{"id":30320,"date":"2019-11-05T07:20:59","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T12:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=30320"},"modified":"2019-11-05T07:21:05","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T12:21:05","slug":"on-stage-anthony-ramos-looks-to-conquer-pop-music-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=30320","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Anthony Ramos looks to conquer pop music, too"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Anthony Ramos<\/p><\/div>\n

Anthony Ramos is a bright young star in the entertainment world \u2013 star of stage and screen (film and television) \u2013 and now is poised to become a star in the world of pop music.<\/p>\n

Ramos just released his debut album, \u201cThe Good & The Bad,\u201d on October 25 on Republic Records and now is on tour in support of the new LP. The tour brings him to Philly on November 5 for a show at the Foundry at the Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Ramos, a native of Brooklyn\u2019s Bushwick area who is of Puerto Rican descent,\u00a0burst onto the scene when he originated the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the TONY\u00ae and GRAMMY\u00ae Award-winning Broadway hit musical \u201cHamilton.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year, Ramos\u00a0embarked on his music career as an independent solo artist. He sang on Lin-Manuel Miranda\u2019s\u00a0\u201cAlmost Like Praying\u201d\u00a0benefit single and hooked up with producer\u00a0Will Wells (Logic, Pentatonix) to make his \u201cFreedom\u201d EP, which was met with good reviews.<\/p>\n

In the time since he left \u201cHamilton\u201d in November 2016, he played the role of Ally\u2019s best friend Ramon in the Academy Award-winning film\u00a0\u201cA Star Is Born,\u201d directed by\u00a0Bradley Cooper and starring Lady\u00a0Gaga. Ramos also appeared in the role of Mars Blackmon in the critically acclaimed Netflix series\u00a0\u201cShe\u2019s Gotta Have It,\u201d\u00a0created by\u00a0Spike Lee and based on\u00a0his 1986 film.<\/p>\n

Ramos has contributed multiple songs to the show\u2019s soundtrack, including the poignant new original song \u201cCry\u00a0Today, Smile Tomorrow.\u201d The song was inspired by Ramos working with a patient at Katie\u2019s Art Project, an organization that connects children facing life-threatening illnesses with artists through collaborative programs to create a lasting legacy through art.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe catalyst for making my own album was being in \u2018Hamilton\u2019 on Broadway,\u201d said Ramos, during a phone interview last week from his New York home.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery night, I was singing songs about revolution and telling stories about history. At the end of the day, it was someone else\u2019s story. After you sing those words over 600 times, you think \u2013 damn, what\u2019s my story?<\/p>\n

\u201cI started writing songs. Then, I met record producer Will Wells. He came up to me after a show and said \u2013 do you want to make a record? I said\u2014yes, that\u2019s dope. We had some tacos together a couple days later and, within a week, we were working on the first song.\u201d<\/p>\n

The seed had been planted for the next phase of his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI left \u2018Hamilton\u2019 in 2016 and then did the \u2018She’s Gotta Have It\u2019 TV series,\u201d said Ramos. \u201cAfter that, I had a little cash in my pocket. So, Will and I went to L.A. We got in a studio and did some writing. That was in February 2017 and we spent three months working.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made my first EP, kept writing and got a music manager. In January 2019, I got signed by Republic Records. Within days, I was back out in L.A. I recorded 21 songs in 30 days. The songs just came pouring out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded a lot of the new album at Republic Records Studio. I also did some recording at MXM \u2013 Max Martin\u2019s studio in L.A. \u2013 and some at Jungle City in New York. Will and I also did studio work at Power Station in midtown Manhattan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the album was written when we were at Republic Records studio. We worked pretty quickly. We had the album mixed and ready to go by May.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ramos is also reuniting with Miranda for the upcoming film adaptation of \u201cIn The Heights.\u201d He recalled how he and Miranda first crossed paths.<\/p>\n

\u201cI first met Lin-Manuel when I went to an open audition in 2014,\u201d said Ramos. \u201cI had no agent. I just walked in and sang a little song. I sang the Temptations\u2019 \u2018Ain\u2019t Too Proud to Beg.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThat audition was for a different show. They said they wanted to call me in for an audition for another show \u2013 \u2018Hamilton.\u2019 I got called back for four auditions. Then, there was the day I got laid off from a show I was in at Radio City Music Hall. Three hours later, the people from \u2018Hamilton\u2019 called and offered me a part in Hamilton.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Everything has been on fast track for Ramos ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019m sitting here at my place in Brooklyn getting ready to go out on tour,\u201d said Ramos. \u201cIn my live show, there will be funk, pop, and R&B with flavors of Latin. There are five of us \u2013 drums, bass, guitar, keys and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Anthony Ramos \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/EYRXCaazHSw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia, which has Julius as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jason Hawk Harris<\/p><\/div>\n

While things have been falling in place nicely for Ramos, it has been just the opposite for another up-and-coming singer\/songwriter — Jason Hawk Harris.<\/p>\n

