{"id":34629,"date":"2017-04-20T14:41:15","date_gmt":"2017-04-20T18:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=34629"},"modified":"2017-04-20T14:41:18","modified_gmt":"2017-04-20T18:41:18","slug":"on-stage-tough-choices-tonight-for-music-lovers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=34629","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Tough choices tonight for music lovers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Sabaton<\/p><\/div>\n

Area fans of heavy metal music have a tough decision to face on April 20. If their preferred metal music is Swedish heavy metal, they have a really tough decision to face<\/p>\n

If they want to attend a live concert featuring one of Sweden\u2019s top international bands, they face an excruciating choice \u2013 a choice between war-inspired metal or prog rock-influenced metal \u2013 a choice between Falun and Stockholm.<\/p>\n

Sabaton is a metal band from Falun, Sweden that features lyrical themes based on war and historical battles. Katatonia is a metal band from Stockholm, Sweden whose music features death metal origins and progressive rock influences.<\/p>\n

On April 20, Sabaton is headlining a show at The Trocadero (10th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, 215-922-6888, www.thetroc.com<\/a>). On the same night, Katatonia is headlining a show at the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Undoubtedly, the bands have a large number of mutual fans \u2013 many of whom will be wishing they had the ability to \u201cklona mig sj\u00e4lv\u201d (\u201cclone myself\u201d in Swedish).<\/p>\n

Sabaton\u2019s themes of war and historical battles are even reflected in the band\u2019s name. A sabaton is a knight\u2019s foot armor.<\/p>\n

The war theme that Sabaton embraces can be heard in the albums \u201cPrimo Victoria,\u201d \u201cThe Art of War,\u201d \u201cAttero Dominatus,\u201d \u201cCoat of Arms,\u201d \u201cCarolus Rex,\u201d \u201cHeroes,\u201d and \u201cThe Last Stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabaton was formed in 1999 and still includes two of the founding members — vocalist Joakim Brod\u00e9n and bassist P\u00e4r Sundstr\u00f6m.<\/p>\n

\u201cI formed the band at the end of 1999,\u201d said Sundstr\u00f6m, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. \u201cWe had a drummer who was a schoolmate with Joakim.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe introduced Joakim as a keyboard player so we brought him into the band. When I heard him sing, I realized how good he was. So, I said \u2013 you\u2019re the singer of the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were looking for something to write about. We were both interested in history and wars and realized \u2013 this is interesting, this is real. We don\u2019t want to write about our private lives and we don\u2019t want to make things up. I always liked reality more than fiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not history perfectionists. We\u2019re more interested in it than most people but we\u2019re not experts. We also liked to find a topic people can relate to \u2013 either from movies or from experiencing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabaton is currently touring in support of its latest album \u201cThe Last Stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018The Last Stand\u2019 during spring last year,\u201d said Sundstr\u00f6m. \u201cWe recorded it with Peter T\u00e4gtgren<\/a>, who has produced our last few albums.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are based in Falun and the studio we used was 45 minutes away. It\u2019s convenient for us. It\u2019s a great studio and we don\u2019t have to move around. We can get to it easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabaton\u2019s current tour is called \u201cThe Last Tour\u201d but fans need not worry that this is the end of the heavy quintet from Sweden.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t our last tour,\u201d said Sundstr\u00f6m. \u201cWe just call it that way. But, you never know \u2013 anything can happen. Let\u2019s hope that we can go on a long time more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Sabaton — https:\/\/youtu.be\/p13gsy6I4lc<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at the Troc, which also features Leaves Eyes and Battle Beast, will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $23.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Katatonia<\/p><\/div>\n

Katatonia\u2019s history dates back 26 years \u2013 to Stockholm in 1991.<\/p>\n

The band was formed by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nystr\u00f6m as a two piece studio-based project. Renske handled vocals \u2013 clean and screamed \u2013 and was the primary lyricist. Nystr\u00f6m played bass and guitars and was the primary music composer.<\/p>\n

