{"id":35455,"date":"2017-06-17T09:14:18","date_gmt":"2017-06-17T13:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=35455"},"modified":"2017-06-17T09:14:26","modified_gmt":"2017-06-17T13:14:26","slug":"on-stage-extra-barone-dives-into-the-soul-of-60s-village-artists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=35455","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Extra): Barone dives into the soul of 60’s Village artists"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Richard Barone<\/p><\/div>\n

New York City is \u2013 and always has been \u2013 one of the music capitols of the world.<\/p>\n

In the mid-to-late 1960s, folk music and rock music came together with some jazz influences on the side to take popular music to a whole new place.<\/p>\n

It was when folk-rock was born and when the DNA for country-rock was starting to come into existence.<\/p>\n

The epicenter of this music was Greenwich Village \u2013 especially the 20-square-block area near Washington Square that included Bleecker Street.<\/p>\n

It was an area that was home to such legendary music clubs as the Bitter End, Caf\u00e9 Au Go Go, the Gaslight Caf\u00e9, the Village Gate, Caf\u00e9 Wha?, Gerde\u2019s Folk City and the Village Vanguard.<\/p>\n

Richard Barone, a veteran New York rocker, knows the area and its history extremely well. And, he has a deep respect for the area\u2019s musical history and the world-famous musicians it spawned.<\/p>\n

His new album \u201cSorrows & Promises: Greenwich Village In The 1960s\u201d casts light on the songs that sprang from the singer-songwriters in and around Greenwich Village during that pivotal decade.<\/p>\n

While Top 40 hits were being churned out uptown in the Brill Building and at 1650 Broadway, the downtown writers were weaving folk, blues, R&B and rock into songs that still sound fresh and inventive 50 years later.<\/p>\n

Barone\u2019s choices cover a broad range of writers, from Buddy Holly, who was living and demoing songs in his Greenwich Village apartment just before he died, to upcoming artists such as Paul Simon, John Sebastian (of the Lovin\u2019 Spoonful) and Janis Ian; to artists who were redefining folk music for a new generation: Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Tim Hardin, Fred Neil.<\/p>\n

On June 17, Barone will bring his \u201cSorrows & Promises: Greenwich Village In The 1960s\u201d show to the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

He will be accompanied by Steve Addabbo and Eric Bazilian.<\/p>\n

Addabbo is a Grammy-nominated producer, musician, writer, and recording engineer. He mixed all 400-plus tracks from the 2017 Grammy-winning Bob \u201cDylan Bootleg XII\u201d and mixed Barone\u2019s new album.<\/p>\n

Bazilian is well-known locally and around the world as one of the primary members of The Hooters \u2013 and as the composer of Joan Osborne\u2019s mega-hit \u201cOne of Us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just gave myself totally to this project,\u201d said Barone, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Greenwich Village. \u201cWe\u2019re taking it around the country with different artists in different cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barone explained the catalyst for his current project.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve lived in Greenwich Village since the mid-1980s and have always been aware of its history. I was taught about its history by Tiny Tim when I was younger and living in Tampa, Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe talked about how there were all these great artists living in the same area \u2013 artist like Dylan and the Lovin\u2019 Spoonful. As a kid, I had an idea that I\u2019d visit Greenwich Village one day. I had no idea I\u2019d ever live in the Village.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still an amazing place. For years, I thought about all these artists living near Washington Square. They were a new generation of singer-songwriters. They wrote their own music and it was a big deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy new album is a tribute to the genius of songwriting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Led by Fred Neil, the roster of artists Barone covered is more than impressive \u2013 Tim Hardin, Lou Reed and John Cale, John Sebastian, Janis Ian, Buddy Holly, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Richard Fari\u00f1a, Dion and Eric Andersen.<\/p>\n

According to Barone, \u201cEach time I walk out the door of my Greenwich Village apartment with guitar in hand, I\u2019m aware that I stand in the long shadow of those who walked these streets before me. In the early 1960s, the Village became epicenter for one of the most revolutionary movements in the history of popular music.<\/p>\n

