{"id":17882,"date":"2016-11-05T08:35:19","date_gmt":"2016-11-05T12:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=17882"},"modified":"2016-11-05T08:35:25","modified_gmt":"2016-11-05T12:35:25","slug":"on-stage-extra-marillion-plays-the-keswick-sunday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=17882","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Extra): Marillion plays the Keswick, Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"Marillion\"<\/a>

Marillion<\/p><\/div>\n

On November 6, the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/span><\/a>) will present a show featuring two acts with musical histories that date back to the early 1980s \u2013 British band Marillion and American singer-songwriter-guitarist John Wesley.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marillion, which formed in Buckinghamshire, England is a progressive rock band which, over the last three decades, has made music too varied to be limited to the \u201cprog rock\u201d genre.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band has gone through several personnel changes over the years but ever since 1989 has maintained the current line-up — Steve Rothery \u2013 electric guitars, acoustic guitars; Mark Kelly \u2013 keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming; Pete Trewavas \u2013 bass guitars, backing vocals, additional guitars, samples and effects; Ian Mosley \u2013 drums, percussion; Steve Hogarth \u2013 lead vocals, lyrics, keyboards, guitars, percussion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marillion has just released its 18th studio album titled \u201cF E A R,\u201d which is short (and socially acceptable) for \u201cF*** Everyone and Run.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis album was three years in the making,\u201d said Kelly, during a phone interview Monday from a tour stop in Toronto, Canada. \u201cBut, we weren\u2019t working on it continuously. The process of trying to come up with new ideas is slow. We don\u2019t know how many more albums we have left in us. This is the best we could do.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were jamming quite regularly. We literally had hundreds and hundreds of ideas that we liked. We narrowed it down gradually into this bunch of songs. Most of the work was done in the last five or six months.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe recording process has been changing. In the past, we\u2019d write, rehearse, make demos cheaply and then record the album in a studio. These days, we have our own studio. We all have a home life. So, we\u2019ll come into the studio during the day and then go back to our family. We also did some recording at Peter Gabriel\u2019s Real World Studio.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cF E A R\u201d was released worldwide in October and immediately charted at Number 4 in the Official Album Chart in the U.K. \u2013 the band\u2019s highest chart entry in 29 years in the U.K. And, in this era where singles rule, there purposely is not a single in the batch \u2013 just five suites and 17 tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe writing process is basically the band jamming,\u201d said Kelly. \u201cSteve (Hogarth) writes the lyrics. When we started recording, some of the lyrics were finished and some were not. \u2018H\u2019 (Hogarth) will have the story ideas. Eventually, it guides us to where the song will go.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis album has a lot of episodic songs. It\u2019s not a pop record. What\u2019s good about the album is that the lyrics are dark \u2013 there\u2019s a sense of foreboding — but the music is engaging and can be uplifting. It\u2019s a protest album of sorts \u2013 and a bit of a prophecy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Marillion \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Ax6-2bXKPwE?t=218<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>

