{"id":24868,"date":"2021-11-04T16:45:22","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T20:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=24868"},"modified":"2021-11-04T16:45:26","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T20:45:26","slug":"on-stage-marc-broussard-returns-to-world-cafe-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=24868","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Marc Broussard returns to World Cafe Live"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Marc Broussard<\/p><\/div>\n

Last year, Marc Broussard was scheduled to headline a show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) on April 1.<\/p>\n

It turned out to be an example of \u201cApril Fools.\u201d There was no concert on April 1, 2020. The COVID-19 shutdown took care of that.<\/p>\n

Now, Broussard is set to return to the venue in University City on November 4. The venue has taken COVID precautions, and all systems are go.<\/p>\n

Just as it would have been 17 months ago, Broussard\u2019s show is a tour following the release of his latest album, \u201cA Lullaby Collection SOS III.\u201d The album features his interpretation of a series of classics including \u201cWhat a Wonderful World,\u201d \u201cMoon River\u201d and \u201cSweet Baby James\u201d plus two original compositions \u2013 \u201cGavin\u2019s Song\u201d and \u201cBedtime.\u201d <\/p>\n

Broussard\u2019s first \u201cSOS\u201d album was \u201cS.O.S.: Save Our Soul.\u201d Released in 2007, it featured covers of songs by R&B greats such as Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Sam Cooke, Bill Withers and Bobby Womack. The second in the series was \u201cS.O.S. 2: Save Our Soul: Soul on a Mission,\u201d which was released in September 2016.<\/p>\n

Broussard\u2019s commitment to making the world a better place is a mantra that he has been bound to since the beginning of his career. It has always been about tying music to a mission, one reason that his latest studio album, \u201cA Lullaby Collection SOS III,\u201d\u00a0and book, \u201cI Love You For You,\u201d were created to educate and inspire younger audiences.<\/p>\n

For Broussard, who has released more than a dozen albums, entering the book world was a new experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a friend I\u2019ve done some work with named Kurt Zendzian,\u201d said Broussard, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from his home in Caren Cru, Louisiana. \u201cHis wife Rebekah Phillips is an illustrator — and my illustrator.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to do something for kids \u2013 especially the children\u2019s hospital in Baton Rouge. So, I wrote the book and Rebekah did the illustrations.\u201d<\/p>\n

A portion of the proceeds from sales of both the album and the book will be donated to Our Lady of the Lake Children\u2019s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.<\/p>\n

Broussard\u2019s charitable efforts extend well over a decade, beginning with his self-released album\u00a0\u201cBootleg to Benefit the Victims of Hurricane Katrina\u201d\u00a0in 2005 and his efforts to organize the Momentary Setback Fund to provide financial assistance to those displaced by both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. He\u2019s also taken part in a USO tour to entertain troops in the Middle East. More recently, he established his SOS Foundation as a conduit to help raise money for other worthy causes, such as the United Way and Habitat for Humanity.<\/p>\n

According to Broussard, \u201cA lot of it has to do with the people who raised me. My parents are wonderful, human beings who encouraged us to do everything we can for people that need the help. That\u2019s a value system that\u2019s been with me since birth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deciding which songs to use on a lullaby album was a challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always difficult picking songs,\u201d said Broussard. \u201cThe songs I gravitate to are frequently B-sides. But with this one, it was better to do hits. It was a months-long process picking songs for this album.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I listened to Andy Williams\u2019 version of \u2018Moon River,\u2019 it was like Christmas Day. It was a beautiful discovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the album at Dockside Studio which is on the Vermilion River in Maurice, Louisiana. I\u2019ve done my last few albums there. It\u2019s a good old-fashioned studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album live as much as possible \u2013 one take and then fix the parts that need fixing. That\u2019s how I always like to record.\u201d<\/p>\n

Broussard\u00a0is an artist with the gift of tapping into the vibe of classic R&B, rock and soul. He released his debut album,\u00a0\u201cMomentary Setback,\u201d independently at age 20. His music career began a long time before that with his father Ted\u00a0Broussard\u2019s band — The Boogie Kings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was five-and-a-half, I saw the movie \u2018Back to the Future\u2019 and fell in love with the song \u2018Johnny B. Goode.\u2019 I couldn\u2019t stop singing it,\u201d said Broussard.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad would book a vacation in February and do a show in Destin, Florida. He brought me up on stage and I sang the song — and it went great.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that, when the venue allowed or at festivals, my dad would let me come along. I was a roadie and I\u2019d join him onstage. After the show, I\u2019d sign autographs for the little girls who were waiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t until I was 20 that I started doing music professionally. Prior to that, I didn\u2019t understand that you could do it professionally \u2013 do it as your main job. The musicians I knew before were weekend warriors who had day jobs. My dad worked in civil service for 30 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Broussard has been making music professionally for almost 20 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Lullaby Collection SOS III\u201d and a show with musicians rocking out with a blend of soul, rock and Bayou music does not seem like an ideal combination.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no lullabies in our live show,\u201d said Broussard. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to blow the roof off the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Marc Broussard \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Gkd_VGhjCQw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 live on November 4 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $27.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the World Caf\u00e9 Live are Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express on November 5, Minka on November 6,<\/p>\n

