By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Livingston Taylor
Livingston Taylor has been around for a long time and plans on being around a lot longer.
Taylor, who will be headlining a show on October 30 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com), is a singer-songwriter who made his first album in 1970 and has released more than 20 more LPs since then.
Taylor, who will turn 71 in a few weeks, has a long history of touring internationally over the last five decades. Taylor has also been a professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston for more than a quarter-century.
You might think that when the pandemic shut everything down last year, Taylor would put a hold on live performances – that he would stay home and work on recording a new album – and that he would resort to Zoom if he opted to continue teaching.
You might think that – but you’d be wrong on all accounts (except that he did stay home a lot).
“During the pandemic, I hunkered down and watched the world go by,” said Taylor, during a phone interview Monday afternoon from his home in Watertown, Massachusetts. “Things slowed mightily.
“Some people were stunningly productive. I’m not one of them. I make music to play for people. I did do some live shows – some in a theater without an audience. It was very hard. It required a certain kind of visualization.
“I did a few Zoom shows. That’s truly the definition of ‘phoning it in.’ I also played some outdoor shows in parking lots. I need to see people. I crave it. When I don’t have it, I don’t feel good.”
Taylor is a natural performer, peppering his shows with personal stories, anecdotes and ineffable warmth that connect him to his fans. His relaxed on-stage presence belies the depth of his musical knowledge, and fans might just as often be treated to a classic Gershwin or something from the best of Broadway.
“In my live shows, I do speak about the songs – who wrote them…why they wrote them,” said Taylor.
“It’s always about the idea of making a song – making an experience. I speak about myself – but only in reference to the music not me. A life well-lived is boring.”
Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina, Livingston is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh. Livingston recorded his first record at the age of 18 and has continued to create well crafted, introspective, and original songs that have earned him listeners worldwide.
“I really like to play and see my music brought to people,” said Taylor. “My first show when I knew my music worked was when I was opening for Joni Mitchell at Boston University in 1969. I was third on the bill behind Joni and Jaime Brockett.
“Jaime had played, and the audience was anxious to hear Joni. In my 20 minutes, I was able to win the audience over. The only thing in my mind was that this works. This was before I started recording. I was writing a lot of songs and testing them to see if it works.”
A half-century later, it’s obvious that it has worked.
From Top 40 hits “I Will Be in Love with You” and “I’ll Come Running,” to “I Can Dream of You” and “Boatman,” the last two recorded by his brother James, Taylor’s creative output has continued unabated. His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres — folk, pop, gospel, jazz — and from upbeat storytelling and touching ballads to full orchestra performances.
Taylor is a full professor at Berklee College of Music, where he has taught a Stage Performance course since 1989. He teaches young artists invaluable lessons learned over the course of an extensive career on the road. His high-selling book, “Stage Performance,” which was released in 2011, offers those lessons to anyone who is interested in elevating their presentation standards to professional standards.
“I still teach at Berklee but won’t do it on Zoom,” said Taylor. “I’m not going to take kids’ money and not give them a successful experience.
“Also, I’m not going to teach a course masked. I’m teaching stage performance. I’m teaching communication skills. I want to read people’s faces.”
Taylor also has avoided the recording studio.
“There are a couple albums in the pipeline, but no tracks recorded,” said Taylor. “I’m not making records in my garage. Recording the way I want to is an expensive undertaking.”
Taylor sees a light at the end of the COVID tunnel.
“The stopping of society is done,” said Taylor. “But it’s really going to take five years to gear this up again. It’s hard to stop the world completely and then get it going again.
“I am very optimistic for its resolution. Use masks and get vaccinated. I’m triple vaccinated, masked up and ready to go.”
Video link for Livingston Taylor – https://youtu.be/HKlam3eXSSY.
The show at Sellersville Theater will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $33.
Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Bruce in the USA on October 28, Unforgettable Fire U2 Tribute Show on October 29, the “World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra” on October 31, Dennis Quaid on October 31, and The Airplane Family on November 1.
It’s always exciting to be part of the first staging on an event – like attending the first Delaware Valley concert by Elton John (November 1970 opening for Poco at Glassboro State College), catching the first MLS soccer game by the Philadelphia Union (April against D.C. United at Lincoln Financial Field) or seeing the first Philadelphia performance of “Hamilton” (August 2019 at the Forrest Theater).
