{"id":5836,"date":"2015-11-14T08:00:02","date_gmt":"2015-11-14T13:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=5836"},"modified":"2015-11-14T07:46:49","modified_gmt":"2015-11-14T12:46:49","slug":"on-stage-part-ii-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=5836","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"

By DENNY DYROFF,\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Staff Writer, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s always a good trait to have the ability to laugh at yourself.<\/p>\n

This weekend, Philadelphia will have the opportunity to laugh at itself when Chicago\u2019s legendary sketch and improv comedy theater Second City performs three shows on November 13 and 14\u00a0 the Kimmel Center\u00a0 (Broad and Spruce streets, Philadelphia, 215-731-3333, www.kimmelcenter.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The show, which is titled \u201cThe Second City Hits Home,\u201d is a new show featuring hilarious sketches, songs and improvisation about Philadelphia, as well as material from the famed Second City archives.<\/p>\n

\"5\/11\/15<\/a>

Second City<\/p><\/div>\n

The Second City finds humor in everything from Philadelphia\u2019s history, events, and hot issues and mixes these with a healthy dose of classic Chicago-style sketch and improv created by some of Second City\u2019s most celebrated alumni (including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done a number of these types of shows this year,\u201d said Second City performer Maria Randazzo, during a phone interview Monday from Hampton, Virginia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show changes all the time. It depends on the city we\u2019re playing. We do a lot of scenes built around that city. Part of it is done in advance of each show. There are scenes that we use and adapt to each city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have people go to the town to talk to people and to do internet searches. And, when we get on tour, we do our own research. It\u2019s fun doing this type of research and learning things about different parts of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Touring the country with funny shows is serious business for Second City.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have three companies out on the road right now,\u201d said Randazzo, who was born and raised in Chicago. \u201cThere are the Red, Blue and Green companies. We\u2019re the Blue Company.<\/p>\n

\u201cA good amount of our show is improve — maybe 30 per cent. A lot of the show is scripted. But, every scene can change because each audience is different and audiences react in different ways. In comedy, no shows are ever exactly alike.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this show, there are some scenes written specifically for the tour and then we adapt the script to the city. We read the scripts and then rehearse them in advance of the show. Then, we go on the internet and research independently — things like landmarks and historical facts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show is 90 minutes long and has two acts. Then, we usually do an improve set after the two acts. There is always a lot of interaction with the audience. We even ask for suggestions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"the<\/a>

The Goodnight Darlings<\/p><\/div>\n

Video link for Second City — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gO-4utdX5tY&feature=player_profilepage. <\/a>\u00a0Performances at the Kimmel Center are scheduled for 8 p.m. on November 13 and 4 and 8:30 p.m. on November 14. Tickets are $49 and $59.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the capsule story of the band The Goodnight Darlings, which is in the area for a free show at Fergie\u2019s Pub (1214 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, 215- 928-8118, www.fergies.com<\/a>) on November 13. Girl sees boy play guitar. Girl loves the guitar sounds (and the guitarist\u2019s biceps). Girl asks boy a question. Boy and girl talk. Boy and girl fall in love and get married. Boy and girl form a band and forge a career making music together.<\/p>\n

Wilson Jaramillo was the boy. Kat Auster was the girl. The indie-rock duo The Goodnight Darlings is the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw Wilson play guitar with his previous band Bon Bomb,\u201d said Auster, during a phone interview Wednesday. \u201cIt was in the spring of 2005 at a rock club in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he was the best guitarist I ever heard. So, I talked to him and asked him about guitar pedals. We got to know each other and fell in love. Then, we got married.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were partners romantically before we were partners musically. Actually, it all happened around the same tine about five years ago. We were jamming with Nina Simone songs and writing our own songs. Then, we had a very odd musical wedding in Manhattan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a musical parade down Fifth Avenue with live music by the Hungry March Band, a really good punk, hip-hop Latin marching band from Brooklyn. We got married at St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral by Msgr. William Belford.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a priest who looks a lot like the Clash\u2019s Mick Jones. Wilson and I are both really big Clash fans so we knew that was a good sign that our marriage would work really well. Wilson also looks like Mick Jones — actually, a cross between Mick Jones and Joer Strummer.\u201d<\/p>\n

On their Facebook site, the two musicians offer this description of their project — \u201cThe Goodnight Darlings fuse Kat Auster\u2019s pop-rock vocals with Wilson Jaramillo\u2019s world-music, hip-hop flavored beats and new wave guitars. Auster is also a Juilliard Theater grad which reflects in her provocative visceral live shows and in her poetic storytelling style lyrics.<\/p>\n

Wilson has extensive touring experience with The Fugees and Wyclef Jean in arenas around the world. He uses 11 different effect pedals and is nicknamed \u201cThe Scientist\u201d because of his experimentation with soundscapes. Together they create \u2018dance-punk electricity.\u2019 The songs are sultry, sexy and hauntingly danceable. Genre is Indie Pop, Rock and Post-Punk.\u201d<\/p>\n

