{"id":37052,"date":"2017-10-20T15:12:48","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T19:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=37052"},"modified":"2017-10-20T15:12:54","modified_gmt":"2017-10-20T19:12:54","slug":"on-stage-bonus-colin-hay-is-more-than-just-down-under","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=37052","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Bonus) Colin Hay is more than just ‘Down Under’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Colin Hay<\/p><\/div>\n

For most musical acts, there is a pattern to follow. You release an album and then you tour in support of that album. If you\u2019re a popular musician, that\u2019s what you do.<\/p>\n

On March 3, Colin Hay released his new album \u201cFierce Mercy\u201d on Compass Records and has been touring almost non-stop ever since. On October 20, he will bring his U.S. tour to the Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you go out on the road, you\u2019re like a traveling salesman trying to sell a record,\u201d said Hay, during a phone interview last week.<\/p>\n

Hay was at his home in Los Angeles during a short break.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m upgrading my studio so I\u2019m going mad,\u201d said Hay. \u201cIt\u2019s one of those things you have to do every three or four years. I\u2019m going to ProTools 12. It\u2019s always very involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFierce Mercy,\u201d the singer\u2019s 13th solo release,\u00a0is an epic, cinematic step forward for Hay, who is known for being a dynamic front man and beloved for his intimate, confessional live shows.<\/p>\n

Recorded in both Los Angeles and Nashville and mixed by Vance Powell (Chris Stapleton, Jack White) and Gordon Hammond (Buddy Miller, Don Williams),\u00a0\u201cFierce Mercy\u201d\u00a0explores themes of love and loss, aging and mortality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album last year starting in April,\u201d said Hay. \u201cMost of it was dome at my home studio. The strings and some odd overdubs were done in Nashville. It was a ne combination of cities \u2014 Nashville and L.A.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe studio is in the basement of my home in Topanga Canyon. Not a lot of the homes in this part of the world have basements. It\u2019s a good size room. The ceiling is a little low but, as far as a home studio, it\u2019s pretty deluxe. I use ProTools and have nice microphones.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been writing with Michael Georgiades for the last three albums. Most of the songs on \u2018Fierce Mercy\u2019 were co-writes. We get together, sit in the same room and write. We have a wonderful time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this record, I had a lot of ideas that I put on my iPhone. I listen to them and then sit down and start to work on something. Other times, Michael will call and say \u2013 I\u2019ve got something \u2013 and then he\u2019d come over.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d have most of the music and just one line of lyrics. He\u2019d keep playing the music and I\u2019d come up with the lyrics. In the end, we\u2019d pick the best of what each other had. All the songs are pretty new.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hay, a talented singer\/songwriter\/guitarist, was born in North Ayrshire, Scotland and emigrated to Australia with his family when he was 14. Then, Hay moved to America and settled in Los Angeles 22 years later.<\/p>\n

Casual music fans might not recognize Hay by name but they most likely are familiar with his music.<\/p>\n

Almost any music fan over 30 and most fans of classic rock under 30 know that a \u201cland down under\u201d is \u201cwhere women glow and men plunder.\u201d They know because Colin Hay told them so. Hay was the lead singer of the Australian band Men at Work.<\/p>\n

In the early 1980s, the band had major worldwide hits with a trio of songs \u2014 \u201cWho Can It Be Now?,\u201d \u201cOverkill,\u201d and \u201cDown Under.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hay knows that survival in the music business these days involves taking the music to the people \u2014 and that means a lot of touring.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve been on the road a lot,\u201d said Hay. \u201cI was in Australia for a while \u2013 all over the place. It was a multi-bill tour with three Australian acts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are three things you do as a musician \u2014 write songs, record them and play them live. I still do two Men At Work songs in all my shows \u2014 \u2018Overkill\u2019 and \u2018Down Under.\u2019 Obviously, they\u2019ll be a little different from how they did originally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of Hay\u2019s new songs deal with the precarious state of the world today and the biggest threats to the planet\u2019s well-being.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not hard to imagine it getting worse,\u201d said Hay. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like the things you fretted about in the 70s when you first became aware of climate change, authoritarianism, nuclear build-up and the threat of nuclear war.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst part is the nuclear threat. They say it (nuclear war) is not possible. It\u2019s a very dangerous time. It\u2019s difficult to forecast what will happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen that guy got elected, the thing that made my insides crawl was that he is a psychotic, narcissistic dictator in the making. He has all the traits of a dictator.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hope that the people in charge will realize it and do something about it. Climate change is real. Nuclear build-up is not good. The free market system is a better system with socialism built in so that people can get hospital treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, somewhere inside you, you have the nagging feeling that this isn\u2019t going to happen. This album is a way to musically express those feelings. I think it\u2019s safe to say that the record is a combination of things.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is hopefulness there but you can\u2019t expect anything to change without action. Honestly, I think we\u2019re in for some rough times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Colin Hay — https:\/\/youtu.be\/XpdUTtt-npI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Grand, which has Chris Trapper as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $35-$55.<\/p>\n