WALLIS
On October 29 at 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com), area music fans will have the opportunity to experience an inaugural event — the first-ever live performance by WALLIS, who spent her junior high years at the Center for Performing and Fine Arts, a PA Leadership Charter School based in West Chester.
While it is unlikely that the young singer/songwriter/rocker will reach the heights attained by Sir Elton or a Lin-Manuel Miranda blockbuster, there is a good chance that WALLIS will be a fixture on the music scene for years to come.
Her first single, “Lonely Christmas,” premiered in December 2020 on YouTube and has already amassed more than 1.2 million views.
WALLIS, which is the stage name for Wallis Schriver, released “Lonely Christmas” last December. It was a Christmas song that was informed by the pandemic but not a COVID-specific song. It dealt with isolation, holiday angst, loneliness and general anxiety.
Immediately upon its release, the video went viral and moved into seven figures on YouTube in just over two weeks. It got more than 15,000 upvotes on Reddit, was shared by Ellen DeGeneres across all her social channels, and became a worldwide hit the eastern Montgomery County resident.
The whole family was involved in the making of the video. WALLIS co-wrote the song with her father, Gene Schriver. He filmed the video on his iPhone, and it also included appearances by her younger sisters Soleil and Maren.
“When ‘Lonely Christmas,’ came out, it got a lot of traction,” said WALLIS, during an after-school phone interview Wednesday afternoon.
“People were complimenting me and asking for more. It fueled my excitement and desire to follow the path. We recorded it at our home studio and then did the sax and vocals at Milkboy Studios in Philadelphia.”
WALLIS’ follow-up single was “Another Day,” which was released on June 25.
“We recorded most of ‘Another Day’ at home,” said WALLIS, who shares her name with a Polynesian atoll/island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna. “Then, we were on a trip to Miami around Christmas week, and we finished it at Criteria Studio.”
The Schrivers arrived in Miami and found that they needed more than just another home studio. So, Gene Schriver called Miami’s legendary Criteria Studios to tell them about their situation.
According to Schriver, “Criteria was super accommodating. I told them, ‘I need to cut vocals. I need a bass player. I need a trumpet and a trombone.
“Their response was, “How about the room where the Bee Gees and Pharell Williams worked? How about a Grammy-winning engineer? How about Barry Gibb’s bass player? How about Ray Charles’ music director on trombone? How about a trumpet player from K.C. and the Sunshine Band?”
WALLIS said, “The session musicians were so awesome. Hearing them play live was so exciting.
“My dad did the arrangements. He grew up writing music as a hobby. He also played in a couple bands including Strap.
“When we got back from Florida, we mixed ‘Another Day’ at MilkBoy with Cody Cichowski. He’s a great engineer. We put it out at the end of June on our own label Revelation Road.
“The video for ‘Another Day’ will be released this Friday at 12:01 a.m.
“We’ve done a lot of recordings at home. We have four new songs that are coming up – one a month for the next four months. Then, the four singles will be compiled on an EP.”
Now, WALLIS will sail into uncharted territory Friday night at 118 North.
“This will be my first live show,” said WALLIS. “Right now, I have two people in my band – Adam Shumski on drums and Alissa Almeida on bass and cello. I’ll be playing guitar and piano.
“My sister Soleil will be backing me on vocals, and I’ll be backing her on one song – Billie Eilish’s ‘My Future.’ We’ll play an hour set with 12 or 13 songs. There will be seven or eight originals and a few covers.”
Video link for WALLIS — https://youtu.be/hp2c_G4ayYI.
The show at 118 North will also feature Chestnut Grove.
Chestnut Grove
Chestnut Grove was formed by James Daniels, John Tyler, Sean Murray and Dee Gerhart in 2011 during their senior year of high school. The band’s name was chosen in memory of would-be member and guitar player Matt Barber, who passed away tragically in a car accident on Chestnut Grove Road.
“We’ve been together for a decade,” said Gerhart, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. “We’ve been touring heavily since 2015.
“We all graduated from high school together in 2011 – Boyertown High School. Our drummer James played with our guitar player John. I was doing acoustic singer/songwriter doing open mics. We weren’t drawn together musically.
“In my senior year, I was in a talent show at Boyertown High. I did some numbers like ‘You Really Got a Hold On Me’ with Zach Winkler. They approached me and it rolled on from there.
“We covered a lot of Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix. I was the only one singing. We immediately started working on some originals. We were trying to be a jam group but drifted more to singer/songwriter.
