On Stage (Bonus!): Satriani quietly among best guitarists ever

David Bromberg in Reading, Saturday night

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

If you compiled a list of who you think the Top 10 guitarists in rock music are and Joe Satriani’s name wasn’t on the list, your “cred” would take a serious hit with knowledgeable music fans.

Satriani belongs right up there with the likes of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Satriani is the world’s most commercially successful solo guitar performer, with six gold and platinum discs to his credit (including one more gold award for the debut album by his band Chickenfoot), and sales in excess of 10 million copies.

His soon-to-be-released 15th studio album “Shockwave Supernova” (due out July 24, 2015) is already being hailed as yet another creative breakthrough — this for a guitarist who has routinely topped guitar magazine polls since the release of his first full-length album “Not Of This Earth” in 1986.

The veteran guitarist’s fans will be able to hear some of the new songs prior to the album’s release when Satriani performs them live during his current tour — a tour which touches down locally on April 6 at the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com).

“About one-third of the show right now is new songs,” said Satriani, during a phone interview Monday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston. “One-third will be special songs and one-third will be surprises.

“The album, which is called ‘Shockwave Supernova,” was finished April and it’s coming out in July,” said Satriani. “We started as a band recording it in January. It started at Studio 21, which is my studio and then we went to Skywalker Sound in northern California. We did overdubs in Oakland and then mixed it at John Cuniberti’s studio.

“When I was out on tour after my last album ‘Unstoppable Momentum,’ I was thinking that I wanted to do something that encompassed what I had done before — more emotionally than sonically. John and I co-produced the album.

“I’ve probably worked on more records with John than anyone else. I figured he had to be the right guy because we were together back in 1980 when I was getting started. The album had the concept of my go battling with my alter-ego over a 40-year career as a musician.”

A lifelong science fiction fan — he’s also developing a sci-fi animation series called Crystal Planet –Satriani created the alter ego of “Shockwave Supernova,” the outlandish and extroverted ‘performance side’ of the normally shy and retiring guitar virtuoso.

According to Satriani, “Understanding that it was another character that would do these things on stage led me to the idea that it was time to transform him into something else. Not to retire him, but to put him through a metamorphosis. He had come to the end of one road and had to see another way forward. That’s what would guide the shape of the album.”

One way of looking at “Shockwave Supernova” is that it’s a concept album, but Satriani has never operated under such rigid restraints. The 15 songs on the new record would be ‘inspired by’ his concept, but they don’t follow a direct narrative.

 “The real reason for the concept was to allow me to make creative decisions song by song, exploring unique moods and feelings as they relate to my central character,” said Sartriani. “So in that way, it’s both loose and free-form, but there is an overall tone, one of a rebirth.”

The veteran guitarist vividly recalls the catalyst for the new disc.

“I think I’ve always channeled Jimi Hendrix since I was a kid — playing guitar behind the back, using fire, playing guitar with my teeth,” said Satriani. “That was my personal connection to him. It doesn’t take any talent to play with your teeth. I decided to stop doing it in my shows.

“On the last show of the ‘Unstoppable Momentum’ tour in Singapore,  I told myself before the show — don’t forget….you don’t have to play with your teeth. Then, within 10 or 15 minutes, I was on my knees playing with my teeth.

“I thought about a movie about a musician whose stage persona takes over. I thought — wouldn’t it be funny if there was a concept album where I tried to get this played out through instrumental songs. I had songs written and was looking for a way to get them to work together. This worked. At the end, Shockwave realizes he has to come to terms with Joe and dissolve.”

Video link for Joe Satriani — https://youtu.be/Dug-YEIvoe8.

The show at the Keswick will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45 and $69.50.

David Bromberg, who will be performing at Miller Center for the Arts (4 North Second Street, Reading, 610-607-6205, http://www.berksjazzfest.com) on April 2 as part of the Berks Jazz Festival, is another musician who has played guitar for a long time — a versatile musician who has created music in a wide array of genres — a player who is viewed by fellow musicians and his legion of fans as one of America’s “musical treasures.”

Bromberg, a guitarist/singer/songwriter, released his first album “David Bromberg” in 1972 and has since performed and/or recorded with a long list of top-flight musical acts including George Harrison, Bob Dylan, the Eagles, Carly Simon, Willie Nelson, Jerry Garcia, the Beastie Boys and Jorma Kaukonen.

