On Stage: Lloyd Cole still breaking categories

Also: Nalani & Sarina get back to their roots

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

Lloyd Cole has built a legion of fans over the last few decades and has remained hard to pin down musically. Cole, who will be performing April 22 at the Tin Angel (20 South Second Street, Philadelphia, 215-928-0770, http://www.tinangel.com), has definitely had a varied music career.

He was the leader of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984-1989, and has been a solo artist ever since. Last year, Cole released his latest record “Standards” on Omnivore Recordings and the album rocks.

It’s been 30 years since Cole and The Commotions released their impressive, hard-hitting, debut album “Rattlesnakes.” Cole has enjoyed something of a renaissance with “Standards,” which is described as “a gloriously electric rock ’n’ roll record that fans and critics alike have hailed as his best work since ‘Rattlesnakes.’”

“I have fun with language,” said Cole, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from his home in western Massachusetts. “The language becomes the entertainment value of the song. I’ve always leaned toward that.

“I’ve always thought that the sonic value of words is important. Initially, I wasn’t thinking of the songs in a band format. But, I was leaning toward a rock record. I thought — if I’m going to make a rock record, I need a rhythm section.”

Cole used a line-up of talented musicians from his past to make “Standards” and then toured in support of the album with a full band. This time around, he is up to something entirely different.

Cole bringing a new show to Philly — “2016: My Retrospective Year” with all of the set lists composed of material from 1983-1996 only. Most of the concerts will be acoustic affairs but there will be some band performances.

Once the world has seen this one-of-a-kind Retrospective Show, Lloyd will resume his work as a contemporary artist and will not be performing many of these songs live again.

“I’m gearing up for my year with this tour that starts Friday,” said Cole. “By August, it will be crazy non-stop. I have a West Coast run in June. Then, I’ll be touring the U.K. in August with a band I play with over there — the Leopards. Then, I have a solo/duo tour in Ireland.  I leave in July and don’t get back until right before Christmas.

“On the solo/duo shows, I do the first set solo. The second set will be a duo with my son Williams. He’s 23 and is a pretty good musician. For these tours, I have eight albums worth of material that I’ve taken down to 30 songs over two 45-minute sets.”

The catalyst for the project started in 2015.

“Last year, Universal put out a boxed set of Commotions material and it did well,” said Cole. “They came back and said they want to do another box with my solo material.  They’re doing this box with my first four solo albums and the fifth album the way it was supposed to be. There is also a CD of demos, a DVD and a book with interviews.

“So, I thought maybe it would make sense to do this tour. Six weeks ago, I thought ‘Standards’ might be my last record. I put all the energy I have into completing a project and then I don’t write songs for awhile.

“Recently, I started working on my nylon strong guitar playing and began writing songs. I still have a long way to go for an album but I have a pretty god idea what the record will be like. It’s not going to sound like ‘Standards.’

“In order to get these songs finished, I’m going to have to get all the distractions out of the way. Right now, I’m mulling over the idea of what I want the songs to do. I’m also working on my tour repertoire. I could probably do the tour without relearning the songs. On my previous tour, 50 per cent of the songs were from this period.”

Video link for Lloyd Cole — https://youtu.be/YCBJ8BVy49w..

Cole’s show at the Tin Angel on April 22 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.

Several years ago when their music career was just getting started, Nalani & Sarina played a show at Burlap and Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com). On April 22, they will return to the venue in Delaware County with a wealth of new material.

“We’ve been recording some new stuff recently,” said Sarina, during a phone interview Wednesday from their home in Flemington, New Jersey. “We did three tracks and every single one is different. ‘Wanna Be With You’ is an uptempo funk song. “Stranger to Me’ is a rock tune. ‘Never Let Go of Your Hand’ is a ballad. That’s the combination of our music. We’ve been writing a lot lately so we wanted to get it on tape with our band.”

Twin sisters Nalani and Sarina Bolton are seasoned musicians — vocalists, songwriters, multi-instrumentalists who know how to rock, write insightful melodic songs and how to get their funk on.

“If a song works out well live then we know it’s a good song to record,” said Sarina. “We’ve learned that the best way to test a song is by the audience’s reaction. Another test is the way it feels to us as we’re playing it.”

The sisters have more new songs that they just road-tested.