Reckless Daughter: The Celebration of Joni Mitchell on November 7, and Nate Smith + Kinfolk on November 10.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

CLOAK<\/p><\/div>\n

On November 5, Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com<\/a>) will host CLOAK\u2019s \u201cMarch of the Adversary Tour,\u201d which features Demiser as the opener. The Philly stop will also have Spiter as an opening act.<\/p>\n

It would be safe to say that the Atlanta-based headliners, who are touring in support of their most recent album \u201cThe Burning Dawn,\u201d operate under a \u201cCLOAK of darkness.\u201d Their record label Season of Mist bills CLOAK \u2013 Scott Taysom, Vocals & Guitar; Max Brigham, Guitar; Sean Bruneau, Drums; Billy Robinson, Bass\u00a0— as \u201cBlackened Death Rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe keep evolving,\u201d said Taysom, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Pittsburgh. \u201cWe\u2019ve become darker and heavier \u2013 and a better live band.\u201d<\/p>\n

CLOAK\u00a0blend the sounds of black metal, rock-and-roll, and homegrown Southern sludge to create their own unique and menacing sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started in 2013,\u201d said Taysom. \u201cMe and Sean started jamming in early 2013. I had played in punk bands and Sean in hardcore bands. It wasn\u2019t a unified thing at first. It was a puzzle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took time to put it together right. We were together for about three years before we started recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first album was \u2018To Venomous Depths\u2019 in 2017. Prior to the album, we did a two-song EP that was just called \u2018CLOAK.\u2019 It was black metal with elements of rock-and-roll and death metal. We try to make each album different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Decibel Magazine placed \u201cTo Venomous Depths\u201d at #20 among their \u201cTop 40 Albums of 2017.\u201d CLOAK\u2019s sophomore album, \u201cThe Burning Dawn,\u201d was released in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur second album was a bit more streamlined \u2013 more stripped down with less long songs,\u201d said Taysom. \u201cThen, the pandemic started right after the album came out.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the pandemic, we wrote another album. The new music is faster and heavier. It\u2019s the sound I\u2019ve been chasing for a while. It\u2019s evolved. We already did what we wanted to do with the first two albums.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do most of the writing, but it\u2019s split. Everyone contributes. I usually start it and it usually starts with guitar. I demo everything I come up with. Sometimes it\u2019s riffs and other times it\u2019s full songs. The lyrics always come at the end. Thew instrumental usually leads me to where the lyrics should go.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re basically in the middle of making the new album. We\u2019re recording it at The Green House, a studio in Marietta, Georgia. We\u2019re using Jerry Jones, the same producer we used before. After this tour, we\u2019ll go back and work on it. We\u2019ll spend a month-and-a-half on it when e get home.\u201d<\/p>\n

CLOAK fans will get a preview of the new material at this weekend\u2019s show \u2013 a small glimpse of what is to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going one new song in our live set,\u201d said Taysom. \u201cThe rest is half-and-half \u2013 \u2018To Venomous Depths\u2019 and \u2018The Burning Dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for CLOAK \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/rpq05qINVTc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kung Fu Necktie on November 5 will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Arlen Roth<\/p><\/div>\n

Hopefully for Arlen Roth, the old saying \u201cThe third time is a charm\u201d will hold true this weekend when he headlines a show at Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) on November 6.<\/p>\n

Roth played the venue in Kennett Square in April 2019.<\/p>\n

He was scheduled to return for a concert in April 2020, but the pandemic shutdown erased that booking.<\/p>\n

This summer, Roth was slated to play a show as part of the Flash\u2019s \u201cRooftop Series.\u201d Inclement weather wiped out that show and it was rescheduled for this November.<\/p>\n

Roth, who will turn 70 next year, is an American guitarist, teacher, and author. From 1982-1992, he was a columnist for\u00a0Guitar Player\u00a0magazine and those ten years of columns became a book,\u00a0\u201cHot Guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

