{"id":41814,"date":"2019-01-03T09:53:53","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T14:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=41814"},"modified":"2019-01-03T09:53:58","modified_gmt":"2019-01-03T14:53:58","slug":"on-stage-coatesvilles-fitzy-comes-home-to-perform-and-teach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=41814","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Coatesville’s Fitzy comes home to perform \u2014 and teach"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

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

If asked to name people from Coatesville who have become famous, most area residents would probably think of professional athletes\/C.A.S.H. alumni such as boxing\u2019s Calvin \u201cSilky Smooth\u201d Grove, who had 49 professional victories and won the IBF featherweight world title in 1988; football\u2019s Billy Joe, who was \u201cRookie of the Year\u201d with the Denver Broncos in 1963; or basketball\u2019s Richard \u201cRip\u201d Hamilton, who was a three-time NBA All Star with the Detroit Pistons.<\/p>\n

Others who are more into the arts might choose from a trio of top-flight musical artists \u2013 Brian Fitzy, who has worked with bands such as Rusted Root and members of the Roots Crew and released more than a dozen records as a solo artist; Rosie DeSanctis, who is one-third of Tre Bella, a nationally-acclaimed trio of vocalists; and Fred Mascherino, a highly-regarded guitarist who has played in Taking Back Sunday, Terrible Things and The Color Fred.<\/p>\n

On January 5, Fitzy will be performing close to home when headlines a show at Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>). In addition to his evening performance at the popular club in Kennett Square, he will also be presenting a \u201cMaster Class for String Students\u201d in the late afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a busy 2018,\u201d said Fitzy, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in South Coatesville. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing how fast time got away from me in the second half of 2018. I have one video \u2013 an animation video \u2013 that I\u2019ve been working on for over a year. It\u2019s about 90 per cent done right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been trying to get my new studio built. And, I\u2019ve been playing with a lot of people and doing a lot of weddings. I\u2019ve also been doing a lot of workshops.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Saturday, I\u2019ll be doing a stringed instrument workshop for high school students prior to my Flash show. It\u2019s a master class workshop that will run about 80 minutes. I\u2019m trying to show different avenues they can go down. It\u2019s free for high school students and advanced junior high students. It\u2019s also free for adults who have a ticket for the evening show.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a year-and-a-half since Fitzy released his latest album \u201cHard Times for Dreamers.\u201d The album dropped May 19, 2017 and Fitzy has been a busy man ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat record that I put out almost two years ago will be the last album for the foreseeable future,\u201d said Fitzy. \u201cThe music industry keeps changing. The idea of spending so much time recording and putting out an album isn\u2019t that great. New music goes out of the audience\u2019s attention too quickly. It\u2019s hard to keep longevity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m busy every day \u2013 keeping the balance between playing shows and doing things that bring in money. I\u2019m an artist with no big machine behind me. I am trying to get to a point where I can take a larger ensemble on the road instead of just me. I\u2019m doing solo shows out of necessity. It\u2019s too expensive to bring on players of the caliber I want to play with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Fitzy\u2019s solo shows have been going over well. The album has been well-received, and Fitzy\u2019s schedule of live shows is far from empty.<\/p>\n

Brian Fitzy, a.k.a. Brian Fitzgerald, graduated from Coatesville Area Senior High and then attended West Chester University. Fitzy graduated from WCU in 2007 with a musical performance\/classical violin degree. When he was a student at West Chester, he had a band called Leaving Cash.<\/p>\n

His new disc \u201cHard Times for Dreamers\u201d does not have Mexican music but does have roots in Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do a lot of corporate shows,\u201d said Fitzy. \u201cI was in Mexico doing a series of corporate shows at lush resorts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the first time I was ever in Mexico. There were these fortified resorts in great condition and, on the other side of the walls, living conditions were terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n

While on tour in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, graffiti art with the sobering slogan \u201cHard Times for Dreamers\u201d brought a lifelong music journey into stark focus for Fitzy. It galvanized him into making a musical statement about the harsh realities of today.<\/p>\n

The multimedia Mexican artist Sleepwalk made the tag. Its placement on a bleak intersection in an impoverished section of town surrounded by palatial resorts and well-to-do living accommodations hit home for Fitzy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album is about the conversations I had and what I saw there in Mexico,\u201d said Fitzy. \u201cI wanted to release a summer-y record. The music is that way, but the subject matter is dark and bleak. It was supposed to be light and it became a dark, political record.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitzy took a picture of the tag \u2014 used with permission of the artist he reached via Instagram \u2013 and that picture was used for the cover of his debut album.<\/p>\n