\u201cInspired by the folk revival of the 50s and early \u201860s, the voices of a new wave of young songwriters emanated from the local coffee houses to radios all over the world. It was a cultural phenomenon that forever changed the way we perceive popular music.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo pay tribute to those trailblazing troubadours for their artistry was a privilege and also a duty. Some of these writers and singers are household names, while others are less widely remembered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn \u2018Sorrows and Promises,\u2019 they are all inspirational, all worthy of being discovered all over again, or for the \ufb01rst time. Making this album has been a journey of self-discovery through their words and music that continue to echo in my neighborhood and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some are dead \u2013 Tim Hardin, Lou Red, Buddy Holly \u2013 and some are still filling arenas with their live shows \u2013 Dylan, Paul Simon. All are legends.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least half of them were bona-fide pop stars,\u201d said Barone. \u201cThey are great artists. Most of them a 5thetime were 20-24 except Fred Neil, who was around 30.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite artist on the album is Phil Ochs. I grew up with Phil Ochs songs. I love his topical songs \u2013 and I also like his songs that are not political. He was always really good no matter what he was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barone, who also has a gig as a music professor at New York University, has started turning his thoughts to his next project.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be starting to work on my next album soon,\u201d said Barone. \u201cThese songs are inspiring me to write for my next album of originals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Richard Barone \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Nnb00JafOUQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Cafe Live, which has Steve Addabbo as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Michael Franti<\/p><\/div>\n

Michael Franti likes to give names to his tours. In recent years, he has been on the road with tours named \u201cAcoustic One Heart, One Soul Tour\u201d and \u201cOnce A Day Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

On June 17, Franti is visiting the area with his \u201cLove Out Loud Tour,\u201d which will be hosted by the Electric Factory (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215-627-1332, www.electricfactory.info<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this time, we all need to love \u2013 and we need to love out loud,\u201d said Franti, during a phone interview during a day off from the tour. \u201cWe need to speak up for equality, for the dignity of everyone and for the protection of the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franti\u2019s most recent album release was \u201cSoulRocker,\u201d which was released last year on Fantasy Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album came out last June and we\u2019re still touring it,\u201d said Franti, who has nine studio albums and 12 compilation and\/or live albums.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just released a new single \u2018Summertime Is in Our Hands\u2019 and the video for it is the best we\u2019ve ever made. We made the video in Bali. We did it there because I have a yoga retreat hotel in Bali.<\/p>\n

\u201cSummer is the time to spend time with people and a good time for climbing back through a rough time.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, summer was always a time for spending time with people I cherished. Some of them are gone \u2013 like my father. I\u2019ll always cherish the time I spent fishing with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franti\u2019s previous video \u201cCrazy for You\u201d also ranks among the best he\u2019s ever done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shot the video last fall when we were on tour in Europe,\u201d said Franti. \u201cWe shot most of it in Istanbul. I thought \u2013 how can we best show the internal craziness of my mind?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shot the video more than 200 times and spliced it together the old-fashioned way. Istanbul is a great back-up. I\u2019m really proud of that video.\u201d<\/p>\n

The song — a joyously upbeat rhythmic pop song that highlights the singer, songwriter and guitarist\u2019s soulful vocals and encompasses his socially conscious outlook — is from \u201cSoulRocker.\u201d<\/p>\n

The video features a new remix of \u201cCrazy For You\u201d which Franti is calling the \u201cSan Francisco Funk Remix.\u201d Franti did over 200 takes to complete the video while avoiding computer-generated graphics or the utilization of green-screens.<\/p>\n

