{"id":40145,"date":"2018-07-14T11:22:24","date_gmt":"2018-07-14T15:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=40145"},"modified":"2018-07-14T11:22:29","modified_gmt":"2018-07-14T15:22:29","slug":"on-stage-old-and-new-acts-hit-area-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=40145","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Old and new acts hit area this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Russian Baths<\/p><\/div>\n

If you took five of the music acts playing in the area this weekend and sorted them like playing cards, you\u2019d have a full house \u2013 three \u2018new\u201d and two \u201cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cnew\u201d acts are Russian Baths, a band that has yet to reach its third anniversary; Mapache, just released its debut album in October 2017; and Dos Santos, which was formed in 2013.<\/p>\n

The \u201cold\u201d acts are Kinky Friedman, who has been making music since the mid-1960s, and Honey West featuring Ian McDonald, whose earliest music endeavors were with King Crimson and Foreigner back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.<\/p>\n

For many people, Brooklyn\u2019s Russian Baths means massage\/sauna spas such as Mermaid Spa and Brooklyn Banya Russian Bathhouse & Spa.<\/p>\n

But, fans of new music Brooklyn\u2019s Russian Baths has a whole different meaning. To them, Russian Baths is an interesting new band from Brooklyn featuring Luke Koz\u00a0(guitar,\u00a0vocals) and\u00a0Jess Rees (guitar,\u00a0keys,\u00a0vocals).<\/p>\n

Russian Baths, which also now includes Evan Gill Smith (bass) and Jeff Widner (drums), will be in town on July 14 for a show at Beautiful World Syndicate (1619 East Passayunk Avenue, Philadelphia, 215- 467-0401,www.discogs.com\/seller\/philadelphiamusic<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The group is touring in support of its most recent EP \u201cPenance,\u201d which was released February 23, 2018 on Good Eye Records. The EP massed thousands of streams and hit the top of Hype Machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cLuke and I met a couple years ago,\u201d said Rees, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from Brooklyn. \u201cWe were working in the same office and neither of us had a band at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Koz said, \u201cJess had just moved back from Seattle. We had known each other for a while and knew we each into playing music. So, we decided to go to a practice space.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe both played guitars at the start. Another friend played synth and piano. We started down a relaxed path. We worked on our first two songs over a period of four months.<\/p>\n

Rees said, \u201cWe were learning how to work together. Then, we got a drummer \u2013 Jeff Widner \u2013 who is a really powerful drummer. Then, we added a bass player \u2013 Evan Gill Smith.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before too long, they were ready to introduce their music to the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was about three years ago that we stared the band,\u201d said Koz. \u201cOur first live show was two summers ago. We were doing an electronic set with the two of us. But, we prefer it to be a four-piece because that\u2019s what the arrangements are for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russian Baths\u2019 music is a blend of noise rock, British post-punk, and dream-like shoegaze. The band has developed a style that is experimental and accessible with DNA that shows signs of Big Black’s caustic fits, ’70s space rock, Chapel Hill’s noise pop, and dense guitar-driven grunge — along with the angular arrangements of post-punk U.K.<\/p>\n

\u201cPenance\u201d is the band\u2019s first serious multi-song release.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018Penance\u2019 in the fall of 2017,\u201d said Rees. \u201cWe used this studio in Bed-Stuy called Time Castle. It\u2019s a cool, crazy basement studio with great vibes \u2013 a great reverb sound.<\/p>\n

Koz said, \u201cWe had already recorded a lot of the material on our own. Our single \u2018Ambulance\/Ghost\u2019 was done two years ago. With \u2018Penance,\u2019 we wanted to make it quicker. We were in the studio for just one day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been working on a full-length album, but I don\u2019t know when it will come out. It\u2019s recorded but it\u2019s hard to call it done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russian Baths is just now beginning to venture into the world of life as a touring band.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just starting to venture outside the City (New York\/Brooklyn),\u201d said Rees. \u201cWe\u2019ve played New Jersey a few times and also Connecticut. This will be our first time to play Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Russian Baths \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/v6OwihgL2mc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Beautiful World Syndicate, which also features Dark Web, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $2-$10 on a sliding scale.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dos Santos<\/p><\/div>\n

On July 15 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400,\u00a0www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>), WXPN and AfroTaino Productions will present \u201cNuevofest 2018,\u201d featuring Dos Santos Antibeat Orquesta, Delaporte, Elena & Los Fulanos, Femina-X, Very Be Careful, \u00ccF\u00c9, and Orquesta Akok\u00e1n.<\/p>\n

