{"id":26391,"date":"2022-08-12T09:02:14","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T13:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=26391"},"modified":"2022-08-12T09:02:19","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T13:02:19","slug":"on-stage-dear-evan-hansen-opening-at-the-forrest-theater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=26391","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ opening at the Forrest Theater"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

Dear Evan Hansen<\/p><\/div>\n

A nice way to combat a heat wave is to spend an evening inside an air-conditioned venue watching a live theatrical performance. Fortunately, there are several good choices — ranging from a new smash Broadway hit (\u201cDear Evan Hansen\u201d) to a timeless theater classic (\u201cSweet Charity\u2019).<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Evan Hansen,\u201d which is billed as a \u201cdeeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it,\u201d is making its Philadelphia premiere\u00a0at the\u00a0Forrest\u00a0Theatre (1114 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.kimmelculturalcampus.org<\/a>) August 16-28.<\/p>\n

This touring production is being presented by the Shubert Organization in partnership with the Kimmel Cultural Campus. <\/p>\n

\u201cDear Evan Hansen\u201d\u00a0is a\u00a0musical\u00a0with music and lyrics by\u00a0Benj Pasek\u00a0and\u00a0Justin Paul, and a\u00a0book\u00a0by\u00a0Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with\u00a0social anxiety \u201cwho invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn.\u201d<\/p>\n

The musical opened on\u00a0Broadway\u00a0at the\u00a0Music Box Theatre\u00a0in December 2016, after the show\u2019s world premiere at the\u00a0Arena Stage\u00a0in\u00a0Washington, D.C.\u00a0in July 2015, and an\u00a0Off-Broadway\u00a0production at\u00a0Second Stage Theatre\u00a0from March to May 2016. The Broadway production will close on September 18, 2022.<\/p>\n

Upon opening, the show received critical acclaim. At the\u00a071st Tony Awards, it was nominated for nine awards, winning six, including\u00a0Best Musical,\u00a0Best Book,\u00a0Best Score,\u00a0Best Actor\u00a0for\u00a0Ben Platt, and\u00a0Best Featured Actress\u00a0for\u00a0Rachel Bay Jones.<\/p>\n

The show plays to sold-out crowds on Broadway, on its 50-city North American tour and will soon open productions in Toronto and London.<\/p>\n

The Grammy Award-winning Original Broadway Cast Recording of \u201cDear Evan Hansen\u201d was released in February 2017 and made an extraordinary debut on the Billboard 200 — entering the chart at #8, the highest charting debut position for an original cast album since 1961. A remixed cover of \u201cWaving Through a Window\u201d can also claim a rare first for a Broadway show \u2013 as a number one hit on Billboard\u2019s Dance Club chart.<\/p>\n

Basically, Hansen is a geeky high school student who spends much of his time in front of a computer screen \u2013 cut off from the world. His mother is on his case all the time \u2013 exhorting him to interact with his peers.<\/p>\n

In the summer prior to his senior year, Hansen broke his arm and had to start the school year wearing a cast. His mom suggests that he gets people to sign the cast.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Hansen is assigned by his therapist Dr. Sherman to write letters to himself detailing what will be good about each day. His overworked mother Heidi suggests that he ask people to sign the cast on his arm to make friends. Meanwhile, Cynthia and Larry Murphy struggle to connect with their son Connor, a sullen drug user.<\/p>\n

The only one to sign the cast was the school bully Connor Murphy \u2013 mockingly in big letters that leave hardly any room for other signatures.<\/p>\n

Hansen wrote a letter that expresses his loneliness.\u00a0He printed the letter out in school but Murphy grabed it from the printer tray and refused to give it back.<\/p>\n

Days later, Hansen is called to the principal\u2019s office, where Murphy\u2019s parents tell him that their son had died by suicide. They found Hansen\u2019s letter in their son\u2019s pocket, and mistakenly believe it was written by their kid — indicating a close friendship between them. Murphy\u2019s signature on his cast strengthens that belief despite Hansen\u2019s fumbling attempts to explain.<\/p>\n

The Murphys invite Hansen to their house for dinner, where he is awkward and uncomfortable, so he tells them what he thinks they want to hear, pretending that he and their son had secretly been best friends.<\/p>\n

The plot then deals with how the lie continued to grow.<\/p>\n

Hansen spends an increasing amount of time with Murphy\u2019s family — fabricating details about his \u201cfriendship\u201d with Murphy. The Connor Project is launched, along with a fundraiser to create a memorial space in an orchard.<\/p>\n