According to Franti, \u201cA few weeks after we filmed in the Besiktas Soccer Stadium in Istanbul, 38 people were killed and 166 wounded in a terror attack just outside after a match.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe dedicate this video to them, to Besiktas Football supporters and to all those around the world calling for an end to political violence everywhere.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Crazy\u00a0For\u00a0You\u2019 is a song for the person in your life who gets\u00a0you\u00a0through the times when it seems like the whole world is going completely\u00a0crazy\u00a0around\u00a0you.\u00a0 I know a lot of people, myself included, who are feeling that way right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat person in my life is my wife, Sara, for whom I wrote the song. She\u2019s my sounding board, my shoulder to cry on and my in-house comedienne who helps me laugh my ass off back into balance through my greatest challenges.\u00a0She\u2019s good!\u201d<\/p>\n

On one of his previous tours, Franti had to cancel some shows \u2013 including one at the Queen in Wilmington \u2013 because of an injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile performing, I tore my meniscus and required surgery,\u201d said Franti.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was onstage and dancing gently. I was leaning back and forth and heard a pop. After that, I couldn\u2019t move my knee anymore. I tore up my left knee, had surgery and was on crutches for six weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a week of shows sitting on a stool. It was brutal having to sit because I\u2019m used to jumping around on stage and running into the audience. Sitting still was a big challenge. But, I learned a few things like how to do more storytelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have any problems for a long time after I had the surgery. I was doing great. Then, I had a setback recently. I had to have my knee drained again 10 days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franti\u2019s fans will be glad to hear that a new album is on the horizon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working on a new record,\u201d said Franti. \u201cI\u2019ve been writing new songs. And, I do record demos in car \u2013chords., song structures, melodies. We\u2019ll be back in the studio in the fall to finish it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franti approaches all his projects with enthusiasm and sincerity — especially his concerts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m putting together a set list for a show, I want to get together a collection of songs that represent who I am,\u201d said Franti. \u201cI\u2019m very passionate about the world and everything I do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care about the money, the amount of tickets purchased or the amount of records sold. I think about the goal as a feeling — how I want to walk out after the experience. I want the audience to walk out feeling inspired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Michael Franti — https:\/\/youtu.be\/J55NOROVBgI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Electric Factory, which has Nattali Rize as the opening act, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 at the door.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Thrice<\/p><\/div>\n

Thrice will play Philly on June 17 as part of a power-packed show at Festival Pier at Penn\u2019s Landing (601 North Columbus Boulevard at Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215- 629-3200, www.festivalpierphilly.com<\/a>) that also features Deftones and Rise Against.<\/p>\n

Thrice was out together in Irvine, California in 1998 by guitarist\/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school. The pair then added Eddie Breckenridge on bass and his brother Riley Breckenridge on drums.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the four musicians experimented with different styles of music while retaining their core musical identity throughout. They released their debut album \u201cIdentity Crisis\u201d in 2000 and then followed with seven more LPs over the next 10 years.<\/p>\n

Thrice released its ninth studio album \u201cTo Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere\u201d in May 2016. The album, which was produced by\u00a0Eric Palmquist, sold nearly 22,000 copies first week and landing itself the #8 spot on the US Soundscan Top Current Albums Chart — the band\u2019s highest debut in its18-year career.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere\u201d was also the #1 Indie Release, #1 Current Rock, #1 Hard Music, #1 Current Alternative, #1 LP Vinyl and #15 on Billboard\u2019s Top 200 for the week.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re still touring \u2018To Be Everywhere\u2019 now,\u201d said Kensrue, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Maryland. \u201cAnd, we\u2019re starting to write for the next album. First is this tour with Deftones and Rise Against and we\u2019ll be doing our own tour in the fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got really great fans who have endured all sorts of changes with us. We have eight records before so there are a lot of songs that have become fan favorites.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans of Thrice have to be happy just to have a new Thrice material to listen to and to have the opportunity to hear the band play live again — especially considering it wasn\u2019t that long ago that Thrice staged its farewell tour.<\/p>\n

