{"id":25731,"date":"2022-04-14T08:15:19","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T12:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=25731"},"modified":"2022-04-14T12:12:39","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T16:12:39","slug":"on-stage-we-weer-promised-jetpacks-flies-into-underground-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=25731","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: We Were Promised Jetpacks flies into Underground Arts"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

We Were Promised Jetpacks<\/p><\/div>\n

We Were Promised Jetpacks, which is headlining a show on April 14 at Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/undergroundarts.org<\/a>), is a Scottish\u00a0indie rock band featuring Adam Thompson (vocals, guitar), Sean Smith (bass), and Darren Lackie (drums).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band started back in 2004 when we were in school,\u201d said Thompson, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n

Since then, We Were Promised Jetpacks, have released four albums \u2013 \u201cThese Four Walls\u201d (2009), \u201cIn the Pit of the Stomach\u201d (2011), \u201cUnravelling\u201d (2014), \u201cThe More I Sleep the Less I Dream\u201d (2018) and \u201cEnjoy the View\u201d (2021). The two most recent LPs are on Big Scary Monsters while the label for the first three was Fat Cat.<\/p>\n

Scotland has two major cities and four major football teams. There is Glasgow with Celtic and Rangers and Edinburgh, the capital city, with Hibernian (Hibs) and Heart on Midlothian (Hearts). While Glasgow has produced music acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Donovan, the Fratellis, Bert Jansch, Al Stewart and Primal Scream, Edinburgh\u2019s list of notables includes Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Garbage, Bay City Rollers, Incredible String Band, the Proclaimers \u2013 and We Were Promised Jetpacks. <\/p>\n

Thompson, Smith, Lackie and guitarist Michael Palmer formed the band in 2003 while attending an Edinburgh high school, where they won a battle-of-the-bands contest with their very first gig. After graduation, We Were Promised Jetpacks relocated to Glasgow, and their sound matured as well, moving from simple song structures and clean guitars to a more ambitious, anthemic approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released a 10th anniversary edition of \u2018These Four Walls\u2019 in 2019 but did no touring,\u201d said Thompson.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were doing some shows in the U.K. Then, everything went into lockdown, and we started working on the new album.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought that maybe we\u2019d be able to tour again \u2013 but it didn\u2019t happen. We had a European tour cancelled four times and a stateside tour cancelled three times.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pandemic hit hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got married and we live in New York,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cThe other guys still live in Scotland. Edinburgh is where we\u2019re all from. We\u2019re a close-knit group.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the pandemic arrived, I went back to Scotland. I thought it would be a month or two, but it ended up being eight months. We didn\u2019t see each other for four months.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started recording, we sent files back-and-forth to each other. It was the first time we did that. Usually, we record with live guitars and drums.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a whole different M.O. for the Scottish lads.<\/p>\n

According to Thompson, \u201cWriting together this way meant we had to stay in near daily contact to talk about the songs and what we were individually and collectively trying to achieve with them. Even though we were unable to be in the same room, this way of working allowed us to continue to create together and communicate perhaps more directly and efficiently than normal. Having music to focus on during lockdown only reinforced how much we enjoy being in our band together and how important it is that we do it for as long as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Palmer\u2019s departure also had an effect on the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole thing with the new record is that Michael left,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cWhat he brought to the band; we didn\u2019t have anymore. The new music is a little lighter \u2013 a lot more keyboards and synths.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely different. I wish it was a little heavier. But I\u2019m glad we went down this path. It allowed us a different way to do recording and we\u2019ll take what we learned. The next one will be heavier.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur live set is made up of everything \u2013 stuff from all our albums. It\u2019s definitely time to play the new stuff live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for We Were Promised Jetpacks — https:\/\/youtu.be\/uRaQJkIVb_Q<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Underground Arts on April 14 will start at 9 p.m. with Frankie Rose as the opening act.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $22.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Cold Weather Company<\/p><\/div>\n

Cold Weather Company is a New Jersey band.<\/p>\n

Guitarist\/vocalist Brian Curry is from Central Jersey — North Brunswick. Guitarist\/vocalist Jeff Petescia is from North Jersey \u2013 Sparta. Pianist\/vocalist Steve Shimchick is from South Jersey \u2013 Cherry Hill.<\/p>\n