The National Tour cast features Anthony Norman as Evan Hansen, Alaina Anderson as Zoe Murphy (Connor\u2019s sister and Evan\u2019s crush), Colleen Sexton as Heidi Hansen (Evan\u2019s sister) and Lili Thomas as Cynthia Murphy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been with the cast for a half-year,\u201d said Thomas, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Ottawa, Ontario.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw this show when it opened on Broadway. I remember I was not performing at the time. I was a mom of two kids, and I was taking some time off.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great to see that something on Broadway was dealing with real parents. It made me excited to be coming back to performing for this tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really depicted the struggle all parents go through no matter where they are financially. All parents try to do their best. Some do their best and some fail.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very communal feeling. The themes are what parents are aware of and accept. And the show highlights acceptance and kind relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tour top in Philly will mark the first time either actress has performed on a Philadelphia stage.<\/p>\n

For Anderson, this time is the first time she has performed professionally on any stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my first professional acting job,\u201d said Anderson, a 23-year-old who graduated from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science.<\/p>\n

\u201cI auditioned in 2020 when the tour was getting started. I got the role. We started rehearsals and then the tour stopped before it started because of COVID. When I restarted last year, I was glad they still wanted me for the role.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professional acting was not the only thing new for Anderson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t see this show until I was cast for it,\u201d said Anderson, who grew up in Long Island. \u201cThe show came out when I was in high school, and I knew it had a lot of hype.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very real show. When you\u2019re a teenager, everything seems like very high stakes. Everything feels very life and death.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn theater, everything is life and death too \u2013 the physical distance between the audience and the actors. Theater is very physical. Everything is real time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas said, \u201cAudiences really relate to this show. There is a character in this show for everybody to relate to. The message of this show is mainly about connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adding more teen cred to the \u201cDear Evan Hansen\u201d popularity, \u201cStranger Things\u201d\u00a0star Gaten Matarazzo returned to Broadway as Jared Kleinman in\u00a0\u201cDear Evan Hansen\u201d on July 19. Known for his portrayal of Dustin on\u00a0\u201cStranger Things,\u201d Matarazzo made his Broadway debut in 2011 in\u00a0\u201cPriscilla, Queen of the Desert.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cDear Evan Hansen\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/6GzU40h_kO8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show will run from August 16-28 at the\u00a0Forrest\u00a0Theatre. Tickets prices range from $59-$177.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig Spender\u201d and \u201cIf My Friends Could See Me Now\u201d are just two of the standout tunes in the award-winning musical, \u201cSweet Charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Candlelight\u00a0Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) is presenting the all-time classic musical as its fourth production run of 2022. The lively comedy \u201cSweet Charity\u201d is running now through August 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cSweet Charity\u201d\u00a0is a musical with music by\u00a0Cy Coleman, lyrics by\u00a0Dorothy Fields\u00a0and book by\u00a0Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by\u00a0Bob Fosse\u00a0starring his wife and muse\u00a0Gwen Verdon\u00a0alongside\u00a0John McMartin.<\/p>\n

It is based on the screenplay for Federico Fellini\u2019s 1957 Italian film, \u201cNights of Cabiria.\u201d<\/p>\n

Besides the obvious major change of resetting the story from Rome to New York, the biggest change is Cabiria\/Charity\u2019s occupation. Cabiria is a \u201chooker with a heart of gold.\u201d This had to be softened for American musical audiences in 1966, so Charity works instead as a taxi dancer at the Fandango Ballroom.<\/p>\n

In the early 20th century, men could go to dance halls and pay to dance with the woman of their choice, usually for 10 cents a song (thus the famous Rodgers & Hart song \u201cTen Cents a Dance.\u201d) However, by the1960s, taxi dance halls were not nearly as common. It\u2019s suggested, at least in \u201cSweet Charity,\u201d that most of the women who were still taxi dancers were willing to do more than just dance, if the price is right.<\/p>\n

The musical premiered on\u00a0Broadway\u00a0in 1966, where it was nominated for nine\u00a0Tony Awards, winning the\u00a0Tony Award for Best Choreography. The production also ran in London\u2019s West End\u00a0as well as having revivals and international productions.<\/p>\n

The musical was adapted for the screen in 1969 with\u00a0Shirley MacLaine\u00a0as Charity and\u00a0John McMartin\u00a0recreating his Broadway role as Oscar Lindquist. For Bob Fosse, who directed and choreographed, the\u00a0film\u00a0was his feature-film directorial debut.<\/p>\n

The production at the Candlelight features stellar performances by Phoebe Gavula on the title role of Charity Hope Valentine. The other main character — Oscar Lindquist \u2013 is performed admirably by Jared Calhoun.<\/p>\n

Other key performers are Gabrielle Impriano as Helene, Beth Dugan as Nickie, Tess Sinatra as Carmen, JJ Vavrik as Herman, Joe Falcone as Vittorio Vidal, and Rebecca Schall as Ursula March.<\/p>\n

The production at the Candlelight Dinner Theatre is directed by Jessica Bostock with choreography by Jody Anderson and musical direction by Christopher Tolomeo.<\/p>\n

\u201cSweet Charity\u201d is running now through August 28.<\/p>\n

Tickets, which include dinner, non-alcoholic beverages and free parking, are $65.50 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).<\/p>\n

Music fans can take a trip back in time at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) on August 12.<\/p>\n