Bromberg’s “Use Me” album, which was released in 2011, featured an amazing array of talent including Vince Gill, Los Lobos, Levon Helm, John Hiatt, Dr. John, Keb’ Mo’, Widespread Panic and Linda Ronstadt.

When he performs onstage, Bromberg employs a variety of band configurations — especially the David Bromberg Big Band and the David Bromberg Quintet. He also occasionally does gigs as a solo artist. His show in Reading will be with the David Bromberg Big Band.

It will be a busy weekend for Bromberg. On Friday night, he will be at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, New York. On Sunday, he will be back in upstate New York for a show at the Hart Theater at the Egg Performing Arts Center in Albany.

“I’m doing a fair amount of touring right now,” said Bromberg, during a phone interview Tuesday morning from Justin Guip’s studio in Redhook, New York. “Actually, this weekend’s routing isn’t bad. I’ve had much more difficult routes.

Bromberg is in the studio in New York working on his new album “The Blues, the Whole Blues and Nothing But the Blues.”

“We’re doing pretty well with the recording,” said Bromberg. “All the basics are done and we have some overdubs done. We’re 65-70 per cent done with the recording. I recorded my last album with Justin. He’s a very gifted engineer. Larry Campbell is producing the album and they’re a good team. I’m making the album with my quintet —

Nate Grower on fiddle, Josh Kanusky on drums, Mark Cosgrove on mandolin and Butch Amiot on bass. We’ve been in and out of the studio for a couple months. I don’t know if we set any deadline for the album. Working with a deadline can really hamper the quality. We’re taking it one step at a time.” I’m using a Pledge Music campaign to fund the album with all sorts of incentives. People can actually be on the cover of the album. In keeping with the title, it’s a swearing-in scene,. I have my left hand on my guitar and my right hand raised. The band is in the jury box but that’s only five of 12. So, some fans can be in the picture as other members of the jury.”

The privilege of being a “jury” member costs $1,000 and four of the seven spots have already been taken.

“The gig in Reading will be with my big band,” said Bromberg, who also has a violin shop in Wilmington. “All the guys from the quintet will be there along with three horn players and three backup singers. My wife Nancy Josephson leads the backup singers. We’ll be paying some new stuff and we’ll play songs from the repertoire over the years. There are no set lists. I’ve never had them. I just decide at the moment.”

Video link for David Bromberg — https://youtu.be/-bCoNoQqSPI.

The show in Reading will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $49.

The Berks Jazz Festival is running from April 1-10 with an impressive lineup of performers including Bela Fleck, Chick Corea, Keb’ Mo’, Mavis Staples, Gerald Veasley, Popa Chubby, Robben Ford, the Rippingtons and Kirk Whalum. For a full schedule, visit http://www.berksjazzfest.com/major-concert-schedule.

Holy Holy, an all-star line-up featuring two key musicians in David Bowie’s music career (Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey), performed a pair of shows in the area back in January at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville and the Chameleon Club in Lancaster. Now, Holy Holy is coming back to the area for a show on April 2 at the Tower Theater (69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby, 215-922-1011, www.thetowerphilly.com).

The band was already touring North America performing David Bowie’s album “The Man Who Sold the World” when news of Bowie’s death shocked the world. Bowie always maintained the attitude that “the show must go on,” so Holy Holy resumed its tour in Toronto the day after Bowie died.

“That tour back in January was surreal,” said Woodmansey, during a trans-Atlantic phone interview a few weeks ago from his home in southern England. “Only a few days before David died, we were playing in New York on his birthday.

“Tony rang David from the stage and then everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for him. Then, he asked them what they thought of ‘Blackstar.’

“Then, within a few days, I got a call at 5 a.m. telling me that David had passed away. I got everybody out of bed at the hotel. The big question was — do we carry on out of respect for David’s attitude or do we just leave the tour.

“We got 20,000 hits telling us to keep it going. David worked right up until the end of his life. His motto was ‘the show must go on’ and the fans said ‘we need it.’

“So, we carried on. It was very hard some nights — very emotional because we’d think of David singing these songs. But, we also knew that this was a celebration of his music — and his life.”

