{"id":38141,"date":"2018-01-19T16:21:55","date_gmt":"2018-01-19T21:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=38141"},"modified":"2018-01-19T16:22:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-19T21:22:00","slug":"on-stage-twiztid-fans-can-enjoy-special-show-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=38141","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Twiztid fans can enjoy special show Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Twiztid<\/p><\/div>\n

Fans of Twiztid will have to wait a while until the outrageous rap duo goes on tour and heads to their towns this year.<\/p>\n

But, Twiztid fans in this area don\u2019t have to wait.<\/p>\n

This weekend, Twiztid will play two shows in the East \u2013 one of which is tonight (January 19) at the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684,http:\/\/www.chameleonclub.net<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Formed in 1997, Twiztid is an 11-time Billboard chart-topping rap duo featuring Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child (a.k.a. Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric). The two former members of the group House of Krazees departed that group and formed Twiztid in 1997.<\/p>\n

Now, 21 years later, the Twiztid guys are still going strong with more than 20 albums in their catalogue.<\/p>\n

Madrox and Monoxide Child could be content to settle into the cycle of releasing an album, touring extensively in support of the disc and then starting the cycle all over again with a new album.<\/p>\n

But, that\u2019s never going to happen. That\u2019s the \u201cstraight\u201d way and Spaniolo and Methric do things the \u201cTwiztid\u201d way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just coming east for two shows this weekend,\u201d said Madrox, during a phone interview early Friday morning as he headed to the airport in Detroit to catch an A.M. flight to Harrisburg.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re playing tonight in Lancaster at the Chameleon and tomorrow night at \u2018Freak Fest 9!\u2019 in Providence, Rhode Island. Then, we hop on a plane back to Michigan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Usually, Twiztid hit the road with themed tours with unique names. Last year, the duo played in Reading on its \u201cEat Your Heart Out\u201d U.S. tour.<\/p>\n

A few months earlier, Twiztid played a gig at the Troc in Philly as part of its \u201cSpooktacular Horror Show\u201d tour. Another recent area visit was on the pair\u2019s \u201cFreektasteless Show\u201d tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got this Astronomicon going on from February 9-11 in Michigan,\u201d said Madrox. \u201cIt\u2019s the first time we\u2019ve done something really different. We\u2019re putting together this pop culture event and it\u2019s been taking a lot of our time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been to more Comic-Cons and Star Trek conventions than I\u2019ve been to concerts by other bands. We grew up with them. People really get into these events \u2013 especially the cosplay people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have our own comic book and we\u2019re flying in the whole creative team four Astronomicon, including the inker from Italy and the comic\u2019s writer. We have a lot planned for the event. We\u2019re even going to be marrying a couple.\u201d<\/p>\n