“We have four new songs,” said Nalani. “We played a hometown show a month ago at Dragonfly Music and Coffee Café in Somerville — the club where we started. We still play there two times a year.

“In the recent show there, we tried a whole set of new songs — including the three that we just recorded. So, there are seven new songs that are out in public.”

 “We recorded the three songs with no specific intent. There are no big plans for these recordings although we do expect to release something. We’re debating between releasing them as singles or just waiting for awhile.”

Sarina, the left-handed twin, said, “We try to write and rehearse every day. We have our own music room that we use to rehearse and make demos. We don’t use ProTools. We use Logic to make our demos.”

“We’re always working on new songs. Recently, we’ve been starting with lyrics. We’re trying to find new ways to write. We’re doing more on piano. We do definitely have our fair share of writer’s block. But, with two of us, if one has a block, the other can get out of it. With two, it’s easier to bounce off ideas.”

Nalani, the right-handed twin, said, “It’s really fun for us. We’re going to spend the next period honing in on our songwriting. When we’re writing songs, there is no real method to our madness. If it’s too planned, it doesn’t seem natural. We love recording. We’d like to have our new album out sometime this summer.”

Video link for Nalani & Sarina — https://youtu.be/SBpqsaHYaRE.

The show at Burlap and Bean, which also features Sarah Blacker, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

Other upcoming shows at Burlap and Bean are Mark Erelli with Emily Grove on April 21, and Brad Almond and Chelsea Sue Allen on April 23.

On April 22, Jo Passed will be making its Philadelphia debut at Everybody Hits Philadelphia (529 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-769-7500, http://everybodyhitsphila.com).

Jo Passed is a band and, at the same time, a solo project by Joe Hirabayashi, a Vancouver musician who now splits his time between British Columbia and Montreal. Jo Passed is billed as “an emergent project by songwriter/vocalist/producer/multi-instrumentalist Joseph Hirabayashi.”

Hirabayashi formerly played in Vancouver-based neo-psychedelic band Sprïng, which formed out of the disbanding of experimental punk band, SSRIs.

Hirabayashi lead both bands with his neurotic perfectionism coupled with his propensity for outlandish humour and rebellion. Sprïng released an LP titled “Celebrations” in March 2014 and toured Canada and the West Coast three times. After a third tour in 2015, the band began to slowly disintegrate over a period of a few months.

“They have a thing in Vancouver — the phrase ‘passed’ means really tired,” said Hirabayashi, during a phone interview Wednesday from a tour stop in Allentown. “So, I joked that my name was Jo Passed. It’s also a reference to the jazz guitarist Joe Pass. And, it’s a play on my name — Joe. Also, it’s nice to have a project that isn’t just a musician’s name.”

A 10-year-long collaborative relationship between Hirabayashi and Elliot Langford, his friend since childhood, fell apart and left Hirabayashi scrambling, hulking, and wading through a deluge of personal and creative issues. The result left Hirabayashi with a case of insomnia that lasted months — until the day a song was finished for a new potential project.

Hirabayashi began jamming with drummer Mac Lawrie (Cult Babies, Tough Age, Energy Slime, Flash Palace) in June 2015 with the idea of recording and moving to Montreal together. Jo Passed’s debut EP “Out” was written and recorded last summer in both Vancouver and Montreal and released through the label Craft Singles on January 22. 

“I had Spring and thought Jo Passed would be an alternative project,” said Hirabayashi. “Jo Passed is a full band project. I formed a band with a friend named Mac. He played with me on the EP.

“I moved to Montreal for something different. It was something I always wanted to do. Montreal is sweet. Now, I travel back-and-forth between Vancouver and Montreal. I have bands in both cities.

“With the bands, it’s usually always guitar with bass and drums.  I play guitar and sing. It’s a guitar-focused band. The new EP is finished so now I have new songs to play. I’m excited about this tour. It’s the farthest southeast that I’ve been in my life.”

Video link for Jo Passed — https://youtu.be/ExlR-2-IXEw.

The show at Everybody Hits Philadelphia will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10.

When Griffin House was still in his teens, he made a decision about clubs. Playing with golf clubs became a thing of the past. Playing in music clubs became a thing of the future.

House was offered an athletic scholarship to play golf for Ohio University. Instead, the guitar he had purchased when he was in high school helped point him in a different direction. He decided to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter and it has proven to be a wise decision.