\u201cNuevofest\u201d is one of those events that falls into the \u201cWhat\u2019s not to like?\u201d categories. Some of the most exciting new music of Latin America will be featured in the show which runs from 4-10 p.m. at the World Cafe Live on Sunday. It\u2019s an all-ages show \u2013 a fun and educational family event. And, admission is free.<\/p>\n

Dos Santos is a quintet based in Chicago, whose elastic live performances and recorded output have garnered the band wide attention as one of the Windy City\u2019s most potent, impactful performance groups. The band\u2019s five members \u2013 Peter Maestro Vale, Alex Chavez, Daniel Villarreal-Carrillo, Jaime Garza, Nathan Karagianis — have their own storied careers in a diversity of styles including jazz, R&B\/soul, traditional Mexican folk, punk, cumbia, Latinx punk, salsa and electronica.<\/p>\n

After making their debut in May of 2013, Dos Santos has been steadily playing Chicago\u2019s premiere live music venues and festivals, and such prominent U.S. events as SXSW, the Pachanga Latino Music Festival, and the Ruido Fest Latin Alternative Music Festival.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together five years,\u201d said Sanchez, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from his home near Gary, Indiana. \u201cWe first got together in Spring 2013 and started playing out live not long after.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe folks in the band were playing music in the city (Chicago) in different scenes. I was the catalyst for the project \u2013 the project of making a band in Latin American popular sounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reached out to different folks that I knew. Our original guitarist Irekani (Ferreyra) and I were linked up in the traditional folk scene in Chicago. He and our original bassist knew percussionists, so we got a drummer and then a percussionist. Everybody was already playing music in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people don\u2019t think of a Mexican population in Chicago. Actually, Chicago has the sixth-largest Latino population in the country \u2013 and the fifth-largest Mexican population in the states.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dos Santos, which translates to \u201ctwo saints\u201d in Spanish, found a musical blend that in representative of the diverse Latino community in Illinois\u2019 largest city.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur band is a good example of Latinos finding common language,\u201d said Sanchez. \u201cOur music includes styles from Mexican to salsa to Afro-Cuban \u2013 and also Latino house music. We\u2019ve created a meaningful statement of who we are. Our music has always been multi-dimensional. We keep getting better at integrating different sounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take Latin rhythms and treat them in a progressive way. Look at the makeup of our band. Jaime and I are Mexican and American. Daniel is from Panama and Peter is from Puerto Rico and now a Chi Rican. Our sound incorporates cumbia from Peru and Colombia, African-American music and storytelling from Puerto Rico. Then, we filter it through an experimental voice. That has always been the foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dos Santos have released three albums — \u201cDos Santos\u201d in 2015, \u201cFonografic\u201d in 2016, and \u201cLogos,\u201d which was released this year on International Anthem Recording Company.<\/p>\n

Dos\u00a0Santos\u00a0have been steadily moving forward into something more future-minded and universal — something that transcends nationalism. \u201cLogos\u201d has generated a push into this transcendence.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour really do hear the band\u2019s growth in terms with the discography,\u201d said Sanchez. \u201cAll three records sound different from each other \u2013 with an element of consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Dos Santos \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/AGeVN67Wn3g<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The all-ages show at World Caf\u00e9 Live will run from 4-10 p.m. Tickets are free.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mapache<\/p><\/div>\n

Mapache, which will perform on July 15 at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>), is a new folk\/ blues\/rock\/bluegrass\/psychedelic duo from Los Angeles \u2013 a band interested in spreading good feelings of love as well as raw musical talent to anyone and everyone. Mapache is an experience both live and in the studio presenting a memorable and honest sound.<\/p>\n