Twiztid has its own record label and management company called Majik Ninja Entertainment and last year released its 12th album \u201cThe Continuous Evilution Of Life\u2019s ?\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were recording the album all of 2016,\u201d said Madrox. \u201cBut, we stopped everything when it was time to go on the road. After the tours, it was re-getting familiar with the songs and getting back in the zone. It helped taking a break from the songs and then going back to them. We\u2019re absolutely happy with how the record came out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Continuous Evilution Of Life\u2019s ?\u2019s\u201d might just be Twiztid\u2019s best album ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I like about the new one \u2013 we didn\u2019t have any boundaries,\u201d said Madrox. \u201cWe did songs we like to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t about doing what was expected of anyone. We catered to ourselves and we had a great time in the studio. I feel this time around there is a nice blend of everything. There is something for everyone \u2013 even if they didn\u2019t know they wanted it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was taking shape for a year out. The writing was different. Usually, it was one of three ways \u2013 one, Monoxide and I would hear a beat and write it on the spot; two, we\u2019d write separately; three, I\u2019d write a song with no music and sing it to him. This time, we worked together more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Continuous Evilution Of Life\u2019s?\u2019s\u201d features 12 all new tracks, primarily produced by longtime Twiztid producer Seven. However, the new album features four tracks with a clear hard rock influence \u2014 a crossover genre the duo has successfully dabbled in for over a decade. These tracks were produced by famed goth rock front man Davey Suicide and his keyboardist Needlz.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a catalyst for us doing a few hard rock songs,\u201d said Madrox. \u201cRight around the time we made our \u2018Freekshow\u2019 album in 2000, was when rap rock started taking off.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like rock. Monoxide is more rap. Together, we\u2019re like peanut butter and jelly. We were primarily introduced as a rap duo but we\u2019ve become an entertainment duo. We\u2019re doing shit that we want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two long-time friends from the Motor City have also devoted a lot of time and energy to building Majik Ninja Entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a really busy time \u2013 not only with the band thing but we\u2019re also doing the record company thing,\u201d said Madrox.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe signed a shitload of new talent. We have some great young acts that are going to reshape the next 20 years of music. Most importantly, we make their dreams become reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have something new planned for the fall. And, we\u2019ll be getting back in the studio soon and working on some new projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tonight\u2019s show uncharacteristically is a show without a theme.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s me and Monoxide \u2013 doing the do like only we can,\u201d said Madrox. \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty good mix \u2013 a nice hodge-podge of new stuff and old stuff \u2013 some classics and some contemporary tunes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Twiztid \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/4QtokETDSiQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Chameleon Club, which also features Rude Boi, T-Ravill, Mikey Bones, Shangri-La Soldierz, and ZOMBIESHARK, will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

John Gorka<\/p><\/div>\n

Fans of John Gorka have been waiting a long time for an album of new original material.<\/p>\n

Finally, the wait is over.<\/p>\n

Gorka\u00a0is starting the new year with a brand-new studio album and a support tour. The tour brings him to the area tonight (January 19) for a show at the<\/p>\n

Titled \u201cTrue In Time,\u201d\u00a0the album is being officially released today (January 19). This will be first Red House label album released through the Compass Records Group in Nashville (which acquired the venerable folk\/Americana label in November 2017).<\/p>\n

Produced by Rob Genadek at Uptown Sound in Minneapolis, it features a band of some of the Twin Cities best musicians in live sessions, with vocal cameos contributed by fellow folk luminaries\u00a0Jonatha Brooke,\u00a0Eliza Gilkyson, and\u00a0Lucy Kaplansky.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe record comes out tomorrow and the World Caf\u00e9 Live show will celebrate its release,\u201d said Gorka, During a phone interview Thursday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stayed away from playing the new songs live in recent shows because I wanted them to be fresh. So, I\u2019m excited and scared at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue In Time\u201d is an engaging, personal album that shows the full range of Gorka\u2019s artistry, exhibiting his spirited acoustic guitar playing, insightful lyrics and wry, witty storytelling. The tracks capture the sound of career musicians (and friends) who understand where Gorka\u2019s music comes from and instinctively knew what to contribute.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recording went really quickly \u2013 three days at the end of July and beginning of August,\u201d said Gorka, who grew up in Woodbridge, New Jersey and has lived in Minnesota for 22 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it at Uptown Sound the old-fashioned way with everyone playing and singing at the same time. Rob and I tried to gather the best musicians available in the Minnesota area. I was really happy with how it turned out. They left me a lot of room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gorka\u2019s last release was \u201cBefore Beginning\u201d \u2014 an album that is actually a very old album.<\/p>\n

Gorka, who got his start musically at venues in the Lehigh Valley, released his first album \u201cI Know\u201d in 1987 on Red House Records. His next five LPs were on Windham Hill\/High Street Records.\u00a0 He returned to Red House in 1998 and put out six more albums. Prior to \u201cBefore Beginning,\u201d the most recently-made is \u201cBright Side Down,\u201d which came out two years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded an album in five days in Nashville in November 1998 and then ended up not putting it out,\u201d said Gorka, during a phone interview last week from his home in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my first record and it wasn\u2019t what I wanted at the time. I wasn\u2019t sure who I was back then. It was a lot different than \u2018I Know.\u2019 I recorded it on a 24-track with producer Jim Rooney.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album never saw the light of day for almost two decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I went back and listened to them, I realized they were pretty good,\u201d said Gorka.<\/p>\n