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) will also host Pink Martini on October 22.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Echo Black<\/p><\/div>\n

Echo Black, a New York-based pop\/rock band is known for its intense performances \u2013 for shows that leave audiences physically and emotionally drained.<\/p>\n

This fall, Echo Black is on the road with its \u201cThe Break Of Dawn\u00a0Tour.\u201d The band is doubling down in the intensity level by bringing along fellow NYC pop\/rock band Moonfall as the opening act.<\/p>\n

The tour will touch down in this area twice this weekend \u2013 October 20 at the Barbary (951 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-634-7400, www.facebook.com\/thebarbary<\/a>) and October 22 at Bar XIII (1706 Philadelphia Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-746-2213, http:\/\/barxiii.com\/event\/echo<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Recently, Echo Black released its newest single and music video for \u201cDawn”\u201d off their upcoming album of the same title. The band teamed up with Walter Dicristina and Axel Otero to record the song and recruited\u00a0Chris Newhard (Sia, Jessie J, Train) to bring the track to life.<\/p>\n

After premiering their last video for \u201cChemicals,\u201d\u00a0the band met and exceeded the goal on Indiegogo raising over $13,000 to fund the new album, which was released on October 13.<\/p>\n

Echo Black features Danny Blu (vocalist), Billy Long (drums, keyboards), Felix Skiver (guitar, vocals) and Rob Gnarly (bass, vocals).<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, this is just a short early tour for the album,\u201d said Blu, during a phone interview last week from his home in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had three singles out and then the single \u2018Dawn\u2019 was the lead for the album. I so excited that the album is coming out. We\u2019ve been waiting to put an album out since we started the band in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe raised over $13,000 on Indiegogo to make the album. It\u2019s pretty exciting that people give a shit about us and our music. We offered rewards like autographed items, drum lessons and makeup tutorials.\u201d<\/p>\n

Makeup tutorials might sound strange perks for a band\u2019s funding perks but not that strange if you take into account that Echo Black is billed as a \u201cqueer pop\/rock band. All of Echo Black’s makeup is sponsored by MAC Cosmetics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s funny that we get described that way,\u201d said Blu. \u201cWe just make poppy rock music and I happen to be gay. The other three aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Morris County in North Jersey and have been in New York City since I graduated high school in 2008. I moved to Queens with my sister. I went to New York to be an actor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to New York University as an acting major. I spent a year-and-a-half there and hated it. I didn\u2019t want people telling me what to do<\/p>\n

\u201cI started making music in 2011 and out two albums on my own. Billy has been with me since Day One and Felix joined four years ago. We did a Danny Blu tour and then the process changed. We began writing as a group. That\u2019s when we became Echo Black.\u201d<\/p>\n

Echo Black is comprised of members whose musical inspirations range from basement punk to Frank Sinatra, and everything in between.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all from different musical backgrounds,\u201d said Blu. \u201cNow, we all come together to make the dark sound we make.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018Dawn\u2019 earlier this year. We were in the studio over the course for as month. Some of it was recorded in Seattle and some in Paterson, New Jersey. Then, we had to rush to finish it because we were going on tour with Psyclon Nine.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we have our own tours. This is just a short tour but we\u2019ll be out again after the album has been out for a little while. Ninety per cent of our live show is the songs from the new album.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Echo Black — https:\/\/youtu.be\/Hy9-mYGqjTg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Moonfall<\/p><\/div>\n

Moonfall is a three-piece alternative pop\/rock band from New York City featuring Matthew Howl (Vocals & Guitar), Mei Moor (Bass) and Andrew Chow (Drums).<\/p>\n

Known for their versatile musicianship and their experimentation with genres since their inception, the three musicians quickly discovered their approach to composing.<\/p>\n