Over the last 13 years, House has released several EPs and a number of albums. He is currently touring in support of his most recent album “So On and So Forth” — a tour that brings him to the area for a show on April 22 at World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, philly.worldcafelive.com).

“I recorded the album last summer in Asbury Park,” said House, during a phone interview Monday as he rode an Amtrak train from Washington, D.C. to Manhattan. “I did the album at Lakehouse Recording Studio. I let John Leidersdorff, the studio owner, assemble the band for me. I just flew in from Nashville and went to the studio.

“I played them the songs and then we cut the record. I wasn’t in the studio that long. We did a lot of live takes — no click tracks and not a lot of fixes. I was hoping that it would work out O.K. and I was pleasantly surprised. It exceeded my expectations.”

House had a bit of history with the studio.

“I was in Asbury Park a couple years ago,” said House. “I had just finished my Pledge Music campaign and took a tour of Lakehouse. I had some other things happen to me in Asbury Park that day so I had good memories of Asbury Park.

“For this album, I really didn’t have any interest in the Asbury Park sound. I just wanted a cool place other than Nashville to record. I wanted more of an East Coast vibe than a Nashville vibe.

“Some of the songs on ‘So On and So Forth’ had been in the works for quite a few years. I was shelving them for awhile. And, a few were freshly-written. It was all over the place. But, they blended well. It really helped to record them at the same time with the same guys. It’s my most cohesive album yet.”

According to House, “The record has a lot to do with recognizing the ego in one’s self and letting it die. It can feel like your whole identity is being wiped away, and you don’t even know who you are anymore.

“For the person singing these songs, holding on to one’s own individuality in order to remain special or important in the world has started to became far less important than being content with being a good, decent, and loving person. But old habits die hard.”

Recording and performing for over a decade, House has toured with Ron Sexsmith, Patti Scialfa, Josh Ritter, John Mellencamp, Mat Kearney, and The Cranberries. He received early critical acclaim on the CBS Sunday Morning, and his songs have since been featured in countless films and television shows such as One Tree Hill, Army Wives, and Brothers and Sisters.

He has also appeared on Late Night with Craig Ferguson. Most recently, CNN Newsroom invited House to perform “Paris Calling,” from “So On and So Forth,” live on the air, and the song has been picked up by radio prior to being serviced. House has released 10 albums and continues to headline his own national tours.

“For my live shows now, I’m playing with a five-piece band with the guys who made the record,” said House. “I’m focusing on the new album — especially playing with this band. I’m playing the whole album and seven older songs that people really love. The new material is really fun to play.”

Video link for Griffin House — https://youtu.be/IEgJYamb5to.

The show at the World Café Live will start at 8 p.m. with opening act Matt Wheeler. Tickets are $19. 

The World Café will have another interesting show on April 23 when it presents Sierra Hull.

Hull is a singer and mandolin player — and a former child prodigy who signed with Rounder at age 13. She distinguished herself by becoming the first bluegrass musician to receive a Presidential Scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Hull released her first new album in five years “Weighted Mind” in January.

Her career has received huge support from Americana legends Alison Krauss and Béla Fleck. Krauss called Hull to the Grand Ole Opry stage when she was just 11 years old. Two years later, she signed with Rounder Records, and soon became known as a remarkable mandolin player, a tone-true vocalist, and a recording artist of high order.

According to Fleck, “She plays the mandolin with a degree of refined elegance and freedom that few have achieved. And now her vocals and songwriting have matured to the level of her virtuosity.”

Fleck, a 15-time Grammy winner, produced “Weighted Mind,” which features 11 new compositions written or co-written by Hull, and one traditional tune for which she and Fleck provided a new arrangement.

“A lot of things were different with this project,” said Hull, during a phone interview Monday morning from her home in Nashville. “It’s my first album in five year. My previous two albums had more instrumentalization — traditional instruments — and big song structures.

“With this album, my songwriting was lending itself to something different. Working with Béla, we decided to strip it down to mandolin and voice. That’s how we approached it. We spent months talking about what this album would sound like. We decided to have bass before we started recording. So, we tracked mandolin and bass together and then added vocal harmonies. We had Alison Krauss, Abigail Washburn, and Rhiannon Giddens adding harmonies — and also Béla on some tracks.”