The band formed in New Jersey when they were students at Rutgers University.<\/p>\n

Cold Weather Company, which has been around for almost a decade, is based in New Jersey \u2013 in New Brunswick, the home of the Scarlet Knights.<\/p>\n

The band has crossed the Delaware River a number of times to perform. They have played Philadelphia several times \u2013 including shows at the World Caf\u00e9 Live and Bourbon & Branch.<\/p>\n

Now, the talented trio that is known for its vocal harmonies, is returning to Pennsylvania for a show in Amish Country.<\/p>\n

On April 14, Cold Weather Company will be one of the first day\u2019s acts slated to perform at the Launch Music Conference & Festival 2022 (Lancaster County Convention Center, 25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, www.launchmusicconference.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The band is touring in support of its new album, \u201cCoalescence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started recording the album in late 2019,\u201d said Shimchick, during a phone interview Wednesday evening from his home in New Brunswick.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released it in October 2021. We had an album release party and then shut down a bit because of the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCoalescence\u201d is the band\u2019s fourth album. Their debut album, \u201cSomewhere New,\u201d was released in 2015 followed by \u201cA Folded Letter\u201d in 2016 and \u201cFind Light\u201d in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first two albums were recorded in my dorm room and at Brian\u2019s house in North Brunswick,\u201d said Shimchick. \u201cSome of it was done when we got an apartment in town. The Rutgers community gave us a lot of support.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started recording with Garage Band and then moved up into Logic Pro. Our third album was the first we did in a real studio. It was a long time coming a d it helped elevate our sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it at a studio called 816 with Pat Noone as producer and engineer. All of our albums were mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started recording \u2018Coalescence\u2019 in late 2019. During the pandemic, a lot of it was done by remote. There are 10 songs and, for the most part, all of them had foundations pre-pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cold Weather Company was formed in 2013 after a serendipitous meeting on a park bench at Passion Puddle on the Cook Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrian and Jeff met in 2011,\u201d said Shimshick. \u201cThey met randomly on a park bench on campus. They noticed that each had the same guitar case, and one was wearing a t-shirt of one of the other\u2019s favorite bands.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2012, I met them at an open mic on campus. Jeff introduced me to Brian and the three of us started jamming.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had looking to become a band and I was the third part. Our first show was in November 2013 at the Rutgers College Avenue Student Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first show off campus was in early 2014 in North Jersey. Then, we started playing regular gigs in Asbury Park and, eventually, New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, Cold Weather Company has performed shows in more than 50 cities in 17 states. Tonight, they\u2019ll add a gig in Amish Country to that list.<\/p>\n

Video link for Cold Weather Company — https:\/\/youtu.be\/rTJP_Vg_wEE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cold Weather Company\u2019s performance on April 14 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

The Launch Festival will run from April 14-17.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/undergroundarts.org<\/a>) are Adult. on April 15, Hurray for the Riff Raff on April 16, Mile High Club on April 18, Dance With the Dead on April 19 and Homeshake on April 20.<\/p>\n

\"\"

HumblemanBand<\/p><\/div>\n

Two-and-a-half years ago, HumblemanBand, one of the Philadelphia area\u2019s longest-running rock bands, released its most recent album, \u201cBeautiful Day.\u201d The album officially dropped with a \u201cHumblemanBand CD Release Party\u201d at Rittenhouse Soundworks in November 2018.<\/p>\n

On November 2019, HumblemanBand\u00a0played a special area show at its favorite local haunt \u2014 the Mermaid Inn in Germantown. Little did they know it was to be their last show for an extended period of time.<\/p>\n

Now, after a long layoff caused by COVID-19, HumblemanBand is hitting the stage again. On April 15, the band is headlining a show at Dawson Street Pub (100 Dawson Street, Philadelphia,www.dawsonstreetpub.com<\/a>.) The band will also return to the venue for a show on June 18,<\/p>\n