By amalgamating different musical styles with meaningful lyrics and unforgettable melodies, Moonfall has forged a connection with its audience and listeners.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started the band near the end of 2015 \u2013 just the tree of us jamming,\u201d said Howl, during a phone interview last week from his home in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had our first show in the last few days of 2105. Me and the bassist are brother and sister. We found the drummer through Craigslist and it was love at first sight. We held auditions, but when he came it was the perfect fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moonfall released its debut EP \u201cRefraction\u201d not long after forming.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the first EP, we went in the studio with a lot of ideas \u2013 trying to figure out what we wrote,\u201d said Howl. \u201cWe all have a lot of influences and we try to bring them together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we have a sound that is us. We usually tell people who ask that it is alternative poppy stuff. There is a lot of distorted guitar \u2013 and a lot of synthesizers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sister and I grew up with music. We were exposed to a lot of music early because our mom was a musician. We grew up partly in Europe \u2013 London and Amsterdam \u2013 and partly here. Our dad was a flight supervisor so we moved a lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started guitar when I was 16 and she learned to play bass later. I always wanted to start a band but it took a long time for it to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Howl and his sister are realizing their dreams.<\/p>\n

Video link for Moonfall \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/2dglvCn-Nyk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Barbary, which also features Manganelli, Generation Empty and Tim Kellams, will start at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n

The show at Bar XIII, which also features Generation Empty and Tim Kellams, will start at 5 p.m. Tickets are $5.<\/p>\n

Black Pistol Fire released its new album \u201cDeadbeat Graffiti\u201d at the end of September and then headed out on tour to bring the new songs to its fans across the country.<\/p>\n

The tour visits the area on October 20 for a show at The Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Black Pistol Fire<\/p><\/div>\n

Black Pistol Fire features guitarist\/vocalist Kevin McKeown and drummer Eric Owen \u2013 a pair of Canadian musicians from Toronto who now live in Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cKevin and I go back to when we were five years old in kindergarten at Annunciation School in Toronto,\u201d said Owen, during a recent phone interview as the duo traveled from Muskogee, Oklahoma to a gig in Kansas City, Missouri.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met there and became friends for lifetime. We grew up in the Don Mills neighborhood in Toronto.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe began making music together. Kevin got good on guitar and I got O.K. on drums. We started a band when we were going to Senator O\u2019Connor High \u2013 a Catholic high school in Toronto.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt that stage, we were just doing covers. In our college years, we started doing originals. That was 10 years ago. Eventually, it was just the two of us.<\/p>\n

\u201cKevin evolved into a great songwriter. We made our first album a few years ago in Detroit and our second LP in Toronto. Our third, fourth and fifth albums were done in Austin.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a while in their hometown, the two traded their culturally great but cold hometown for a culturally great and warmer home in Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe moved to Austin eight years ago,\u201d said Owen. \u201cWe had been going back-and-forth between Austin and Toronto for years and Austin became more home for the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe fell in love with Austin. It has an authenticity to it. It seems more organic. We tried to make it in Canada but it didn\u2019t seem our music was viable there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe figured that if we could make it in the United States it would get better in Canada \u2013 and it has. Now, we\u2019re getting played on radio in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both countries are being introduced to \u201cDeadbeat Graffiti.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the band, \u201cOur fifth album is a representation of our listening habits. It has a roller coaster effect, with many different tempos and influences ranging from garage-punk, to hip-hop, soul, and everything else that we may listen to on a given day. It is meant to act like a mixtape or Spotify playlist, where the listener won\u2019t know what’ll hit them next!\u201d<\/p>\n

The album was created in the Texas capital.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Deadbeat Graffiti\u2019 was recorded in two studios in Austin \u2013 Fifth Street Studio and Arlyn Studio,\u201d said Owen. \u201cThey are the same studios we used for our previous album. Each studio has its unique attributes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took a long time writing for \u2018Deadbeat Graffiti.\u2019 Most of it was done between July and September last year. Kevin is a great songwriter. Either he comes in with a full song or he comes in with an idea and we build from there. And, some of the songs we put together like Frankenstein.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished the album in April and now we\u2019re touring a lot. We\u2019re excited to be coming back to Philadelphia. Philly is one of our favorite places to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Black Pistol Fire \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/2YyfIYadXVc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times For most musical acts, there is a pattern to follow. You release an album and then you tour in support of that album. If you\u2019re a popular musician, that\u2019s what you do. On March 3, Colin Hay released his new album \u201cFierce Mercy\u201d on Compass Records and has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[10516,8649,10515,7426,10514],"class_list":["post-37052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-black-pistol-fire","tag-colin-hay","tag-echo-black","tag-featured","tag-moonfall"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37052","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=37052"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37053,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37052\/revisions\/37053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}