While Hull’s ethereal voice and fluid playing take center stage here, she receives ample support from bass marvel Ethan Jodziewicz. Fleck’s banjo adorns the elegant “Queen of Hearts/Royal Tea.”

“I’ve known Béla for a long time,” said Hull. “We met at the Edmonton Folk Festival when I was 15. Alison (Krauss) was one of my biggest heroes. It’s so inspiring just being around them.

“We recorded the album at Béla’s studio in Nashville. We started in December 2014 anf finished in the summer of 2015. For my live shows now, I’m performing with Ethan Jodziewicz, who played bass on the album, and Justin Moses, who plays banjo, mandolin, dobro, guitar, fiddle and sings.”

Hull is a girl from a small Tennessee town — Byrdstown — who has reached stardom status in the bluegrass world. For eight consecutive years, the International Bluegrass Music Association has nominated her for “Best Mandolin Player.” Now, she appears ready to take her career to another level in 2016.

Video link for Sierra Hull — https://youtu.be/I8dwq0NXwlc.

The show at the World Café will start at 8 p.m. with opening act Marc Silver and The Stonethrowers. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 day of show.

When Twiztid toured the eastern states a little over a year ago, Philadelphia wasn’t on the itinerary.  Philly fans who wanted to hear the songs from Twiztid’s album “The Darkness” had to travel to Reading to see the duo perform at Reverb.

In October, Twiztid came to Philly for a show at Electric Factory. Now, the duo is touring in support of “Mutant: Remixed & Remastered” and its fans will have to make another trip to Berks County on April 23 to catch Twiztid perform again at Reverb (1402 North Ninth Street, Reading, 610-743-3069, www.reverbconcerts.com).

Formed in 1997, Twiztid is a duo featuring Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child (a.k.a. Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric). The two former members of the group House of Krazees departed that group and formed Twiztid in 1997.

Now, almost 20 years later, Twiztid is still going strong with more than 20 albums in its catalogue.

Earlier this year, Twiztid announced the acquisition of their 2005 hard rock crossover album “Mutant” from Psychopathic Records. With the help of producers Michael “Seven” Summers and Michael Rideout, they re-imagined and refreshed the tracks — giving them new life. The end result was “Mutant: Remixed & Remastered,” which was just released via Majik Ninja Entertainment. 

The original release of “Mutant” marked the duo’s first serious venture into hard rock music and instantly became a catalog classic. Twiztid is back with hard rock vibes just in time for the “Juggalo Invasion Tour,” which will feature full backing band The Wickedness on all U.S. dates.

The band features Rocky Sobon of VentanA on guitar, Davey Suicide/Static-X drummer Drayven Davidson and keyboardist Tiffany Lowe, who has formerly performed with Combichrist. The tour will feature support from Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox, Lex The Hex Master, Davey Suicide (U.S. only) and special guest Trilogy.

“This is an amazing show we’re doing,” said Jamie Madrox, during a recent phone interview from a Canadian tour stop in Vernon, British Columbia. “People are going to go — WTF? But then, our fans know to expect the unexpected.

“We’ve never played it safe. Safe isn’t forever and we want to be here forever. It’s no fun to be safe. ‘Mutant’ is one of the albums that was so ahead of its time. We went back and changed the music.

“We were talking about obtaining the rights to it. It was a good record. It was what we wanted it to be. It was the best we could do at that time. We don’t play guitar. We rap. We know more musicians now. We said — can you tale this, strip it down and make it 2016?

“Mike and Mike (Summers and Rideout) had a lot of influence on our album. When they signed on, they were listening to the actual music. They requested the stems. They had ideas and concepts of where they wanted it to go. We emailed tracks back-and-forth.”

The two rappers’ previous album was “The Darkness,” which was released on their own label Majik Ninja last year.

“The Darkness” debuted at Number 29 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, making this album their 11th album to land on the Top 200 charts since the inception of the group in 1997. It hit Number 2 on Top Rap Album Chart, Number 4 on Top Independent Album Chart and Number 17 on Top Albums Chart.

“We started making a new Twiztid record at Dojo Studio in Detroit before we left,” said Madrox. “We stopped to come out on tour. We’re perfectionists with our music. If time doesn’t allow it to happen, we’ll wait. We have between eight and 10 songs recorded.

“Now, we’ve been listening to them out here and taking notes. The only new song we’re playing live is the very first single ‘Psychomania.’ We’re giving it away with the VIP package. It’s a teaser to give fans a taste of what to expect.”