Producer Tony Visconti and drummer Mick (Woody) Woodmansey worked with Bowie on some of his seminal work, including “Space Oddity,” Aladdin Sane” and, of course, “The Man Who Sold the World.”

The Man Who Sold the World,” which was released in November 1970, featured David Bowie (vocals, guitars, organ, saxophone), Mick Ronson (guitars, backing vocals), Tony Visconti (bass guitar, piano, guitar, recorder, backing vocals) and Mick Woodmansey (drums, percussion). Visconti also produced the album with Ken Scott as the engineer.

“There was always a certain spirit about the music when we were recording that album,” said Woodmansey. “Tony joined us and it was the first record we did together. It was the first time we were in a real studio in London with a real producer and a real singer

“We threw in all the tricks in the book from prog rock to Sgt. Peppers. When we finished making the record, we just wanted to go out and play it. But, we never did. When I rang Tony up to do this project, he said that he always regretted never doing it — never playing that album onstage.”

In an earlier phone interview, Visconti said, “Toward the end of making that album, David hooked up with a new manager named Tony Defries. Tony told David — you don’t need that band, you should be a solo artist. And, that’s when we got fired.

“That’s why ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ was never performed live. It’s a master opus that deserved to be played live. Instead, Woody and Mick went back to Hull in northern England.

“I stayed in London because I was working as a producer. I produced T. Rex and Marc (Bolan) was itchy for a hit single. A year later, David missed Mick and Woody so he brought them back to London to record ‘Hunky Dory.’”

“Hunky Dory,” which came out in 1971, featured Bowie, bassist Trevor Bolder (who passed away from cancer in 2013), Ronson (who passed away from liver cancer in 1993 at the age of 46), Woodmansey and session keyboardist Rick Wakeman (who joined Yes two years later).

With David, creation of music and art was his life,” said Woodmansey.

Bowie will live on through the volumes of great work he has produced — as a musician, an artist, an actor and a trendsetter. His music will always live on — especially with bands like Holy Holy around to keep it going.

“We’re not a tribute band — we’re the original musicians,” said Visconti. “David never saw Holy Holy play live. But, I showed him a good video of one of our shows and he loved it. He loved the way we sounded and said that he wished we had stayed together when we made ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ album.

“In our show, we play the entire ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ album in the first set. Then, I talk a little bit about the album and the music. Then, we play another set of Bowie’s music from that era — songs such as ‘Five Years,’ ‘Changes’ and ‘Ziggy Stardust.’ We do about 25 songs altogether.”

Video link for Holy Holy — https://youtu.be/0bge0HZy_Us.

The show on April 2 at the Tower Theater will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.50, $49.50 and $59.50.

Pure Bathing Culture sounds like the antithesis of the practice of bathing in the sacred — and much polluted — waters of India’s Ganges River

In reality, Pure Bathing Culture is an indie-pop band from Oregon featuring Sarah Versprille on keyboards, vocals and Daniel Hindman on guitar, bass, and keyboards.

The band released its Partisan Records debut album “Moon Tides” in 2013 and its most recent album “Pray for Rain” last year. Now, Pure Bathing Culture on tour with Lucius — a tour that brings them to Philly for a show on April 2 at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com).

“Dan and I met when we were students at William Patterson College in north Jersey,” said Versprille, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston.

The duo played together for awhile in the band Vetiver and then began making music on their own when they were living in New York.

“We started writing songs together our last year in New York before we moved to Portand I n 2011,” said Versprille. “We moved to Portland to make our record with Richard Swift. We had played for awhile with Richard in his band.

“Our lease was running out in New York– so, we took the plunge. Once we got to Portland, we met the two other musicians who are our touring band members — Zach Tillman and Brian Wright.”

Tillman and Wright play a part in the music but they definitely are just “associate members” of Pure Bathing Culture.

“They also played on our last album but the band is really just Dan and I,” said Versprille. “We wrote most of the songs together and we make all the decisions. The songs usually start with Dan — either just guitar or a demo fleshed out with drums and bass. Sometimes, it’s just a chord progression.

“He brings it to me and we decide together where we want to go with it. The lyric writing is pretty much split between us. I write poetry and sometimes a poem becomes a song. At times, just a part of a poem might develop into a song.”

