as the Emcee. It played 423 performances through March 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

The role of Sally Bowles in the play is an eclectic role that has been performed by many top-flight actresses \u2013 including Jill Haworth, Brooke Shields, Natasha Richardson and Michelle Williams. In the RTC production, it is played by Adriana Millbrath. Actors playing the other major roles are Jesse Manocherian (Master of Ceremonies), Christian Thomason\u00a0(Clifford Bradshaw), Peter Reid Lambert (Ernst Ludwig), Gordon Stanley (Herr Schultz) and Audrey Federici (Fr\u00e4ulein Schneider).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur cast has a lot of actors from the Philadelphia area and a few from New York City,\u201d said Lutcher. \u201cThey all came together for rehearsals here about a month before the show opened.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCabaret\u201d is an enduring success and has been drawing patrons to the theater for more than 50 years. Audiences love it because it\u2019s so entertaining. People relate to each of these characters. Another factor in its popularity is that the music is beautiful, and the script is so well-written.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCabaret\u201d is running now through October 20 at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center. Ticket prices range from $25-$62.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jealous of the Birds has nothing to do with flight envy or frustration with being stuck in the Northeast while feathered friends head south for the winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Naomi Hamilton<\/p><\/div>\n

Jealous of the Birds is the name of the music project of Co Armagh\u2019s Naomi Hamilton \u2013 one of Northern Ireland\u2019s brightest young music talents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hamilton, who now lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has taken up a month-long residence in America\u2019s Northeast to perform four-week residencies at a trio of rock clubs \u2013 in New York City at Rockwood Music Hall, in Boston at Atwood’s Tavern, and in Philadelphia at Dawson Street Pub (100 Dawson Street, Philadelphia, www.dawsonstreetpub.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Jealous of the Birds\u2019 final two shows at the Dawson Street Pub are scheduled for October 10 and 17.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just figured we\u2019d go about it old school,\u201d said Hamilton, during a recent phone interview from Jersey City, New Jersey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica is a very big country and we\u2019re a very tiny island. I figured I\u2019d just go to three cities for a series of shows in each city and build up gradually.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On the band\u2019s Facebook page description of \u201cgenre,\u201d the list includes \u201cIndie, indie rock, alternative, punk, lo-fi, bedroom, acoustic, grunge, singer\/songwriter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started Jealous of the Birds about five years ago,\u201d said Hamilton. \u201cI put out a wee EP in 2015 and it got some attention back home. Then, I put out \u2018Parma Violets.\u2019 After that, my manager Declan Legge and I decided it would be good to have a band to play it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I formed a band. It was a five-piece at first and now it\u2019s a four-piece. It\u2019s been a four-piece for two or three years. We\u2019ve got Daniel McClaren on lead guitar, Jamie Hewitt on drums and Peter Close on bass. I play guitar and do the vocals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Steadily, Jealous of the Birds\u2019 popularity started to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNext, we signed with Canvas Back\/Atlantic Records and we made the \u2018The Moths Of What I Want Will Eat Me In My Sleep<\/a>\u2019 in 2018,\u201d said Hamilton. \u201cThis year, we put out our latest EP \u2013 \u2018Wisdom Teeth.\u2019 I recorded it at Toxic Studio in Northern Ireland with session musicians. The band is just a live thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ironically, music was never an intended career path for Hamilton.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, music happened about accidentally,\u201d said Hamilton. \u201cI was mostly into poetry and creative writing. It wasn\u2019t until I got to university \u2013 Queens University in Belfast \u2013 that I combined the two. From there, I got invited to play more gigs. By the time I graduated, I had developed into a full-time musician.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWisdom Teeth\u201d showed Hamilton taking her songwriting to a higher level.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Hamilton, \u201c<\/span>The<\/span> songs on Wisdom Teeth were some <\/span>of<\/span> my favorites to write and <\/span>the<\/span> whole EP was such a joy to record. My hope is that this growth and sense <\/span>of<\/span>discovery becomes tangible for <\/span>the<\/span> listener and <\/span>the<\/span>y feel like <\/span>the<\/span>y’re along for <\/span>the<\/span> ride.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Jealous of the Birds \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/EmYfPMDJoQs<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The shows at Dawson Street Pub will start at 8 p.m. each night. The opening acts are Valentina Sounds on October 10 and Matt Spitko Band on October 17.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Joyous Wolf<\/p><\/div>\n

