{"id":23784,"date":"2014-11-06T10:15:19","date_gmt":"2014-11-06T15:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=23784"},"modified":"2014-11-06T09:37:01","modified_gmt":"2014-11-06T14:37:01","slug":"on-stage-kennedys-in-kennett-fitz-in-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=23784","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Kennedys in Kennett, Fitz in Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><em><strong>Roots rock, funk and pop take center stage in the area this weekend<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><strong>By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><em>Staff Writer, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_973931\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/kennedys-1-300x226.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-973931\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-973931\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 4px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/kennedys-1-300x226.jpg\" alt=\"kennedys 1\" width=\"300\" height=\"226\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-973931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Back by popular demand, The Kennedys headline at The Flash in Kennett Square, Nov. 8.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Kennedys, one of the more popular nationally-recognized acts to play The Flash\u00a0(102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org\/\">http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>), are returning for a special \u201cBack by Popular Demand\u201d show this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>On November 8, the Kennedys will treat area fans to another evening of their unique blend of folk songs, virtuoso guitar work and jangly pop music. The duo played to a packed house at the comfortable Kennett Square venue just over six months ago.<\/p>\n<p>The husband-and-wife team of Pete and Maura Kennedy has played more than 1,600 shows in the last 12 years with its roots in American music. And, they also have gone out on a number of tours as Nanci Griffith\u2019s backing musicians.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re just gigging &#8212; a lot of live gigging,\u201d said Pete Kennedy. \u201cWe just keep up our tour schedule. We\u2019re not slowing down. We still do over 100 gigs a year. We really like playing The Flash. It\u2019s a great venue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pete Kennedy recently released \u201cTone, Twang and Taste\u201d &#8212; an album that is a tribute to pre-rock electric guitar. Meanwhile, a new Kennedys album appears to be still a long way off.<\/p>\n<p>If you attend a Kennedys concert and you want to hear them play one of your favorite songs recorded by the duo, all you have to do is ask.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlmost every show we do is all requests,\u201d said Kennedy. \u201cWe take requests right at the show. I usually go around with my notebook and ask the members of the audience what songs they want us to play. It really sets up a good vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Scott Birney will open the show Saturday night. On November 7, band of brothers will headline a show at The Flash with Rage On as the opening act.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTantrums\u201d or \u201cDirty Birds\u201d &#8212; these are your choices this weekend if you want to attend a concert featuring lively rock bands with horns in addition to the standard guitar-bass-keyboard-drums line-up.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_973918\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/fitz-and-tantrums-1-300x225.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-973918\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-973918 \" style=\"border: 3px solid black; margin: 4px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/fitz-and-tantrums-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"fitz and tantrums 1\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-973918\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The red hot Fitz and the Tantrums lights up Philly&#8217;s Electric Factory, Nov. 7.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Fitz and the Tantrums will be performing on November 7 at the Electric Factory (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215-627-1332,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.electricfactory.info\/\">www.electricfactory.info<\/a>) while Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds will be laying down some grooves at on November 6 at Tellus 360 (24East King Street, Lancaster, 717-393-1660,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tellus360.com\/\">www.tellus360.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Los Angeles-based Fitz and the Tantrums features\u00a0<a title=\"Michael Fitzpatrick (musician)\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Michael_Fitzpatrick_(musician)\">Michael Fitzpatrick<\/a>\u00a0(lead vocals),\u00a0<a title=\"Noelle Scaggs\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Noelle_Scaggs\">Noelle Scaggs<\/a>\u00a0(lead vocals, percussion),\u00a0<a title=\"James King (musician)\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/James_King_(musician)\">James King<\/a>\u00a0(saxophone, flute, keyboard, percussion, guitar), Joseph Karnes (bass), Jeremy Ruzumna (keyboards) and\u00a0<a title=\"John Wicks (drummer)\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Wicks_(drummer)\">John Wicks<\/a>\u00a0(drums, percussion).<\/p>\n<p>The band, which combines neo-soul with modern rock, released its first album \u201cPickin\u2019 Up the Pieces\u201d in 2010 and its sophomore disc \u201cMore Than a Dream\u201d last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe recorded \u2018More Than a Dream\u2019 in spring 2012 &#8212; right after we got off the road from touring our first album,\u201d said Karnes, during a recent phone interview. \u2018We recorded it and then switched labels. It took a year after we made the album for it to finally be released.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were definitely tight musically after touring together for so long so putting the new music down in the studio was an easy process. We saw the kind of energy we wanted in our shows. So, we kept that in mind with the new songs we were recording.