The “Pray for Rain” album, which was produced by John Congleton, has elicited descriptions such as “transcendental,” “uplifting,” “crystalline” and “amazingly catchy.” It has universally been described as “dreamy pop music.”

“A lot of the songs hadn’t been played live before we recorded the album in February 2014,” said Versprille. “We had all the songs demo-ed but it changed quite a bit when we worked with John Congleton.

“The recording went very fast. We didn’t track as much as we thought we would. John definitely had a vision — to not make a layered, clichéd pop album — to be more bold. I’m really proud of these songs.

“I think our live show has come a long way. We’re more like a pop band. We want to put on a good show with songs that people like — songs that a e fun to listen to.”

Video link for Pure Bathing Culture — https://youtu.be/PxCeCWecDOE.

The show at Union Transfer with Lucius headlining is set to get underway at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 day of show.

Over the last 15 years, metal/heavy rock band Nonpoint has established a pattern of consistency in delivering albums to its fans — eight albums in 14 and each better than its predecessor

From 2000-2014, Nonpoint has released a steady stream of hard-hitting LPs — Statement (2000), Development (2002), Recoil (2004), To the Pain (2005), Vengeance (2007), Miracle (2010), Nonpoint (2012) and The Return (2014) .

Nonpoint — Elias Soriano (lead vocals), Robb Rivera (drums), Rasheed Thomas (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Adam Woloszyn (bass guitar), B.C. Kochmit (lead guitar) — now is getting ready to up its total long-player output to nine in 16 years.

But, before that happens, the band has a tour to complete — a tour that visits the area on April 2 for a show at the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, http://www.lnphilly.com).

“The record is done,” said Soriano, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “We just finished mastering it. We made the album at Uptown Recording Studio in Chicago. “It’s a great studio.

“We wanted to change things up from the way we did our last few albums. We wanted to get back to the old-school way of doing things. We put the drums and bass on tape. There was not a lot of fixing and tuning.

“We did it like a lot of bands used to do it with everybody playing together in the same room. We wanted to capture our live sound. A lot of records today are too sterile — all digitally cleaned up.”

Nonpoint accomplished its mission with the work it did at Uptown Recording Studio with Rob Ruccia. The band self-produced its previous album with Daniel Salcido. So, the quintet decided on self-producing this record as well with Ruccia involved in the whole process.

“With the songwriting, everybody does their part,” said Soriano. “I write the lyrics and the melodies and everybody plays their instruments. It’s a total group effort.

“We really were on to something the last couple records. We upped the ante on guitar when B.C. joined the band. This time, I went for a little more melody. With the lyrics, I went back to more storytelling. Our focus is always on writing good songs — take it as long as you can and then stop when you’re there.”

The new album may be done but Nonpoint isn’t taking any of the wraps off quite yet.

“We won’t be playing any of the new songs until the record gets closer to release,” said Soriano. “The album will come out on June 24 on Spinefarm Records. We parted ways with our last label after our last record. Spinefarm is part of Universal and Universal is where we started.”

Video link for Nonpoint — https://youtu.be/9gLL3CQ9_yk.

The show at the TLA, which has Disturbed as the headliner, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are priced at $30.

Brett Harris, who will be performing on April 3 at Bourbon and Branch (705 North Second Street, Philadelphia, 215-238-0660, bourbonandbranchphilly.com),  has definitely come into his own with his sophomore album “Up in the Air.”

The album is filled with songs that blend flawless pop sensibilities with some of the country influence that comes naturally with a musician who grew up in the Carolinas. Harris combines languid guitar lines, smooth vocals, smart musicianship and crisp arrangements to create an album filled with tasty pop offerings.

“Music is something that’s always been a part of me — which is odd because I didn’t grow up in a musical household,” said Harris, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Durham, North Carolina.

“My earliest exposure came in church — singing along with the hymnal — and then at church camps with guitar players playing three-chord songs. It was fairly limited exposure. There weren’t college radio stations I could listen to so most of my exposure to music was Top 40 radio. When I first heard Beatles music, it had a big impact on me.”

Harris, at times, seems to have found a way to channel the spirit of Beatles music. His song “Shadetree” captured the vibe of late Beatles music while “End of the Rope” taps into a groove similar to early Beatles tracks.