\"\"

AM Radio Tribute Band<\/p><\/div>\n

The theater in downtown West Chester will be hosting a show by AM Radio Tribute Band, which is the brainchild of\u00a0Su\u00a0Teears\u00a0and Kevin Burk is exactly what its name implies.<\/p>\n

Selections include remarkable renditions of White Rabbit-Jefferson Airplane\u2019s \u201cWhite Rabbit,\u201d Three Dog Night\u2019s \u201cMama Told Me Not To Come,\u201d the Stone Poneys\u2019 \u201cDifferent Drum,\u201d the Hollies \u201cBus Stop,\u201d Lulu\u2019s \u201cTo Sir With Love,\u201d the Carpenters\u2019 \u201cClose to You,\u201d and The Mamas & The Papas\u2019 \u201cCalifornia Dreamin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe play songs mostly from the \u201960\u2019s, some from the \u201970\u2019s, some older stuff like the Ronettes,\u201d said\u00a0Teears, during a phone interview from her home in King of Prussia. \u201cWe also do some stuff from the \u201950\u2019s like Bill Haley & the Comets and Elvis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burk, who is a native of King of Prussia and an Upper Merion High grad, said, \u201cWe\u2019re normally a six-piece band and sometimes for bigger shows we\u2019re a seven-piece with an added guitar. There are also times when we add a horn section and play as a 10-piece.\u201d
\nAM Radio Tribute Band got its start exactly six years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cKevin and I were on a road trip to upstate New York,\u201d said\u00a0Teears. \u201cAs we travelled north, we listened to the radio until we lost our favorite station.\u201d<\/p>\n

Losing reception of AM radio stations is a common thing.<\/p>\n

AM broadcasting\u00a0is a\u00a0radio broadcasting\u00a0technology which employs amplitude modulation\u00a0(AM) transmissions \u2013 unlike FM which uses frequency modulation.<\/p>\n

AM radio, which is also known as medium wave, covers frequencies from 525-1704 kHz (kilohertz). In the United States, there are clear channel stations which can operate at 50,000 watts 24 hours a day, regional stations which have restrictions on their broadcasting power and local daytime stations with low wattage allowance and limited range.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re driving in Pennsylvania or New York, you can hear powerful clear channel stations from all over the eastern part of the country \u2013 stations\u00a0such as WSM in Nashville, WABC in New York, WCKY in Cincinnati, WGN in Chicago, WSB in Atlanta, WBZ in Boston and WOWO in Fort Wayne.<\/p>\n

Listening to regional stations is more difficult. These stations are limited in power and often have directional broadcasting. So, if you exceed your favorite station\u2019s range as you travel, the station fades out and is often replaced by a different regional station.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we lost the station we were listening to, we found a station playing all the hits we grew up with,\u201d said\u00a0Teears. \u201cWe toyed with the idea of playing these songs. We started playing them while trying to do things a little left of center.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon,\u00a0Teears\u00a0and Burk were assembling a band \u2013 a band that became AM Tribute Radio.<\/p>\n

The lineup of AM Tribute Radio\u2019s full band features drummer Jimmy Cavanaugh from Norristown, guitarist Danny Eyer (Absecon, N.J.), Bill Sharrow (Collingdale\/Spring Mount), vocalist\/guitarist Joe Triglia (Lansdale),\u00a0Teears\u00a0(Northeast Philadelphia) and Burk.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first gig was December 2014 at the Bridgeport Ribhouse and we\u2019ve had a stable lineup since then,\u201d said Burk. \u201cOur repertoire now is well over 500 tunes. There is so much to pick from.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teears\u00a0said, \u201cThis is the music we grew up with. We\u2019re purists. We try to keep it as close as possible to the original.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for AM Radio Tribute Band —\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/an3eLlSQmIw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Uptown! Knauer will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

The Uptown! Knauer will offer another trip to the past on August 13 when it presents \u201cHollywood Nights – The Bob Seger Experience.<\/p>\n

The Bob Seger Experience is the ultimate tribute to Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. This nine-piece New Jersey-based powerhouse has set out to recreate everything about Seger and his music, right down to the smallest detail. The band prides itself on continuing the amazing groundwork laid down by Seger over the past 30 years.<\/p>\n

Video link for Hollywood Nights — https:\/\/youtu.be\/X2qJtPAEx_g<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on Saturday night will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are One Alternative on August 18 and Sarah Diamond & the Coal Miners on August 20.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Livingston\u00a0Taylor<\/p><\/div>\n

Livingston\u00a0Taylor\u00a0has a lot of musical talent \u2013 and a knack for longevity.<\/p>\n

Taylor, who will be performing on August 13 at Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts (9 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr,<\/a> brynmawrtwilightconcerts.com<\/a>), is a singer-songwriter who made his first album 52 years ago and has released more than 20 more LPs since then.<\/p>\n