He grew up in New York in a family that was immersed in the arts. His father Al Ross, who lived to be 100, was a cartoonist for The New Yorker Magazine and many other publications over a 75-year career. Roth had three brothers, all of whom became cartoonists.<\/p>\n

Al Ross was also a great painter and fine artist, and he was the one who encouraged\u00a0Arlen\u00a0to become a guitarist when he saw\u00a0Arlen\u00a0playing along with the Flamenco records he would play in the Bronx apartment.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuitar was always a sound that was around in my house,\u201d said Roth. \u201cWe lived in an apartment in Brooklyn and my father listened to a lot of flamenco music. That was an influence on me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a violin when I was young. My brother had a guitar with two strings, and I\u2019d just noodle around with it. I was studying violin in school and my dad said \u2013 forget violin, go with guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I went down and studied guitar with a Bohemian woman in the Village. In 1964, I bought my first guitar at Ben\u2019s Music on 48th\u00a0Street. It was an Ideal four-pickup Japanese guitar with a Stewart amplifier. The guitar had a lot of chrome and lots of pickups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music was there but Roth\u2019s family was mainly into drawing and art.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to do cartoons,\u201d said Roth. \u201cI\u2019d make up my own cartoon books. My father was a single panel cartoonist. I liked that and also liked comic books.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did cartoons for a long time and then I got into photography. I\u2019m the only one in the family with ear so I also got into music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roth attended the\u00a0High School of Music and Art\u00a0in New York City from 1966-1969 as an art student. He then studied at the\u00a0Philadelphia College of Art\u00a0from 1969-1971.<\/p>\n

\u201cI studied film and photography at the Philadelphia College of Art,\u201d said Roth. \u201cI had a band \u2013 Steel \u2013 who lived with me. We were playing everywhere. In 1970, we went to the town of Woodstock to get heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1970, Steel put on the first Woodstock Reunion concert to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the festival in\u00a0Bethel, New York, where Roth lived every summer since he was born.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put on the first anniversary show,\u201d said Roth. \u201cSteel was the only band and played four hours every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roth\u2019s reputation started to grow and soon his talents were in demand.<\/p>\n

He began to record and tour with acts such as Happy and Artie Traum,\u00a0Eric Andersen,\u00a0Paul Butterfield,\u00a0Art Garfunkel,\u00a0Janis Ian,\u00a0John Prine,\u00a0Helen Schneider,\u00a0Pete Seeger,\u00a0Phoebe Snow,\u00a0Dusty Springfield,\u00a0and Loudon Wainwright III. He toured with the\u00a0Bee Gees,\u00a0Simon and Garfunkel\u00a0and\u00a0Duane Eddy.<\/p>\n

From then on, his CV continued to grow and become more impressive.<\/p>\n

In 1976, he appeared in the\u00a0Bob Dylan\u00a0film\u00a0\u201cRenaldo and Clara\u201d\u00a0performing with\u00a0Ramblin\u2019 Jack Elliott,\u00a0Patti Smith\u00a0and\u00a0Phil Ochs. He is featured performing on his 1953 Telecaster with\u00a0Patti Smith\u00a0in the 2019 Bob Dylan\/Martin Scorsese\u00a0film \u201cRolling Thunder.\u201d Roth\u2019s version of \u201cScarborough Fair\u201d is featured on the soundtrack of the film, \u201cLost in Translation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roth\u2019s first book,\u00a0\u201cSlide Guitar,\u201d was published by Oak Publications when he was 21. He has since published numerous well-known books such as\u00a0\u201cHow to Play Blues Guitar,\u201d \u201cNashville Guitar,\u201d \u201cArlen\u00a0Roth\u2019s Complete Electric Guitar,\u201d \u201cArlen\u00a0Roth\u2019s Complete Acoustic Guitar,\u201d \u201cRock Guitar for Future Stars,\u201d \u201cHeavy Metal Guitar,\u201d \u201cHot Guitar\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cMasters of the Telecaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

He released a\u00a0\u201cSlide Guitar Summit\u201d\u00a0album in 2015 featuring duets with guitarists\u00a0Sonny Landreth,\u00a0David Lindley,\u00a0Greg Martin,\u00a0Lee Roy Parnell,\u00a0Jack Pearson,\u00a0Rick Vito,\u00a0Jimmy Vivino, and\u00a0Johnny Winter. This is said to be Johnny Winter’s final recording.<\/p>\n

Roth is a\u00a0Telecaster\u00a0enthusiast who wrote the book, \u201cMasters of the Telecaster,\u201d\u00a0detailing the techniques of many famous Telecaster guitarists.<\/p>\n