Once Harris got to college and was really exposed to the wide world of rock, he developed a voracious appetite.

“People were turning me on to music that had been around for a long time that I had never been exposed to,” said Harris. “I came in very hungry. I still have this hunger for seeking new music to listen to.

“When I first went to but music on my own, I’d go through CD racks and evaluate albums on whether they were worth the money. Now, music fans can just dial up what they want to listen to on the phone.”

Harris and producer Jeff Crawford recorded the majority of the music on “Up in the Air” at Crawford’s home studio Arbor Ridge in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He also did additional recording at Mitch Easter’s Fidelitorium in Kernersville, North Carolina and Chris Stamey’s Modern Recording in Chapel Hill.

“After we finished the record, Jeff and I were really happy with it,” said Harris. “I believe in this record. We took our time in shopping it around. I’m grateful I’ve been able to put it out on my own terms.

“I started back doing a more rigorous touring schedule on my own over the last two years. In 2012, I was a touring member of the band on the dB’s reunion tour. Then in 2013, I was a band member in live performances of Big Star’s Third.

“The new album had been sitting around for a little while. It just came out this March on Hit the Deck Recordings. It’s my own label and it’s distributed through Redeye. On this tour and the tour I just finished, I do have my band with me. For the most part, we’re a four-piece band.”

Video link for Brett Harris — https://youtu.be/2tuM3CmAMAg.

The show at Bourbon and Branch, which has Josh Nussbaum and James Dunkenfield as opening acts, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door.

Jesse Clegg is a musician from South Africa who has experienced life on the road touring with a band for almost 30 years already — which might sound incredulous considering Clegg is not quite 30 years old.

Clegg is the son of Johnny Clegg, a South African musician who has been in the business for more than 40 years. Recording and performing with his bands Juluka and Savuka and as a solo act, Johnny Clegg has released more than 25 albums since 1977.

Jesse Clegg spent the first six years of his life on the road with his father as he played gigs around the world. This readied Jesse for the life of a career musician, but he found his own musical path in the sounds of modern rock from the U.S. and the UK.

Now, both Cleggs are touring America simultaneously and will be sharing the bill on some of the dates on their respective tours.  One of those dates is a show an April 3 at the Annenberg Center’s Zellerbach Theatre (3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-898-3900, http://www.annenbergcenter.org).

“My dad is always playing,” said Clegg, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in New Hampshire. “He’s working on an autobiography. He still has a massive following from 35 years of playing and all those albums.”

The elder Clegg obviously had had some influence on his son’s musical career.

“It was very educational,” said Jesse Clegg. “I was on the road with him nine months a year until I was seven. I got to see the world.

“I got to see the power of music. I also got to see the hard times and the disciple it takes. It’s a strange lifestyle. You get a sense of the burden of it. I was never sold on being a musician so I got a college degree.”

But, somehow, Clegg still ended up being a musician.

“What solidified it for me was the songwriting,” said Clegg, who still lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. “My first album ‘When I Wake Up’ did well in South Africa and that got me going.”

“When I Wake Up,” which came out in 2008 and his 2011 follow up “Life On Mars” have made the 25-year-old a platinum-selling success in his home country. Now, Clegg has a new album ready to drop. It is title “Things Unseen.”

“The day I left Joburg for this U.S. tour, the album was finished and copies arrived,” said Clegg. “The album is being sold at my U.S. shows but it’s not out in South Africa yet.

“I had recorded my second album in Toronto but I went back to South Africa to make the new one.

“It was nice to be back recording in my home country — not as much clock-watching and a lot more comfortable. It was written half in Johannesburg and half on tour and then I recorded it in Joburg.

“I worked there with my producer Denholm Harding, who is also in the band Just Ginger. I was looking for a new direction. He’s a compassionate producer. He’s willing to go above and beyond what is usually required with a producer.

“We kind of kept it in house. I’m a guitarist and vocalist. Denholm plays guitar and bass and we had Ewald zan Rensburg on programming and guitar. The producers and I worked out all the instrumentalization. It was a small group of people trying to capture a minimalist approach and focused on making the best record we could.”

Video link for Jesse Clegg — https://youtu.be/r22o-CIpqgg.

The show at the Zellerbach Theater starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25, $40 and $55.