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The band received a huge break when Chester County&#8217;s own Daryl Hall invited the group to perform on his popular web series \u201cLive From Daryl\u2019s House.\u201d They performed a few of their own songs and several of Hall\u2019s songs including \u201cGirl I Love You\u201d and \u201cSara Smile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGetting to perform on \u2018Live from Daryl\u2019s House\u2019 was one of the single biggest things we\u2019ve done to break the band,\u201d said Karnes. \u201cIn 2012, we had no traction on the radio and went from that to 250,000 followers. It really brought people in the door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More people were brought through the door when Fitz and the Tantrums\u2019 song \u201cOut of My League\u201d reached number one on Billboards Alternative charts in September 2013.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we were in the studio with the latest album, we just wanted to let the songs have whatever they needed,\u201d said Karnes. \u201cIn our live shows now, we\u2019re playing most of the second record and at least half of the first album. Certain things change when playing them live.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a conscious decision to expand our sound &#8212; to explore where we can go. We had to get out there and re-discover the songs. They have more energy live. The sax player plays a lot more sax. We really wanted to just be ourselves even more. It was fun to blend both albums.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_973921\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/sister-sparrow-2-300x200.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-973921\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-973921\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 4px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/sister-sparrow-2-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"sister sparrow 2\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-973921\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds hits the stage on Nov. 6 at Tellus in Lancaster.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Brooklyn-based Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds features\u00a0Arleigh Kincheloe (vocals), Jackson Kincheloe (harmonica), Bram\u00a0Kincheloe (drums), Sasha Brown (guitar), Phil Rodriguez (trumpet), Brian Graham (baritone saxophone) and Josh Myers (bass).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re just going out for a one-week run this time,\u201d said Arleigh Kincheloe, during a phone interview Wednesday evening. \u201cOur summer and fall was pretty heavy touring so we\u2019re doing a light late fall. We\u2019re going into the studio in December.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds released their eponymous debut album in November 2010 and followed with their \u201cPound of Dirt\u201d album in February 2013. In March 2013, they recorded an EP titled \u201cFight\u201d with Grammy-award winner and former American Idol judge Randy Jackson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur manager met Randy Jackson a few times,\u201d said Kincheloe. \u201cRandy acted as our mentor for a little while. Then, he told us he wanted to produce us. So, we did an EP with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds plan on heading to Seattle in December to make their third album.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll the songs are already written,\u201d said Kincheloe. \u201cWe took some time back in January and February to work on writing. Now, we\u2019ve been playing the songs for awhile &#8212; road-testing the songs in our shows.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t write in the studio. I\u2019ve always preferred to work out all the kinks before we go into the studio. We have 10-12 songs ready to record &#8212; and we have a couple on the back burner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Dirty Birds\u2019 band members come from all over the country and bring with them a wide variety of influences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always wanted to have a big band and I was pretty determined to have it happen,\u201d said Kincheloe. \u201cMy brother Jackson and I came down to New York City from our home in the Catskills to put the band together. Ryan Snow, who used to be our trombone player, helped a lot in bringing the musicians together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe left the band and we\u2019re going with just two horns. It actually tightened everything up. It worked out well because the two of them (Phil Rodriguez\u00a0and Brian Graham) are so in synch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds honed their chops with a long and very successful residency at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had a steady gig at the Rockwood,\u201d said Kincheloe. \u201cWe had a residency that lasted on-and-off for about two years. We usually played Friday or Saturday nights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur music is always evolving. It\u2019s more than just straight funk. It\u2019s very song-oriented. It\u2019s got a soul-rock thing. And, there are some elements of pop &#8212; with songs for the song\u2019s sake. We\u2019re very open at this point. As always, laying down a heavy groove is really important. It\u2019s got to be big.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to start recording again. So, we\u2019ve started a PledgeMusic campaign. Fans can log on to the website, make pledges and get a lot of great rewards for their pledges. They can check it out at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pledgemusic.com\/projects\/sistersparrow\">www.pledgemusic.com\/projects\/sistersparrow<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tickets for Fitz\u2019s 9:30 p.m. show are $25. Sister Sparrow\u2019s show starts at 8 p.m. with tickets priced at $120 in advance and $12 at the door. Other upcoming shows at Tellus360 are Dynamo and Damien McCarthy on November 7, Lydia Loveless on November 8, Corty Bryan on November 9, Johnny Boyd on November 10, Makem &amp; Spain on November 11 and Scott Sax and Suzie Brown in November 12.