They were looking to explore the limitless possibilities of the then-burgeoning doom and death metal scenes in their Scandinavian homeland.<\/p>\n

The duo had been working together with music in some capacity since 1987, but became serious about making music in 1991, when they began work on their first release, the demo \u201cJhva Elohim Meth… The Revival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katatonia released its debut album \u201cDance Of December Souls\u201d in 1993 and received immediate acclaim within the metal underground.<\/p>\n

As the notion of progressive music began to exert its allure over open-minded music fans, Katatonia was in position to benefit.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the band has incorporated more prog-rock influences into its sound without sacrificing any of its intense death metal roots.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole evolution of the band has been gradual \u2013 and natural,\u201d said Renske, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in\u00a0 Lincoln, Nebraska.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt began as a journey \u2013 a long one \u2013 and we\u2019ve grown throughout the years. It\u2019s not a deliberate thing to move out through metal. We have our roots.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last few years, we\u2019ve gotten into more progressive sounds. It\u2019s a natural thing because we\u2019ve always been into prog. We\u2019ve listened to prog for a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cDabbling with progressive on our last few albums has opened a new audience. Progressive music is getting more exposure and people are getting into it more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a laughingstock for a while but now it\u2019s coming back. It\u2019s nice to see people listening to music that\u2019s not on the radar.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur audience has been quite consistent over the years. It\u2019s not about labels or genres. It\u2019s the whole package of music and artwork.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katatonia has released 10 albums. The most recent is \u201cThe Fall of Hearts,\u201d which was released May 2016 on Peaceville Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been touring a lot with this album,\u201d said Renske. \u201cWhen we\u2019re not touring, we\u2019re working on new music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m home, I try to write every day. The next real writing process will start after the end of our current touring.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely still touring for \u2018The Fall of Hearts.\u2019 We have a pretty long set so we have plenty of time to play a lot of the music from the new album and to play our greatest hits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Katatonia \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/aFNyjtxzZ18?list=PLdtAahlfc_S1nQ7MN3pw6t2tw_aRQlUr3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at TLA, which also features Caspian and Uncured, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the TLA are Chronixx on April 21, gnash on April 22, Goldfrapp on April 24, Mike Posner on April 25 and Balkan Beat Box on April 26.<\/p>\n

Another show on April 20 will feature a band from across the Atlantic \u2013 a band from a different country than the metal guys\u2026a band with a totally different sound.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

I draw slow<\/p><\/div>\n

I Draw Slow, a traditional music band from Ireland, will headline a show at the Philadelphia Folksong Society (6139 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, https:\/\/pfs.org<\/a>). The show also features Kaitlyn Raitz & Ben Plotnick.<\/p>\n

I Draw Slow is a five-piece outfit comprising vocals, guitar, fiddle, banjo, and double bass. Holden siblings Dave (guitar) and Louise (vocals) have been writing together for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n

In 2008 the pair teamed up with violinist Adrian Hart, clawhammer banjo player Colin Derham, and double bassist Konrad Liddy to form I Draw Slow.<\/p>\n

The band has a very distinct sound — bringing together Irish tradition with modern Americana while staying rooted in the old-time style of Appalachia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together as this band for about 10 years,\u201d said Dave Holden, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Dublin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was small scale at first. There wasn\u2019t much of a scene for this type of music in Dublin. We\u2019ve been playing old-time bluegrass and Cajun music.<\/p>\n

\u201cMyself and my sister decided it was a lovely style of music to write songs in. We added double bass and fiddle to the band line-up. We also have done some experimenting with horns and percussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band steadily built a following in its homeland.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started off at festivals and clubs,\u201d said Holden. \u201cWe built a following and added more club dates. We did more festivals and then added dates around Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made our first album when we were living in Wicklow and put it out ourselves. For our second album, we made a video pf the song \u2018Gold Miner.\u2019 Pine Castle Records heard it and liked it. So, they signed up to their label.\u201d<\/p>\n