Sound of Ceres, which is performing on April 4 at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com), is a new band — and an old band — at the same time.

Karen and Ryan Hover, having completed what they describe as “a perfect triumvirate of Candy Claws albums”, formed Sound of Ceres in 2014 as a duo in collaboration with members of the Apples in Stereo and the Drums.

While Candy Claws explored terrestrial realms such as the ocean, the forest, and the Mesozoic, Sound of Ceres expanded the music to contemplate all of space and time, and the human place within it.

Sound of Ceres just released its debut album “Nostalgia for Infinity,” an album that draws influence from a vast array of genres and decades — from mid-century lounge music and 1970s nature documentary soundtracks to 1990s shoegaze and modern sampling techniques. The result is the duo’s own dreamy, ethereal sound.

For the record, Sound of Ceres is Karen Hover and Ryan Hover in collaboration with Jacob Graham (The Drums), Robert Schneider (Elephant 6 Recording, Apples in Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel Producer, Of Montreal Engineer), John Ferguson (Apples in Stereo), Ben Phelan (Apples in Stereo).

Mainly, the band is the Hovers who are joined in live performances by Derrick Bozich.

“On this tour, there are just the three of us,” said Karen Hover, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as the band motored north to Canada for shows in Toronto and Montreal. “On this project, I’m the main singer and I play keyboards. Ryan is on drums and computers and also sings and Derrick plays guitar.

“Our music has been influenced by books we’ve read recently. Alistair Reynolds, Marcel Proust and science fiction stories — those things inspired the new album.

The Hovers took the name of their new band from a character form their previous album as Candy Claws.

“On our last album, there was a story about a girl named Calypso and a character named Ceres, the white seal,” said Hover. “On the new album, we have some collaborators who weren’t with Candy Claws.

“We started writing the album in fall 2014. It took a little less than a year to create the album. It’s a little more electronic this time around with more electric guitar. That’s the biggest difference in the sound. All the sci-fi definitely had a lot to do with it. The music resembles The Carpenters in space.

“We definitely have gone back in time with ‘Nostalgia for Infinity.’ Early analog synthesizer music has influenced this album. But, we like the music to take its own direction. If spacey sounds fit the music, we go with it.”

Literature has always influenced the Hovers’ music. — including all three Candy Claws albums.

“Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time” depicted  a journey through the Mesozoic Era, divided into thirds to match the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.  “Hidden Lands” is a musical companion to the 1970 book “The Secret Life of the Forest” by Richard M. Ketchum. “In the Dream of the Sea Life” is a musical companion to Rachel Carson’s 1951 book, “The Sea Around Us.”

“We recorded ‘Nostalgia for Infinity’ at our home studio in Fort Collins, Colorado — the same as with the candy Claws album,” said Hover. “That way, we can spend as much time as we need. We worked on the album from fall 2014 into early summer 2015. The music is primarily Ryan working at the computer for long hours. Then, I come in for the vocals.

“In our current show, the new music can be a little hard to translate live. So, we do use some samples. And, on this tour, we still play a few Candy Claws songs.”

Video link for Sound of Ceres — https://youtu.be/cerYlP2_GEw.

The show at Kung fu Necktie, which also features Pick A Piper and the Mock Suns, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.

In 1966, the Lovin’ Spoonful had a Top 10 hit with a song called “Nashville Cats” — a song that featured the insightful and catchy chorus — “Nashville cats play clean as country water; Nashville cats play wild as mountain dew.””

Now, a half-century later, you could dust of those lyrics, substitute “Dori Freeman sings” for “Nashville cats play” and it would be a right on the money.

The talented young country/Americana singer, who will be performing April 3 at the Tin Angel (20 South Second Street, Philadelphia, 215-928-0770, http://www.tinangel.com), will be making her Philadelphia debut.

Freeman is a 24-year-old singer and songwriter from Galax (located in the southwestern hills of Virginia) who comes from a family rooted in art and tradition. Her grandfather is an artist and guitar player, and her father, a multi-instrumentalist and music instructor.

“I come from a family that plays music,” said Freeman, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Galax. “My dad — Scott Freeman — plays fiddle and mandolin and my grandfather plays guitar and sings.