Harris hit rock bottom during the writing and recording of his debut full-length Love & the Dark.\u00a0In the last few years, the Houston-born-and-raised, Los Angeles-based musician endured life-altering hardships\u2014illness, death, familial strife, and addiction\u2014yet from these trials,\u00a0a luxuriant and confident vision of art country\u00a0emerged.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove & The Dark,\u201d was recently released on Bloodshot Records. Harris is touring the album and will play locally at City Winery (990 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, citywinery.com\/philadelphia\/<\/a>) on November 5.<\/p>\n

Harris\u2019 grandfather exposed him to country music at an early age, and his family celebrated holidays with group sing-alongs. In his teens, Harris began listening to punk, indie rock, and, notably, Queen. In some part inspired by the instrumental flair of Queen, he later studied classical composition and was eventually wait-listed for the master\u2019s program at UCLA, when things took a turn.<\/p>\n

While touring and performing in the\u00a0indie folk band The Show Ponies, Harris started writing his own songs, intuitively returning to his country roots but incorporating his classical and rock \u2018n\u2019 roll performance skills. He released his first solo offering, \u201cThe\u00a0Formaldehyde, Tobacco and Tulips\u201d\u00a0EP in 2017 and started touring heavily.<\/p>\n

Then, everything in his world began to fall apart.<\/p>\n

His mother died from complications of alcoholism. His father went bankrupt after being sued by the King of Morocco. His sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and gave birth to a premature son with cerebral palsy. And subsequently, Harris got sidetracked by his own vices.<\/p>\n

The \u201cLove & the Dark\u201d album is his personal narrative on death, struggle, and addiction — of a life deconstructed and reassembled.<\/p>\n

While his music acknowledges mortality, pain, and hardship, it\u2019s also Harris\u2019 way of working through it.<\/p>\n

Video link for Jason Hawk Harris — https:\/\/youtu.be\/MOn6DgQn35k<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at City Winery (990 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, citywinery.com\/philadelphia\/<\/a>) will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dylan LeBlanc<\/p><\/div>\n

Dylan LeBlanc, a singer\/songwriter from Louisiana, released a new album and then embarked on a three-and-a-half-month tour that took him coast-to-coast and to eight European countries. His new album \u201cRenegade\u201d was released on June 7\u00a0on\u00a0ATO Records.<\/p>\n

Following that initial North American headline tour and extensive European run, LeBlanc began a fall stateside tour in Charleston, South Carolina on Halloween. The tour, which visits the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-South, will stop in the area on November 5 at Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684,<\/p>\n

www.johnnybrendas.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana with time spent in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, LeBlanc had released three previous albums \u2013 \u201cPaupers Field\u201d in 2010, \u201cCast the Same Old Shadow\u201d in 2012, and \u201cCautionary Tale\u201d in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m r<\/span>eally excited about the new album,\u201d said LeBlanc, during a recent phone interview from his current home in Nashville.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it last October and November here in Nashville at RCA Studio A, a great historic studio that Chet Atkins built in the 1950s. That\u2019s the studio Dave Cobb wanted to use.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Produced by Grammy Award winning\u00a0Cobb\u00a0(Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton),\u00a0\u201cRenegade\u201d features 10 new songs from LeBlanc and his longtime band, The Pollies.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to LeBlanc, \u201cI wanted to write the same type of songs that matched the atmosphere the band and I were bringing live. So, I started with \u2018Renegade,\u2019 which was fitting since I felt myself going in a new, more intense direction with this record. In the studio, I let go almost absolutely and let Dave Cobb do his work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, \u201cRenegade\u201d has a natural feel and a powerful feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDave Cobb is a realist,\u201d said LeBlanc. \u201cHis whole thing is capturing the live feel. It\u2019s not a perfect album. There are some mistakes. It\u2019s definitely just us \u2013 live in the studio. Most songs were done in three takes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started playing with the Pollies and they are a rock-and-roll band. I\u2019d bring songs to the band and we\u2019d flesh them out. The songs have louder guitar. I\u2019ve never made a rock-and-roll record. It\u2019s usually softer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs were all ready when we went in the studio. I wrote 20 and recorded 10. We booked 10 days in the studio and were done in five. Then, we spent five days mixing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNone of the songs on \u2018Renegade\u2019 are longer than 3:30 \u2013 on purpose. I wanted a record of shorter songs. My next record will reflect more of my other side.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

When LeBlanc performed in Philadelphia back in the summer, he was touring with a full band. This time, fans will get to hear the songs in a more personal setting as LeBlanc is currently touring solo.<\/p>\n

Video link for Dylan LeBlanc \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/qMKxRyCSnoo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show <\/span>at Johnny Brenda\u2019s, which also features Night Moves, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor Anthony Ramos is a bright young star in the entertainment world \u2013 star of stage and screen (film and television) \u2013 and now is poised to become a star in the world of pop music. Ramos just released his debut album, \u201cThe Good & The Bad,\u201d on October 25 on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7441],"tags":[11913,11595,6269,11914],"class_list":["post-30320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-anthony-ramos","tag-dylan-leblanc","tag-featured","tag-jason-hawk-harris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30320","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=30320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30321,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30320\/revisions\/30321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}