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_973924\" style=\"width: 303px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/mark-lanegan-1-293x300.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-973924\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-973924 \" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 4px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/mark-lanegan-1-293x300.jpg\" alt=\"mark lanegan 1\" width=\"293\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-973924\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Lanegan is at the Underground Arts in Philly, Nov. 7.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mark Lanegan, who will be headlining a show at Underground Arts, (1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, 215- 629-5765,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/undergroundarts.org\/\">undergroundarts.org<\/a>) on November 7, is a musician with an impressive resume. Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $25.<\/p>\n<p>Lanegan, who has a unique baritone voice, worked with Kurt Cobain prior to Cobain\u2019s time in Nirvana. He was a founding member of the Screaming Trees. After the Screaming Trees disbanded, he joined the Queens of the Stone Age.<\/p>\n<p>Later, he formed\u00a0The Gutter Twins\u00a0with\u00a0Greg Dulli\u00a0and released three collaboration albums with former\u00a0Belle and Sebastian\u00a0singer\u00a0Isobel Campbell.\u00a0\u00a0Last year, his track \u201cStrange Religion\u201d was used in Season 6 of the Showtime television series\u00a0\u201cCalifornication.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lanegan also has recorded nine solo albums, including the recently-released \u201cPhantom Radio.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started working on \u2018Phantom Radio\u2019 right when I started making it,\u201d said Lanegan, during a recent phone interview from Los Angeles. \u201c\u201dI\u2019d write one song and record it. While finishing it, I\u2019d start on another.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlain Johannes, who is a good friend of mine, lives nearby and has a studio in his house. Basically, I\u2019d go there and do one song at a time. This is the way I\u2019ve been making records for over 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There have been exceptions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA couple years ago, I made a covers album,\u201d said Lanegan. \u201cI booked the studio, got the guys I wanted to play on it and did it old school. It was fun. But, it wasn\u2019t how I like to make records. I like to be able to sit on things for awhile before I set them down. With the process I use, there is room for change and evolution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t like to be forced into anything. Thinking is work for me and most of my music comes from my thinking. I\u2019m not somebody who is particularly driven. A couple hours a day for a week is O.K. with me.<\/p>\n<p>Lanegan is far from being a stereotypical rock musician.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI got burnt listening to loud music for eight or nine hours a day,\u201d said Lanegan. \u201cIn the old days, we go in the studio and have to play and listen to take after take. I\u2019ve had the same band since 2012 &#8212; three Belgian guys and one American dude. With my guys, we do it in a day and it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhenever I put out a record, I usually lean into it. When I play live, I do half of the record and the rest is old. It\u2019s because I happen to enjoy playing new songs more than older ones. I might do a Trees\u2019 track and sometimes I play the Queens of the Stone Age\u2019s \u2018Hangin\u2019 Tree.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhenever I make a record, I start by putting together something near the front and something near the end. Then, I fill it in. I instinctively have the front and the back of the record. But, I never know what it\u2019s going to be like until it\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_973928\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/lily-and-madeleine-3-300x300.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-973928\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-973928\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 4px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/lily-and-madeleine-3-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"lily and madeleine 3\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-973928\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lily and Madeleine bring their brand of pop to the World Cafe in Philadelphia, Nov. 7,<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Another show in the area on November 7 features an act that makes music that is almost totally the opposite of Lanegan\u2019s style. Instead of deep, gruff vocals and songs about the tougher side of life, Lily &amp; Madeleine make folk-pop music that is soft, lilting and soothing.<\/p>\n<p>The Indianapolis-based duo, which will be performing at\u00a0World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/philly.worldcafelive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">philly.worldcafelive.co<\/a>m),\u00a0\u00a0features Madeleine Jurkiewicz and her younger sister Lily Jurkiewicz.\u00a0\u00a0The siblings have released two &#8212; \u201cLily and Madeleine,\u201d which came out last year, and \u201cFumes,\u201d which was just released recently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe started singing together a while ago,\u201d said Madeleine Jurkiewicz, during a recent phone interview from their home in Indiana. \u201cWe made a video of a cover song. A friend of our dad\u2019s sent it to Faith Cohen and she sent it to Paul Mahern, who is a producer and manager.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce we started writing our own music, he got in touch with us and told us what we had to do to get into the music business. We\u2019ve been writing songs and making records for three years now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lily Jurkiewicz said, \u201cIt progressed pretty quickly. After we got a few songs, we made a self-released EP that is titled \u2018The Weight of the Globe.