“They played at a lot of fiddlers’ conventions. I’ve been singing all my life but just around the house until my teenage years. When I was young, I’d sing on stage with my dad — but just a song or two.”

Freeman’s music spans genres but seems to gravitate toward Americana because of the vibe of the songs and the mountain drawl of her voice. Her style was shaped by American roots music — bluegrass, R&B and vintage country.

“My early influences were Rufus Wainwright, Doc Watson, The Louvin Brothers and Jackson Browne. Linda Ronstadt was always one of my favorites,” said Freeman, who is touring solo in support of her new self-titled debut album.

“I didn’t start writing songs until I was around 19 because I never felt I had that much interesting to write about. Just about all my songwriting is relationship-based.”

Freeman enjoyed a bit of good fortune when acclaimed singer/musician Teddy Thompson (son of English folk-rock legends Richard and Linda Thompson) agreed to produce her album.

“It all started when I sent him a message on Facebook telling him that I was a big fan and that it would be a delight to work with him,” said Freeman. “I sent him a webcam video but never really expected a response.

“But, he messaged me back after a few days, said he liked it an d wanted to hear more. I sent him more and he called me. Eventually, we met in Nashville and he offered to produce my record.

“We recorded the album at The Magic Shop in New York in February 2015 — right before it closed for good. We made the whole album over a period of three days. That kept everything fresh. Then, we chose 10 songs for the album.”

Video link for Dori Freeman — https://youtu.be/vSay-Gkaioo.

The show at the Tin Angel, which starts at 8 p.m., has Teddy Thompson and Kelly Jones as the headlining act. Tickets are $16.

Page Burkum and Jack Torrey — the two members of the band the Cactus Blossoms — have been making music together since they were pretty young and there is a very good reason why. Burkum and Torrey are brothers.

The band was in Philly for a show about a month ago at Johnny Brenda’s. Now, the duo is heading back to the Quaker City for a show on April 5 at the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, philly.worldcafelive.com).

The brothers are on the road touring in support of their new album “You’re Dreaming.”

The album went into the Americana Music chart’s Top 5 in just three weeks and has gotten rave reviews in the Boston Globe, Relix, American Songwriter, Acoustic Guitar, Vintage Guitar, Bluegrass Situation and more. The duo is also included in Rolling Stone Country’s artists to watch.

“We were always big fans of music,” said Burkum, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from their home in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

“We played a little as teenagers. Once we got older, we picked up guitars and really started playing. We were listening to all sorts of things but we really didn’t know country music — only new country and I wasn’t very interested in that.

“At some point, Jack and I were introduced to folk music like Dylan and earlier folk artists. That led into blues and older country — all that music that I didn’t know was there — and I loved it.”

Torrey said, “That was probably 10 years ago. Hearing the album ‘Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison’ was a big thing. We also started listening to acts like Hank Williams, Ray Price and the Louvin Brothers.

“We really got going about five years ago playing around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. We kept it at a slow burn for awhile.”

Early on, they were given a residency at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. They put a band together and it became their weekly practice-in-public.

“The Turf Club had been a pretty well-respected rock club for years,” said Torrey. “We just kind of high jacked their Monday nights. It was cool that they welcomed us and gave us a chance. We never thought about the genre of music we were playing. We just wanted to play music. It was very word-of-mouth.”

Last year, the brothers headed to Chicago to make their debut album.

“I do most of the writing,” said Torrey. “I usually just pick up the guitar and play what’s in my head.”

Burkum said, “We worked on the album for about a year. We recorded in Chicago and it was produced by JD McPherson. It just came out on Red House Records.”

Video link for the Cactus Blossoms — https://youtu.be/0kWEfeRjS7E.

The show at the World Café Live, which has Pokey Lafarge as the headliner, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 day of show.

Next to None will perform on April 6 at the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http://www.chameleonclub.net) as part of the

Metal Allegiance Show, which also features Chris Jericho, Chains Over Razors, Gun Metal Gray and Bullet Method.

Next To None is a progressive metal band featuring Max Portnoy on drums, Ryland Holland on guitar, Kris Rank on bass, and Thomas Cuce on keyboards and lead vocals, The band, which is based in the Lehigh Valley, is still in tour cycle in support of its debut album “A Light In The Dark.”