Joyous Wolf is a hard rock band from Southern California that has been around for four years. The band just released its debut EP earlier this year and is on several high-profile tours throughout the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

On October 10, JoyousWolf — vocalist Nick Reese, guitarist Blake Allard, bassist Greg Braccio, and drummer Robert Sodaro — will perform at the Tower Theater (69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby, 215-922-1011, www.thetowerphilly.com<\/a><\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re on the road almost all of the time,\u201d said Reese, during a phone interview Wednesday evening from a tour stop in Uncasville, Connecticut.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have eight more shows on this tour, and we have 32 total.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEarlier in the year, we did 80 shows with Buckcherry and then seven with \u2018Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators 2019.\u2019 We will\u00a0 have played 120-something shows since March.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The musicians from Orange County, California have been friends a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been a band for four years,\u201d said Reese. I\u2019ve known two of the guys for six years and I\u2019ve been friends with Robert, the drummer, since childhood. Robert and I always wanted to do something with music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to college at Cal. State Fullerton and dropped out. I called a dude I met at a guitar center and Robert knew a guy who was a good bass player.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Reese and Sodaro met on their first day of sixth grade during student orientation. They went to different high schools in Tustin where Sodaro met Braccio. During that time Reese, by chance, met Allard in the acoustic room at Guitar Center where they would jam CCR\u2019s \u201cBorn on the Bayou.\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe put the band together in November 2015 and had our first show in February 2016,\u201d said Reese. \u201cWe had no idea what we were doing. Blake asked me what kind of music the band would play, and I said \u2013 I don\u2019t know…maybe hard rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI still don\u2019t know. We\u2019re able to play anything. Fans are hungry for original music and that\u2019s been a big motivator for me and the band.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While the band\u2019s influences might take a while to list, it\u2019s obvious who Reese\u2019s influences were \u2013 James Brown, Jim Morrison, Robert Plant, Eddie Vedder and Joe Cocker. In other words, Reese is a very animated front man.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young, my mother and I watched the movie of \u2018The T.A.M.I Show<\/a>.\u2019 When James Brown came out on stage, I was blown away with his singing and dancing. He was an amazing performer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Roadrunner Records<\/span> signed the band in 2017 and recently released the band\u2019s first EP, \u201cA Place in Time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe released our debut EP in April,\u201d said Reese. \u201cWe cut it in L.A. at Sunset Sound and West Valley Studio. It was produced by Howard Benson, who is a great producer. We were looking for a producer and he approached us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One of Joyous Wolf\u2019s standout recordings is a solid cover of Mountain\u2019s classic monster hit \u201cMississippi Queen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe treated it with respect,\u201d said Reese. \u201cIf you listen to our version, it becomes pretty obvious. I knew that we could do it right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for JoyousWolf \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/5qjuMLcfZHU<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Tower Theater with Joyous Wolf opening for Deep Purple will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $37.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia is a land all its own \u2013 a country that is geographically huge with a lot of towns and cities located in remote places. Tasmania is one of those remote places \u2013 an island state located off the southeast corner of the mainland. Hobart is Tasmania\u2019s capital most populous city with a population of just over 200,00 people.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Psycroptic<\/p><\/div>\n

Psycroptic is a death metal band formed in Hobart in 1999. The band was founded by brothers Dave Haley on drums and Joe Haley on guitar. The group\u2019s lead vocalist, Jason Peppiatt, joined in 2004. The band\u2019s newest member is bassist Todd Stern, who joined in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band has released seven studio albums \u2013 \u201cThe Isle of Disenchantment\u201d (2001), \u201cThe Scepter of the Ancients\u201d (2003), \u201cSymbols of Failure\u201d (2006), \u201cOb(Servant)\u201d (2008), \u201cThe Inherited Repression\u201d (2012), \u201cPsycroptic\u201d\u00a0(2015), and \u201cAs The Kingdom Drowns\u201d (2018).
\nAll year, the band has been touring the world in support of \u201cAs the Kingdom Drowns.\u201d The tour is providing Stern with the opportunity to play shows near his home turf.<\/span><\/p>\n