\u2019 It got a buzz and we got signed to a record label called Asthmatic Kitty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Weight of the Globe\u201d was picked up for a 2013 release by Sufjan Stevens&#8217; Asthmatic Kitty Records. A short while later, John Mellencamp asked the sisters to contribute guest vocals to the soundtrack of his musical \u201cGhost Brothers of Darkland County\u201d (which co-incidentally is being presented by the Kimmel Center on November 13 at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe recorded our first album at Primary Sound Studio in Bloomington, Indiana,\u201d said Lily. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice studio in an old converted church. We needed to have a big studio because of all the musicians we brought in &#8212; musicians of all ages and backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Madeleine said, \u201cOur first album is pretty acoustic &#8212; not a whole lot of elements to it. I think our approach to writing for the second album was the same. The difference was in the production.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur original genre was folk. We\u2019ve progressed to a different genre. We\u2019re still in the singer\/songwriter category on iTunes but the album is different. We talk about empowerment and confidence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMusically, we were inspired by different artists &#8212; from Arcade Fire to Pink Floyd to Charlotte Gainsbourg. We\u2019ve adapted our sound to something newer and fresher. We needed to move to a different realm. It was fun to experiment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $12.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last decade-and-a-half, the Steep Canyon Rangers have become one of America\u2019s best young bluegrass bands. On November 8, they will bring their American roots sound to the area for a show at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ardmoremusic.com\/\">www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The North Carolina-based group includes Woody Platt (guitar, lead vocals), Graham Sharp (banjo, lead and harmony vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin, harmony vocals), Charles R. Humphrey III (bass), Nicky Sanders (fiddle) and Mike Ashworth (cajon drums).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been together for 15 years,\u201d said Guggino, during a phone interview last week from his home in Brevard, North Carolina. \u201cWe were all friends in college at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. We were a typical bar band and then we stayed together and kept it going.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all fell in love with bluegrass during our college years. We bought (bluegrass) instruments and started to learn to play them. We all graduated in 2001 and nobody had a plan other than playing music. So, we moved to a house in Asheville (N.C.).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Back then, blue wasn\u2019t the only color associated with the Steep Canyon Rangers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were so green at fist,\u201d said Guggino. \u201cWhen we signed with Rebel Records in the mid-2000s, that got our music out to the bluegrass audience. We played bluegrass festivals for many years &#8212; and still do a few each year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore of the festivals we play now are Americana or folk. We played the Philadelphia Folk Festival for the first time this year. When we\u2019re on tour, we play performing arts centers as well as club venues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe cool thing about bluegrass is that it appeals to a wide variety of audiences and age groups. On any given weekend, we might play Friday night at a rock club and then the next night for a retirement age audience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur music appeals to a big range of listeners. It\u2019s acoustic so it doesn\u2019t scare away older listeners. And, the younger audiences like the energy. It\u2019s fast-paced music that gets people dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Steep Canyon Rangers have found their niche but it took years of refining their sound.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur music has evolved greatly,\u201d said Guggino. \u201cAt first, we came at it in a very non-traditional way. Later, we studied traditional bluegrass &#8212; artists such as Bill Monroe and Flatt &amp; Scruggs. As years go on, we\u2019ve gotten away from the traditional sound. Our latest album is the first one with drums.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That album was \u201cTell The Ones I Love.\u201d Released in September 2013, it was their third album for Rounder Records. The same record label also released \u201cSteve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell LIVE\u201d nine months ago.<\/p>\n<p>Steve Martin played banjo along with the Steep Canyon Rangers\u00a0in 2009 on a\u00a0broadcast of\u00a0\u00a0\u201cA Prairie Home Companion,\u201d\u00a0and continued playing with the band on selected dates, including\u00a0\u00a0the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco\u00a0and\u00a0Carnegie Hall in New York. He\u00a0also travelled with the band to\u00a0England for a performance on the radio show \u201cLater with Jools Holland.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cSteve Martin had a great effect on our success,\u201d said Guggino. \u201cHe put our music out there. We got to play big venues and perform on TV shows. We played all last summer with Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Steve is a funny comedian but he\u2019s also a serious banjo player.\u201d<br \/>\nLadybird will be the opening act for the show which starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $23 in advance and $28 day of show.<\/p>\n<p>Other upcoming shows at the Ardmore Music Hall are YoungBlood Brass Band &amp; West Philadelphia Orchestra on November 6, the New Mastersounds and the Heard on November 7, Bonerama and New Sound Brass Band on November 9 and the Bailey Hounds and Parker Milsap on November 12.<\/p>\n<p>When Red Molly, who are playing November 8 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.st94.com\/\">www.st94.com<\/a>)\u00a0\u00a0and November 9 at the\u00a0Grand Opera\u00a0House\u00a0(818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thegrandwilmington.org\/\">www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>),\u00a0started as a trio 10 years ago, there was no-one in the group named Molly.