“A Light In The Dark” was released on the InsideOut label in June 2015. The album was produced by Winery Dogs’ drummer Mike Portnoy, formerly the drummer for Dream Theater — and father of NTN’s drummer Max Portnoy.

“We’ll be out for a week with this tour,” said Max Portnoy, during a phone interview from his home in the Bethlehem area. “Our first show is in Rhode Island.”

The band has to structure its tours around the school schedules of its members.

“Thomas, who is home schooled, is a senior,” said Portnoy. “The rest of us are juniors.  I’m in cyber school. Ryland goes to Lehigh Valley Performing Arts Schol and Kris is a student at Southern Lehigh High School.”

At the ages of only 12 and 13, the boys began writing their own music and performing live around the area. About a year later they went into the studio to record their first three-song self titled EP.  At that point they really started to promote themselves through social media and playing live shows around the Pennsylvania area.

“I knew Cliff and Ryland since first grade at school,” said Portnoy. “We were in Spanish immersion and we were the main kids that jammed. We were also in a program at the School of Rock. I met Thomas in sixth grade. We played at a lot of parties.

“I’ve been banging on drums ever since I was born. I started lessons when I was five. I was around 10 when I got super serious about it. My dad is my biggest influence. I grew up watching Dream Theater on stage and in the studio. I didn’t deliberately try to copy him but, because it’s in my blood, I play like him.”

When the teenagers got in the studio this year, they approached the recording process like veterans.

“We had everything rehearsed before we went in the studio,” said Portnoy. “We recorded the album at this little studio in Bethlehem. The people there were awesome. For our live show, a large portion of our music is the same as it is on the album. The songs are written by all of us.”

New music by the precocious players is on the way.

“We were all in the studio about two weeks ago — recording some demos for the next album,” said Portnoy. “In the summertime, we’ll go back into the studio to make our second album. We have five songs completed right now and we have ideas for another five songs.

“The new songs are a lot heavier — but they still have the intricate parts. We’re going to continue to play both metal and prog but we might go more into metal. No matter what — we’ll always keep both styles.”

Video link for Next To None — https://youtu.be/jfF9qV0igWE.

The show at the Chameleon Club will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 day of show.

The rock group High Highs might sound like a band from Colorado but it actually is an Australian band now living in Brooklyn, New York. On April 6, High Highs will be in town for a show at Johnny Brenda’s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com).

High Highs are an indie rock band from Sydney, Australia, that was put together in 2010 by Jack Milas and Oli Chang. They released their debut album “Open Season” in 2013. Their sophomore album “Cascades” just came out on February 5 and now they are on the road in support of the new disc.

“I was a studio assistant at a recording studio in Sydney and Oli worked at the same studio as a composer for films,” said Milas, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Montreal, Quebec. “We were friends from work. I shared a few acoustic tacks with him that I had dome at home.

“But, the band actually started to form after we were in New York. I was offered a job in New York by my company and came over in 2009. About six months later, Oli got transferred here and we were back together again.

“So, we decided to resurrect the songs we had been working on. They became the songs on. They became the songs on ‘Open Season.’ Actually, half the songs were from the Sydney session and half were new.

“After the album came out, we toured for a year — mostly supporting smaller bands. It was a long year. We crossed the U.S. three times, went to Australia twice and did a show in London, England. We did a bunch of our own headline shows in Sydney, L.A. and New York.”

Then, it was time to work on their sophomore album.

“We started working on ‘Cascades’ as soon as we came off tour in 2013,” said Milas. “We went to a cabin in upstate New York and holed up there. We got really experimental. We were influenced by ‘The Disintegration Loops’ by composer William Basinsli.

“We listened to atmospheric music. We were also influenced by bands like Ice house and John Farnham. We recorded the album at our own studio in Green Point, Brooklyn We also did some recording at our producer Andrew Maury’s place and some at Oli’s house.

“Oli and I both play a lot of different instruments on the record –guitar, piano, harpsichord, percussion. In our live shows, Oli is on synthesizer and compute while I play guitar and sing. For these shows, we have our band which also has Robbie Sinclair on drums and David Lizmi on bass.”

Video link for High Highs — https://youtu.be/3ZWjnVtmfrk.

The show at Johnny Brenda’s, which also features Tinmouth, will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10.