{"id":37175,"date":"2017-10-26T15:38:46","date_gmt":"2017-10-26T19:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=37175"},"modified":"2017-10-26T15:38:50","modified_gmt":"2017-10-26T19:38:50","slug":"on-stage-hal-ketchum-comes-to-west-chester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=37175","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Hal Ketchum comes to West Chester"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Hal Ketchum<\/p><\/div>\n

Hal Ketchum has played his songs for fans all over the world. Now, Ketchum is bringing his music to West Chester.<\/p>\n

On October 26, Ketchum will headline a show at the Bravo Main Stage Theater at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, 610-356-2787, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Ketchum is a country music artist who has released 11 studio albums, including \u201cPast the Point of Rescue,\u201d which was certified gold by the RIAA. He has also had a number of chart-topoping singles including \u201cSmall Town Saturday Night,\u201d \u201cPast the Point of Rescue\u201d and \u201cHearts Are Gonna Roll.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ketchum, who is now 64, has been performing on stage since he was 15. But his career got sidetracked a few years ago.<\/p>\n

Ketchum has been battling multiple sclerosis and acute transverse myelitis for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m all right now \u2013 I\u2019m O.K.,\u201d said Ketchum, during a phone interview Tuesday morning as he and his wife shopped in a local supermarket in his hometown of Wimberley, Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had some really serious bouts of paralysis, blindness and the fear that goes with it. I\u2019ve been drinking noni juice. It\u2019s a Tahitian flower juice that works really well for nerve regeneration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel good \u2013 I really do. But, I did go through some really tough times. I was paralyzed from the neck down \u2013 and I was blind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI called my old friend Guy Clark and told him something was wrong. He said \u2013 hell, I get that all the time \u2013 just cowboy up. So, I just kept going.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom, who is a breast cancer survivor, had this poem \u2013<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it hails or if it snows,
\nKeep a-goin’!
\n‘Taint no use to sit an’ whine
\nWhen the fish ain’t on your line;
\nBait your hook an’ keep a-tryin’–
\nKeep a-goin’!\u201d<\/p>\n

After a while in a dark place emotionally, Ketchum fought his way back. Living in a cabin in Wimberley with his wife, he turned to music.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic was a big part of my recovery,\u201d said Ketchum. \u201cIt\u2019s what keeps us going. I just love playing live shows. I\u2019m looking forward to playing in West Chester.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a wonderful friend of mine Kenny Grimes playing with me. It\u2019s just they two of us. He\u2019s the greatest guitar player who ever lived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Hal Ketchum \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZcOCfLI8iqE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, which has Travis Linville as the opening act, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming Uptown! shows are Nickerson-Rossi Dance on October 27 and 28, a screening of \u201cThe Rocky Horror Picture Show\u201d on October 30 and the Star Wars-themed metal band Galactic Empires on October 31.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Yardbirds<\/p><\/div>\n

The Yardbirds, who are playing the Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610- 917-1228, www.thecolonialtheatre.com<\/a>) on October 26, have been around in a variety of incarnations for more than 50 years.<\/p>\n

The band formed in London in 1963. Original lead guitarist Top Topham left and was replaced by Eric Clapton — and then Jeff Beck replaced Clapton two years later. It was this line-up that recorded the group\u2019s signature hits \u201cHeart Full of Soul\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m a Man\u201d and \u201cShapes of Things.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1966, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith left the group. Jimmy Page joined and the band used a double-lead guitar format for a brief while. Then, Beck left and Page remained \u2013 but only for a short while before leaving to form Led Zeppelin.<\/p>\n

In 1976, vocalist Keith Relf died in an accident leaving the band with just a pair of original members \u2013 drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist\/bassist Chris Dreja. The group seemed to quietly fade into history.<\/p>\n

Then, in 2003, the Yardbirds regrouped and recorded their latest album \u201cBirdland.\u201d \u00a0The band\u2019s lineup included McCarty and Dreja along with other young British musicians.<\/p>\n

Dreja sat out the US spring 2012 tour to recover from an illness. It was announced in 2013 that he was leaving the band for medical reasons and would be replaced by original Yardbirds guitarist Topham. Then, Topham left. On August 12, 2015, it was announced that Boston guitarist Johnny A. would become the newest member of The Yardbirds.<\/p>\n

Helmed by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee McCarty, the band now features guitarist Johnny A (Peter Wolf, Bobby Whitlock), bassist Kenny Aaronson (Bob Dylan, Billy Idol), singer\/blues harpist\/percussionist Myke Scavone (Ram Jam & Doughboys), and guitarist\/singer John Idan.<\/p>\n

The Yardbirds\u2019 most recent albums are \u201cBirdland,\u201d which was released back in 2003, and \u201cMaking Tracks,\u201d which came out in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re talking about recording a new Yardbirds album \u2014 classic bluesy-type thing,\u201d said McCarty, during a phone interview from Toronto. \u201cBut, it\u2019s still early with this lineup.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a new lineup. Apart from me, it\u2019s a totally American band \u2014 all young guys. This is a good group. There are no egos and they\u2019re all good guys. They know the music and it\u2019s quite authentic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started two years ago. We were going to start earlier but we had to cancel a tour because I had an operation in France. The operation was a success and I\u2019m fine now. We had a great tour in the U.S. back in November.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a band that really wasn\u2019t around that long (just over five years in its original incarnation) and never really had a string of monster hits, the Yardbirds left an indelible imprint on rock music.<\/p>\n