\u201cThe HumblemanBand was formed in 1999,\u201d said guitarist\/songwriter\/vocalist\/founding member Charlie Cooper, during a phone interview from his home in Germantown. \u201cI was in a band with our drummer Buck Buchanan. Three of us were living near each other in South Philly and we gradually picked up people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe third guy was bassist Bruce Koch, who just died two years ago from a stroke. That was a real loss \u2013 as a friend and as a bandmate. We weren\u2019t sure we were going to pick up the pieces. We were using hired hands to fill in. We then added a permanent bass player \u2013 Boz Heinly, who lives in Plymouth Meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, there are five of us in the band and we get along really well musically and as friends. We have a lot of respect for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band also has had respect for COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen COVID shut down things, we shut down,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cI was just laying low \u2013 playing guitar. We started up again in September 2021, but that didn\u2019t last long because of omicron.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went through a dry period during lockdown. Then I got introduced to \u2018The Artist\u2019s Way.\u2019 You have to do writing exercises every day and it helped. I ended up writing three new songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Artist\u2019s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity\u201d\u00a0is a 1992\u00a0self-help\u00a0book by American author\u00a0Julia Cameron. The book was written to help people with\u00a0artistic\u00a0creative\u00a0recovery, which teaches techniques and exercises to assist people in gaining self-confidence in harnessing their creative talents and skills. The program is focused on supporting relationships in removing artistic blocks and fostering confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings were chugging along and then our previous vocalist Kim Epson decided she wanted to do things elsewhere,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cSo, we got a new singer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s current lineup includes Wain Ballard on guitar, Katie Tuner Drake on vocals, Heinly on bass, Buchanan on drums and Cooper on vocals and guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe seem to have a cycle of putting out an album every five years,\u201d said Cooper. \u00a0\u201cWe put out an album a few years ago called \u2018Least Bad of Humbleman 1984-2009.\u2019 That album was a 25-year compilation starting with our days in 1984 as a punk band called The Proles.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur most recent previous album was \u2018Late Bloom\u2019 in fall 2015 was self-produced \u2013 and mostly D.I.Y. \u201c\u2018Beautiful Day\u2019 was also self-produced \u2013 and also mostly D.I.Y. We recorded the album ourselves in our rhythm practice space and then did solos and vocals in my living room. For our previous album, we used CakeWalk. This time, we used REAPER.\u201d<\/p>\n

REAPER is a complete digital audio production application for computers, offering a full multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering toolset.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent most of this year making the new album,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cAfter finishing recording it ourselves, we sent it out for the mixing. We had Scoops Dardaris do it. We were extremely happy with the mixing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe mastered it at Rittenhouse Soundworks in Germantown. Jim Hamilton, a percussionist and tap dancer from the Kensington area of Philly who toured with Boyz II Men, put the studio together. He\u2019s a terrific talent \u2013 and he knows an amazing amount of people in the music world.\u201d<\/p>\n

HumblemanBand, a rock quintet that is socially conscious, features songs that band members have written and arranged \u2013 songs with lyrics inspired by current events.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went out to Standing Rock (Indian Reservation) in North Dakota,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cThat inspired a brand-new song \u2013 \u2018AIM \u201921.\u2019 The title stands for \u2018American Indian in the 21st century.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cOn \u2018Beautiful Day,\u2019 Kim wrote two songs, we did two covers and I wrote the rest. The two covers were songs by the late Gil Scott-Heron \u2013 \u2018Lady Day and John Coltrane\u2019 and \u2018Alien.\u2019 Gil Scott-Heron was a very influential voice in music and activism and most-known for his song \u2018The Revolution Will Not Be Televised\u2019 and his poetry.<\/p>\n

HumblemanBand, like Scott-Heron, has consistently delivered social commentary and positive messages, often with humor and a light touch, using spoken word lyrics, and generally delivered with dance beat arrangement. His influence upon the band has been strong.<\/p>\n

Video link for Humbleman Band \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/01Clk69MaAU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Dawson Street Pub, which has Emmett Dreuding Band as the opening act, will start at 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

Like the Kimmel Campus in Philadelphia (Academy of Music, Miller Theater, Forrest Theatre) and The Grand in Wilmington (Grand Opera House), the Candlelight Theatre (Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.com<\/a>) usually has a season schedule featuring an array of proven hits such as \u201cMamma Mia!,\u201d \u201cRent,\u201d \u201cOklahoma,\u201d \u201cHairspray,\u201d and \u201cSweet Charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Big Fish<\/p><\/div>\n