Even though Fitzy is experienced as a producer, he enlisted Joe Nicolo (Kris Kross, Lauryn Hill, Fugees, Cypress Hill, Schoolly D) handle the production on the album.<\/p>\n

That allowed Fitzy to focus on the album\u2019s intricate layers and the its carefully-crafted track sequence. \u201cHard Times for Dreamers\u201d features a classic A-side\/B-side flow with an uplifting conceptual sweep \u2014 the lyrical bend gets more hopeful on the second side.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded most of the album at Joe Nicolo\u2019s home studio in Audubon,\u201d said Fitzy. \u201cWe thought about using his full studio \u2013 Studio Four \u2013 but the vibe there is more polished. I didn\u2019t want things to be too worked-on and too methodical. Joe said \u2013 we need to put some dirt on it. We worked on it throughout most of 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitzy\u2019s post-college career began on a high note when he performed with the Foo Fighters at the Grammy Awards as a Top Three finalist in the \u201cMy Grammy Moment\u201d competition. Since then, he has established a career as a solo artist and a sideman.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in a musical home,\u201d said Fitzy. \u201cMy mom Gloria was a singer and a guitarist in a progressive rock band from the mid-70s until 1981.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic was continually playing in our house. My earliest memories tied to music include listening to George Benson, Al Jarreau, Genesis and Peter Gabriel. I started playing violin when I was nine in fourth grade at Caln Elementary School.<\/p>\n

\u201cI began picking up other instruments later, including guitar, drums, keyboards and sax \u2013 and beat-box. I had several different bands during and after college, but financial restrictions drove me to become a solo act. I\u2019ve been able to do it by using a beatbox and doing live looping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitzy\u2019s show at the Flash will be a little different than his usual shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a way, it\u2019s a solo show but I will also be using a live drummer \u2013 Vernell Mincey \u2013 and keyboardist \u2013 Dave Mattock. It will be a neat hybrid \u2013 live trio and my usual augmented loops.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Brian Fitzy \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/VNRNbTTsg_M<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fitzy\u2019s show at Kennett Flash will start at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $12-$20. The free \u201cMaster Class\u201d is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Felicia Berrier<\/p><\/div>\n

On January 6, Kennett Flash will present \u201cOpen Mic with guest host Felicia Berrier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berrier is a 16-year-old singer, songwriter, and musician from Kennett Square. She is currently a sophomore at PA Leadership Charter School (PALCS), where she attends The Center for Performing and Fine Arts (CPFA) to study theater and music. Berrier has been actively writing music since 2016 — the same year that she decided to take her music to the Kennett Flash’s open mic stage.<\/p>\n

Three of Berrier\u2019s original songs have reached music platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play \u2013 \u201cFarther,\u201d \u201cMistakes Were Made,\u201d and \u201cFigure it Out.\u201d She is also an active member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and PMEA District 12 Chorus.<\/p>\n

Video link for Felicia Berrier — https:\/\/youtu.be\/AOw2zYBkOA4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpen Mic with guest host Felicia Berrier\u201d will start at 7 p.m. on January 6. Tickets are $4.<\/p>\n

Another show at Kennett Flash this weekend will take place on January 4 and feature Glass Doors, Reece Ratliff and Evan Fox.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Okee Dokee Brothers<\/p><\/div>\n

On January 6, the Okee Dokee Brothers will visit the area for a show at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Hailing from the Midwest, the Okee Dokee Brothers are the musical sons of Homer and Gladys Okee Dokee \u2013 proprietors of the Okee Dokee Music Hall in Clutier, Iowa.<\/p>\n

Actually, the Okee Dokee Brothers are an independent American bluegrass and American roots children\u2019s music duo from Minneapolis \u2013 and they are not related.<\/p>\n

Bandmates and childhood best friends, Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, grew up in Denver and toured the Midwest with their bluegrass band before settling in Minneapolis and starting their family music band, The Okee Dokee Brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve known each other since we were three years old,\u201d said Mailander, during a recent phone interview from his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. \u201cWe grew up together in Colorado. Now, we\u2019re based in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI left Colorado and went to school in Minnesota at St. John\u2019s University. Minneapolis has a great local scene \u2013 First Avenue. A lot of people come out to support local acts.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustin and I came here together. We were in an eight-piece bluegrass band. We spun off as a duo to do children\u2019s songs \u2013 to do family music. We had a lot of support in the Twin Cities when we started. We were playing parks and art festivals.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, there is no more bluegrass music for us. This is a full-time job. We do 80-100 shows a year. We play as a duo and also as a five-piece with fiddle, bass and percussion in addition to our guitar and banjo.\u201d<\/p>\n