Another indication of what to expect can be found in the new album’s title — “The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’s.”

Video link for Twiztid — https://youtu.be/MHPVX3qqP6U

The show at the Reverb will start at 5 p.m. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 day of show.

Murder By Death is a quintet from Bloomington, Indiana that will visit the area on April 23 for a show at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com).

Over the course of a nearly 15-year career, the band Murder by Death has taken a leading role in a growing effort to unite indie rock with country and folk. But the band also released a lot of music that defies its reputation as just twangy roots rockers.

Now based in Louisville, Kentucky, Murder By Death — Adam Turla (vocals), Matt Armstrong (bass), Sarah Balliet (cello), Dagan Thogerson (drums) and Scott Brackett (backing vocals, piano, trumpet, accordion) — is touring in support of its latest album release “Big Dark Love” on what may be one of their only tour runs of the year.

Behind the gruesome name is a band of meticulous and literary songwriters matched by a specific brand of brooding, anthem-riding balladry and orchestral indie rock. Murder By Death’s path began in the early 2000s playing to small crowds at less-than-glamorous venues.

“We’ve been at it pretty hard for about 15 years,” said Turla, during a phone interview Monday from a tour stop in Boston. “We just push hard and always go on to the next thing.

“We have a handful of shows this summer but the idea is to take a break — a real break. We don’t have the next step planned out. I just like the idea of breaking the pattern. I’ll be able to write without pressure and hopefully that will result in something.”

The veteran band has shown it knows how to survive. “We did a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 for our last album ‘Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon’ and it did well,” said Turla. “We did another in 2014 and it did considerably better. It’s a format t hat has worked well at getting our music out to the people. We’re always adjusting out of necessity.”

One of the adjustments has been “As You Wish: Kickstarter Covers Vol. 2 Double Vinyl Record.”

“We’re just using this website because it’s really well set up,” said Turla. “It’s fun launching a project this way. Fans make a pledge and pick a song and then we have to record a cover version. Then, all of a sudden, you have this album of randomly-related songs. It’s fun to have an under-the-radar project like this.”

With “Big Dark Love,” it’s an album of all original songs.

“When I write songs, I have a lot of half-songs,” said Turla. “If I don’t like the version I’ve worked up, I won’t record it. I bring songs to the band and then we all decide what to record.

“With this tour, we’re certainly playing songs from the new record but it’s also a comprehensive representation of all our music. There is a little bit of a focus on the album ‘In Bocca al Lupo’ because it’s the album’s 10^th anniversary. We learned 55 different songs for this tour. We did two nights in Boston, played 22 songs a night and only four were the same.”

Video link for Murder By Death —https://youtu.be/FpKU3bIjVN4.

The show at Union Transfer will also feature Kevin Devine and The Goddamned Band

Kevin Devine is an independent musician from Brooklyn —  a singer-songwriter with a social conscience…a modern-day troubadour with a guitar…and a vocalist with an expressive (and slightly high pitched) voice.

He plays alone, with his Goddamn Band, and as a member of Bad Books.  He’s currently curating the year-long Devinyl Splits 7-inch single series, issued via Bad Timing/Devinyl Records and featuring collaborations with Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), Meredith Graves (Perfect Pussy), Mike Kinsella (Owen, American Football), Tigers Jaw, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and more.

“The first series of Devinyl Splits is done — six singles in 13 months,” said Devine, during a phone inter Monday from his home in Brooklyn. “It’s a neat way to do music — me and then a different artist on the other side.

“Now, there is a digital compilation of all 12 songs. I had a list of potential partners when I was conceiving the project. We’ll do it again — but not for a couple years. I think it’s something I can go back to every four or five years.”

Devine is recording his ninth full-length album with John Agnello, to be released later in 2016.

“I just finished the recoerd,” said Devine. “I recorded it from October through January and then mixed it in January and February. It’s done and I like it a lot.

“It will come out on the Procrastinate Music Traitors label later this year — not before September or after November. I want to sit on it awhile because of the family thing. I have a three-week-old daughter. For the first six months of her life, I’ll be home every day — all but 25 days.

“I’ve been playing a couple of the songs from the album in my live shows. I probably should be more careful. With my album ‘Brother’s Blood,’ it was done in 2008 and came out in spring 2009. It leaked about three months before it was going to come out. Something like that can really hurt album sales.