John Wesley<\/p><\/div>\n

John Wesley also dropped a new album last month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wesley, a renowned singer-songwriter and a highly-acclaimed guitarist, released his eighth studio album \u2013 \u201ca way you\u2019ll never be\u201d — on October 7 on Inside\/Out Records.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made the album over the last year-and-a-half,\u201d said Wesley, during a recent phone interview from his home in Brandon, Florida. \u201cEverything was written in that time period. Everything was fresh for this record.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI own a recording studio in Tampa so I was working on the album in my own studio. Then, I closed up the commercial location and moved all the equipment to my house. It\u2019s both analog and digital. The input road is definitely analog. The recording side is ProTools. It doesn\u2019t make sense to record to tape anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAround February, I realized that I had written the material that would create the core of the record. I\u2019ve been working with this one drummer for 36 years \u2013 Mark Prater. I\u2019d do drum tracks on my own and then he\u2019d come over and play to the tracks. When he got to what he wanted, then we\u2019d do the take. I used three other players and each guy got as much time as he wanted. I wanted each guy to use the studio to their capacity \u2013 creatively.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wesley felt everything come together nicely as he was making \u201ca way you\u2019ll never be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Wesley, \u201c\u2018a way you\u2019ll never be\u2019 was fairly big step for me in that I have worked extremely hard at bringing the two sides of my writing together — the \u2018acoustic singer songwriter\u2019 and the \u2018electric heavy guitar\u2019 elements. This album is most certainly the set of songs that has successfully combined my introspective lyrics with the aggressive type of guitar playing and writing that I love.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMark Prator and Sean Malone brought the songs to life as an amazing rhythm section. The themes of the lyrics, the melodies, and the playing make these my favorite, most cohesive and adventurous set of tracks to date. Stylistically the songs revisit some of the guitar music of the 70\u2019s that grabbed me and made me want to be a guitarist. Sonically I combined those 70\u2019s big guitar tones with the modern sounds available to us as guitarists today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wesley is a grizzled veteran of the rock world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done eight albums in 22 years,\u201d said Wesley. \u201cI always went to indie rock for artistic control.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m raising a daughter on my own and single dad-hood will keep you tied down. In the 90\u2019s, I found out that you could make a living being a \u2018hired gun\u2019 guitarist and I opened my own studio in \u201997. The last time I toured was two years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for John Wesley —https:\/\/youtu.be\/KLiKRNPl-pc?t=9<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Keswick Theater will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $60 and $75.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dark<\/a>

Dark Tranquillity<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re in the mood to catch a concert on November 6 but you prefer your music on the heavier side, then you should head to the Trocadero (10th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, 215-922-6888, www.thetroc.com<\/span><\/a>) to see and hear Dark Tranquillity headline an all-ages show that also includes Swallow The Sun, Enforcer, and Starkill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gothenburg, one of Sweden\u2019s main cities, gave rise to a death metal scene in the early 1990s \u2013 a scene that included bands such as Nihilist, Morbid and Dark Tranquillity. Billed as a melodic death metal band, Dark Tranquillity features Mikael Stanne, Niklas Sundin, Anders Jivarp, Martin Br\u00e4ndstr\u00f6m and Anders Iwers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dark Tranquillity\u2019s show in Philadelphia will come just two days after the release of the band\u2019s 11th album \u201cAtoma,\u201d which has come out <\/i>worldwide through Century Media Records. The first single and video from the album is the song \u201cThe Pitiless.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The video was filmed during the group\u2019s stay at the German Turock Open Air Festival 2016 in Essen by the director Dirk Behlau. \u201cAtoma\u201d was recorded at Rogue Music in Gothenburg, the studio owned by D.T. keyboardist Martin Br\u00e4ndstr\u00f6m. Mixing duties were handled by David Castillo, known for his work with bands such as Katatonia, Opeth and Candlemass. The striking cover artwork was created by the band\u2019s guitarist Niklas Sundin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll play at least six of the new songs in our show on this tour,\u201d said Stanne, during a phone interview Wednesday, two hours after the band arrived in New York after a flight from Gothenburg.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really confident about this album. I love these songs. There is a great musical spirit. Lyrically, it\u2019s about how the world is hurting and what it\u2019s like to be in a tiny country while all these things are happening around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith us, songwriting is a band thing \u2013 for sure. We come together with the arrangements and then I write all the lyrics. We recorded the album in the spring. We started pre-production late last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent a longer time writing this album than we did on any of our previous albums and finished it right on time. We have our own studio and we\u2019ve recorded our last four albums there. Having our own studio gives us a lot of freedom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, making a new album is not just a \u201cwalk in the park\u201d for the veteran Swedish metal band.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always a struggle,\u201d said Stanne. \u201cWe\u2019re in our 27<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> year together and this is our 11<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> album. It doesn\u2019t get any easier.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not easy to find something that is new and still has our sound. It\u2019s a challenge. The basics are what it\u2019s all about. It\u2019s hard \u2013 but what can you do? The emotional component of the music is what challenges me a lot \u2013 challenges me in a good way.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, having so much music, it\u2019s definitely tough to come up with a set list for the show. We\u2019ve always been an album band. We still go back and play songs from our early albums. We like to mix it up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Dark Tranquillity \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/qLzcYx6iWec?t=103<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The all-ages show at the Troc, which has Swallow The Sun, Enforcer, and Starkill as the opening acts, will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22.50.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Parachute\"<\/a>