He has performed and recorded with\u00a0Rory Block,\u00a0Cindy Cashdollar,\u00a0Ry Cooder,\u00a0John Entwistle,\u00a0Danny Gatton,\u00a0Vince Gill,\u00a0Levon Helm,\u00a0Albert Lee,\u00a0David Lindley,\u00a0Don McLean,\u00a0Steve Morse,\u00a0Phil Ochs,\u00a0John Sebastian,\u00a0James Taylor,\u00a0Kate Taylor,\u00a0Livingston Taylor,\u00a0Rick Wakeman,\u00a0Joe Louis Walker, and\u00a0Steve Wariner.<\/p>\n

Roth has released 16 solo albums starting with \u201cGuitarist,\u201d which came out on Rounder Records in 1978 and\u00a0won the\u00a0Montreaux Critics Award\u00a0for\u00a0\u201cBest Instrumental Album of the Year\u201d in 1978. His most recent LP is\u00a0\u201cTELEMASTERS,\u201d which was released on Aquinnah Records in 2019.<\/p>\n

He was voted in the\u00a0Top 50 Acoustic Guitarists of All-Time\u00a0by\u00a0Gibson.com<\/a>,\u00a0and in the\u00a0Top 100 Most Influential Guitarists of All-Time\u00a0by\u00a0Vintage Guitar Magazine.\u00a0From 2007-2012, Roth was also the creator of more than one thousand online lessons and blogs for Gibson Guitars.<\/p>\n

Roth\u2019s next album will feature duets with another rock\/folk legend who got his start in the Village in the 1960s \u2013 John Sebastian, former frontman\/multi-instrumentalist of\u00a0The Lovin\u2019 Spoonful.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a duet album with John and me playing all Spoonful songs,\u201d said Roth. \u201cI always loved the Spoonful with John and guitarist Zal Yanovsky \u2013 and The Byrds with Clarence White.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Arlen\u00a0Roth —\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/MY9_cKckm48<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kennett Flash on November 6 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

Another show at Kennett Flash this weekend will feature Sean Rowe with special guest Katie Dill on November 5.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lisa Christ Superstar<\/p><\/div>\n

The first incarnation of the music act Lisa Christ Superstar happened in Philadelphia more than two decades ago.<\/p>\n

The band, which was fronted by Philadelphia native Lisa Flynn, ceased to exist but Flynn and her husband\/musical partner Eric Perfect continued with various projects.<\/p>\n

Around two years ago, Flynn and Perfect, the band\u2019s drummer, brought Lisa Christ Superstar back to life along with original bassist Brian Bloemker.<\/p>\n

The result is a brand-new Lisa Christ Superstar album \u2013 \u201cSoundtrack To The Floating World.\u201d The album comes out on streaming services this Friday and the trio is celebrating with a \u201cRecord Release Party\u201d on November 6 at The Fire (412 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, thefirephilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had the album ready to go in 2019 and then I had to deal with breast surgery and COVID shutting everything down,\u201d said Flynn, during a phone interview Wednesday night from her home in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

Flynn works as a nurse at Fox Chase Cancer Center. In a case of dark irony, she ended up hospitalized with breast cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was diagnosed right before the pandemic,\u201d said Flynn. \u201cThat was in November 2019. I had my surgery \u2013 bilateral mastectomy \u2013 on January 17, 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so lucky that it happened right before COVID. My first day back at work was March 17 \u2013 the same day the hospital had its first COVID patient.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m cancer-free now. Fortunately, I got my prognosis because it was caught early with a mammogram. Ladies take note \u2013 get your mammograms done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Obviously, Flynn\u2019s music career was placed on hold for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, cancer and going back to work shut me down,\u201d said Flynn. \u201cI didn\u2019t have the strength. At one point, I thought I\u2019d bever be able to play again.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I never stopped working on my music. Music is important because it\u2019s an outlet from all the stress. Music is the universal healer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flynn got stronger and Lisa Christ Superstar moved forward with its new music.<\/p>\n