“With my current shows, I go back-and-forth — solo and band. It’s a matter of availability. Sometimes, I have a six or seven piece band and that’s a lot of fun. Other times, I come alone. I like spontaneity so I do what feels right in the moment.”

Video link for Kevin Devine — https://youtu.be/Agyli5347lY.

The show at Union Transfer will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.

Classic rock fans love Jethro Tull and, whether they know it or not, also love Martin Barre. If you’re a fan of  Jethro Tull, you most likely have spent many hours listening to Barre’s guitar work.

From 1968-2014, Barre and vocalist/flautist Ian Anderson formed the core of Jethro Tull. Then, Anderson pulled the plug on Jethro Tull. Now, there are two bands playing Tull music and their own music — the Martin Barre Band and the Ian Anderson Band.

Barre has had his band together for a few years and has recorded several albums. Back in December, Barre and his crew crossed the Atlantic for a North American tour and played locally at the Sellersville Theater.

Now back in the states, Barre is bringing “Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre Band — An Evening of Blues-Rock-Tull” to the The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com).

The band includes Dan Crisp (vocals/acoustic/bouzouki), George Lindsay (drums), Richard Beesley (horns), Alan Thomson (bass) and Barre (guitar).

Barre has released three albums in the past few years — “Martin Barre” (2012), “Away With Words” (2013) and “Back to Steel” (2015).

“We finished making ‘Back to Steel’ in November,” said Barre, during a recent phone interview. “The longest session for me was doing the lyrics. I spent well over a month working on the lyrics.  I actually spent a lot of time on every aspect of the album – even on the art.

“Traditionally, I’ve written instrumentals — four-piece band originals. I wanted songs that were direct so there were very little lyrics. In the eight previous solo albums I’ve done, there were only a few songs with lyrics.

“First of all, the music has to be there. That’s the most important thing. Because I’m not a singer, it’s a challenge to write lyrics. I wrote many, many versions of songs with lyrics until I got them right.

“I’ve had my live band on the road for four years but this is our first time to tour America. I still do a lot of old Tull songs but in a way that’s more bluesy and rock. I love music to be very broad in scope. Blues is the backbone of rock.”

But, there is more to Barre’s music than just blues-rock tunes and different renditions of Jethro Tull classics. He is a world-class guitarist who knows how to explore the instrument’s wide range.

“I like melody,” said Barre. “I like dynamics. I like space. Blues is open to that. Space is important. I don’t want there to always be an onslaught of notes. Dynamics make everything work.

“Songwriting is a pleasure for me. It’s never a chore. I love arranging. I play guitar every day and come up with things that might develop into a song. Because I’m a late starter with solo work, I’m like a youngster in songwriting terms.”

In addition to numerous Jethro Tull albums, has performed or recorded with many other distinguished artists, including Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa and Chris Thompson. He has shared a stage with such legends as Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Even though Barre had worked on a few solo projects over the last 40 years, most of the time was devoted to being one of the musical mainstays of Jethro Tull. But, that ended suddenly when Anderson opted to follow a different road.

“The end of Jethro Tull—I didn’t see it coming,” said Barre. “It was a difficult time for me. It took me about six months to sort out what I need to be doing. Now, I’m so happy. I have a great band and it’s going great. I’m very happy now.

“People who see our band play get a great Tull experience. I feel like I’m carrying the tradition.”

Video link for Martin Barre — https://youtu.be/UDN6hpf8v88.

The show at Ardmore Music Hall will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 and $40 day of show.

Other upcoming shows at Ardmore Music Hall are Jazz is Phish on April 21, and Elephant Revival and Chadwick Stokes (of Dispatch & State Radio) on April 27.

On April 21, it is time once again for the “Candlelight Comedy Club” at The Candlelight Theater” (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org).

Headlining the show will be Tom Daddario, who has been a standup comic in New York City for the last 15 years.

Daddario has made appearances at clubs such as Stand Up New York, Dangerfield’s, Gotham Comedy Club, Carolines, Broadway Comedy Club, The Comedy Cellar, Mohegan Sun Casino, The Borgata in Atlantic City, Comics at Foxwoods, Turning Stone Casino and The Laugh Factory.