“It’s collective songwriting. It’s mainly driven by me and James, but everyone has an input. Each has their own part of the puzzle.”
In 2015, Gerhart, Winkler, Daniels, Tyler and Gary Geers, with the help of friend/engineer Owen McGreehan, released their self-produced album, “Perkiomenville,” to a sold-out hometown crowd at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.
“We recorded that album at our barn studio in Perkiomenville,” said Gerhart. “It had 10 tracks with a vert rootsy, Americana feel.”
In 2016, the band released its “Let it Down” EP which was produced by Bill Moriarty (Modest Mouse, Dr. Dog) and in 2018, the band released the “Black Champagne” EP on Mad Dragon Records, with the single “Scratch an Itch” getting airplay on Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia.
“We started working on our new album two years ago,” said Gerhart. “We started recording around the end of 2019. We were going to release it in 2020 and then COVID changed everybody’s plans. The 2020 tour evaporated.
“Finally, we released the album in May 2021 and hopefully will tour a lot into 2022. Right now, we’re trying to plan out next year. The residency at 118 North is a glimmer of hope.”
Video link for Chestnut Grove — https://youtu.be/tNbl1ViCMlk.
Tickets for the “Tailgate Under the Tent” WALLIS/Chestnut Grove show are free.
Other upcoming shows at 118 North are Billy Walton Band on October 28, Chris Day Banned on October 30, and Fred Thomas on October 31.
The Claudettes
When The Claudettes headlined a show at Bourbon and Branch a little over two years ago, they were touring in support their latest album “Dance Scandal at The Gymnasium!” which came out March 23, 2018 via Yellow Dog Records.
Things have changed a lot in the last two years.
Because of the pandemic, the Claudettes always ambitious touring schedule screeched to a halt. Meanwhile, Bourbon and Branch ceased to operate as a music venue.
The Claudettes are back to making music and being on the road. Bourbon and Branch is still open – but only as a bar/restaurant.
Things definitely have changed a lot in the last two years.
Fortunately, the Claudettes are rocking across America and are headed our way for a show on October 30 at the Arden Gild Hall (The Highway, Arden, Delaware, ardenconcerts.com). As an added attraction, Iguana will play a solo set as the opener – serving up a big helping of blues piano.
The Claudettes — Johnny Iguana (piano), Berit Ulseth (vocals), Zach Verdoorn (bass), Michael Caskey (drums) – released an album in 2020 and Iguana released a solo album earlier this year.
An explanation of what to expect from the Claudettes can be found on their website – “The Claudettes fuse Chicago piano blues with the full-throttle energy of rockabilly and punk and the sultriness of ’60s soul to write a thrilling new chapter in American roots music. Johnny Iguana pounds the piano alongside seductive singer Berit Ulseth, bassist/guitarist/singer Zach Verdoorn and drummer Michael Caskey.
“Johnny, who toured for years with his cult-favorite rock band oh my god, is also in the Grammy-nominated groups Chicago Blues: A Living History and the Muddy Waters 100 Band. He has toured/recorded with Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and more and played piano on the new “Chicago Plays the Stones” album featuring Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Buddy Guy.
“The Claudettes recorded their 2018 album, “Dance Scandal At The Gymnasium!,” with Grammy-winning producer Mark Neill (Black Keys, Old 97’s, J. Roddy Walston, J.D. McPherson). The Claudettes have recorded a new album with Grammy-winning producer Ted Hutt (Violent Femmes, Lucero, Old Crow Medicine Show, Gaslight Anthem, The Devil Makes Three). Titled “High Times in the Dark,” it was released April 3, 2020 on Forty Below Records.”
“With the pandemic, it’s not been a great 18 months,” said Iguana, during a phone interview Monday morning from his home in Chicago. “We didn’t tour. A lot of bands were doing livestream.
“That was not for us. We can’t tear down our mystique and do shows with no production values. We’re not trained monkeys playing for cash.
“We put out an album in 2020. We did it separately. The album is called ‘High Times in the Dark.’ We recorded it late 2019 and released it in April 2020.”
This year, Iguana released an album on his own – “Johnny Iguana’s Chicago Spectacular” on Delmark Records.
“It’s a Chicago blues piano album,” said Iguana. “I figured who would be good to sing on it. I got Billy Boy Arnold, who is 84 and played harmonica for Bo Diddley, and John Primer.”