Parachute<\/p><\/div>\n

On November 5, Parachute will be part of a four-band show at the Electric Factory (<\/b>421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215-627-1332, www.electricfactory.info<\/i><\/span><\/a>) <\/b>along with Needtobreathe, Matt Kearney and Welshly Arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

The three members of Parachute \u2013 <\/b>Will Anderson (vocals, guitar, piano), Johnny Stubblefield (drums), Kit French (keyboards, vocals, saxophone) \u2013 grew up together. Now, they have grown apart \u2013 but only geographically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m living in New York and Nashville,\u201d said Anderson, during a phone interview Wednesday. \u201cOne of the other guys lives in L.A. and the other lives in Richmond.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For years, the band\u2019s home base was in Charlottesville, Virginia \u2013 the home of the University of Virginia. All three graduated from Charlottesville High School.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe three of us grew up together,\u201d said Anderson. \u201cJohnny was one of my first friends and Kit was one of his earliest friends. We were 15 when we started playing together. Johnny\u2019s dad was a drummer and Kit played sax in school. I was always writing songs \u2013 even as a kid.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d get together and play a lot. We just thought that being in a band was the \u2018bees\u2019 knees.\u2019 It was never even an option to stop. In college was when we said we knew we were going to make a career of being in a band. We always wanted to be a band.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe built up a good following at the University of Virginia when we were in college. We started selling out 500-seat venues and then made our flirts album in 2009. Since then, we\u2019ve made an album bout every two years. Butt, we always tour \u2013 even when we\u2019re making an album. We need to play shows to jeep the momentum up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Parachute is now touring to support\u00a0its latest album \u201cWide Awake,\u201d which debuted at #1 on the iTunes Pop Albums and #40 on the Billboard Top 200 first week of release earlier this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do all the songwriting,\u201d said Anderson. \u201cThis one was more like the first album we did \u2013 me in a room writing songs without much co-writing. Most of them are crazy tunes about a person I\u2019m in a relationship with. Still, I tried to keep each one insular.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Parachute \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/ixOIyL7xDgM?t=4<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Electric Factory will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $42.50.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Berwanger\"<\/a>

Berwanger<\/p><\/div>\n

Another interesting concert will be happening on November 5 just a few blocks away from the Electric Factory when Berwanger headlines a show at Ortlieb\u2019s (847 North Third Street, Philadelphia, 267- 324-3348, http:\/\/www.ortliebsphilly.com\/<\/i><\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Berwanger (the band) is the latest project of Josh Berwanger, most well-known as the singer\/guitarist from the band The Anniversary. His latest album \u201cStrange Stains,\u201d which was just released on Doghouse Records, features him teaming up with Michael Hutcherson, original drummer for The Anniversary. The album juxtaposes airy, dreamy pop music with lyrics that deal with themes such as loneliness, fear and frustration.<\/span><\/p>\n

Produced by Doug Boehm (Dr. Dog, French Kicks) and mixed and mastered by Paul Mahern (Blake Babies, Afghan Whigs, Okkervil River, Iggy Pop, The Fray), \u201cStrange Stains\u201d also features a slew of guest musicians including Jim McPherson (The Breeders, Guided By Voices), TK Webb (TK Webb and the Visions), Brandon Phillips (The Architects) and Heidi Gluck (Julianna Hatfield).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished tracking in 2014,\u201d said Berwanger, during a phone interview Tuesday as he drove to a gig in Detroit, Michigan. \u201cWe did it in Kansas City and had Doug fly in from Los Angeles. We took our time with it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI finished it all and didn\u2019t have a label. It takes so long to set up an album release. I sent it to 10 labels and didn\u2019t have anyone pick it up. Someone mentioned Doghouse. I sent it to them and they were interested. Then, it took four months to get the plan set up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I needed to get a publicist onboard. The process just takes a very long time. I could have doing it differently but I wanted to do it the right way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, the album is out and Berwanger is touring in support of the disc. He is joined on the road by Ricky Salthouse, Brian Klein\u00a0 and Nicky Stahl.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRicky plays guitar,\u201d said Berwanger. \u201cBrian plays bass and Nicky is the drummer.\u00a0 Ricky was playing with me in my band Only Children. Brian joined around the same time as Ricky, Nick is new. This is a really good band. I love playing the new songs live.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Berwanger — https:\/\/youtu.be\/ix4Z37m5hGk?t=44<\/i><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Ortlieb\u2019s will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/span><\/p>\n