Taylor\u00a0has a long history of touring internationally over the last five decades.\u00a0Taylor\u00a0has also been a professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston for more than a quarter-century.<\/p>\n

You might think that when the pandemic shut everything down last year,\u00a0Taylor\u00a0would put a hold on live performances \u2013 that he would stay home and work on recording a new album \u2013 and that he would resort to Zoom if he opted to continue teaching. That wasn\u2019t his M.O.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the pandemic, I hunkered down and watched the world go by,\u201d said\u00a0Taylor, during a recent phone interview from his home in Watertown, Massachusetts. \u201cThings slowed mightily.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people were stunningly productive. I\u2019m not one of them. I make music to play for people. I did do some live shows \u2013 some in a theater without an audience. It was very hard. It required a certain kind of visualization.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a few Zoom shows. That\u2019s truly the definition of \u2018phoning it in.\u2019 I also played some outdoor shows in parking lots. I need to see people. I crave it. When I don\u2019t have it, I don\u2019t feel good.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to COVID-19,\u00a0Taylor\u00a0had it and it didn\u2019t feel good.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got COVID a month ago,\u201d said\u00a0Taylor. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel well so I took a test. The next morning, I did it again and the positive sign was glowing. I had a couple days of feeling poorly — that\u2019s all.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that we\u2019re moving to post-Covid, we have to keep going. When you drive a car into a ditch, you\u2019ve got to get it out and figure out what broke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still think it\u2019s going to take four or five years to work through it. It was an unprecedented interruption in the world\u2019s functioning. No other event has thoroughly stopped the planet like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taylor\u00a0is a natural performer, peppering his shows with personal stories, anecdotes and ineffable warmth that connect him to his fans. His relaxed on-stage presence belies the depth of his musical knowledge, and fans might just as often be treated to a classic Gershwin or something from the best of Broadway.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my live shows, I do speak about the songs \u2013 who wrote them\u2026why they wrote them,\u201d said\u00a0Taylor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always about the idea of making a song \u2013 making an experience. I speak about myself \u2013 but only in reference to the music not me. A life well-lived is boring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taylor\u00a0picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina,\u00a0Livingston\u00a0is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh.\u00a0Livingston\u00a0recorded his first record at the age of 18 and has continued to create well crafted, introspective, and original songs that have earned him listeners worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really like to play and see my music brought to people,\u201d said\u00a0Taylor. \u201cMy first show when I knew my music worked was when I was opening for Joni Mitchell at Boston University in 1969. I was third on the bill behind Joni and Jaime Brockett.<\/p>\n

\u201cJaime had played, and the audience was anxious to hear Joni. In my 20 minutes, I was able to win the audience over. The only thing in my mind was that this works. This was before I started recording. I was writing a lot of songs and testing them to see if it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

A half-century later, it\u2019s obvious that it has worked.<\/p>\n

From Top 40 hits \u201cI Will Be in Love with You\u201d and \u201cI\u2019ll Come Running,\u201d to \u201cI Can Dream of You\u201d and \u201cBoatman,\u201d the last two recorded by his brother James,\u00a0Taylor\u2019s creative output has continued unabated. His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres \u2014 folk, pop, gospel, jazz \u2014 and from upbeat storytelling and touching ballads to full orchestra performances.<\/p>\n

Taylor\u00a0is a full professor at Berklee College of Music, where he has taught a Stage Performance course since 1989. He teaches young artists invaluable lessons learned over the course of an extensive career on the road. His high-selling book, \u201cStage Performance,\u201d which was released in 2011, offers those lessons to anyone who is interested in elevating their presentation standards to professional standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still teach at Berklee but won\u2019t do it on Zoom,\u201d said\u00a0Taylor. \u201cI\u2019m not going to take kids\u2019 money and not give them a successful experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, I\u2019m not going to teach a course masked. I\u2019m teaching stage performance. I\u2019m teaching communication skills. I want to read people\u2019s faces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taylor\u00a0also has avoided the recording studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a couple albums in the pipeline, but no tracks recorded,\u201d said\u00a0Taylor. \u201cI\u2019m not making records in my garage. Recording the way I want to is an expensive undertaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taylor\u00a0sees a light at the end of the COVID tunnel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe stopping of society is done,\u201d said\u00a0Taylor. \u201cBut it\u2019s really going to take years to gear this up again. It\u2019s hard to stop the world completely and then get it going again. I am very optimistic for its resolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Livingston\u00a0Taylor\u00a0\u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/HKlam3eXSSY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show in Bryn Mawr will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts will feature Cris Jacobs Band on August 19, Trout Fishing in America on August 24, and The Dirty Grass Players on August 28.<\/p>\n

Grammy Award-winning choir The Crossing gives the Philadelphia premiere performance of\u00a0Shara Nova\u2019s \u201cTitration\u201d at the\u00a0Presbyterian Church (8855 Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill) on August 13.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The Crossing<\/p><\/div>\n

