{"id":42374,"date":"2019-03-09T09:33:26","date_gmt":"2019-03-09T14:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=42374"},"modified":"2019-03-09T09:33:36","modified_gmt":"2019-03-09T14:33:36","slug":"on-stage-thumpasaurus-makes-philly-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=42374","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Thumpasaurus makes Philly debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Thumpasaurus<\/p><\/div>\n

Philly get ready — Thumpasaurus is on its first national tour and has a stop in Philadelphia planned for March 9.<\/p>\n

The genre-bending band from Southern California is bringing its \u201cBook of Thump Tour\u201d to the Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Thumpasaurus — Lucas Tamaren – Guitar\/Vocals; Henry Solomon \u2013 Saxophone; Paul Cornish \u2013 Keys; Logan Kane \u2013 Bass; Henry Was – Drums\/Production –released \u201cThe Book of Thump\u201d album last summer and recently released a single titled \u201cAlien.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band was formed when the members were students at the University of Southern California\u2019s Thornton School of Music a few years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt actually formed as an extension of a folk guitar\/banjo I had with a fellow student when I was a freshman at USC,\u201d said Lucas, during a phone interview Friday afternoon when he and Was were travelling to a show in Boston.<\/p>\n

\u201cHenry Was came onboard to produce a folk record. We played together right away and realized we needed to be louder. So, we added more members. Everyone was a music student at USC.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was grew up in the music world.<\/p>\n

His father Don Was was a Was (Not Was) founding member. In addition to playing with that band, Don Was is the father of three sons who are also musicians — Tony, who plays in Eve 6; Solomon who has played in Leven Kali, and Felly; and Henry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a jazz drum major,\u201d said Was. \u201cI quit playing because I wanted to concentrate on production and now, I\u2019m playing again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was got the \u2018Thumbs up\u201d from his father when he joined Thumpasaurus.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad loves the band,\u201d said Was. \u201cWe accidentally made a band that was in the Was Not Was lineage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thumpsaurus found its direction and has been steadily following it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt kind of formed over time,\u201d said Lucas. \u201cWe started by playing house parties \u2013 mostly around USC in the fraternity scene and the music scene. We even did a show at Ski House in the middle of a half pipe. Soon, our fanbase started to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything worked out smoothly. We played a lot of shows at the university\u2019s underground performance venue Yoni. At the tail end of our time at USC, we got hooked in with the bands Knower and Vulfpeck. It kept growing and eight months ago we played a sold-out show at the Troubadour in Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before there was the \u201cBook of Thump\u201d album there was the EP \u201cIn the Beginning There Was Thumpasaurus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released the EP and then later the EP got incorporated into the album,\u201d said Lucas.<\/p>\n

Was said, \u201cWe made the album in my basement. That\u2019s where we first started working back in the folk music days. I was producing them. They had this really crazy energy. It was something I was just going to produce. Originally, I was just going to play drums on the album. Before long, I was in the band. It was a gradual transition.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s latest project is a rock opera called \u201cWhere Does the Love Go.\u201d\u00a0 The \u201cThump Opera\u201d explores \u201ca mixed bag of emotions leading to an ultimate reinvention of reality — and the understanding and purpose that comes on the other side of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The track listing for \u201cWhere Does the Love Go… An Opera In Five Parts\u201d is: Introduction; Part I: Where Does It Go?; Part II: Without Your Love; Part III: Hell… & The Abyss; Part IV: I Will Get The Love Back; Part V: Return (Where Does It Go Reprise).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opera came together a year ago,\u201d said Lucas. \u201cIt started with Part 1 and I realized it was the beginning of a journey. We wrote to a narrative arc. We chased down ideas of what we wanted the journey to be. It grew organically. Now, there\u2019s a video with a lot of John Travolta in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thumpasaurus is already looking ahead to its next project.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working on a new album,\u201d said Lucas. \u201cWe\u2019ve been chipping away at it for the last six months. It\u2019s coming together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Thumpasaurus — https:\/\/youtu.be\/CBc9uL4n6S0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kung Fu Necktie will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Kung Fu Necktie are My Favorite Murder on March 11, Rover Rover on March 12 and Medium Cheetah on March 13.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