The duo\u2019s new EP \u201cAll I Ever Wanted\u201d will be released on November 19. They released a dark and powerful video already for one of the EP\u2019s main songs — \u201cEmpire Vampire.\u201d The video, which features impressive vampire-inspired choreography, is cinematographically elegant and, at the same time, foreboding.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this video, we wanted to introduce ourselves with a big bang,\u201d said Auster. \u201cWe recorded the EP back in July. We\u2019re our own label so we wanted to invest in the best possible experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made our first EP \u2018Doldrums\u2019 back in 2012. It was our first effort together and it was D.I.Y. We made it in our apartment in New York. It\u2019s rough around the edges but I\u2019m proud of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we already have enough new songs to do a full-length. When we play live, we program the beats beforehand. Onstage, it\u2019s me on vocals — and occasionally music box — and Wilson with his guitar and all his pedals. He really orchestrates with his guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The Goodnight Darlings — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dHv46rNQnFE.<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at Fergie\u2019s will start at 10 p.m. Tickets are free.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"hay<\/a>

Colin Hay<\/p><\/div>\n

Almost any music fan over 30 and most fans of classic rock under 30 know that a \u201cland down under\u201d is \u201cwhere women glow and men plunder.\u201d They know because Colin Hay told them so.<\/p>\n

Hay, who will headline a solo show at the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) on November 14, was the lead singer of the Australian band Men at Work. In the early 1980s, the band had major worldwide hits with a trio of songs — \u201cWho Can It Be Now?,\u201d \u201cOverkill,\u201d and \u201cDown Under.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still do those three songs in my solo show,\u201d said Hay, during a mid-tour phone interview this week. \u2018Obviously, they\u2019ll be a little different from how they\u2019d be played with a band. I play the essence of the songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hay, who was born in Scotland and moved to Australia as a teenager, embarked on a solo career after Men at Work disbanded in 1985. He recorded 12 solo discs from 1987-2015 including \u201cNext Year People,\u201d which came out earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album in the second half of last year and it came out this February,\u201d said Hay, who has lived in Los Angeles for the last 25 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded it in my own studio. Sometimes, I\u2019ll be home for a week-or-two and I\u2019ll work on a song-or-two. I record them and then I have to leave again. Other times, I say — I really have to do a record and I\u2019ll focus just on that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis album was a combination of both. I had three or four songs already done before I sat down to make the album. My songwriting is pretty haphazard. Sometimes, it starts with a melody while other times it could start with a lyric.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album, each song came on its own. When I\u2019m working on a song, that\u2019s all I think about. I just concentrate on the job at hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hay knows that survival in the music business these days involves taking the music to the people — and that means a lot of touring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are three things you do as a musician — write songs, record them and play them live,\u201d said Hay. \u201cMy album came out in February and I\u2019ve been on the road since then in different parts of the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI play rooms that I can do. Every year seems to get a little better. I used to play smaller places like the Tin Angel and the World Caf\u00e9 Live. Now, I\u2019m playing the Keswick Theater.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Hay and his fans would like to see a new album soon — but it doesn\u2019t seem likely.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking albums is a very old-fashioned thing to do,\u201d said Hay. \u201cI\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s the best way to go but I enjoy making them. But, I haven\u2019t had time to record because of all the touring. I\u2019ll be on the road until May next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Colin Hay — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EwfDXCcoavo.<\/a>\u00a0The show at the Keswick Theater will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $29.50-$40.<\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater will also host Steve Hackett and his band on November 20.<\/p>\n

This month, it might seem like the legendary British guitarist who provided the backbone to the Genesis\u2019 music is an omnipresent force in the area. Hackett will perform at the Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) on November 18 and play a show at the Scottish Rites Theatre (315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, N.J., http:\/\/www.collingswood.com\/entertainment\/theater-and-ballroom) <\/a>on November 21.<\/p>\n

Genesis was one of the best progressive rock bands ever — one of the genre\u2019s trailblazers. The band broke up quite awhile ago and prospects of any type of reunion arenon-existent. Fortunately, the band\u2019s guitarist Steve Hackett is keeping the timeless music of Genesis alive.<\/p>\n

Hackett played North America this time a year ago on the final portion of his highly successful \u201cGenesis Extended Tour.\u201d\u00a0 The format this time is a bit different.<\/p>\n

Hackett has returned to North America with his band — Nad Sylvan (vocals), Roger King (keyboards), Nick Beggs (bass), Gary O\u2019Toole (drums, percussion and vocals) and Rob Townsend (sax, flute and percussion) — for the \u201cFrom Acolyte to Wolflight Tour 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n

In celebration of his latest solo album \u201cWolflight\u201d and the 40th anniversary of the release of his first solo album \u201cVoyage of the Acolyte,\u201d this tour will feature a unique blend of Hackett solo material and Genesis classics, including as-of-yet unperformed Genesis material.<\/p>\n