The Crossing (www.crossingchoir.org<\/a>) is an American professional chamber choir based in Philadelphia. The Crossing is conducted by\u00a0Donald\u00a0Nally\u00a0and dedicated to new\u00a0music. It is committed to working with creative teams to make and record new, substantial works for choir that explore and expand ways of writing for choir, singing in choir, and listening to music for choir.<\/p>\n

Many of its nearly 120 commissioned premieres address social, environmental, and political issues. With a commitment to recording its commissions, The Crossing has issued 19 releases and received two Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance (2018, 2019), and three Grammy nominations in as many years.<\/p>\n

The new work delves into feelings of joy, rage, and determination, told through songs by singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Shara Nova\u2014the composer of one of The Crossing\u2019s acclaimed\u00a0Carols after a Plague, also known for her work as\u00a0My Brightest Diamond.<\/p>\n

Nova writes of her new work, \u201c\u2018Titration\u2019\u00a0is an hour-long choral song cycle which examines difficult emotions like fear, sorrow, disgust or rage through the lens of the nervous system and utilizes body-centered practices that develop one\u2019s capacity to calm oneself when such emotions arise. In these times of conflict and crisis, how can we feel\u00a0more, rather than less?\u201d<\/p>\n

This music is greatly influenced by the Somatic Abolitionist body of work and practices of Resmaa Menakem. \u00a0Additional influence for this work comes from polyvagal theory author Deb Dana, Somatic Experiencing therapy, Alexander Technique, as well as practices learned from Qi-gong teacher Master Chunyi Lin and Laughter Yoga.\u201d<\/p>\n

Audience members are invited to a pre-concert discussion with conductor, Donald Nally, and composer, Shara Nova, in the Burleigh Cruikshank Memorial Chapel at 3:00pm, followed by and a post-concert picnic in celebration of the choir\u2019s first concert in their home city in August.<\/p>\n

The song list for \u201cTitration\u201d includes Freeze State, Safety in Peril or Calm, What\u2019s The Vibe, Vagus?, Titration 1, How do I keep on feelin\u2019 in this mean, mean world?, Emotion Wheel, Patterns of Protection, The Grief of Which I Rarely Speak, Titration 2, Turn Ya Head Around, Imagine A Favorite Place, I Seek To Change, Yes \/ No, \u00a0I\u2019m so Mad I Could Spit Nails, Ntice Sensations, Pulses and Titration 3.<\/p>\n

The performance on Saturday will start at 4 p.m. Ticket prices start at $20.<\/p>\n

Music fans know that Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) is a prime destination to hear folk, jazz and blues music every Thursday through Sunday.<\/p>\n

The \u201cThursday Night Jazz Jam\u201d and the \u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d are regular features on Jamey\u2019s calendar while Friday and Saturday night shows feature national and regional acts.<\/p>\n

The headline acts this weekend are Alvin Frazier on August 12 and Mike Younger on August 13.<\/p>\n

Younger is touring in support of his latest album which is actually an older album recorded when he was much younger.<\/p>\n

In 2017, Younger was able to reclaim the recordings he made in Memphis in 2001 and began the long process of completing the production of\u00a0\u201cBurning The Bigtop Down\u201d\u00a0and cleaning up unresolved issues surrounding the record.<\/p>\n

With the August 2021 release of\u00a0\u201cBurning The Bigtop Down,\u201d Younger\u2019s long journey to recover his lost work has come full circle.<\/p>\n

Younger was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the talented singer\/songwriter eventually made his way to New York City in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came to New York in 1992,\u201d said Younger, during a phone interview Monday from Watertown, New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had been living in Toronto and was a developing singer\/songwriter. I loved the folk music that came out of Greenwich Village in the 60s and 70s. I wanted to see if there was a continuity from then to the scene in the 1990s. I went to New York to see if I could find a circle of artists.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in Toronto in 1991 \u2013 in Kensington Market. I was making my way playing music there but there is no city like New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was years later, while performing live on WWOZ in New Orleans, that he caught his first break with a music publisher who heard the broadcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was living in New Orleans when I got signed to a publishing deal,\u201d said Younger. \u201cJohn Sinclair was a radio host and invited me to play on his show. I played a few songs and, right after that, a publisher form Nashville called the station. Next thing I knew, the publisher came to New Orleans and I signed with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon after, I went to Nashville to record some demos. Some of them ended up with Rodney Crowell. The songs caught his attention and he called and said he wanted to produce me.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Younger signed his first record deal with Sounds Unreel, Crowell stepped in as producer, and together they recorded \u201cSomethin\u2019 In The Air\u201d\u00a0in 1999.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor my second album, the label wanted me to meet with Jim Dickinson, who had just finished producing an album for Bob Dylan\u201d said Younger.<\/p>\n

\u201cI took a meeting with him, and he said that a batch of songs I had written were really authentic. He brought his friends in to work on the record. When he said who the backing band was, I was terrified and excited.\u201d<\/p>\n