On November 9, Voltage Lounge (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215- 964-9602, voltagelounge.com<\/span><\/a>) will host a band whose directional pattern for lyrics and music is the opposite of the pattern set out by Berwanger on its new album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Stitched<\/a>

Stitched Up Heart<\/p><\/div>\n

Stitched Up Heart, a Los Angeles-based band that is touring in support of its new album \u201cNever Alone,\u201d pairs dark, heavy instrumental riffs with positive upbeat lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lead singer Alecia Demner, who goes by the single name Mixi, put the band together in Los Angeles in 2010. The group has gone through several line-up changes since then and now includes Mixi (vocals), Dorian (guitar), Decker (drums), Merritt (guitar) and Randy (bass).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody in the band kind of knew each other already,\u201d said Mixi, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as the band traveled to a show in Clarksville, Tennessee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe did a bunch of shows in L.A. and began building a good fan base. We\u2019ve has some band members come and go but right now we have a pretty solid core group. Our drummer has been here four years and the others three. Only one of the guitarists is new.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mixi chose the hard rock\/metal band\u2019s name based on her state of mind a few years back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started the band in 2010 based off a heartbreak,\u201d said Mixi, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Chattanooga, Tennessee. \u201cI pulled myself out of a rut and decided to start a band. The name of the band — Stitched Up Heart — is about getting things back together after they go wrong — about picking yourself back up again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was in bands previously but they weren\u2019t what I wanted to do. I wanted to put together heavy guitar \u2013 including a jazz element \u2013 wit vocals that send a positive message. Most of it is very hopeful \u2013 pulling from a dark place to a lighter place. I don\u2019t like listening to sad songs because it makes me sad. I wanted songs that would bring a light.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The band\u2019s first recording was its self-released EP \u201cSkeleton Key.\u201d Just recently, Stitched Up Heart released its debut album \u201cNever Alone\u201d on Another Century Records.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album in L.A. with producer Mitch Marlow,\u201d said Mixi. \u201cHe\u2019s a badass. We had really good chemistry. He knew exactly what to pull out of us. We were working on it all of last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, we wrote 30 songs in a period of three months. Me and Merritt would go in and work with the producer. We\u2019d have a plan — and then it would change in the studio. We\u2019d start with a power ballad and it would turn into something really heavy. We\u2019d usually spend three days on a song from start to finish.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI write about what I\u2019m going through in my life. My lyrics used to be in a dark place. Now, they\u2019re more positive. They\u2019re about bringing hope into your life and just enjoying the time that you have here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was writing the songs for \u2018Never Alone,\u2019 I was in a very optimistic period. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The music has the aggression but lyrically it\u2019s very positive. I have people coming up to me after shows telling me how the songs on the album have gotten them through difficult times. That\u2019s a great feeling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Stitched Up Heart — https:\/\/youtu.be\/acZbW-CmUTA?t=4<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Voltage Lounge, which also features Icon for Hire and She Pulled the Trigger, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times\u00a0 On November 6, the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com) will present a show featuring two acts with musical histories that date back to the early 1980s \u2013 British band Marillion and American singer-songwriter-guitarist John Wesley. Marillion, which formed in Buckinghamshire, England is a progressive rock band […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7441],"tags":[8183,8182,6269,8180,8179,7118,8181],"class_list":["post-17882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-berwanger","tag-dark-tranquility","tag-featured","tag-john-wesley","tag-marillion","tag-parachute","tag-stitched-up-heart"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17882"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17883,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17882\/revisions\/17883"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}