The band was formed in January 2016 in Glendale (California) by Clay Finch and Sam Blasucci and cites influences such as Grateful Dead, The Band, Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills and Nash, blues and traditional bluegrass. It is touring in support of its self-titled debut album and its new EP \u201cLonesome LA Cowboy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new EP was recorded in the house we live in here in L.A.,\u201d said Finch, during a phone interview last week. \u201cWe made it with Dan Horn, who also produced our first record, which came out in December 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been playing together eight years \u2013 since we were in high school in Glendale \u2013 and as Mapache for two years. The core of the music has stayed the same \u2013 two of us with guitars singing together. Maybe the influences have changed. We might be evolving but the core is the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love the Dead and old country music. The Byrds have been a big influence along with George Jones, the Louvin Brothers and the Stanley Brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not really sure what the demographic is for our audience. It\u2019s a mix of alternative, jam and country rock fans. We play music that appeals to a lot of different kinds of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mapache has been able to stay true to its simple, straightforward, honest sound \u2013 mainly on the lyrics, vocals and guitar work of the two talented musicians.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the two of us,\u201d said Finch. \u201cSome friends have played bass, percussion and pedal steel, We like to keep it among friends and family. We\u2019re always writing, and we already have another album ready to record.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our live shows now, we play half the set with songs from the record and half new songs. And, we also throw in a few covers of bands like the Louvin Brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Mapache \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/182wZNr2eRM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Ardmore Music Hall, which also features Grateful Shred, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Ian McDonald, who is known as a co-founder of Foreigner and King Crimson, has embarked on a new project \u2013 a band called Honey West with fellow New Yorker Ted Zurkowski. On July 15, McDonald\u00a0will be bringing his New York City-based guitar rock band Havana (105 South Main Street, New Hope, www.havananewhope.com<\/a>, 215-862-5501) in support of its acclaimed debut album, \u201cBad Old World.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDonald is a British rock legend who has figured prominently on\u00a0four of the biggest-selling albums of the 10-year period from 1969-1979 \u2013 in two completely different rock genres. Foreigner was a hit-making arena rock band while King Crimson was one of the forefathers of prog rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a neighbor and his wife who lived across the street from me in New York City,\u201d said McDonald, during a phone interview Wednesday from his home in New York. \u201cTed and I passed each other on the street for years. I found out that his wife had a Shakespeare company and that he had a band. I went to see his band play and liked what I hear. I thought there was a lot of potential for something really good. I thought that if they\u2019d have me, it was something I\u2019d like dto be involved in. They were happy to have me. There have been some minor changes since.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band soon was working hard on a new album \u2013 \u201cBad Old World.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBad Old World\u201d\u00a0is filled with memorable melodies and clever and sophisticated lyrics served on a bed of guitar-driven rockl played by top-shelf musicians, including guest appearances by drummer\u00a0Steve Holley, whose credits include\u00a0Paul McCartney & Wings\u00a0and\u00a0Graham\u00a0Maby\u00a0(Joe Jackson, They Might Be Giants) on bass. The band\u2019s DNA includes Brit-rock greats as The Move, Mott the Hoople, the Kinks and Rockpile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album at four or five studios in Brooklyn and New York,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cA lot of it was done at Cowboy Technical Services in Brooklyn. It\u2019s been out for a little while and it\u2019s getting good reception.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had about a dozen songs we felt were worth recording. I just wanted to give the songs the production they deserved. The songs have good lyrics. That\u2019s why I like working with Ted. I do all the lead guitar, keys and wind instruments. The songs do start off with the lyrics. That\u2019s pretty much the standard with us. But, lately, some songs have been starting with musical ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Honey West are presenting the music in a live context.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we play live, we usually just do the songs in the sequence they were mastered,\u201d said McDonald. \u201cIn longer shows, we will be introducing new songs that have been written since the album was recorded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Honey West \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/8Fk4PV82HAc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Havana, which has NYTROUS as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Kinky Friedman<\/p><\/div>\n

Over the years, Kinky Friedman has been called a lot of things \u2013 by friend and foe \u2013 but \u201cprolific\u201d isn\u2019t one of them.<\/p>\n

Friedman, who will play July 16 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>), could probably go an entire year without even having thoughts of making a new album.<\/p>\n

Prior to \u201cThe Loneliest Man I Ever Met,\u201d which was released in October 2015, Friedman had released just 10 studio albums — starting with \u201cSold American\u201d in 1973.<\/p>\n

With the proclamation that here \u201cis what music was, before it came homogenized, trivialized and sanitized,\u201d Friedman just released his first all-new album of original tunes in four decades. \u201cCircus of Life\u201d presents a side of the veteran musician that few would have suspected in the halcyon days of his\u00a0Texas Jewboys, laying perhaps legit claim to the title \u201cThe Leonard Cohen of Texas.\u201d\u00a0On\u00a0July 3, Friedman released the album on his own terms and on his own\u00a0Echo Hill Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album has really taken off,\u201d said Friedman, during a phone interview last week from his home in the Lone Star State. \u201cIt\u2019s all digital now which means 18 years from now I\u2019ll get a check for $18. But, the album is climbing. It just passed Garth Brooks for downloads and is getting a lot of action on Spotify. What that does \u2013 I gets a lot of radio stations interested in picking it up. Rolling Stone just picked it up. I hope it doesn\u2019t get too big. I couldn\u2019t handle a hit like \u2018Achy Breaky Heart.\u2019 We\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked if there was a catalyst that got the new album in the works, Friedman told a story.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a 3 a.m. phone call from Willie Nelson,\u201d said Friedman. \u201cHe asked me was doing at that moment. I told him I was watching \u2018Matlock\u2019 on TV. He told me that it was a sure sign of depression. He said \u2013 Kinky, turn Matlock off and start writing. So, I did.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got inspired. I wrote 12 tunes in about five weeks. That\u2019s a fact. Willie said \u2013 send them to me. Writing was fun. For example, the song \u2018Jesus in Pajamas\u2019 is a true story. It really happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