On October 10, Psycroptic will play on a multi-act at the First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, www.firstuu-philly.org<\/a>) with Voivod, Revocation, Skeletal Remains, and Conjurer<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the American in the group,\u201d said Stern, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Portland, Oregon. \u201cI was born in New Jersey and grew up in the Port Monmouth\/Toms River area. Our last show on this tour is New York and then I\u2019m heading back to New Jersey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been touring almost non-stop all year. We went to Europe in June. We did Hellfest in France and the Obscene Extreme Festival in the Czech Republc. We even did a show in Dubai.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a lot of \u201cseeing the world\u201d for a dude from New Jersey and a trio of guys from the \u201cLand Down Under.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPsycroptic was touring the states in 2015,\u201d said Stern. \u201cThey needed a bass player, so they figured they\u2019d get a guy from the U.S. They asked my friend who was the bass player in the band Revocation. He couldn\u2019t do it and recommended me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did that tour and then we did a tour of Europe in 2016. We continued to tour together, and I\u2019ve been in the band ever since. \u2018As The Kingdom Drowns\u2019 is the first recording I\u2019m on. I was in the band when the record started to be written back in mid-2017. We recorded it at the end of 2017 and into 2018. By March, we were filming videos in Tasmania.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Many Americans have no idea what or where Tasmania is, but they are familiar with the term \u201cTasmanian Devil.\u201d The Tasmanian Devil, commonly referred to as Taz, is an animated cartoon character featured in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the Australian members of Psycroptic, Tasmanian Devils are very real.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long known as the \u201cTasmanian Devils,\u201d they recently became the first band in the world to adopt their own Tasmanian Devil in an attempt to help preserve the critically endangered carnivorous marsupial. They gave their new mascot the name \u201cPsycro.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith Psycroptic, the main songwriter is Joe,\u201d said Stern. \u201cJoe records the band. It\u2019s just a home studio, but Joe is an audio genius. Jason does the lyrics. Joe and Jason work on the song structure together. Then, they tell me what they want me to play. I was home in New Jersey. They\u2019d send me the tracks and I\u2019d put in my parts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs The Kingdom Drowns\u201d was produced by Joe Haley and mixed and mastered by Will Putney. Released in late 2018, the new album\u00a0immediately entered the Billboard charts at #17 for Top New Artist Albums and #25 for Current Music Albums followed by swift addition to multiple year end lists for Best Albums.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Psycroptic \u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/9kBACkguBR0<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the First Unitarian Church, which also features Voivod, Revocation, Skeletal Remains, and Conjurer, will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Laura Mann<\/p><\/div>\n