<\/p>\n<p>The threesome featured Laurie MacAllister (vocals, guitar, banjo), Abbie Gardner (vocals, guitar, dobro, lap steel guitar) and Carolann Solebello.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe took the name from a Richard Thompson song \u20181952 Vincent Black Lightning,\u2019 said Gardner, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Jersey City.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was a character in Thompson\u2019s song. It was a song about rebellious guy who had nothing. We had this \u2018girl next door\u2019 image but when we add \u2018red,\u2019 it made it more fiery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ironically, Red Molly never performed the song back then.<\/p>\n<p>Now, after a full decade as a performing act, things have changed on both fronts. In 2010, Solebello left the group and was replaced by Molly Venter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s kind of funny and ironic that her name is Molly,\u201d said Gardner. \u201cShe had opened for us at a number of our shows. We loved her singing and songwriting. It was a natural fit to have her join us when Carolann left.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The trio is still touring in support of its latest album \u201cThe Red Album.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe finally recorded that Richard Thompson song,\u201d said Gardner. \u201cIt\u2019s on our new album. We\u2019re also going to put it out as a special edition on black vinyl. We thought about releasing it on red vinyl but decided to stay with the traditional black vinyl.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe recorded the album last October. We went to Nashville to make the album and used some of the session musicians there. We always bring in extra people to fatten up the sound. We spent eight days in Nashville. We worked 12 hours a day and finished all the recording and the mixing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Red Molly has found the formula for a nice blend of originals and covers &#8212; both in their live shows and in their recordings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe first got together at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2004,\u201d said Gardner. \u201cWe started playing together and had these great harmonies with our voices. The growth of the group was very organic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were singer-songwriters to begin with so we had a lot of originals to sing right from the start. Our new recording has more originals than covers &#8212; eight of 13. We want to be able to showcase our own material.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The show in Sellersville starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and $39.50. The show in Wilmington is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25. Both shows feature Mark Erelli as the opening act. This weekend, the Grand will also be presenting James Galea on November 7 and Alvin Ailey Dance on November 8.<\/p>\n<p>Other shows over the next week at the Sellersville Theatre are James McMurtry on November 6, Signs of Life on November 7, the Pine Hill Project featuring Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky on November 9, Rhett Walker Band on November 10 and Battlefield Band on November 12. Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com\/\">www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will present the Jost Project with Phyllis Capell on November 7 and J.D. Malone &amp; the Experts with John Beacher on November 8.<\/p>\n<p>On November 7, Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/chaplinslive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) will host What&#8217;s Next, Rock &amp; Roll After School SuperGroup, Alyssa Garcia, and The Rudys.<\/p>\n<p>Burlap &amp; Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.burlapandbean.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.burlapandbean.com<\/a>) will present Charlie Phillips with Caryn Lin on November 7 and Meghan Cary with a Fistful of Sugar and Analog Gypsies on November 8.<\/p>\n<p>Melodies Caf\u00e9 (2 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-5269,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.melodiescafe.com\/\">www.melodiescafe.com<\/a>) will host Mark Mandeville &amp; Raianne Richards with\u00a0Kyle Swartzwelder on November 6,\u00a0Reverend TJ McGlinchey, Joe D\u2019Amico and Hinton, Bower , Jones on November 7, SPINN and Jason McCue on November 8 and Jenn Grinels and Rebecca Loebe on November 12.<\/p>\n<p>The World Caf\u00e9 Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.queen.worldcafelive.com\/\">www.queen.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) will have Universal Funk Order on November 7, Butch Zito and Friends on November 8, Shemekia Copeland on November 9, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks on November 11 and Lee Ann Womack on November 12.<\/p>\n<p>The Keswick Theatre (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.keswicktheatre.com\/\">www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) is presenting Billy Gardell on November 7 and Eric Johnson with Mike Stern on November 8.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Roots rock, funk and pop take center stage in the area this weekend By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times The Kennedys, one of the more popular nationally-recognized acts to play The Flash\u00a0(102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org), are returning for a special \u201cBack by Popular Demand\u201d show this weekend. On November 8, the Kennedys will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[6351,6354,6353,6356,6352,6355,5419],"class_list":["post-23784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-fitz-and-the-tantrums","tag-lily-madeleine","tag-mark-lanegan","tag-red-molly","tag-sister-sparrow-and-the-dirty-birds","tag-steep-canyon-rangers","tag-the-kennedys"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23784"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23785,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23784\/revisions\/23785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}