Produced by Grammy winner, Joe \u201cThe Butcher\u201d Nicolo (James Taylor, Jazzy Jeff, The Fugees, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel), \u201cSoundtrack To The Floating World\u201d explores themes of grief, liberation, strength, forgiveness and fate with\u00a0Flynn\u2019s\u00a0blistering guitar work and\u00a0Perfect\u2019s\u00a0booming, driving percussion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started practicing again and then recorded the album with producer Joe Nicolo at his studio in Audubon,\u201d said Flynn. \u201cWe had put it off for a while because of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went in the studio back in March. We had two full-day sessions and did 12 songs. Then, we went back for another day to put the final touches on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the last two decades, Flynn and Perfect had another band \u2013 The Workhorse III. That group released three albums — \u201cThe Workhorse III\u201d in 2015, \u201cFortune Favors The Bold\u201d in 2015 and \u201cCloser to Relevance\u201d in 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, Lisa Christ Superstar has released two singles from the upcoming album.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first was \u2018I\u2019m Going Under,\u2019\u201d said Flynn. \u201cOur dog, who was 16, passed away the night before Thanksgiving last year. The song was already written so I changed all the lyrics and dedicated it to the love of pets and what people go through when they lose a pet. It\u2019s a living tribute to pets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other single is a song called, \u2018Silencer.\u2019 The video for that song came out today.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next step forward for Lisa Christ Superstar is a live show at The Fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did one show in October,\u201d said Flynn. \u201cIt was an outside show at The Rivet in Pottstown. The show at The Fire will be out first indoor gig. Our live show this weekend will include songs from our past three The Workhorse III records and five new songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Lisa Christ Superstar \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/xJ2WfdPdHn0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Fire on November 6, which will start at 7 p.m., also features Pagan Babies, Loafss, The Heels and Get Yourself Killed.<\/p>\n

On November 6 and 7, the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host a \u00a0pair of shows featuring 10,000 Maniacs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

10,000\u00a0Maniacs<\/p><\/div>\n

In September 2017, 10,000\u00a0Maniacs celebrated\u00a0the\u00a030-year anniversary\u00a0of the release of their critically acclaimed, break-out album, \u201cIn My Tribe\u201d \u2013 an album\u00a0that\u00a0Rolling Stone Magazine\u00a0included in its \u201c100 Best Albums of The Eighties.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band endeared itself to area fans when, as part of the celebration, it was the headline attraction at the annual Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square.<\/p>\n

2021 marks the 40-year anniversary of the inception of\u00a010,000\u00a0Maniacs. Founded in 1981 in Jamestown, NY,\u00a010,000\u00a0Maniacs\u00a0has maintained a stable line-up and still features four of the original six members — Steven Gustafson,\u00a0Dennis Drew,\u00a0John Lombardo\u00a0and\u00a0Jerry Augustyniack.<\/p>\n

Founding lead singer,\u00a0Natalie Merchant, left in 1993 to pursue a solo career and was replaced by back-up singer,\u00a0Mary Ramsey, who proved to be a natural fit for the band vocally and added another dimension to the group with her prowess on viola.\u00a0 The other founding member,\u00a0Robert Buck, passed away in 2000 and was replaced by his long-time guitar tech,\u00a0Jeff Erickson.<\/p>\n

Now back on the road after 15 months off due to the pandemic,\u00a010,000\u00a0Maniacs\u00a0is back to doing what they love the most, which is sharing the stage together bringing their music to their fans, both old and new.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t play any live shows and we didn\u2019t do any livestream shows during the shutdown,\u201d said Ramsey, during a recent phone interview while in Ridgeway, Canada. \u201cI did do a few livestream shows with a local jazz group \u2013 Mary Ramsey and Friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of livestream shows, we decided to just keep working on our music. Now, we\u2019re working on new material at our studio in Jamestown, New York. We get together very carefully when recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still recording for the next few months and hopefully will have something for our fans. We will release an album sometime next year. It\u2019s fun to do that recording process.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a different model these days with releasing singles online. We have a lot of different ideas. We have about 10 demos done of new songs. We might play one of them in Ardmore.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band is from the Buffalo area and has a strong following in the Delaware Valley.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still based in western New York \u2013 in Jamestown,\u201d said Ramsey. \u201cI grew up in Fredonia, New York and then moved to Buffalo in 1985. John lives here in Buffalo too. We\u2019re all still in this part of the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy joining 10,000\u00a0Maniacs\u00a0as their singer just sort of happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn and I have had a folk-rock duo for 25 years called John and Mary. We opened for 10,000\u00a0Maniacs\u00a0on tours in 1990 and 1993. We still do shows as John and Mary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did the tour when Natalie (original lead singer Natalie Merchant) departed the band. The group asked John and me to write songs with them. The first CD we made with them was \u2018Love Among the Ruins\u2019 in 1997.<\/p>\n