Following Thrice\u2019s spring 2012 tour, the band went on hiatus. In the group\u2019s public statement, Kensrue said that Thrice is not breaking up, but that the band would be taking a break from being a full-time band.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hiatus came about because of a lot of little things,\u201d said Kensrue. \u201cWe had been going strong for 15 years without stopping. We had young kids and I had another on the way. We needed a break from the road — from the constant cycle of recording and touring.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, Kensrue and his mates held their promise that the band wasn\u2019t breaking up. The group got back together to play a few festivals last year and then headed into the studio to make an album of fresh new songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do pretty much all the lyrics,\u201d said Kensrue. \u201cAs far as the music, it\u2019s very participatory and very democratic. I think if we didn\u2019t do it that way, the band would be lacking for it. It produces a good tension.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest way the break influenced the album was in giving us distance and space for writing. Because of that, the record came out very diverse and balanced. I think we came into it very refreshed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thrice cut the record in January and February 2016 at Palmquist Studios in Alhambra, California.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was definitely a good vibe in the studio,\u201d said Kensrue. \u201cOn our last two albums, we nailed down what we could play. This time, we nailed it down and then let ourselves be free to add new things. It was a very fluid environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album still has a lot of life left and has spawned a new single and video for the song \u201cHurricane.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t remix \u2018Hurricane\u2019 for the single release,\u201d said Kensrue. \u201cWe just did a slight time edit. We shot the video in March with the same company that did our \u2018Black Honey\u2019 video \u2013 and used the same kid from the \u2018Black Honey\u2019 video.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Thrice is closing in on its 20th<\/sup> anniversary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no specific plans for the 20th<\/sup> other than putting out a new record,\u201d said Kensrue. \u201c20 years \u2013 it\u2019s pretty surreal for us. We started in 1998 and here we are. It\u2019s crazy. I never would have never expected it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The show at Festival Pier will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $90.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Birthday Massacre<\/p><\/div>\n

Another interesting show on June 17 will take place a few blocks away from Festival Pier when The Birthday Massacre headlines \u201cDracula\u2019s Ball\u201d at the Trocadero (10th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, 215-922-6888, www.thetroc.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The Birthday Massacre \u2013 \u00a0Chibi, Vocals; Rainbow, Guitars\/Programming\/Vocals; M. Falcore, Guitars; Rhim, Drums; Owen, Keyboards; Nate Manor, Bass — is a gothic rock\/dark wave\/electronic rock band\u00a0from Toronto, Ontario.<\/p>\n

The band is currently touring in support of its new album\u00a0\u201cUnder Your Spell,\u201d which was released via Metropolis Records on June 9.<\/p>\n

The Birthday Massacre was formed in 1999 and independently produced and recorded their first two albums, \u201cNothing and Nowhere\u201d and \u201cViolet.\u201d Through both of these high-demand releases, as well as their highly acclaimed and beautifully atmospheric website, the band obtained a large and loyal fan base throughout the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cRainbow has been playing in bands in high school and had played with Falcore,\u201d said Chibi, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as the band traveled from Orlando, Florida to a gig in Atlanta, Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had no experience at being in a band. The only singing I had done was in school choirs. Me and rainbow were doing these cover songs just for fun. Then, we started doing original songs \u2013 writing songs we like.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first show was in London, Ontario. Our friends came to the show \u2013 but so did people we didn\u2019t know. We were creative people and all of a sudden it turned into a real band. The internet really helped us at the start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Based on their independent success, The Birthday Massacre was approached by European record label Repo Records in 2005 — followed shortly by Metropolis Records in North America. The band began reaching a much wider audience with the 2007 release of the acclaimed \u201cWalking With Strangers\u201d album.
\n\u2018\u201dWe\u2019ve done PledgeMusic campaigns for our last two albums \u2013 \u2018Superstition\u2019 and \u2018Under Your Spell\u2019,\u201d said Chibi. \u201cBoth were very successful. \u2018Under Your Spell\u2019 reached its goal in two days. We\u2019re really grateful to have such a dedicated fanbase.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album over the last eight or nine months. We have a studio in Toronto called Desolation Studios that we use for all our recording. I\u2019m the lyricist and we had a very intense writing period in late winter and early spring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis album is different from our other albums in that the songs share an emotional theme \u2013 a certain vibe that came through. It\u2019s a very emotional album \u2013 an angry album about heartbreak.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely a cathartic process making the album. And, I definitely think that it\u2019s also a cathartic experience for fans when they listen to the album. It\u2019s very important that the fans can relate to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The Birthday Massacre \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/GmE8go5PXGA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cDracula\u2019s Ball,\u201d which also features Velvet Acid Christ, DJ Synthicide, and DJ Azrael, will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $23.<\/p>\n

