{"id":19699,"date":"2019-11-01T09:51:33","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T13:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=19699"},"modified":"2019-11-01T09:51:41","modified_gmt":"2019-11-01T13:51:41","slug":"on-stage-john-byrne-comes-home-to-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=19699","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: John Byrne comes ‘home’ to Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

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

\"\"<\/a>

John Byrne<\/p><\/div>\n

Singer\/songwriter John Byrne is a native of Dublin, Ireland who first worked in the United States when he was in college and then moved to this country more than 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

Now a resident of the Fishtown section of Philadelphia, Byrne will have a hometown show on November 1 at World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) to celebrate the release of his new album, \u201cA Shiver in the Sky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recorded at Spice House Sound in Philadelphia and produced by long-time collaborator Andy Keenan, the new album shows his band of multi-instrumentalists vibrantly executing 10 new originals. Strings, horns and guitars escort Byrne\u2019s vocals through a set of songs about living and pushing forward through negative times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have six musicians who I use all the time for big shows,\u201d said Byrne, during a phone interview Thursday afternoon from his Fishtown home. \u201cWhen we hit the road, it\u2019s usually acoustic three- or four-piece. It\u2019s the same line-up without bass and drums. Everyone in the band lives in Philly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band has been around for 10 years. We recorded our first album, \u2018After the Wake,\u2019 in 2009 and it was released in 2010.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the Wake\u201d was released to great critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic in 2010. With influences ranging from The Chieftains to Planxty to Bob Dylan, Byrne expands upon the musical and lyrical traditions of his native and adopted homes. The John Byrne Band followed its debut disc with “Celtic Folk” in 2013 and \u201cThe Immigrant and the Orphan\u201d in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the first album came out, I was working as a teacher in Norristown,\u201d said Byrne. \u201cI was teaching at an alternative school called Lincoln Center. When the album did so well, the side project became a main project and I quit teaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the songs on the new album \u2013 \u2018Time Ain\u2019t Changed a Thing in this Town\u2019 \u2013 was inspired by what we\u2019ve seen while touring. We tour a lot in the Midwest and come across towns who have had the life sucked out of them. Norristown is a town like that.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the album is about facing trauma. The original title was \u2018What If We Don\u2019t Die Young\u2019 but we decided to change it. The album is about \u2013 how do we push on? It\u2019s about understanding that things will happen to you and, if you push through them, they will pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album offers inspiration to people who are dealing with adversity.<\/p>\n

According to Byrne, \u201cThings will happen to you and they can be immensely painful, but they won\u2019t be there forever. If you don\u2019t let them break you, there will be a new version of yourself that emerges and has learned the skills to live with this pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are cautionary tales, songs about dealing with addiction, about immigration, about relationships of all kinds, about facing prejudice, about leaving things behind. They all ultimately carry a similar message — that living carries with it the possibility of balancing out regret or mistakes that you\u2019ve made with a future that contains something brighter. \u2018The Shiver in the Sky\u2019 is the past. It\u2019s the remnants of trauma. It never fully leaves us, but it fades with time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album evolved with songs that were uplifting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I looked at what I had written, that\u2019s what the songs were talking about,\u201d said Byrne, a former soccer player in school who is a big fan of Dublin\u2019s Bohemian F.C., a team that is currently third in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. \u201cWhen I looked back at the album, I saw that it was all positive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be playing all the songs from \u2018The Shiver in the Sky\u2019 except the last song on the album which was an acoustic track. We\u2019ll play the new songs, some earlier stuff and a few covers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the John Byrne Band \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/3teMyc8QdKk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live, which has Citizens Band Radio and Jamison Celtic Rock as openers, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Superchunk on November 5 and Brendan James on November 6.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Michael Franti<\/p><\/div>\n

On November 1, there will be a great twin-bill at the Franklin Music Hall (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, https:\/\/www.bowerypresents.com\/greater-philly\/shows\/franklin-music-hall<\/a>) featuring Michael Franti & Spearhead as the headliner and Devon Gilfillian as the opening act.<\/p>\n

Franti is touring in support of his most recent album, \u201cStay Human, Vol. II.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out in January,\u201d said Franti, during a phone interview Tuesday morning from Nashville, where he was working in the studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started recording it six months before. I had been on the road making a film for the last five years. I was starting to score the instrumentals for the film.<\/p>\n

The film, which is called \u201cStay Human,\u201d explores the connection between people around the globe and meets extraordinary humans who inspire him to overcome cynicism with optimism.<\/p>\n

During these turbulent times, the feeling of hopelessness is an epidemic. In a quest to find a path to stay human in the bizarre world we live in today, Franti takes us on an experiential journey through his songs and stories of people who have chosen to overcome cynicism with optimism and hope.<\/p>\n

Franti shares the tales of Robin Lim, a midwife who opened a birthing clinic in the aftermath of a devastating typhoon in the Philippines; Steve and Hope Dezember, a young couple whose love carries them through Steve\u2019s battle with ALS; Arief Rabik, an environmental scientist in Bali who perfected a method to make industrial and household products with bamboo in an effort to curb deforestation; and Sive Mazinyo and Busisiwwe Vazi, who help inspire their community of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, through music and education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe film is about how I rediscovered my optimism in a world where there is a constant battle between cynicism and optimism,\u201d said Franti. \u201cI met people who were doing very good things.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the opposite of people who get on their keyboards with a sense of anonymity and feel it\u2019s O.K. to put people in blast. If they did the same thing in person, they\u2019d probably get punched in the nose. People get so hurt with the conversations that are going on today. It\u2019s important to show respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franti became a globetrotter when making the \u201cStay Human\u201d film.<\/p>\n