\u201cReplacing Natalie was challenging. But any kind of transition is challenging. The band wanted to keep going \u2013 and to keep its signature sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Natalie\u2019s vocals, I just sing them and respect them. I just try to sing from my soul and hopefully sing in tune and do a good version of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the band, I sing, write and play violin and viola. There are songs in there that I\u2019ve written. The support from then audience was the affirmation to keep doing what we were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In June 2016, 10,000\u00a0Maniacs\u00a0released \u201cPlaying Favorites\u201d on\u00a0Omnivore Recordings<\/a>. The live recording was the follow-up to the band\u2019s highly acclaimed 2015 release\u00a0\u201cTwice Told Tales,\u201d which is a full-length collection of traditional British Isles folk songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we play a show, we do a variety of things \u2013 hits, songs from other albums and some new songs too,\u201d said Ramsey. \u201cWe do have some \u2018must play\u2019 songs like \u2018Rainy Day,\u2019 \u2018More Than This,\u2019 \u2018Like the Weather\u2019 and \u2018These Are Days.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for 10,000 Maniacs — https:\/\/youtu.be\/exJmvyBWm68<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The shows at the Ardmore Music Hall will start at 8 p.m. each night.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $35.<\/p>\n

Another upcoming show at Ardmore Music Hall is Yonder Mountain String Band on November 5.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re prone to believing stereotypes, then you probably envision an older black male if someone referred to a veteran blues artist and think that a young, white female blues veteran would be a\u00a0fish\u00a0out of water.<\/p>\n

And you\u2019d be very wrong \u2013 especially if you consider\u00a0Samantha\u00a0Fish.<\/p>\n

Samantha\u00a0Fish, who is headlining a show on November 7 at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com<\/a>), is a veteran musician. She\u2019s also a talented singer and an adept songwriter. But, more than anything, she\u2019s a guitarist with roots in rock, blues and Americana.<\/p>\n

Fish\u00a0is touring in support of her latest album, \u201cFaster,\u201d which is an ironic title considering nothing went faster in the 20 months of pandemic shutdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pandemic album,\u201d said Fish, during a recent phone interview from her home in Louisiana.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started working on it during the pandemic. I told myself \u2013 go inside yourself and be creative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFaster,\u201d which was produced by Martin Kierszenbaum (Lady Gaga, Sting), was released on September 10 on Rounder Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin reached out in 2020,\u201d said Fish, a native of Kansas City, Missouri. \u201cWe had a Kansas City connection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came to Kansas City in October. We met and meshed really well. We just forged a friendship and started talking. I realized he was the guy I wanted to produce the album. He\u2019s done pop but he\u2019s from Michigan and the rock scene there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut the album in L.A. We went to Village Recorder to make it. We started in December and spent a couple weeks in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Village Recorder is famous for landmark recordings by Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Tom Petty, The Stones, Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Smashing Pumpkins, Chili Peppers and many other projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty incredible studio,\u201d said Fish. \u201cI was in awe when we first went there. We were in the studio where Dr. Dre recorded \u2018The Chronic.\u2019 I thought t myself \u2013 I\u2019m here and I\u2019ve got to make the most of this moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a bunch of songs ready to go. I had an abundance of material. I cut 14 songs. Twelve of them are on \u2018Faster\u2019 and the other two are on a special edition of the album.<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin had a different approach to production. He played all the keyboards, and I did all the guitar work. The album has a heartbeat. It\u2019s very human. I recorded most of the songs live \u2013 meat and potatoes.<\/p>\n

\u201cMartin put a lot of time into the record before we stepped in the studio. Then, we both put a lot of time into pre-production. It was very calm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always into exploring. Every record I make is different from the last. You\u2019ve got to be open to change to grow. You have to listen to your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fish\u00a0has music in her DNA.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad played, and my mom sang in church,\u201d said\u00a0Fish. \u201cMy dad\u2019s friends all played music. They\u2019d come over to our house and play. It was a social thing. My uncles played metal with heavy guitar. My dad\u2019s friends played country-and-western and blues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started with drums and did that for a couple years. I\u2019m glad I did because it gave me the rhythmic foundation. When I picked up guitar \u2013 that\u2019s when I started singing. Not long after, I started writing songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSong writing is something you have to work on if you want to learn how to write good songs. I still play songs today that I wrote when I was 20. My songs are rock, country and soul \u2013 all bluesy even though I\u2019ve never written a standard blues song.\u201d<\/p>\n