A completely different sound will be filling the air on June 17 at Building 24 (1115 Bern Road, Wyomissing, 610-375-2700, bldg24live.com<\/a>) when Lindi Ortega headlines a show titled \u201cGirls Night Out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ortega is Canadian country singer-songwriter whose voice has been described as a blend of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris. She spent nearly a decade as an independent artist in the Toronto music scene, releasing two albums and an EP.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lindi Ortega<\/p><\/div>\n

Now, Ortega is on the road touring in support of her new EP,\u00a0\u201cTil the Goin’ Gets Gone.\u201d The EP features three originals and a cover of Townes Van Zandt\u2019s\u00a0\u201cWaiting \u2018Round To Die.\u201d<\/p>\n

The songs are the hard-won spoils of an internal war with words that struck after an extended stretch of touring. This is addressed in the EP\u2019s title track about the detours and ditches that a traveling musician faces.<\/p>\n

\u201cI left my previous record company Last gang in December,\u201d said Ortega, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Calgary, Alberta.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new EP is on my own imprint \u2013 Shadow Box Music. I cut it in the first week in January at East Side Manor in Nashville and it came out in February. I have plans to make a new album son and hopefully have it out next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ortega grew up in Toronto and then lived in Nashville for five years. In February, she moved to Calgary where her fianc\u00e9 lives.
\n\u201cPeople ask how a girl from Toronto got into country music,\u201d said Ortega. \u201cMy mom had a huge collection of country albums that I listened to a lot. And, I remember watching the Dolly Parton Show on TV with her when I was a kid.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think my music falls not any one category. In Toronto, I was a singer-songwriter when I started doing stage shows. Asked if I\u2019m country and I say I have no idea. Blues, soul, classic rock \u2013 it all plays into what I do. But, I get put into Americana because it\u2019s easy for people that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiving in Nashville was definitely a fun experience for me. I got to play the Grand Old Opry \u2013 which was a dream. Actually, I toured so much that I didn\u2019t spend much time in Nashville when I was living there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Lindi Ortega \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/jytWfa2Pacw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Building 24, which has Little Leroys and Caroline Reese & the Drifting Fifth as the opening acts, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Alvarez Kings<\/p><\/div>\n

On June 18, Coda (1712 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 267- 639-4630, http:\/\/www.codaphilly.com\/<\/a>) will host the first-ever area show by the Alvarez Kings, a U.K.-based alternative pop quartet.<\/p>\n

The foursome from Sheffield — Richard Walker, Sean Parkin and brothers Simon and Paul Thompson — just released its new album, \u201cSomewhere Between\u201d on Sire\/Warner Bros. Records. They share the name with an infamous old school South American gang.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis outfit has been together for five years and this is our first U.S. headlining tour,\u201d said Sean Parkin, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Boston.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was the last one to join the band. When the old guitarist started a family and didn\u2019t want to continue, they asked me to join the band. I agreed when I was drunk and then had three days to learn all the sings before leaving for a three-week tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were all good friends before I joined the band. I was touring with my previous band and had become friends with the other guys. Me and Simon were writing songs together before I even joined the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from Sheffield originally but right now, we live about 2300 miles apart. The rest of the guys are in Sheffield in South Yorkshire and I\u2019m based in London. I moved here years ago to study at London\u2019s School of Audio Engineering.\u201d<\/p>\n