Taking their name from Jack Kerouac\u2019s writing (\u201cyardbirds\u201d were hobos that hung around railroad yards and hopped trains), the Yardbirds evolved from the Metropolitan Blues Quartet, a seminal British band put together by guitarist Paul Samwell-Smith and vocalist Keith Relf.<\/p>\n

They added Chris Dreja (guitar), Jim McCarty (drums) and a 16-year old guitarist Tony \u201cTop\u201d Topham to complete the original Yardbirds\u2019 lineup.<\/p>\n

Topham was pressured by his parents to return to school and a then unknown British blues guitarist named Eric Clapton replaced him.<\/p>\n

Clapton was the first of three \u201cGuitar Gods\u201d to handle lead guitar duties for the Yardbirds. His tenure lasted for one very blues-oriented studio album and a live album of the band backing blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson.<\/p>\n

The Yardbirds\u2019 final guitarist was Jimmy Page, who was with the group for one album. Page then formed the New Yardbirds \u2014 a band that was the embryo of Led Zeppelin.<\/p>\n

Most of the Yardbird\u2019s groundbreaking music came during the three-year period when guitar master Jeff Beck was the group\u2019s lead guitarist.<\/p>\n

Beck\u2019s innovative and emotive style of playing stretched the boundaries of traditional rock and opened the door for new improvisational and experimental aspects of rock and roll.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe original band was together for five years,\u201d said Dreja, during a previous phone interview. \u201cBut, it felt like 20 years with all the miles traveled and music played. It started to fade around 1968.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter we did the last tour with the \u2018Little Games\u2019 albums \u2013 which was a good tour \u2014 Jimmy and Keith wanted to come off the road. Then, Keith and Jim left to form Renaissance and Page went to Led Zeppelin.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul had left awhile before. I had already started my career as a professional photographer. So, I went to New York and learned the craft of studio photography.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dreja and McCarty brought the Yardbirds back to life in 2003. Now, with Dreja sidelined, it is up to McCarty to carry the banner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be playing some songs from \u2018Birdland\u2019 and, of course, all of our old hits like \u2018Shapes of\u00a0Things\u2019 and \u2018Happenings Ten Years Time Ago.\u2019 The Yardbirds have such a strong repertoire and we have a very energetic band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Yardbirds — https:\/\/youtu.be\/FeFG5HLFtsc<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at the Colonial Theatre, which has Gooch and the Motion as opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Four levels of tickets are available — Gold Circle: $44.50; Orchestra: $39.50; Front Balcony: $34.50 and Rear Balcony: $28.50.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dopapod<\/p><\/div>\n

Fans of Dopapod better take advantage of the opportunity to see the band play live by attending the group\u2019s show on October 26 at the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The show at TLA will be Dopapod\u2019s final area show for a long time \u2013 well, for at least a year.<\/p>\n

On October 27, Dopapod — Eli Winderman, keyboards; Rob Compa, guitar; Chuck Jones, bass; Neal \u201cFro\u201d Evans, drums — will release its fifth studio album, \u201cMEGAGEM\u201d on vinyl, CD and digital formats. The album release will coincide with a cross-country tour.<\/p>\n

Then, the band members will take a year off to focus on themselves. Following seven years of non-stop touring, the hiatus is a blueprint for wellness borne from love and mutual respect amongst old friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to take next year to focus on other aspects of our lives,\u201d said Winderman, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his parents\u2019 house in Yardley, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

The move was inspired by self-preservation\u00a0inspired by the TED Talk, “The Power of Time Off.”<\/p>\n

According to Winderman, \u201cEvery seven years this guy closes his design firm and everyone who works for the company works on their own projects for the year. When they come back, everyone is inspired and working with a newfound sense of excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dopapod was formed in Boston when the band members were students at Berklee College of Music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were done school in 2009 and we started touring heavily in 2010,\u201d said Winderman. \u201cThat\u2019s when it became a full-time operation. Our first home base was Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we first started, we were playing shows in New England and around the Northeast. That was our original fanbase. Then, we started playing up and down the East Coast. Eventually, we spread to the whole country.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a couple years in Brooklyn, we all moved out. I live in Philly, one of the guys lives in New Jersey and the rest are in Colorado.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado was the place where Dopapod recorded \u201cMEGAGEM.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put up a post on social media for a space for us to record,\u201d said Winderman. \u201cWe have our own recording gear so all we needed was a space. We have a digital console but the keyboards are all old-school analog.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band found just what it was looking for — solar-powered Mountain Star Studios in Black Hawk, Colorado.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went there in January \u2013 in the dead of winter,\u201d said Winderman. \u201cIt was very high where we were in Colorado. The altitude was definitely a factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the songs we recorded there were in live rotation already. That\u2019s how we developed each song.\u201d<\/p>\n