With\u00a0Joe Cirotti\u00a0on multiple instruments, and\u00a0Mickey Raphael, Augie Meyers, original Texas Jewboy\u00a0Little Jewford,\u00a0Clay Meyers, and\u00a0Jim Beal\u00a0providing amazing grace notes, not a single track on the album fails to reach its very high mark.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis album runs deep,\u201d said Friedman. \u201cIt runs so deep, it finds people. The majority of us are disgruntled with what is coming out of Nashville. All they care about in Nashville is production. This album is about real songs. I recorded the album here at my studio at Echo Hill Ranch, the family ranch in the heart of Texas. It took one-and-a-half weeks to record.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friedman is a singer-songwriter who has been recording music since the mid-1960s. But, that only tells part of his story. He was making music that was a blend of country, folk and rock long before the term \u201cAmericana\u201d was coined.<\/p>\n

His music and his outlook have always had humorous sides. His first real group was Kinky Friedman and The Texas Jewboys, a name which parodied the famous country\/western swing band Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.<\/p>\n

By the mid-1970s, Friedman\u2019s music was poplar enough to land him a spot as the opening act for one of Bob Dylan\u2019s tours. One of his signature songs from that era was \u201cThey Ain\u2019t Makin\u2019 Jews Like Jesus Anymore.\u201d a song in which Kinky puts down a drunken white racist who has been spewing hate for blacks, Jews and frat boys.<\/p>\n

Friedman\u2019s bio almost reads like fiction \u2013 but it\u2019s all true. He served two years in the United States Peace Corps as a teacher in Borneo. Just over 20 years ago, he started writing detective novels with a fictionalized version of himself as a New York City detective.<\/p>\n

In 2004, Friedman began a serious but unsuccessful campaign to get elected as the Governor of Texas with campaign slogans such as \u201cMy Governor is a Jewish Cowboy\u201d and \u201cHe ain\u2019t Kinky, he\u2019s my Governor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t regret running for Governor,\u201d said Friedman, who also ran for a short while in the 2010 Texas gubernatorial election. \u201cI lost in 2006 but I still got 600,000 votes. That\u2019s not bad at all. The governor\u2019s race was the one I won everywhere but Texas. I\u2019ve been ahead of my time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friedman has also become a well-respected cigar maker. His line of Kinky Friedman Cigars includes stogies called Kinkycristo, Texas Jewboy, The Wille (inspired by his friend Wille Nelson), Lone Star #4, The Governor, Utopian and Kinky Lady. He will have his cigars on sale at his show in Philly.<\/p>\n

He also sells Kinky Friedman Cigars Coffee which is grown by Fara Coffee, a company that produces Rainforest Alliance-certified 100 percent shade-grown Arabica coffee on its own farms in the mountainous rainforests of Nicaragua. And, he founded Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch to care for stray, abused and aging animals.<\/p>\n

But, music is on the main burner right now with a new album and a major U.S. tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard that Willie was having some health problems, I called him to see how he was doing,\u201d said Friedman. \u201cWillie replied \u2013 a little up, a little down.\u00a0By the way Kinky, what channel is\u00a0Matlock on?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all part of the circus of life.<\/p>\n

Video link for Kinky Friedman —\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5FSWm67IhDU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville, which has Brian Molnar opening, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and $39.50.<\/p>\n

The venue will also present the Felice Brothers on July 18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times If you took five of the music acts playing in the area this weekend and sorted them like playing cards, you\u2019d have a full house \u2013 three \u2018new\u201d and two \u201cold.\u201d The \u201cnew\u201d acts are Russian Baths, a band that has yet to reach its third anniversary; Mapache, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[11376,7426,11378,7623,11377,11375],"class_list":["post-40145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-dos-santos","tag-featured","tag-honey-west","tag-kinky-friedman","tag-mapache","tag-russian-baths"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40145","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=40145"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40146,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40145\/revisions\/40146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/40147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}