Laura Mann, a veteran Philadelphia musician, keeps a lot of irons in the fire.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to being a talented singer\/songwriter, Mann has been a licensed therapeutic and medical massage therapist since 2002. In 2005 she opened her own practice in Ardmore — Relax. Therapeutic and Corrective Massage Studio — and she continues to practice massage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In March 2018, Mann opened The Living Room at 35 East, a boutique 40-seat listening room in Ardmore. The venue has featured notable regional and national touring artists including Craig Bickhardt, Jeffrey Gaines, Freedy Johnston and Michael McDermott.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upcoming shows at Living Room (35 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, www.thelivingroomat35east.com<\/a>) are New York Citybased singer-songwriter Robinson Treacher and Toronto-based folk duo The Young Novelists on October 12 , singer-songwriters Julia Levitina and Cecilia Ferneborg on October 17 , Brian Seymour on October 18, Greg Sover Trio on October 19 and Lyra Project with special guest Jason Hinkle on October 20.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mann\u2019s weekly schedule always includes running the club and taking care of her massage patients. This week, her schedule gets more intense because she has an album release show on October 11 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1994, Mann\u00a0produced and\u00a0released her first album,\u00a0\u201cLike a Lamb Among the Lions,\u201d and followed with the album, \u201cI Got You,\u201d in 2002. She released her third album, \u201cBow Tie and Rose Tattoo\u201d in 2010. She also released the singles \u201cThe Child\u2019s Got Wings\u201d and \u201cThis Time\u201d in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Mann is ready to put out her fourth album, \u201cPlain As Day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The album features \u201cTake a Little Time,\u201d an original composition, and a new take on the song \u201cEyes Without a Face,\u201d the Billy Idol hit from 1984, as a duet with renowned singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston (\u201cBad Reputation\u201d). There are also covers of \u201cNever Let Me Down Again\u201d (Depeche Mode) and \u201cHow Deep Is Your Love\u201d (The Bee Gees). The remaining four songs are all originals by Ms. Mann; \u201cStar\u201d is a cowrite with Mitch Goldfarb (Cinderella, Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls) and \u201cSatisfied\u201d is a cowrite with Dan Navarro (songwriter of Pat Benatar\u2019s \u201cWe Belong\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted to do some songs that were very light,\u201d said Mann, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Ardmore.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had an old song, \u2018Take a Little Time.\u2019 I liked the way I did it years and tears ago and I wanted to re-invent it. With \u2018Eyes Without a Face,\u2019\u00a0 my producer and I were looking for a song from the 80s. We were in L.A. and that\u2019s where Freedy is living now. We asked him to sing on the track with me and he was happy to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was working with Charlton Pettus, who had been my producer on previous records. We were recording the album at a studio in Sherman Oaks. We recorded all but one of the tracks there going back-and-forth over a period of two years. We go in the studio for four or five days at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCharlton played most of the instruments. I didn\u2019t play any instruments on the album. Usually, I do \u2013 but not on this one. It\u2019s more poppy that my other albums.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSatisfied,\u201d the only track not cut in California, was recorded by Grammy Award\u2013winning producer Phil Nicolo (Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones) at Studio 4 in Conshohocken.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had a lot of Philly musicians on the track I recorded with Phil Nicolo,\u201d said Mann.<\/span><\/p>\n

The area players on \u201cSatisfied\u201d were David Uosikkinen (The Hooters, In the Pocket); guitarist Steve Butler (Smash Palace, In the Pocket); keyboardist Wally Smith (In the Pocket, Crosstown Traffic); Fred Berman (Amos Lee); guitarist Vahe Sarkissian (Countdown to Ecstasy, Sid Miller Band) and local bass guitar legend Chico Huff.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mann\u2019s backing band for the show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will include guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour), young Philly blues guitar ace Greg Sover, jazz harpist Gloria Galante, Greg Maragos (In the Pocket, Smash Palace), Uosikkinen, Butler, Smith, Berman Sarkissian, and a cappella vocal group Hotsy Totsy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mann\u2019s players have a lot of music history \u2013 and so does Mann.<\/span><\/p>\n

She grew up in a musical family in Medford, New Jersey and began performing in grade school\u00a0concerts, where she often had solos. She continued performing in high school in choir and in musicals. When Mann was 16, she started singing professionally. She joined the band Elysian Fields and played with them for three years.<\/span><\/p>\n

One day while performing at an outdoor concert, she was approached by drummer Mike Vesper, who said he was putting together a band with Robert Hazard (who wrote Cyndi Lauper\u2019s hit \u201cGirls Just Want to Have Fun\u201d). Hazard was also living in Medford and invited Laura to join the band which became Laura and the Lifeboys.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the band broke up, Hazard, who was also her manager, encouraged her to audition for Star Search (in New York City. She passed the\u00a0audition\u00a0and was flown to Los Angeles to compete there. She performed a Hazard-penned song called\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re the Reason I\u201d and won the first round. \u00a0Mann and Hazard then formed the Laura Mann Band, which lasted for a couple of years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mann took a hiatus from music for several years as she pursued a career in the massage field. Then, she started working with Pettus again and made her third album, \u201cBow Tie and Rose Tattoo\u201d in 2010. She also released the singles \u201cThe Child\u2019s Got Wings\u201d and \u201cThis Time\u201d in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the show this Friday, I\u2019ll be focusing mainly on songs from the new album,\u201d said Mann. \u201cBut I\u2019ll also be doing some songs from the past including \u2018Just for Today,\u2019 \u2018Mansion Drive\u2019 and In the Garden That We Grew.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the World Caf\u00e9 Live are Bedouine on October 12, Foy Vance on October 13, BJ the Chicago Kid on October 15 and Bob Schneider on October 16.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Gold Dime<\/p><\/div>\n