Now, it\u2019s out with the old and in with the new.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy last album of new material was in March of 2014,\u201d said Gorka. \u201cFor the new one, I knew I wanted to work on songs until the end of June and then see what I had and how to present them. I think we had 14-15 songs going in, recorded 13 and ended up with 12.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Gorka, \u201cA lot of the songs on this record remind me of Utah Phillips\u2019 line \u2018The past didn’t go anywhere\u2019 and Faulkner’s \u2018The past is never dead. It\u2019s not even past.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote the title song with\u00a0Pete Kennedy\u00a0(The Kennedys). When Carrie Fisher and her mom, Debbie Reynolds, died within a day of each other I quoted lines from Paul Simon\u2019s \u2018Mother and Child Reunion\u2019 on Facebook \u2014 \u2018Oh I would not give you false hope on this strange and mournful day. But a mother and child reunion is only a motion away.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cPete responded, \u2018Maybe all songs come true in time.\u2019\u00a0 Later he wrote, \u2018True in time sounds like a song,\u2019 and we proceeded to write the song long distance via the internet. We collaborated on the title and the lyrics and I came up with the tune. I think that \u2018What is true?’ is a question a lot of us are asking today.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Gorka\u2019s list of newly-written songs grew, a vibe for the album began to emerge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kept thinking about how we keep accumulating things. A lot don\u2019t leave the past behind. A lot of it stays with us until it becomes debilitating. But, it wasn\u2019t really a conscious thing when I was writing these songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor my live shows right now, it\u2019s just me and my guitar. I\u2019m going to play as many of the new songs as I can \u2013 along with some old favorites.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for John Gorka \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/WVgysmtC1cc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $28.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Harper<\/p><\/div>\n

At the same time Gorka is performing on the Downstairs Stage at the World Caf\u00e9 Live, Harper and the Midwest Kind will be headlining a show on the Upstairs Stage.<\/p>\n

It might be your only opportunity to see someone jam out on a didgeridoo.<\/p>\n

An artist that is an amalgamation of blues, soul and world music, Australian singer-songwriter Peter D. Harper, now based in Detroit, creates a heady mix of roots music through his creative use of the harmonica, and the haunting drone of the didgeridoo. Harper possesses a powerful. soulful voice and a deep, almost mystical approach to music that some might say has evolved into its own genre.<\/p>\n

Harper calls it \u201cWorld Blues\u201d — a rich musical stew of \u201850s rhythm and blues, a \u201860s message of love and unity, and \u201870s funky soul, stirred up with masterful, virtuoso harmonica and the deep, woody, percussive tones of the didgeridoo, served up in a feast of timeless mystery.<\/p>\n

Harper was born in Guildford<\/a>, Surrey<\/a>, England, but relocated with his parents to Perth<\/a>, Western Australia<\/a> at a young age. Harper was self-taught on the harmonica and played in clubs before securing his first recording contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI left England when I was 11 and moved to Perth,\u201d said Harper, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Grass Lake, Michigan. \u201cThat was definitely a culture shock. Perth is pretty isolated \u2013 a very small city.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started playing in bands when I was 15. I was playing in bars even though the drinking age was 18. Actually, in Australia, the drinking age is birth. My first band was a quirky band playing music like Lindesfarne or Led Zep\u2019s \u2018Gallows Pole.\u2019 I moved into blues a bit later.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I stopped playing for a while. I had gotten disillusioned with the music scene. After taking some time off, I got back into it and formed another band. I went back to my old school of songwriting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the English-born Aussie is a long-time Michigan resident \u2013 a Midwest musician.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used Harper and the Midwest Kind instead of just Harper because of internet searches,\u201d said Harper. \u201cThere are a lot of Harpers in the music world like Ben Harper and Roy Harper.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout 15 years ago, I started playing digeridoo. I was serious about it. It took a while for me to learn the instrument. I didn\u2019t want it to be just a gimmick.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople look at me as a blues musician, but I play all kinds of music. I play blues and rock \u2013 and I love bluegrass. My band here is Michigan is all wonderful players. They\u2019re really good at their craft. I even took them to Australia and China instead of just hiring bands there for tours.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe play together really well. We try to keep it minimalistic because we want it to be more real.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Harper and the Midwest Kind \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/-_vgEKpS6vU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live, which has Gooch and The Motion as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Tinsley Ellis<\/p><\/div>\n