The Candlelight is doing theater fans a big favorite this month by presenting a hit Broadway musical that has never been presented in this area before.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig Fish,\u201d which opened on Broadway in 2013 and received three 2014 Drama Desk Award nominations, is running at the Candlelight now through April 24.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig Fish\u201d\u00a0is a\u00a0musical<\/a>\u00a0with music and lyrics by\u00a0Andrew Lippa<\/a>\u00a0and book by\u00a0John August<\/a>. It is based on\u00a0Daniel Wallace<\/a>\u2019s 1998 novel,\u00a0\u201cBig Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions<\/a>,\u201d and the 2003 film\u00a0\u201cBig Fish<\/a>\u201d\u00a0written by John August and directed by\u00a0Tim Burton<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig Fish\u201d\u00a0revolves around the relationship between Edward Bloom, a travelling salesman, and his adult son Will, who looks for what is behind his father\u2019s tall stories.<\/p>\n

The story shifts between two timelines.<\/p>\n

In the present-day real world, 60-year-old Edward Bloom faces his mortality while his son, Will, prepares to become a father himself. In the storybook past, Edward ages from a teenager, encountering a Witch, a Giant, a Mermaid, and the love of his life, Sandra.<\/p>\n

Will has grown up with the incredible, larger-than-life stories from kissing a mermaid, to encountering a witch, to befriending a giant and meeting Will\u2019s mother in a circus.<\/p>\n

Will, who is about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father\u2019s epic tales. The stories meet as Will discovers the secret his father never revealed.<\/p>\n

Bryan Jeffrey plays the role of Edward Bloom and Tiffany Dawn Christopher plays the role of Sandra Bloom. The two recently preformed together in major roles of the Candlelight\u2019s production of \u201cAin\u2019t Misbehavin\u2019.\u201d In the current Candlelight production, Brennen Savon plays the role of Will Bloom.<\/p>\n

\u201cBob Kelly (Candlelight\u2019s Artistic Director) had mentioned to me that they were going to do \u2018Big Fish.\u2019\u201d Said Jeffrey, during a phone interview last week from his home in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had seen \u2018Big Fish\u2019 several times on Broadway \u2013 and I saw the film. I said, I\u2019ll submit (an audition). I didn\u2019t know who I would be.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey called and said \u2013 come in for Edward. I couldn\u2019t remember which one was Edward. I got in there and realized it was the lead role.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, Bob Kelly called. I thought ensemble or understudy, but he offered me Edward Bloom. It was like a surreal moment. It really hit me on the first day of rehearsal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having Jeffrey as Edward was a groundbreaking move.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was the first African-American lead in the show,\u201d said Jeffrey. On Broadway, the original Josephine \u2013 Will\u2019s wife \u2013 was black. But the family has never been black.\u201d<\/p>\n

It proved to be a good move on Kelly\u2019s part \u2013 having a black family and having Jeffrey in the lead role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the ambition and determination Edward has,\u201d said Jeffrey. \u201cHe is confident in who he is \u2013 confident but not cocky. He says \u2013 I know I can do this and he\u2019s a man of his word. He\u2019s a real-life superhero.\u201d<\/p>\n

The role of Edward Bloom is not an easy role to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest challenges is the age,\u201d said Jeffery. \u201cOne minute I\u2019m young and then I\u2019m old and then I\u2019m in college. I get older and then get younger.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother big challenge is being on stage 90 per cent of the time. I have no real break. I\u2019m always singing or saying something. And every show, I have to go through this emotional roller coaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a challenge but Jeffrey meets the challenge head on \u2013 and succeeds (as does the rest of the cast).<\/p>\n

\u201cBig Fish\u201d is running now through April 24 at the Candlelight Theatre. Tickets,\u00a0 which include dinner, beverages and dessert, are $65.50 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times We Were Promised Jetpacks, which is headlining a show on April 14 at Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/undergroundarts.org), is a Scottish\u00a0indie rock band featuring Adam Thompson (vocals, guitar), Sean Smith (bass), and Darren Lackie (drums). \u201cThe band started back in 2004 when we were in school,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[10400,10399,3162,8452,8104],"class_list":["post-25731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-big-fish","tag-cold-weather-company","tag-featured","tag-humblemanband","tag-we-were-promised-jetpacks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25731","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=25731"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25734,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25731\/revisions\/25734"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}