The original Memphis sessions featured rock legends Levon Helm on drums, Spooner Oldham on keyboard and organ, David Hood on bass, Jim Dickinson on piano, and his son Luther Dickinson on electric guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Day Four of the sessions, we were working on songs 10 and 11,\u201d said the talented Haligonian. \u201cThe vibe in the studio had changes. Jim got a call from the label in L.A. telling him that they put the whole thing on ice \u2013 that my project was going to be shelved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a six-record contract and I had to fight to get freed from it. I finally got my release after two years \u2013 but it took me 17 years to get my tapes back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tapes from that session fell into legal limbo and were lost for almost two decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2012, Levon Helm passed and then Jim Dickinson died a few years later,\u201d said Younger. \u201cThen, Jack Holter, the owner of the label passed away. I contacted Dawn Hopkins, who was Jack\u2019s partner, and she found the tapes for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeventeen years later, I finished the sessions. As soon as I got possession of the tapes, I started making arrangements to finish it. The tapes had to be baked. I used Ray Kennedy, who is a master of dehydrating tapes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to dig into the tapes to see what needed to be fixed. I added horns and rewrote some of the songs. I had waited 17 years and wanted to put my best foot forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, after a long challenging struggle, Younger\u2019s highly acclaimed album,\u00a0\u201cBurning The Bigtop Down,\u201d\u00a0was released August 27, 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was I feeling when it finally got released,\u201d said Younger. The feeling was a liberation from a long, difficult, painful journey. I was happier than a dog with two tales.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Mike Younger — https:\/\/youtu.be\/NU7ZQmNii50<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Jamey\u2019s on Saturday will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

The \u201cThursday Night Jazz Jam\u201d and the \u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d are regular features on Jamey\u2019s calendar while Friday and Saturday night shows feature national and regional acts.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s has started a popular \u201cGuest Singer Series\u201d featuring many of the best singers in the region performing a set from 7-8 p.m. with the backing of the Dave Reiter Trio and occasional guest musicians.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s featured performer on August 11 will be Lorraine Barrett. The show will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d is a favorite of Jamey\u2019s regulars because Reilly and his band the Philly Blues Kings (www.phillyblueskings.com<\/a>) are the performers each week.<\/p>\n

The Philly Blues King are a veteran outfit comprised of David Reiter on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Maci Miller on vocals, Bill Marconi on drums and vocals and Reilly on bass guitar. They have performed together for 15 years (except for Miller) and are the house band for Jamey\u2019s House of Music. They are well known for tight, jazz inflected classic blues.<\/p>\n

Reiter performs on a seven-string guitar and Reilly plays a fretless five string bass and that sets the group above the ordinary. The three veteran musicians have each spent decades playing the blues professionally and have backed many well-known national artists. Maci Miller, an internationally recognized jazz singer based in Philadelphia, joined the Blues Kings and quickly established herself as a top-flight front woman.<\/p>\n

Video link for Philly Blues Kings \u2014\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/bAnBVLc7Wsg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Jamey\u2019s House of Music on August 14 will start at noon. Admission is free.<\/p>\n

Curtis Salgado, who will be headlining 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com<\/a>) on August 13, is another artist touring in support of a \u201cnew\u201d album that was recorded a while ago.<\/p>\n

Curtis Salgado\u2019s latest Alligator Records release,\u00a0\u201cDamage Control,\u201d which was releasedmid-2020, is being hailed as the best of his long career. Produced by Salgado,\u00a0\u201cDamage Control\u201d\u00a0is packed with soul-searching, street-smart, vividly detailed, instantly memorable songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started making the album several years ago and finished in February 2020,\u201d said Salgado, during a phone interview Monday from the back of a tour van heading to his next gig. \u201cIt should have come out in 2020. Then, COVID-19 crawled onto the shores of Everett.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everett, which is Salgado\u2019s hometown, is the\u00a0county seat\u00a0of and the largest city in\u00a0Snohomish County, Washington.<\/p>\n

On January 19, 2020, a\u00a0man who had returned\u00a0home to Snohomish County after traveling to Wuhan, checked into an urgent care clinic after seeing reports about the outbreak.\u00a0The\u00a0Centers for Disease Control announced\u00a0on January 21 that the man had tested positive for COVID-19.<\/p>\n

With\u00a0\u201cDamage Control,\u201d Salgado has created what he calls \u201ca rock \u2019n\u2019 roll record with lyrics that hit.\u201d The album was produced by Salgado and recorded in studios in Tennessee and California with three different groups of world-class, road-tested blues and roots musicians. The LP has 13 songs — 12 originals and a raucous cover of Larry Williams\u2019\u00a0\u201cSlow Down\u201d\u00a0(famously covered by The Beatles).<\/p>\n