The first half of the show will focus on Hackett\u2019s solo material, while the second half will highlight Genesis songs.\u00a0 Along with performing such classic pieces as \u201cAce Of Wands,\u201d \u201cSpectral Mornings\u201d and songs from \u201cWolflight, \u201c Hackett will conclude his two-and-a-half hour show with Genesis material that was not part of his recent tours — songs such as \u201cLamb Lies Down On Broadway,\u201d The Cinema Show,\u201d \u201cCan-Utility,\u201d \u201cHairless Heart\u201d and \u201cThe Musical Box.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis two-part show is what I\u2019ve been doing in Europe,\u201d said Hackett, during a trans-Atlantic phone interview last week. \u201cIt\u2019s a long show — coming in at just around three hours. It can be physically challenging at times.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy legs are getting thinner and my Fernandes Guitar weighs a ton. It\u2019s the enthusiasm of the crowd that takes me to the next level. It\u2019s a great validation of both ends of my career. We do it in surround-sound and that makes a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hackett has found a format that works extremely well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love playing live,\u201d said Hackett. \u201cThe first half is my solo material. In the second half, we do a lot of Genesis songs that haven\u2019t been played in a long time — some not for 43 years. I do get a thrill out of doing it. We do \u2018Lamb Lies Down on Broadway\u2019 and two songs from \u2018Foxtrot.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I do Genesis stuff, it\u2019s opening doors wide to the museum. But, the new stuff is important too. I\u2019m not just an archivist. I\u2019m very happy to bring people\u2019s dreams to life but there are so many things with my Genesis afterlife.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2010, Hackett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame at The 25th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony alongside his Genesis bandmates from the classic line-up — Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. \u00a0For more than three decades, Steve Hackett has been known for his innovative tone and extraordinary versatility as a guitarist and composer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been a risk-taker — and a radical,\u201d said Hackett. \u201cThere are quite a bit of things I\u2019ll touch but most people won\u2019t. I think it\u2019s great to change people\u2019s perspectives of what they like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Genesis was a band with a lot of talented musicians \u2014 and a lot of diverse opinions all along. That\u2019s one reason a reunion falls into the \u201calmost impossible\u201d category.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always said that I would be up for a reunion tour,\u201d said Hackett. \u201cI\u2019m an extremely reasonable person. I know that fans want it and that it would be a huge success. But, I also think it\u2019s highly unlikely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a ton of agendas at work. It would be tricky in 2015 to put together people who worked together from 1971-1977.\u00a0\u00a0From my standpoint, if they think they\u2019d get the same character back from then, they\u2019d be mistaken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Steve Hackett –https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watchfeature=player_detailpage&v=FhhwZLVCIo0.<\/a> \u00a0Tickets for the 8 p.m. show at the Grand are $45 and $59. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show at the Scottish Rites range from $45-$75. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show at the Keswick range from $45-$75.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pangea\"<\/a>

Pangea<\/p><\/div>\n

Pangea is out on the road again. The veteran garage rock band is touring in support of its new EP \u201cThe Phage,\u201d which was produced by Tommy Stinson of The Replacements and released on October 16 via Burger Records.<\/p>\n

The tour will bring the trio — William Keegan, guitar, vocals; Danny Bengston, bass;\u00a0 Erik Jimenez, drums\u00a0 — to the area for a show on November 17 at PhilaMOCA (531 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, 267-519-9651, www.philamoca.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

According to the band\u2019s bio, \u201c\u2018The Phage\u2019 is essentially cabin fever, whether it be a cabin or a tour van that you\u2019re trapped in for months.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, there was nothing stressful for the band when it came to making the record.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just started writing,\u201d said Bengston, during a phone interview last week as the tour van headed from Houston to New Orleans. \u201c\u201dTwo songs were B-sides from our last album \u2018Badillac.\u2019 We did the whole thing live in the studio back in April. The rest of the songs were all freshly-written.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did two days in the studio. One day was band tracking and the second day was vocal tracking. It was the quickest recording we\u2019ve ever done. We were working with Tommy Stinson and that was his project. Tommy put it on the fast track so that\u2019s how we did it. It was really low stress.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the other hand, \u2018Badillac\u2019 took us almost a year to make because we had so much time and freedom. We just kept changing things. With the new EP, for the most part, mixing wasn\u2019t a big process. The tracks sounded good so there wasn\u2019t a lot of fooling around with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pangea has had two constant members ever since its formation in Southern California in 2005.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always been Danny and I,\u201d said Bengston. \u201cWe\u2019ve been playing together since we\u2019ve been teenagers and we\u2019ve had drummers drop in-and-out. We all grew up in Santa Clarita and the band incubated at an art studio at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts in Valencia).\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Pangea — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hTJt-CNyco8<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at PhilaMOCA will start at 8 p.m. with opening act White Reaper. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By DENNY DYROFF,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times   It\u2019s always a good trait to have the ability to laugh at yourself. This weekend, Philadelphia will have the opportunity to laugh at itself when Chicago\u2019s legendary sketch and improv comedy theater Second City performs three shows on November 13 and 14\u00a0 the Kimmel Center\u00a0 (Broad and Spruce […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[3638,3639,3636,2318,3637],"class_list":["post-5836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-colin-hay-men-at-work","tag-pangea","tag-second-city-performers","tag-steve-hackett","tag-the-goodnight-darlings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5836","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=5836"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5838,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5836\/revisions\/5838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}