I Draw Slow will be releasing its highly-anticipated album \u201cTurn Your Face to the Sun\u201d on Compass Records on April 21. Other recent releases were \u201cWhite Wave Chapel\u201d (2014) and \u201cRed Hills\u201d (2011).<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Turn Your Face to the Sun\u2019 is our first record for Compass,\u201d said Holden. \u201cWe\u2019re launching it in New York on Friday at the Rockwood Music Hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album live with engineer Brian Masterson. We did it at a house in County Wicklow and brought in a lot of equipment. We tend to record very quickly. We made it back in November \u2013 mostly in one weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cBluegrass and Celtic \u2013 a lot of them are the same songs with different titles. We were more committed to being pure at the start \u2013 quite traditional. Now, we\u2019re a little more open \u2013 more singer-songwriter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for I Draw Slow — https:\/\/youtu.be\/C6jQDX2VEF4<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Philadelphia Folksong Society will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

There will be a lot on the music menu at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com<\/a>) on April 21.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Tommy Keene<\/p><\/div>\n

The early show will feature Tommy Keene and Ivan Julian and the late show will feature Evolfo.<\/p>\n

Tommy Keene and Ivan Julian\u00a0 is a natural pairing. Keene, a prominent pop songwriter, and Julian, a storied punk guitarist, are throwing in together for an acoustic solo tour. The two of them are each performing solo as well as together.<\/p>\n

The two Washington D.C.-area natives were briefly in a band together in New York in 1980. The roots of their relationship go all the way back to 1978.<\/p>\n

Julian was playing guitar with the seminal New York punk outfit Richard Hell and the Voidoids. Keene was working in D.C. with the Razz, a legendary local rock \u2019n\u2019 rock outfit.<\/p>\n

One night, along with Razz bassist Ted Niceley, Keene drove up to Manhattan to see Cheap Trick at the Bottom Line. Arriving to find out that the show had been cancelled, the two headed to Max\u2019s Kansas City, where Nicely introduced Keene to his friend Ivan Julian.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known Ivan for quite a while,\u201d said Keene, during a phone interview Tuesday morning from a tour stop in Boston. \u201cHe went to high school with my former bandmate Ted Nicely.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ivan Julian<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIvan came down to D.C. to check us out when he was with the Voidoids. Then, both the Voidoids and the Razz imploded. He wanted me to come to New York to join his new group.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent a few months in New York. We rehearsed together and hung out at clubs such as CBGB\u2019s and the Mudd Club.\u00a0Then, I had an offer for good money to tour with Suzanne Fellini. So, I did that and Ivan formed his band Outset.\u201d<\/p>\n

After touring with Fellini, Keene formed his own group and in the ensuing decades released acclaimed albums on the Dolphin, Geffen and Matador labels. He also has been a sideman for Paul Westerberg and Robert Pollard.<\/p>\n

Julian continued the Outsets for a few years, worked with the Clash and Shriekback, and later played extensively with Matthew Sweet before releasing his own solo album in 2011.\u00a0Julian also fought his way back to good health after nearly succumbing to cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast October, Ivan gave me a call,\u201d said Keene. \u201cHe had a run-in with cancer and beat it. He asked what I was doing. I told him I had a band tour in Japan and then a solo tour in April.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked him if he\u2019d like to join my solo tour and he wanted to do it. So, instead of just a solo tour, we decided to do one together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two veterans have come up with a solid format for the tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cIvan does a set and then I do a set,\u201d said Keene. \u201cAfter that, we do a few numbers together. In my set, I\u2019m doing 75 per cent acoustic and then play the last five songs on electric guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first acoustic tour was in 1987 opening for Alex Chilton and I\u2019ve done them on-and-off ever since. Acoustic shows are a completely different animal. It\u2019s easier. Less can go wrong. But, it\u2019s more difficult for me because I have to carry the whole thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like acoustic shows because I can hear myself sing very well rather than getting drowned out by a drummer. And, in a solo show I can wing it. I can pull out any song I want.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople really like it because it\u2019s a different format. Diehard fans like this scenario because that\u2019s how the songs started. I can present the songs in their original form.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Tommy Keene \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/SB_u2gC5S5o<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Ivan Julian — https:\/\/youtu.be\/f_Ia52Gh7DM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kung Fu Necktie, which also features Philly Soul Syndicate, will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