\u201cI used three different studios with four songs each except for five in Nashville,\u201d said Salgado. \u201cI also did some work with Wayne Toups in New Orleans. All the vocals were done in L.A. and the horns were done in Portland (Oregon).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I write songs, I first get bones \u2013 the chord changes \u2013 and then it\u2019s the sidemen. I have an idea. Then, I give these guys the bone and they put in the meat and the muscle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made a great album. The songs were all written by me \u2013 some with friends. My strength is that I know how to put together what I have in my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always writing. I now have 16 finished songs \u2013 enough for a new record. Maybe I\u2019ll write a few more. I\u2019m a blues soul singer \u2013 singer\/songwriter, R&B, rock, soul, blues, gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a career spanning 40 years,\u00a0Salgado\u00a0is a one-of-a-kind talent whose music is as compelling as his story.<\/p>\n

From co-fronting The Robert Cray Band to leading his own band (and recording nine solo albums) to helping transform John Belushi into \u201cJoliet\u201d Jake Blues to touring the country with Steve Miller and Santana, he is a true musical giant. NPR calls him \u201ca blues icon\u201d with a \u201chuge voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salgado\u00a0earned a reputation for high-intensity performances and a repertoire inspired by his encyclopedic knowledge of soul, blues and R&B music. He won the 2010 Blues Music Award (BMA) for Soul Blues Artist of the Year and went on to win the award again in 2012 and 2013. In 2013 he also won the coveted BMA for B.B. King Entertainer of The Year and also won Soul Blues Album of the Year for his Alligator debut,\u00a0Soul Shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just like the old blues and R&B artists that provide inspiration for\u00a0Salgado, the hard-working musician spends a lot of time on tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the road, nowadays we\u2019re a rolling record store,\u201d said\u00a0Salgado. \u201cThere are no record shops anymore — except for a few little mom-and-pop shops.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m signed with Alligator Records and that helps a lot to get my music out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 68 now and I\u2019ve been doing this my whole life. It\u2019s funny. When you\u2019re on the road, you want to get off the road. Then, when you get off the road, you want to go out again. It\u2019s a hard job but it\u2019s a job I love to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music has been a big part of\u00a0Salgado\u2019s life ever since he was really young.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was really blessed with a mother, father, older brother and sister who were all into music,\u201d said\u00a0Salgado. \u201cMy mom and pop were into jazz music. My mother could play a pretty wicked stride piano.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe music they were listening to — Count Basie, Fats Waller, Earl \u2018Fatha\u2019 Hines, Ray Charles, Fletcher Henderson, Joe Williams — was stuff that really caught my auditory nerve. I was so immersed into it. I was doing sixth-grade book reports on the history of jazz, and I\u2019d bring 78s into play along with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn kindergarten, it was also pinned to my chest that I could sing. I took to singing like a duck to water. Then, I discovered Little Walter and that completely blew me away. His music was what inspired me to learn to play harmonica.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salgado must have some feline characteristics in his DNA \u2013 at least the \u201cnine lives\u201d part.<\/p>\n

Salgado has always lived life to the fullest, but he\u2019s also faced adversity and had to overcome multiple health challenges. He battled back from liver cancer in 2006 and lung cancer in 2008 and 2012. In March 2017 he underwent quadruple bypass surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had cancer four times,\u201d said Salgado. \u201cIt\u2019s a non-aggressive cancer that can\u2019t be killed. It went from my liver to my lung. It seems to come back every five years. I\u2019ve also had Hepatitis C, a heart attack and bypass surgery because the major arteries were gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like the Energizer Bunny, Salgado just keeps going and going. From a cat standpoint, he still has three or four lives still in the bank.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about survival,\u201d said Salgado. \u201cAnd I\u2019m a survivor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fittingly, one of his recent videos is for a song titled \u201cThe Longer That I Live\u201d with the recurring line, \u201cThe longer that I live, the older I want to get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Curtis\u00a0Salgado\u00a0—\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/ikRzUBWoUIY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at\u00a0118 North on August 13 will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/p>\n

Another act from the Pacific Northwest will be playing a show in Philadelphia this week.<\/p>\n

Hotel Mira, which is headlining a show at Silk City (435 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>) on August 14, is a rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia.<\/p>\n

The band was formed by vocalist Charlie Kerr in 2007 and has gone through many changes over the last 15 years \u2013 name changes and personnel changes.<\/p>\n

The band was originally known as\u00a0The Beauties, but due to a name conflict with an existing band, changed its name to\u00a0Japanese Girls. However, upon realizing it caused difficulty when searching for the band online, they used the\u00a0disemvoweling\u00a0JPNSGRLS.<\/p>\n

As JPNSGRLS, the band released one EP \u2013 \u201cThe Sharkweek EP\u201d in 2013 \u2013 and two albuns \u2013 \u201cCirculation\u201d in 2014 and \u201cDivorce\u201d in 2016.<\/p>\n