Iguana also got musical contributions from Bob Margolin, Matthew Skoller, Billy Flynn, Kenny Smith, Bill Dickens, Michael Caskey and Lil’ Ed.
This is Iguana’s first blues album as a leader, and it’s not your typical blues album. That’s because, Iguana is not your typical blues piano player. At a time when bold originality is less welcomed in blues than it is in other music, Iguana stands out as an artist who has reached the apex of his craft but who has not allowed a strict definition of blues to limit his expression.
“It was produced by Matthew Skoller,” said Iguana. “I got the chance to play a 100-year-old Chicago-made upright piano.
“We recorded the album in January 2020. We didn’t realize then what was coming.”
Fans in Arden will have the opportunity to hear Iguana and his blues keyboard wizardry.
“This show in Arden was one of two shows where I was asked to play a blues set – just the drummer and me,” said Iguana. “The Claudettes are a roots band and some of the presenters are familiar with my Delmark album. It’s going to be a piano-pounding blues/rock set.”
The Claudettes have more new music on the horizon.
“Later in 2020, we got together to make a new album,” said Iguana. “I recorded piano to a click track. Berit did the vocals on her own. Michael and Zach practiced and came up with the right parts to overdub. We play together enough so we knew how to do it tightly.
“Kevin Killen mixed the tracks on the new album which will be out next year. It will be a year-and-a-half old by the time it comes out.”
Iguana is a prolific writer.
“I’m writing all the time,” said Iguana. “For us, new songs are the most exciting thing. I start with chords and melodies. I start with building blocks. And we record a lot of our shows. We listen to them over and over and learn a lot from listening.”
The Claudettes combine the Chicago blues-piano tradition with the energy of rockabilly and punk and the sultry sound of ’60s soul-jazz to create a thrilling new spin on American roots music.
According to Downbeat Magazine, “The Claudettes hit listeners upside the head with a mash-up of Otis Spann blues, Albert Ammons boogie-woogie, Ray Charles soul and “Fess” Longhair New Orleans R&B.”
Rather than attack the blues with one or two guitars, the Claudettes brandish a piano instead. But the Claudettes have created their own fanatical fusion of blues and soul-jazz – sort of like Ray Charles on a punk kick.
The Claudette’s have a strange history – and an interesting story behind their name.
“Michael Caskey, a drummer from Chicago, and I had a piano-and-drum duo,” said Iguana. “We called a place called Claudette’s Bar in 2010 looking for a gig in between Chicago and St. Louis. Claudette booked us into her bar in Oglesby (Illinois) and fell in love with the band.
“So, she hired us as her house band and put them. That drummer’s wife had a baby, so we hired a new drummer and then expanded to a four-piece. Since then, we’ve done a ton of shows.”
The show at the Arden Gild Hall will be a homecoming for Iguana.
“I was born in New Jersey and grew up in the Philly area,” said Iguana. “I graduated from Upper Dublin High School and the University of Pennsylvania.
“Then, I moved to New York City where I worked in publishing and played piano. I began meeting blues musicians and playing in blues bands. I met Junior Wells in Chicago and played piano in his band.”
In addition to touring internationally and recording six albums with his cult-favorite rock band oh my god, Iguana has played live or recorded with Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Koko Taylor, James Cotton, Lil’ Ed, Carey Bell, Billy Boy Arnold, Lurrie Bell, John Primer, Billy Branch, Carlos Johnson, Sugar Blue, Dave Myers and Eddie Shaw.
As fans of the Claudettes know, the band has created its own genre.
“The Claudettes blazed a new trail masquerading as a blues/roots bands but it’s a punk band at its core,” said Iguana. “We can play a punk bill as a rock band or a different bill as a blues band. The Claudettes really put a lot of heart in our live show. We combine musicianship and humor.”
Video link for The Claudettes – https://youtu.be/s7qZfX4NZ20.
The show at Arden Gild Hall on October 30 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.
New York theater fans are celebrating because Broadway is back.
Philadelphia theater fans are celebrating because Broadway Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center is back. “Hamilton” is now running at the Academy of Music.
RAIN
This weekend, “RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles” returns to Philly to become the first Broadway Philadelphia show to re-open the Merriam Theater (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia,www.kimmelculturalcampus.org). There will be a three-day, four show run from October 29-31.
Every year, there is a parade of new tribute bands on the entertainment scene offering their interpretations of music by bands from the past such as Pink Floyd or the Grateful Dead and, at times, even current acts such as Bruce Springsteen or Genesis.