When Andrya Ambro brings her band Gold Dime to Philly for a show at Jerry\u2019s on Front (2341 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-425-5666) on October 11, it will be a homecoming of sorts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ambro, who has been involved in all sorts of music projects for the last two decades, grew up in Normandie Manor in Delaware just south of the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line. She attended two Delaware high schools with famous alumni \u2013 Archmere Academy (Joe Biden) and Ursuline Academy (Aubrey Plaza and Elena Delle Donne).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was about 12 when I started dabbling in music,\u201d said Ambro, during a phone interview Tuesday from her home in Brooklyn, New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy older brother was into alternative music and he got me a Pixies album when I was 12. I used to watch MTV all the time. I studied piano until I was 14 and then started taking drum lessons. My drum teacher was classically trained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra and practiced all the time. I also had a band too and we were influenced by Fugazi. Then, I learned jazz drumming and got into free jazz. I bought every album of great jazz drumming that I heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ambro continued with her music education in college.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI studied jazz performance at NYU (New York University),\u201d said Ambro. \u201cI came to New York in 1998 and I\u2019ve been here ever since. I\u2019ve been living in Brooklyn since 2002.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was studying jazz drumming at school and then got into hand drumming. It seemed more the organic thing that I needed. I went to Ghana for a while and studied kpanlogo drumming. I learned to use my voice there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came back to New York, I got into art rock and had a bunch of bands. In 2006, I had a solo project and got into synth stuff and used my voice more. Then, I got into a band where I just played drums. That band was Antonius Block.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Antonius Block set the stage for her next musical endeavor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that band, I started Talk Normal with Saran Register, who is a great engineer,\u201d said Ambro. \u201cI also work as an engineer. It\u2019s a quick way to earn money.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote a lot of songs for Talk Normal. I started Gold Dime in 2014 and just continued to write songs. I like performing live, so I had people play with me. It was a constantly changing line-up for a long time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gold Dime\u2019s first release, \u201cNerves,\u201d in 2017 was the first time Ambro has had no one to answer to but herself. On October 11, Gold Dime is releasing its new album, \u201cMy House.\u201d It is a new, more collective effort, with Ian Douglas-Moore on bass and John Bohannon on guitar.
\nAccording to Ambro, \u201cI can be a control freak. After Talk Normal, I was like fine, I\u2019ll do everything, for my own independence and perhaps a desire to just, well, control things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is much less the case with \u201cMy House.\u201d Produced by Ambro and recorded and mixed by Ernie Indradat, the album was recorded in stages throughout 2018 with eight new tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album has some songs that we wrote together as a band,\u201d said Ambro. \u201cI lead it but some of the tracks we wrote together in the studio. I play drums and do voice \u2013 and some guitar. Ian plays bass and John plays guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe always road test the songs before we record them. That way, you can tell what works and what doesn\u2019t. I would never just record without the live aspect.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy House,\u201d according to Ambro, is intended to be something of a gruff father\u2019s declaration at dinner, fist slamming on the table, but rather than the stubborn, undying manners that would come with \u201cliving under my roof,\u201d she only demands that everything be done with the same degree of tireless dedication and authenticity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI want every beat to be played with intention. \u2018Cause why play if you don\u2019t mean it?\u201d Every moment of this album acts as just that\u2014a demand to own something, whether it be self or art or place in this world. We have no choice but to listen, to respect it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Gold Dime \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/vzB2OQCyxmk<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Jerry\u2019s on Front, which also features Carnivorous Bells and Hatchers, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dayseeker<\/p><\/div>\n

When Dayseeker plays on a four-act bill with Wage War, Like Moths to Flames, and Polaris on October 11 at the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/a>), the band will be introducing its new album \u201cSleeptalk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dayseeker — vocalist Rory Rodriguez, guitarist Gino Sgambelluri, bassist Ramone Valerio, and drummer Mike Karle \u2013 is a rock band from Orange County, California.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018Sleeptalk\u2019 on and off from November 2018 to April 2019,\u201d said Rodriguez, during a phone interview Wednesday as the band travelled from a show in Pittsburgh to a gig in New York City.<\/span><\/p>\n