\u201cI travelled around the world and always came across interesting people,\u201d said Franti, who owns a yoga retreat hotel in Bali. \u201cIn the past, I always wished I had a camera to capture people and their stories. The segment in the Philippines was the first I captured for the film.\u201d<\/p>\n

On one of his previous tours, Franti had to cancel some shows \u2013 including one at the Queen in Wilmington \u2013 because of an injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile performing, I tore my meniscus and required surgery,\u201d said Franti. \u201cI was onstage and dancing gently. I was leaning back and forth and heard a pop. After that, I couldn\u2019t move my knee anymore. I tore up my left knee, had surgery and was on crutches for six weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a week of shows sitting on a stool. It was brutal having to sit because I\u2019m used to jumping around on stage and running into the audience. Sitting still was a big challenge. But I learned a few things like how to do more storytelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have any problems for a long time after I had the surgery. \u00a0But I\u2019ve had two surgeries in the last four years. Now, I\u2019m eating well, training every day and cutting out alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franti approaches all his projects with enthusiasm and sincerity — especially his concerts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m putting together a set list for a show, I want to get together a collection of songs that represent who I am,\u201d said Franti. \u201cI\u2019m very passionate about the world and everything I do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care about the money, the amount of tickets purchased or the amount of records sold. I think about the goal as a feeling — how I want to walk out after the experience. I want the audience to walk out feeling inspired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Michael Franti — https:\/\/youtu.be\/YfxeiePMmQs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For Gilfillian, the show in Philly will be a happy homecoming.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Devon Gilfillian<\/p><\/div>\n

Gilfillian grew up in suburban Philadelphia \u2013 in Morton in Delaware County. After graduating from Springfield High School, he got his degree from West Chester University.<\/p>\n

\u201cI majored in psychology at West Chester University,\u201d said Gilfillian, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a psych major at WCU got me here. It helped me as a songwriter. It helped me study people.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn high school, I had a band called Black Sheep. When I was at West Chester, I did solo gigs and acoustic shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI graduated from WCU in 2013. After that, I spent a year working for a non-profit \u2013 AmeriCorps\u2019 \u2018Rebuilding Together.\u2019 I got accepted to work at a program here in Nashville.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRebuilding Together\u201d is dedicated to national service. Every year, \u201cRebuilding Together\u2019 engages more than 80 AmeriCorps members to make an impact on homeowners and in communities across the country. They develop and apply valuable professional skills, earn money for education, and are active citizens in the local community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey pay you $850 a month and food stamps,\u201d said Gilfillian. \u201cYou work your butt off for a good cause. When IO was dome, I used my grant money to pay back student loans.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few years ago, Gilfillian left the Delaware Valley and relocated to Nashville.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first got to Nashville, I played guitar and sang for random bands,\u201d said Gilfillian. \u201cOne of them was Black Cat Crossing, a Delta Blues cover band.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter I got done with AmeriCorps, I started working at City Winery (a restaurant\/winery barrel room\/entertainment venue in Nashville). I met my drummer Jonathan Smalt there.<\/p>\n

\u201cJonathan is also my manager and his friend Taylor Thompson is now my bass player. My band, which I\u2019ve had together for 14 months, also includes Carson Cody on keyboards.<\/p>\n

Gilfillian\u2019s music meshes together gospel-blues and southern soul. Both styles are upfront on his self-titled debut EP which is powered by groove, guitar, and the powerful punch of Gilfillian\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

His songs and vocals show the influence of artists such as Al Green, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding and Ray Charles but also display the young artist\u2019s originality.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad is a musician \u2013 a wedding singer and a percussionist,\u201d said Gilfillian. \u201cI\u2019ve been singing since I was in elementary school \u2013 Motown, old soul, Ray Charles. My dad introduced me to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat put the nail in the coffin was when I picked up electric guitar when I was 14. I was listening to \u2018Under the Bridge\u2019 by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and my dad said \u2013 that guy sounds like Jimi Hendrix.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know Jimi Hendrix at all. So, my dad got me the \u2018Jimi Hendrix Greatest Hits\u2019 CD. Listening to the music Jimi Hendix made changed everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

His five-song debut EP of originals, which came out in 2017, was a showcase for Gilfillian\u2019s abundant talents as a singer, songwriter and kickass guitarist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the EP in February 2016 at Fat Back Studio in East Nashville. At the time, I was listening to a lot of Staples Singers as well as Jimi and Otis. We recorded the EP over a course of three days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, Gilfillian has released several singles including \u201cGet Out and Get It,\u201d and \u201cEven Though It Hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a new single coming out November 7,\u201d said Gilfillian. \u201cNext will be an album that should come out in early January. It\u2019s all done and ready to rock. We\u2019ve been playing most of the new songs in our live shows and it\u2019s wild.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Devon Gilfillian — https:\/\/youtu.be\/rsLjfRPj080<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at Franklin Music Hall, which has Michael Franti & Spearhead as the headliner and Devon Gilfillian as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are X Ambassadors on November 2 and U Up? Podcast Live on November 6.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor Singer\/songwriter John Byrne is a native of Dublin, Ireland who first worked in the United States when he was in college and then moved to this country more than 20 years ago. Now a resident of the Fishtown section of Philadelphia, Byrne will have a hometown show on November 1 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[8371,3162,8370,2651],"class_list":["post-19699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-devon-gilfillian","tag-featured","tag-john-byrne","tag-michael-franti"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19699","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=19699"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19700,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19699\/revisions\/19700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}