People frequently classify Dopapod as a jam band but the group is more than that. It is a band that features elements of rock, jazz and funk.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of bands are hesitant to call themselves jam bands,\u201d said Winderman. \u201cYou could call us a jam band. But, but we\u2019re not a noodling jam band. It\u2019s more electronic and funk.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, it\u2019s just funk rock with some electronics. We\u2019re inspired by Phish and the Grateful Dead because our set list changes every night and features a lot of improvisation. But, we definitely take a lot of pride in our songwriting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Dopapod — https:\/\/youtu.be\/Ib9zFkxkgdA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the TLA, which has Motet as the opener, will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Brian Dunne<\/p><\/div>\n

On October 26, Burlap and Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com<\/a>) will present a twin bill featuring Brian Dunne and Natalia Zuckerman.<\/p>\n

Dunne, a NewYork City-based Americana singer-songwriter is touring in support of his new album \u201cBug Fixes & Performance Improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dunne\u2019s first single from the album, \u201cDon\u2019t Give Up On Me,\u201d premiered in February on SiriusXM\u2019s Coffee House, and the second single, \u201cYou Got Me Good,\u201d was released in April.\u00a0 Dunne\u2019s recent appearance on NPR\u2019s Mountain Stage<\/a> aired in May.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album came out in May but I actually started writing the songs three years ago,\u201d said Dunne, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote several hundred songs and whittled it down to 10. I\u2019ve always adhered to the school of \u2018write a lot, get rid of the bad stuff and keep the good stuff.\u2019 And, I have a lot to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs I don\u2019t use all go in the scrap pile for parts after I discarded them. Then, things kind of jump up. They never really go away. At times, it\u2019s hard to let go of a song. If it\u2019s good, it\u2019ll stay.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen choosing the final 10, there were a couple things that go on through with a thread \u2013 like the distance between dreams and reality. There are also threads of personal problems, love and youth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another thing factored into the making of \u201cBug Fixes & Performance Improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Dunne, \u201cI made this record to play live. I wrote these songs while traveling around the country and nothing is better than bringing the music back to its natural habitat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI self-produced and self-released the album and it\u2019s now picking up traction. It\u2019s the first thing I\u2019ve done that has started to catch. It\u2019s exciting to play new music and have fans respond to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dunne found inspiration and song topics everywhere, including a conversation with his friend Liz Longley, a Nashville resident and Berklee grad who grew up and attended high school in Downingtown. Longley sings on the album track \u201cWe Don\u2019t Talk About It.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like the guys in Dopapod, Dunne also went to Berklee and then moved to Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lived in Berklee for four years when I was in school,\u201d said Dunne. \u201cI moved to Brooklyn in the summer of 2011 and kicked around a little bit.\u201d
\nIn 2012, Dunne released \u201cThe Brooklyn Bridge\u201d EP and followed with his album \u201cSongs From The Hive\u201d in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve released a couple EPs and \u2018Bug Fixes & Performance Improvements\u2019 is my second full album,\u201d said Dunne. \u201cEven though it\u2019s my second, it feels like my first. I\u2019m incredibly proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Brian Dunne \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/8la5X21x-CA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Burlap and Bean Coffeehouse, which also features Natalia Zuckerman, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Burlap and Bean are Alex DiMattia with Kala Farnham on October 27, and Aaron Nathans and Michael Ronstadt with Aislinn Bickhardt on October 28.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Muriel Anderson<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will host Travis Larson Band<\/a>, Elastic Blur, and Horizens on October 26; Muriel Anderson & The Wonderlust Audio Visual Show and Mark Unruh<\/a> on October 28; Abbie Gardner (of Red Molly) and Hurricane Hoss on October 29; Peelander-Z<\/a>, James Christopher, and Chloe Likes Olivia on October 30; and Lowdown Brass Band and Gruv on November 1.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will present Hambone Relay and The Groove Merchants on October 27 and \u201cHalloween Bites\u201d on October 28.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will have Phillybloco on October 27; Anders Osborne and Jackie Greene on October 28; \u201cPhilly Loves Petty\u201d with Low Cut Connie, Ben Arnold, Mo Lowda & The Humble w\/ Joe Reinhart (Hop Along), Smash Palace, Travel Lanes, Hinton\/Bower\/& Jones Trio, The Big Jangle, No Good Sister, Cow Muddy, Shannon McGill, Nik Greeley, Ross Bellenoit, and Rekardo Lee<\/a> on October 29; and Oteil Burbridge & Friends on October 31.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Hal Ketchum has played his songs for fans all over the world. Now, Ketchum is bringing his music to West Chester. On October 26, Ketchum will headline a show at the Bravo Main Stage Theater at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[10553,10552,7426,10550,10551,8600],"class_list":["post-37175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-brian-dunne","tag-dopapod","tag-featured","tag-hal-ketchum","tag-muriel-anderson","tag-the-yardbirds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37175","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=37175"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37176,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37175\/revisions\/37176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}