The album was finished this spring and released this fall \u2013 on September 27 on Spinefarm Records.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Rodriguez, \u201c\u2018Sleeptalk,\u2019 as a single and\u00a0album, is our proudest work to date. We\u2019ve never felt more confident in our music than this very moment. The\u00a0music video explores a toxic relationship with a couple who have separated but continue seeing one another after the fact. The underlying message is how we sometimes would rather live in misery than separate from someone we love so dearly.”
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

After several years of hard-nosed touring throughout North America and Europe — including impressive showings on the final cross-country Vans Warped Tour last year — Dayseeker\u00a0returned\u00a0 to Southern California to establish its new sound in familiar territory. Entering the studio with budding producer and close personal friend, Daniel Braunstein, the band embraced\u00a0a uniquely Los Angeles sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaking the album was a long process,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cOur engineer was local. Daniel\u2019s studio is in L.A., so we\u2019d go there on and off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was very optimistic. He\u2019d let us try anything we wanted to do \u2013 even if he didn\u2019t agree. It was very collaborative.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe album is a giant step. In its first week, it quadrupled its hits. The reception to the new album has been great. The band is moving forward positively.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dayseeker\u2019s evolution has moved into fourth gear. The band\u2019s sound is more expansive than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs we\u2019ve gotten older, we\u2019ve lost a little passion for writing heavier music. We\u2019re not listening to metal and hardcore as much as we used to. With the new album, we had more fun putting in melodic aspects.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were a little nervous about our old fans not liking our new music but that hasn\u2019t been what\u2019s happening. I think we just wanted to pay more attention to song structure with good choruses. We experimented with 80s style and more ethereal music \u2013 ethereal and atmospheric. We wanted it to be more alternative than metal. We didn\u2019t want to put out an album with 10 tracks of screaming. We didn\u2019t want to recycle the same sound.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The music has evolved lyrically and sonically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel really proud of a lot of the lyrical content,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cWith songwriting, the more you do it the better you get. With this album, there is a level of authenticity with the songwriting. The songs are about a lot of topics people can relate to. Things definitely change as you get older.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Dayseeker \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/KV5ffXxFI38<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Theatre of the Living Arts, which also featurews Wage War, Like Moths to Flames, and Polaris, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will present Better Than Bacon on October 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will host Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz on October 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host <\/span>Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad with special guest Dry Reef on October 10, Pink Talking Fish on October 11, Cory Henry on October 12 and Melvin Seals on October 16.<\/p>\n

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com<\/a>) will present Dala on October 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com<\/a>) will host Yarn on October 10, Vilebred and John Faye on October 11, and Kenn Kweder on October 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) presents Flying Colors on October 11\u00a0 and Renaissance on October 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will host Vanilla Fudge on October 10, Crack The Sky on October 11, Phil Vassar\u00a0on October 12, The Large Flowerheads on October 13, BRAND X Plus Special Guests: 3.2 Ft. Robert Berry & Andre C From Project\/Object on October 13, Eilen Jewell with Jordie Lane & Clare Reynolds on October 15, and Frank Vignola\u2019s Hot Jazz Guitar Trio with Hot Club Of Philadelphia on October 16.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481, sonapub.com<\/a>) host Israel Nash with special guest Hepner\u2019s Rebellion on October 11 and Chely Wright with special guest Skip Deneberg on October 12.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Resident Theatre Company (RTC) at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (236 North High Street, West Chester, http:\/\/www.rtcwc.org) has embarked on its third season and has started the journey with a musical that is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser \u2013 \u201cCabaret.\u201d \u201cWe took an email survey last season […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[6217,8330,3162,8329,8327,8150,8328,7951],"class_list":["post-19533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-cabaret","tag-dayseeker","tag-featured","tag-gold-dime","tag-jealous-of-the-birds","tag-joyous-wolf","tag-laura-mann","tag-psycroptic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19533","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=19533"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19534,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19533\/revisions\/19534"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}