Musical diversity has always been crucial for\u00a0Fish\u00a0\u2013 listening and playing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI listened to a lot of soul music — people like Otis Redding and Ray Charles,\u201d said\u00a0Fish. \u201cI was also influenced by blues acts — especially North Mississippi blues — people like R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last time Fish played the area, it was with a six-piece band. This time is more streamlined.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn this tour, it\u2019s a four-piece band,\u201d said Fish. \u201cThe bass player is from New Orleans. The drummer is from Nashville. The keyboard player is from New Jersey. I always try to go out with a new show \u2013 a show with some new stuff and some old stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Samantha Fish — https:\/\/youtu.be\/lAe4Yg0gx-I<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Union Transfer on November 7, which has River Kittens as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Union Transfer are Crumb on November 5, The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret on November 6, Delta Rae<\/p>\n

November 9 and Mayer Hawthorne on November 10.<\/p>\n

Midweek will be anything but boring for metal music fans with shows by DED on November 9 and Gemini Syndrome on November 10.<\/p>\n

DED, which headlines a show on Tuesday at Franklin Music Hall (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, franklin.musichallphiladelphia.org<\/a>), features Joe Cotela on vocals, Adam Adamcik on guitar, Kyle Koelsch on bass and Matt Reinhard on drums.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band is based in Arizona but I\u2019m living in upstate New York,\u201d said Cotela, during a recent phone interview from New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were all in different bands in the Tempe area.\u201d<\/p>\n

DED is made up of members from\u00a0Greeley Estates\u00a0and\u00a0Man Made Machine.<\/p>\n

Shortly after Man Made Machine performed their final show,\u00a0Cotela and Reinhard formed a new ensemble named DED along with guitarist David Ludlow and bassist Kyle Koelsch, both members of\u00a0Greeley Estates.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Matt just got together one day and decided to write some heavy songs,\u201d said Cotela. \u201cWe started playing some shows and everything shot off faster than expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn July 2017, we released our first album, \u2018Mis\u2022an\u2022thrope,\u2019 on Suretone Records. \u201cWe spent a couple months in Calabasas, California working with producer John Feldman.\u201d<\/p>\n

With DED, Cotela experienced his true calling.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic has always been my escape from the world,\u201d said Cotela. \u201cEver since I was a teenage, I was going to rock shows,\u201d said Cotela. \u201cThey\u2019re like my church \u2013 a place to go to celebrate with like-minded people.\u201d<\/p>\n

DED\u2019s sophomore album, \u201cSchool of Thought,\u201d was just released on October 15 on Suretone Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it with producer Kevin Churko, who has worked with bands like Ozzy Osbourne and Five Finger Death Punch. \u201cWe started at the end of 2019 at The Hideout Studio in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released a single right before the pandemic hit. The first single was \u2018A Mannequin Idol.\u2019 We also released two other singles during the pandemic \u2013 \u2018Eyes Sewn Shut\u2019 and \u2018Parasite.\u2019 The album was supposed to come out then, but it got pushed back to this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my lyrics, I try to make people think. I\u2019m generally a positive person. I dealt with bad anxiety and found a way to overcome. Our new single, \u2018Killing Beautiful Things,\u2019 is about an inner struggle.\u2019<\/p>\n

According to Cotela, \u201cThe song is about the survival of compassion and love in the modern world. And how you navigate the path of life to not succumb to the evils of humanity. The song shines a light on our struggle to exist with a conscious mind and good intentions against an overwhelming current of negativity and strife.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t enjoy when I get pulled into the darkness of my mind, yet I cannot deny it strengthens me against becoming this person I don\u2019t want to be. I do feel we all need to remind ourselves of the sacred place we come from to preserve our identity and remain on our path to our true destiny, as there are many false ones on detours along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

DED just released a powerful video for \u201cKilling Beautiful Things.\u201d The video was shot with director Marc Klasfeld in the woods of upstate New York\u00a0while the world was in the\u00a0middle of the COVID-19\u00a0pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe song is about stepping back,\u201d said Cotela. \u201cIt\u2019s cognitive therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for DED — https:\/\/youtu.be\/vPPfVshD5bQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Franklin Music Hall on November 9, which also features In This Moment and Black Veil Brides, will start at 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $39.50.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Franklin Music Hall are Midland on November 5 and Saint Jhn on November 6.<\/p>\n

On November 10, Reverb (1402 North Ninth Street, Reading, 610-743-3069, www.reverbconcerts.com<\/a>) will host a free show by the veteran West Coast hard rock band Gemini Syndrome.<\/p>\n

Gemini Syndrome, which is now based in Los Vegas, features\u00a0vocalist\/guitarist Aaron Nordstrom, drummer Brian Steele Medina, bassist Alessandro Paveri, and guitarist Miguel \u201cMeegs\u201d Rasc\u00f3n.<\/p>\n