The distance didn\u2019t prevent them from working together on the album.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album has been a work in progress \u2013 for two years actually,\u201d said Parkin.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the songs we had in our arsenal for a while. The melodies and the lyrics were too important to let go by the wayside. And, some songs were written a few weeks before recording them. Every song has been a labor of love.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had three-and-a-half weeks to record the whole album. We made it at Ocean Studios in L.A. with Carlos de la Garza as the producer. It\u2019s a great studio with real instruments and old synthesizers.<\/p>\n

\u201cA majority of the recording was all analog \u2013 especially on the way in. We finished at the end of June last year. Then, I flew back to L.A. in August to mix it with Carlos.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sings on the album are 12 of the best things we had. There definitely was a cohesiveness to it. I was listening to a lot of Tears for Fears at the time and that definitely was an influence. The whole album has a big 80s influence \u2013 reminiscent of what we grew up with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Alvarez Kings \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/MiH5sysMv0o<\/a><\/p>\n

The all-ages show at Coda, which has Jay Pray and Ilya Setra as openers, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

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

The \u201cLast of the Acid Cowboys\u201d sounds like the title of a biography of the late, great Gram Parsons, who had a legendary career with the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers before his untimely death at a young age.<\/p>\n

In reality, \u201cLast of the Acid Cowboys\u201d is the title of the new album by Evolfo.<\/p>\n

Evolfo\u00a0released its debut LP, \u201cLast of the Acid Cowboys,\u201d on April 7 via Royal Potato Family. In support of its new record, Evolfo is out on an extensive cross-country tour that includes a local stop on June 18 at Ortlieb\u2019s (847 North Third Street, Philadelphia, 267- 324-3348, www.ticketfly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Evolfo — Matthew Gibbs, Angelo Spampinato, Rafferty Swink, Ronnie Lanzilotta, Jared Yee, Kai Sorensen, Benjamin Allen Adams \u2013 first came into existence in 2009 when the band\u2019s core members were still in high school in Allston, Masachusetts.<\/p>\n

In 2011, the seven band members began playing regularly in Boston and 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

Fronted by guitarist and vocalist Matt Gibbs, the band \u201cpaid its dues\u201d on the basement party circuit and earned a reputation for playing bacchanalian live shows.<\/p>\n

The band labeled its music \u201cgypsy funk\u201d and played a blend of pop, punk, funk, ska, salsa and Eastern European rhythms. After a while, they opted to move on from Boston.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe decided that we should relocate to New York as a career move,\u201d said Gibbs, during a phone interview Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we decided to move to Brooklyn. Everybody came. All seven members left Boston and moved to Brooklyn. That was back in 2013.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evolfo gained much support while still in Boston after its first independent release in September 2012 — \u201cThe Food of Love\u201d EP, which featured a song and video for what is perhaps the best known Evolfo track \u201cYou Light Me Up\u201d.<\/p>\n

In December 2012, the septet was invited to perform in front of the entire Boston music community at the Boston Music Awards, it was announced as the winner of the \u201cInternational Artist of the Year\u201d award.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s most recent step forward was the release of \u201cLast of the Acid Cowboys,\u201d an album described as \u201ca house-shaking mix of garage rock, psych soul, spiritual funk and ecstatic freakout.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album has been very well-received,\u201d said Gibbs. \u201cNow, we just released a video for the song \u2018Rat City.\u2019 The song started as a tribute to Allston and ended up being a visualized city. And, that\u2019s me in the video in a giant rat costume.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, on its Facebook page, Evolfo refers to itself as \u201cAmerica’s #1 Rat Rock band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Evolfo \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/6yWnu9WxerI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Ortlieb\u2019s, which has Lightninging and Poor Devils as openers, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times New York City is \u2013 and always has been \u2013 one of the music capitols of the world. In the mid-to-late 1960s, folk music and rock music came together with some jazz influences on the side to take popular music to a whole new place. It was when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[9984,9715,7426,9982,9983,9981,9985,8523],"class_list":["post-35455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-alarez-kings","tag-evolfo","tag-featured","tag-lindi-ortega","tag-machael-franti","tag-richard-barone","tag-the-birthday-massacre","tag-thrice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35455","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=35455"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35456,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35455\/revisions\/35456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}