JPNSGRLS debuted\u00a0\u201cDivorce\u2019s\u201d first single \u201cBully for You\u201d exclusively via the\u00a0PopMatters\u00a0website in April 2016, with wide release set for April 15.\u00a0PopMatters\u00a0said that \u201cBully for You\u201d is \u201can empathetic expression of male sympathy over the everyday misogyny that women must face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kerr\u2019s statement on the song was that it is \u201can observational protest song about the ceaseless, unfair treatment of women from the point of view of a cisgendered man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, JPNSGRLS morphed into Hotel Mira and released the \u201cHotel Mira EP\u201d in 2018. The eponymous EP, released in August 2018, was the first with the new three-piece line-up of Kerr, Colton Lauro and Mike Noble.<\/p>\n

The 2022 lineup of Hotel Mira features Kerr (vocals), Clark Grieve (guitar), Mike Noble (bass), and Cole George (drums).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current lineup has been together four or five years,\u201d said Kerr, during a phone interview Monday from a tour stop in Columbus, Ohio.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrior to the name change, everybody else in the band had quit. One-by-one, the members told me they quit. I said, \u2018that\u2019s cool, I\u2019m going to keep going.\u2019 I always wanted to change the name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next up was the \u201cPerfectionism\u201d album. The LP, which was released in 2020 and produced by\u00a0Juno Award\u00a0and\u00a0Grammy Award-winning producer\u00a0Eric Ratz, spawned several singles and a slow burn sleeper airplay hit \u2013\u00a0\u201cThis Could Be It For Me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded both the EP and album at Light Organ Studio,\u201d said Kerr. \u201cThe EP was produced by Dave Schiffman and the album was produced by Eric Ratz.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album was released on Valentine\u2019s Day 2020 and then COVID hit. We had a lot lined up \u2013 but everything plays out the way it\u2019s supposed to.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people made \u2018Perfectionism\u2019 the album they listened to during lockdown. We started a TikTok account, and the music did well. We gained a lot of fans through digital busking.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really cool in an accessibility way. We also did a couple of Livestream shows. It\u2019s nothing like the real thing but, at that time, it scratched an itch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, there is a new single from Hotel Mira.<\/p>\n

Produced by Ryan Worsley (Dear Rouge, Monowhales) and mixed by Tony Hoffer (Phoenix, The Kooks), \u201cFever Pitch\u201d is the first taste of new music from Hotel Mira following 2020\u2019s acclaimed \u201cPerfectionism.\u201d<\/p>\n

As it was in the beginning and as it is now, Hotel Mira is Kerr\u2019s band.<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually do most of the songwriting,\u201d said Kerr. \u201cI try and start with melodies and then try to put lyrics over the melody. Lyrically, it can be pretty stream of consciousness. I find the story as I go.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did a small Canadian run in late 2021 and we\u2019ve been touring the states for the last two-and-a-half weeks. We just passed the halfway point of the tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like a support tour for \u2018Perfectionism.\u2019 We also decided to throw in a couple older songs on this tour \u2013 including a few from \u2018Circulation\u2019 and \u2018Divorce.\u2019 This will be our first time to play Philadelphia so we\u2019re really looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Hotel Mira — https:\/\/youtu.be\/gViyLBjUv9k<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Silk City on August 14 will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/p>\n

The Colonial Theater (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, thecolonialtheatre.com\/events<\/a>) hosts Jon Lovitz on August 13.<\/p>\n

The Sound Bank (119 South Main Street, Phoenixville, www.soundbankphx.com<\/a>) will have The Jake Joyce Band and The Paul Waltz Band on August 12 and the Balkun Brothers and Ben Brandt & The Soul Miners Union on August 13.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is presenting Tret Fure and Heather Mae on August 19, Sugar Lime Blue on August 20, and The Real Diamond on August 27.<\/p>\n

Phantom Power (121 West Frederick Street, Millersville, www.phantompower.net<\/a>) will have The Hyperpop Experience on August 12 and A Giant Dog on August 13.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Rose Tree Summer Festival (Rose Tree Park, Route 252, Media, www.delcopa.gov\/departments\/parks<\/a>)\u00a0will host Basic Cable on August 12, Lonnie Shields Band & Jesse Loewy on August 13, and Land of Ozz on August 14.<\/p>\n

Concerts Under the Stars (Upper Merion Township Building Park, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com<\/a>) will present Dave Hause & The Mermaid on August 14, Steal Your Peach on August 19, Devon Gilfillian on August 25, Brett Dennen on September 14, David Bromberg on September 23, and The Wailers on September 30.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times A nice way to combat a heat wave is to spend an evening inside an air-conditioned venue watching a live theatrical performance. Fortunately, there are several good choices — ranging from a new smash Broadway hit (\u201cDear Evan Hansen\u201d) to a timeless theater classic (\u201cSweet Charity\u2019). \u201cDear Evan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[9428,10620,3162,5489,9230],"class_list":["post-26391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-am-radio-tribute-band","tag-dear-evan-hansen","tag-featured","tag-livingston-taylor","tag-the-crossing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26391","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=26391"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26392,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26391\/revisions\/26392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}