Tribute bands and rock singer impersonators are omnipresent – and they come in all shapes and sizes. Their most favorite targets are Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
Some are worth listening to. Some are pretty bogus. Some range from downright laughable to pitiful.
But there are a few that take their mission a lot more seriously than others — especially one particular Beatles tribute band called RAIN.
On February 7, 1964, the Beatles stepped off a plane from England and put their feet on American soil for the first time. It was a truly historic moment in the history of rock music.
On February 7, 2004, exactly 40 years later to the minute, “RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles” walked off the Concorde in Seattle to a group of over 7,000 screaming fans and performed live all of the songs the Beatles played on their three consecutive Ed Sullivan appearances in 1964.
Obviously, RAIN is the real deal.
The group’s award-winning live Beatles show “RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles,” formerly known as “The Beatles Experience,” features performances by the look-a-like, sound-a-like band that has been paying homage to the Beatles for more than 40 years.
RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles’ discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience.
Additionally, there are updated sets that include LED, High-Definition screens and multimedia content.
The group features Steve Landes (John Lennon), Paul Curatolo (Paul McCartney), Alastar McNeil (George Harrison), and Aaron Chiazza (Ringo Starr)..
When RAIN played the Academy of Music in 2018, it was the 50th anniversary year of the release of one of the most popular Beatles albums of all time – “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
“The last time we were in Philly – which was three years ago — we played the whole ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ album and then the ‘Let It Be’ era,” said Landes, during a recent phone interview from his home in Los Angeles. “And we always do Ed Sullivan, Shea Stadium and more.
“This time, we’re doing the best of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ and decided to do the best of ‘Abbey Road.’ That makes up most of the second set. John is dressed in white. Paul is in a suit barefoot. George is in denim and Ringo is in a black long coat. That album cover is one of the things people think of with that era of the Beatles.”
Flash back to January 2006 when RAIN first visited Philadelphia for a three-day run at the Academy of Music as part of the Kimmel Center’s “Broadway at the Academy” series.
The group featured Steve Landes as John Lennon, Joey Curatollo as Paul McCartney, Joe Bithorn as George Harrison, Ralph Castelli as Ringo Starr and Mark Lewis as the band leader/manager.
Landes is an area native who grew up in Lansdale.
“The band started in 1975 in Los Angeles,” said Landes, during a phone interview 15 years ago from a tour stop in Edmonton, Alberta. “The group played its own music but the guys in the band at the time were also Beatles fans.
“So, they threw a few Beatles songs into their set and replicated them note-for-note. There was no tribute band genre at the time. Fans knew they wouldn’t hear the Beatles play again so they persuaded the group to become a tribute band.”
Not long after that, “Beatlemania” opened on Broadway and was an instant success. The Broadway production served as a source of talent for RAIN. Landes was originally in “Beatlemania” prior to joining RAIN.
“Mark Lewis was the founder of RAIN,” said Landes, who attended North Penn High in Lansdale. “Whenever band members left RAIN, Mark would call ‘Beatlemania’ to get replacements.
“All of the group’s current members came into the band in the early 80s – except me. I’ve been in the band for the last seven years. Prior to that, I was in ‘Beatlemania’ for four years.”
Ironically, Landes didn’t play in rock bands when he was a teenager.
“I always wanted to be a musician,” said Landes. “My parents bought me my first guitar when I was 10. I was pretty much self-taught.
“I was still a kid when ‘Beatlemania’ came to the Shubert Theater in Philadelphia. I saw that show and thought – how cool would it be to do that.
“When I was 17, I went to New York to audition for ‘Beatlemania’ and I got hired. That was my first real pro gig. I did New York and L.A. and a couple national tours.”
Landes has always portrayed John Lennon – in ‘Beatlemania” and with RAIN.
Now, he is the group’s elder statesman. He has been with RAIN 23 years – right around the ages of the Beatles when they were conquering the world.
“Talking about age – the funny thing is that when you look at the Beatles – they were 23 or 24 when they were on Ed Sullivan,” said Landes. “They were young and fresh-faced, but they had this world-wise look about them. There was something about them way beyond their years.
“They wrote intelligent, introspective lyrics. They were like 40-year-olds when they were 28. They matured early. By ’66 and ’67 – the Sgt. Peppers era – they were men. I don’t know how to explain the difference. They had seen the world and experienced a few things.”