Evolfo will be introducing its new album \u201cLast of the Acid Cowboys\u2019 in its show at Kung Fu Necktie.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Evolfo<\/p><\/div>\n

What began in 2011 as a basement party band in the pits of Allston, Massachusetts, has since relocated to Brooklyn where the collective has honed its garage-soul sound with a bubbling mixture of rock, psychedelia, and a touch of spaghetti western drama.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were living in the Boston area going to school at Berklee College of Music,\u201d said Evolfo guitarist\/vocalist Matt Gibbs, during a phone interview Tuesday morning from a tour stop in Davenport, Iowa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to start a band so I got people around me to play shows. We play party music \u2013 funk, rock and soul. We did that from 2009-2013. Then, I moved to New York and the rest of the band followed. Everyone \u2013 seven guys — came down from Boston and joined me after a couple months.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live in Brooklyn \u2013 in Flatbush. So, we do most of our shows in Bushwick and North Brooklyn. Boston still feels like our home base. We\u2019ve been trying to play clubs across New York. Now, this tour has taken us to the Midwest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most accurate description of our music is garage-soul. It\u2019s garage rock but we take a lot from the Dap-Tone songbook. I\u2019d say we\u2019re a party band. My intention is to bring the energy up at every show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLast of the Acid Cowboys<\/em>,\u201d which is the band\u2019s debut album, melts down decades worth of eclectic and bizarro records and emerges with a house-shaking mix of garage rock, psych soul, spiritual funk and ecstatic freakout.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album over the last couple years,\u201d said Gibbs. \u201cWe\u2019d pop in and out of different studios around Brooklyn. We met Royal Potato Family and Kevin (Calabro, the label\u2019s founder) and started working with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out April 7. We\u2019ll probably do the weekend warrior deal for a while and play cities that we can drive to from Brooklyn in a couple hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur audience has a tolerance for a wide variety of genres. I think we see a lot of people our age \u2013 late 20s guys. I think we\u2019re seeing ourselves reflected in the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a good explanation for the band\u2019s unusual name. They originally called themselves Evolfo Doofeht, a reversal of \u201cthe food of love\u201d — Shakespeare\u2019s famous description of music from \u201cTwelfth Night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Evolfo — https:\/\/youtu.be\/9oTNLJJcou8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kung Fu Necktie, which also features Philly Soul Syndicate, will start at 11 p.m. Tickets are $6.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/em><\/a>) will present Hot Bijouxx<\/em><\/a> on April 20, The Spring Standards<\/em><\/a> on April 21, Beatlemania Again<\/em><\/a> on April 22, and Heather Maloney on April 23.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/em><\/a>) will host Ari Heist with Emily Neblock on April 21 and The Core on April 22.<\/p>\n

At the Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610- 917-1228, www.thecolonialtheatre.com<\/a>), Point Entertainment presents Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives on April 23\/.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/em><\/a>) will host Electron with Tom Hamilton\u2019s American Babies on April 20, Splintered Sunlight and Rainbow Full of Sound on April 21 and the Krieger Band on April 23.<\/p>\n

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com<\/em><\/a>) presents David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach on April 20, Frances Luke Accord with Chris DuPont on April 21 and Frances Luke Accord with Chris DuPont on April 22.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Area fans of heavy metal music have a tough decision to face on April 20. If their preferred metal music is Swedish heavy metal, they have a really tough decision to face If they want to attend a live concert featuring one of Sweden\u2019s top international bands, they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34631,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[9715,7426,9717,9718,9713,9714,9716],"class_list":["post-34629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-evolfo","tag-featured","tag-i-draw-slow","tag-ivan-julian","tag-katatonia","tag-sabaton","tag-tommy-keene"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34629","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=34629"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34630,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34629\/revisions\/34630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}