The band\u00a0just released third album, \u201c3rd Degree \u2013 The Raising,\u201d via Another Century Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were done recording the album at the end of 2019 \u2013 in October,\u201d said Nordstrom, during a phone interview Tuesday evening from a tour stop in Lakeland, Ohio.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were writing for the album for about two years. It\u2019s a communal process. Then, we recorded the entire record in four or five weeks. We tracked all the vocals in seven days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe mixed and mastered it in February. We were set to do photos in March and then L.A. shut down<\/p>\n

Gemini Syndrome\u2019s debut album, \u201cLux,\u201d came out in 2013. The follow up album was \u201cMemento Mori\u201d in 2016.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor that album, we went to The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas to make the album,\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cWe did the whole record in seven weeks. We were doing six days a week — 12-14 hours a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album was recorded with producer Matt Good in Mesa, Arizona. He came highly recommended. We love his work. Our first two albums were produced by Kane and Kevin Churko. They\u2019re great but we wanted a fresh perspective in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nordstrom made good use of his pandemic-induced down time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did some soul searching and got my head straight,\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cI got a puppy. And I lived life like a normal being \u2013 for a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the album is out, and the band is back on the road with its \u201c2021 Initiation Tour.\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out on October 15 and we\u2019re now finishing the first week of a 28-concert tour,\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cWe\u2019ve been waiting for a long time to get on the road. We also went out in July and August with no problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gemini Syndrome\u2019s new album shows the group\u2019s evolution as a band and Nordstrom\u2019s evolution as a front man.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople say the new album is heavier,\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cI think the delivery on my part is more honest. I\u2019m singing more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vocalists in heavy band often go through a metamorphosis on vocals from flat-out screaming to a mixture of screaming and singing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom is a singer and so was I when I was young,\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cI didn\u2019t learn how to scream until I was in college. Now with our music, I just find it more enjoyable with more singing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band also evolved with its lineup. There was one pair of guitarists from 2010-2016 and a different pair from 2016-2017. They were replaced by\u00a0Nicholas Paul Arnold and Rasc\u00f3n. Now, only Rasc\u00f3n remains.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the future, I\u2019ll play guitar for a few songs,\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cAlso, I\u2019ll be doing a little bit of keyboards live. I think it sounds better with one guitar. A four on stage looks more symmetrical.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gemini Syndrome has entered its second decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had our first gig back in 2010,\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cBrian and I lived in L.A. since 2000. We were in similar circles with mutual friends but never met until 2009. I\u2019m from Chicago and had moved back there for a few years. Then, I happened to be in L.A. when they were looking to form a band.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had played in OTEP for a couple years. After I left that band, I didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do. Then, this opportunity came up. I joined with them and then went back to Chicago and wrote 14 songs in six weeks. Those songs were used on our six-song EP. In 2012, we went in the studio in L.A. and recorded \u2018Lux.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Both album titles on the first two LPs are in Latin. \u201cLux\u201d is the Latin word for \u201clight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nordstrom said, \u201cThe phrase \u2018Memento Mori\u2019 means \u2018Remember, we die,\u2019 or more accurately, \u2018Remember, you must die,\u2019\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cIt\u2019s a reminder to all of us about our mortality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nordstrom also cited another Latin phrase \u2013 \u201cCarpe Diem,\u201d which means \u201cseize the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCarpe Diem \u2013 that\u2019s what this music is about,\u201d said Nordstrom. \u201cAppreciate the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Gemini Syndrome — https:\/\/youtu.be\/_naop2VCKCM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Reverb on November 10 will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are free.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Reverb are Penntera on November 5 and Born of Osiris on November 9.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) will present \u201cCherry Cherry – Neil Diamond Tribute\u201d on November 5.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will host Annie Sumi on November 5 and Slim and the Perkolators on November 6.<\/p>\n

The Living Room (35 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, https:\/\/thelivingroomat35east.com<\/a>) will present Ian Flanigan on November 6 and John Waite on November 7.<\/p>\n

Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will present Graham Parker on November 4, the Kingston Trio on November 5, Steep Canyon Rangers on November 6, The Airplane Family on November 8, and Walter Trout on November 9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Last year, Marc Broussard was scheduled to headline a show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com) on April 1. It turned out to be an example of \u201cApril Fools.\u201d There was no concert on April 1, 2020. The COVID-19 shutdown took care of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[6166,6165,9763,7881,3162,10092,10091],"class_list":["post-24868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-000-maniacs","tag-6165","tag-arlen-roth","tag-cloak","tag-featured","tag-lisa-chris-superstar","tag-marc-broussard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24868","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=24868"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24869,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24868\/revisions\/24869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}