As childhood friends growing up in Colorado, Mailander and Lansing were always exploring the outdoors. Whether it was rafting down their neighborhood creek or discovering hiking trails through the Rocky Mountains, they were born adventurers. Now, as the GRAMMY\u00ae Award-winning\u00a0Okee Dokee Brothers, they have put this passion for the outdoors at the heart of their Americana Folk music.<\/p>\n

The Okee Dokee Brothers record and perform family music with a goal to inspire children and their parents to get outside and get creative. They believe this can motivate kids to gain a greater respect for the natural world, their communities and themselves.<\/p>\n

The four-time Parents\u2019 Choice Award winners have garnered praise from the likes of NPR\u2019s All Things Considered and USA Today, and have been called \u201ctwo of family music\u2019s best songwriters.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2011, the longtime friends began a canoe trip at the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and ended at the St. Louis Gateway Arch. During their month-long journey on the Mississippi, they camped, canoed, filmed and composed the songs that make up their album \u201cCan You Canoe?\u201d This CD-DVD was the first release in their Adventure Album Series. The album won the GRAMMY Award for Best Children’s Album of the Year in early 2013.<\/p>\n

In 2013, The Okee Dokee Brothers embarked on their second adventure, a month-long trek on the Appalachian Trail. They hiked, camped, met mountain musicians, and wrote the songs that make up their second CD\/DVD in their Adventure Album Series, entitled \u201cThrough the Woods.\u201d This album emulates the instruments and styles heard in traditional old-time Appalachian music and was nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Children’s Album of the Year in early 2015.<\/p>\n

In June 2015, The Okee Dokee Brothers went out West for a month-long horse packing trip along the Continental Divide. They rode horses, camped out, told stories, and wrote songs. The resulting album \u2013 \u201cSaddle Up\u201d covers tales of western wildlife, Navajo stories, Southwest-style Spanglish, the issue of guns in western lore, friendship, and more. In 2016, \u201cSaddle Up\u201d was nominated for a Grammy in the best children\u2019s album category.<\/p>\n

The outdoorsy musical buddies celebrate the spirit of the winter season on their latest full-length studio album, \u201cWinterland,\u201d which was released in October 2018. It is a collection of 16 original songs exploring the wonders and beauty of winter. The Okee Dokee Brothers released five winter music videos to accompany the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album was inspired by the northern border \u2013 the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area in Ely, Minnesota,\u201d said Mailander. \u201cIt was winter camping up north with dogs. We wanted to do a winter album that was not tied to the holidays.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been writing a lot of songs about community singing,\u201d said Mailander. \u201cIt\u2019s intergenerational acoustic music. We play a few 8 p.m. shows for adults but our bread-and-butter shows are the 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. shows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Okee Dokee Brothers — https:\/\/youtu.be\/b9pHG7p2Eb0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater will start at 1 p.m. Tickets are $19.50.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band with Jack Murray on January 3, Unforgettable Fire (U2 Tribute) on January 4, Herman’s Hermits with AM Radio on January 5, and Lankum on January 9.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ray Adkins<\/p><\/div>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will present Ray Adkins & Friends on January 4 and 5 and Earth Songs Music Lessons Winter Concert Series on January 6..<\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) will host Ricks Office Band, Five Minute Major, The Walton\u00a0Marquette Project, and Small Batch Bourbon on January 4.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will present \u201cThe All-Star \u2018Graceland\u2019 Tribute Band with Bakithi Kumalo & Ryan Tennis\u201d and \u201cThe Music of Simon and Garfunkel: Looseleaf, Stella Ruze, Emily Drinker\u201d on January 4 and Steal Your Peach (Grateful Dead \/ Allman Brothers tribute) and The Newspaper Taxis (Beatles Tribute)<\/a> on January 5.<\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481, sonapub.com<\/a>) will host Dan May with special guest Sierra Hurtt on January 5.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, will present Charles Walker Band and Cookie Rabinowitz on January 4 and \u201cFirst Sunday Blues Brunch and Jam\u201d on January 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times If asked to name people from Coatesville who have become famous, most area residents would probably think of professional athletes\/C.A.S.H. alumni such as boxing\u2019s Calvin \u201cSilky Smooth\u201d Grove, who had 49 professional victories and won the IBF featherweight world title in 1988; football\u2019s Billy Joe, who was \u201cRookie […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[9739,7426,11825,11824,11823],"class_list":["post-41814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-brian-fitzy","tag-featured","tag-felicia-berrier","tag-okee-dokee","tag-ray-adkins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41814","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=41814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41815,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41814\/revisions\/41815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}