Tinsley Ellis\u2019 fans eagerly look forward to anytime they have the opportunity to hear him out on tour \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t happen too often.<\/p>\n

This weekend, area fans have to feel like they\u2019re in Nirvana because Ellis has two local shows \u2013 January 19 at the Arden Gild Hall (The Highway, Arden, Delaware, 302-475-3126, ardenconcerts.com<\/a>) and January 20 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Ellis is touring in support of his new album \u201cWinning Hand\u201d on Alligator Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album came out at midnight \u2013 10 hours ago,\u201d said Ellis, during a phone interview on January 12 from his home in Atlanta, Georgia. \u201cIt\u2019s a very exciting time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tour starts tonight at the Variety Playhouse here in Atlanta. I haven\u2019t done a tour like this in 20 years. Usually, I go out for three or four weeks at a time. But, this way is the best way to go to get an album out there. We have 65-70 shows in three months.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to be playing shows. Live, the songs start as the studio version and then we add to them and modify them. We\u2019ll be playing a lot of songs from the live album that we recorded in Chicago in 2005 and a bunch of songs off the brand-new record. And, we\u2019ll play some standards \u2013 songs by B.B. King, Freddie King, Elmore James, Junior Wells and Howlin\u2019 Wolf.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born in Atlanta in 1957, Ellis was raised in southern Florida. He found the blues through the back door of British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, The Animals, Cream, The Rolling Stones and Southern rockers like The Allman Brothers. As he discovered the roots of these bands, he attended shows by B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and every other blues artist who came through town.
\nAlready an accomplished teenaged musician, Ellis returned to Atlanta and started playing with local bands. In 1981, along with veteran blues singer and harpist Chicago Bob Nelson, Tinsley formed The Heartfixers, a group that would become Atlanta’s top-drawing blues band. After cutting three Heartfixers albums for the Landslide label, Ellis was ready to head out on his own.<\/p>\n

Now, Ellis has 20 albums in his discography \u2013 ranging from \u201cThe Heartfixers\u201d in 1982 to \u201cWinning Hand\u201d in 2018.<\/p>\n

Recorded in Nashville and produced by Ellis and keyboardist Kevin McKendree, the 10 songs on \u201cWinning Hand\u201d include nine originals ranging from blistering blues to heart-pounding rock to soulful ballads.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuitar, guitar, guitar is what this album is all about,\u201d said Ellis, who recorded primarily with his 1959 Fender Stratocaster, his 1967 Gibson ES 345 and his 1973 Les Paul Deluxe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album in Nashville and at my home studio. I started it nine months ago \u2013 building up songs and putting them in a file on my laptop. Some songs were written 10 years ago and some are very new. Now, I\u2019ll be playing four or five of them in my live show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Tinsley Ellis \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/4cS0sSyEHrM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Arden Gild Hall on January 19 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater on January 20, which has Albert Castiglia as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50 and $29.50.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Fans of Twiztid will have to wait a while until the outrageous rap duo goes on tour and heads to their towns this year. But, Twiztid fans in this area don\u2019t have to wait. This weekend, Twiztid will play two shows in the East \u2013 one of which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,10820,7184,10819,6847],"class_list":["post-38141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-harper","tag-john-gorka","tag-tinsley-ellis","tag-twiztid"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38141","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=38141"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38142,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38141\/revisions\/38142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}