His credits include Comedy Central and a half-hour comedy set on XM Radio. Daddario was recently in an independent film called “Night Bird,” which was directed by Damian Chapa.

The show at the Candlelight will also feature Rob Cividanes and LaTice, the show’s host.

Cividanes  has performed in a number of Off-Off- Broadway shows as well as regional productions such as “Born Yesterday” and “Chekhov’s Seagull.”

In addition to performing at standup comedy venues in and outside of New York, Cividanes has written, produced and performed in his one man show “I Cried Until I Laughed.”

LaTice was born and raised in the suburbs of South Jersey and has been doing standup comedy since January 2009. She has performed in Las Vegas for the World Series of Comedy and live on TV on ABC’s “The View.”

The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the comedy gets underway at 7:30 p.m. The event features complimentary light fare and cash bar. Tickets are $27.

The Candlelight Theater is also presenting “The Secret Garden” now through April 24. The show, which retells Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved Victorian classic, won three Tony Awards in 1991 — including “Best Musical.”

“The Secret Garden” features book and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon. Most of the action takes place at Misselthwaite Manor in North Yorkshire, England.

As always, the production at Candlelight features a stellar cast of actors — young and old. The role of Colin, the sickly boy, is shared by Luke Plunkett and Scott Angelides. The role of Mary Lennox is shared by two very talented young actresses — Katelyn Gallo and Samantha Deutsch.

Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m./show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m./show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $59 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12). 

Now through April 24, the Playhouse on Rodney Square (1007 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-888-0200, www. http://duponttheatre.com) is hosting the national tour of “42nd Street.”

The hit musical “42nd Street” is known for a good book, unforgettable songs, lively dialogue and dance production numbers that rank very high on the wow factor.

“42nd Street” had its Broadway debut in 1980 and ran for over eight years. The show, which is still in the Top 10 list of longest running shows on Broadway, won the Tony Award for “Best Musical.”

When the 2000s arrived, “42nd Street” resurfaced on Broadway and was a hit all over again. The show won the 2001 Tony Award, 2001 Drama Desk Award and 2001 Outer Critics Circle Award for “Best Musical Revival.”

The show has two primary lead roles — Peggy Sawyer, a nervous rookie dancer from Allentown, and Dorothy Brock, a prima donna who is past her time. But, the real stars of the show are the amazing dancers and the dazzling choreography.

Video link for “42^nd Street” — https://youtu.be/T3jk3MGjQpQ

The show at the Playhouse on Rodney Square” will run from April 19-24. Ticket prices range from $40-$90. 

The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will have comedians Jim Ginty, Sidney Gantt, Darryl Charles, Alejandro Morales on April 21, Mark Unruh & Friends, Davey Poland and Bethany Bullington on April 22 and Dr. Harmonica & Rockett 88 on April 23.

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) will host Bannister Effect on April 21, Willie Porter Duo on April 22 and Chris Holt, Cliff Hillis, Bannister Effect and J.D. Malone & The Experts on April 23.

Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com)  will present Broseph Gordon Levitt, More Than Sound, Boog, Casettes and Andross on April 22 and Stu and The Gurus and nxt2normal on April 23.

Doc Watson’s Public House (150 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, 610-524-2424, docwatsonspublichouse.com) will have Chip Trimble and the listening room on April 22 and Chatterband on April 23.

Valley Forge Casino (1160 First Avenue, King Of Prussia, 610-354-8118, www.vfcasino.com) will present  Comedy Hypnosis Live with Tim Miller on April 22 and Kicking Sunrise on April 23.

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com) presents The Gipsy Kings on April 21, Chuck Nice on April 22, Tower of Power and Average White Band on April 23 and Welcome to Night Vale on April 24.

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) will host Joseph Arthur and Jonah Tolchin on April 21, The Church on April 22, Livingston Taylor and Chelsea Berry on April 23, George Perris on April 24, We Banjo 3 and Poor Man’s Gambit on April 25, Sarah Potenza (of The Voice) and Casey Alvarez on April 26 and Janiva Magness and Jack Semple Band on April 27.

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org) will present Sinbad on April 22, The Soul Experience on April 23 and We Banjo 3 on April 27.

World Café Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400, www.queen.worldcafelive.com) will feature Taylor Hicks on April 22 and Beru Revue on April 23.

 

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R.I.P.  Prince Rogers Nelson — the doves are crying.