And now, so has Landes and his RAIN mates.
Video link for “RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles” – https://youtu.be/EfoV5c0O_wc.
The shows at the Merriam will be at 7:30 p.m. on October 29, 2 and 7:30 p.m. on October 30 and 1 p.m. on October 31. Ticket prices range from $39-$104.
Emily Wolfe
After releasing three singles and one EP from 2014-2018, Emily Wolfe released her eponymous debut album in 2019.
In June 2021, Wolfe, who is headlining a show at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com) on October 31, released her second album, “Outlier,” on Crows Feet Records.
“Outlier” was produced by Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age, who also received performance and co-writing credits on the record. That should give some indication that the LP is made for fans who are serious about rocking out hard.
“I’m touring with bassist Evan Nicholson and drummer Clellan Hyatt,” said Wolfe, during a phone interview Wednesday from a tour stop in Baltimore.
“There is just the three of us in the band. It’s definitely a power trio. It’s pretty much what we’ve done for the last three or four years.
“I think it makes sense for me – a power trio. The format works best for me. One of the reasons I love it is because there is so much space for me.
“I like the freedom. Pretty much every one of my songs has one or two guitar solos. And it’s so much fun touring with Evan and Clellan. We’re all really good friends — and we’re laughing and having fun all the time.”
The 10-track “Outlier” album was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age and Mini Mansions.
“We recorded ‘Outlier’ at Michael’s home studio in L.A.,” said Wolfe. “We were in the studio for a few weeks last November. Evan, Clellan, Michael and I were all vaccinated – and we had COVID tests. We finished with 10 songs for the new record and put it out his year.
“There were some other songs under consideration, but these were the 10 that we chose. Some were written before the pandemic – about half. The other half were written during peak COVID.”
Wolfe has been into rock music since she was a kid.
“Getting into music was just a natural thing,” said Wolfe, who was born in North Carolina. “My mom bought me a guitar at a thrift shop when I was little — but I didn’t really come from a musical family.
“After starting off with an acoustic guitar, I switched to electric. I just got tired of playing to crowds who were talking over my stuff. I figured I needed to play louder than them. I ended up loving electric guitar.
“We moved to Austin when I was eight. I love it here. It’s a great city. I went to high school and college in Austin.
“If I hadn’t been living in Austin, it would have taken me longer to get where I am musically. Being in Austin, it was just go play shows and get a foot in the door of doing music for a living.”
Video link for Emily Wolfe — https://youtu.be/llJjhn8ky9I.
The show at Kung Fu Necktie on October 31 will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.
Other upcoming shows at Kung Fu Necktie are Sasquatch on October 28, Imperial Triumphant on October 29, Local H on October 30, Howling Giant on November 1, and Gym Shorts on November 2.
This is the final weekend to catch a performance of the current production at the Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) – “The Best of the Candlelight Theatre” – now through October 31.
The original production is just what its name implies – a series of arranged and choregraphed numbers that were featured in Candlelight productions over the last decade or so.
There are songs in the show that everyone knows such as “Maria” from “West Side Story,” “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” from “South Pacific,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from “Funny Girl,” “Easy Street” from “Annie,” “Holding Out for a Hero” from “Footloose” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady.”
Video link for “Best of Candlelight” — Best of Promo on Vimeo.
The Candlelight Theatre’s production of “Best of Candlelight” is running now through October 31. 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 $67.50 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, uptownwestchester.org)
Dueling Pianos on October 28, Cash Unchained on October 29, Light My Fire on October 30, and a screening of The Rocky Horror
Picture Show on October 31.
This will be a big weekend for fans of the Doors. In addition to the Doors’ tribute band Light My Fire playing the Uptown! on October 30, there will be a show by Robby Krieger, The Doors’ guitarist, on October 31 at the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com). The show at the Keswick will also feature Vanilla Fudge.
Other upcoming shows at the Keswick are the Temptations on October 28, The Fixx on October 29, Blue OysterCult on October 30 and Louis C.K. on November 3.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will have The Collingwood with Special Guest New Shields on October 30 and a screening and live stage show of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 31.
Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) will have The Miners and Paul St. John and the Nighthawks on October 29 and Judy Sings the Blues on October 30.
The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com) will present the Expendables on October 28, Hayes Carll on November 2 and Old 97’s on November 3.
The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org) will host Louis C.K. on November 2.