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

When John McCutcheon released his new album last month, his fans were treated to an opportunity to experience two legendary musicians at the same time.<\/p>\n

On January 11, McCutcheon released his 40th album — a tribute to Pete Seeger called To Everyone In All The World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger.<\/p>\n

On March 10, McCutcheon will make a rare area appearance with a matinee concert at Philadelphia Folk Song Society (6156 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/march-monthly-concert-with-john-mccutcheon-tickets-53107440785<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Prior to the arrival of the new disc, McCutcheon had already released seven albums in the 2010s — \u201cPassage\u201d (2010), \u201cFine Times at Our House\u201d (2010), \u201cThis Land: Woody Guthrie’s America\u201d (2102), \u00a0\u201c22 Days\u201d (2013), \u201cJoe Hill\u2019s Last Will\u201d (2015), \u201cTrolling for Dreams\u201d (2017) and \u201cGhost Light\u201d (2018).<\/p>\n

\u201cAlbums — it seemed like I was popping then out every year,\u201d said McCutcheon, during a recent phone interview from his home in Smokerise, Georgia. \u201cBeing involved in recording and putting out CDs is like tilting at a windmill.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I still like making full albums \u2013 with full spectrum sound. I still have fun in the studio. We always put some ear candy in \u2013 like a kick drum going down to 80 hertz.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2015, I did an album for the 100th anniversary of the death of Joe Hill and in 2012, I did an album for the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie. The new one is a 100th birthday album for Pete Seeger. I\u2019m at a point where I get to do a project that is interesting to me \u2013 commerce be damned.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople want to know about people like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. These are not museum pieces. I\u2019m at a point where I\u2019m at the fringe of music. I can do a bible album like \u2018Sermon on the Mount\u2019 or do an album like \u2018Mightier Than the Sword\u2019 where I get together with authors. It\u2019s never a case of — I\u2019ve written 15 new songs and need to make an album.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCutcheon is a Renaissance Man \u2013 one who prefers the rustic vibe of rural America to the pomp of a royal court. He is one of America\u2019s most respected and loved folksingers.<\/p>\n

As an instrumentalist, he is a master of a dozen different traditional instruments. His career has already spanned more than four decades.<\/p>\n

McCutcheon has received every imaginable honor, including six Grammy nominations. He has produced more than 20 albums for other artists. He also has written numerous books and instructional guides and helped start the first traveling musician\u2019s union — the Local 1000.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been staying busy,\u201d said McCutcheon. \u201cIn some ways, I always knew I wanted to do an album of Pete Seeger songs. He was so influential on how I want to do music. He rejected the \u2018cult of personality.\u2019 When Pete Seeger wrote a song, it was about something.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith is shows, it wasn\u2019t just him \u2013 it was us. You knew you were going to have to participate. People left his shows feeling moved rather than impressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Seeger album was a natural progression for McCutcheon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe catalyst was the making of the woody Guthrie and Joe Hill albums,\u201d said McCutchen. \u201cAs soon as I did that, I knew the third leg would be Pete Seeger\u2019s birthday. This feels like the completion of a trilogy.\u201d<\/p>\n

It could have been a major challenge for McCutcheon to find the right songs from a catalogue as big as Pete Seeger\u2019s \u2013 but it wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cI put the list together fairly quickly,\u201d said McCutcheon. \u201cThese were simply songs I loved. These songs have been gestating a long time \u2013 with the exception of \u2018The Spider\u2019s Web.\u2019 All these songs have been with me since I was a teenager. I wanted the album to be diverse and I wanted it to be fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album at Bias Studios in Springfield, Virginia with engineer Bob Dawson. My songs never sound better than they do with Bob Dawson. I used a core band and most of the songs were recorded live. We started in May 2018 and were done by August.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCutcheon plays numerous instruments including piano, guitar, auto harp and banjo.\u00a0 He is one of the world\u2019s master players of the beautiful hammered dulcimer.\u00a0 Usually, he plays all or most of these instruments during his one man show.<\/p>\n

Video link for John McCutcheon \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Dw2z3EjYQFE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Philadelphia Folk Song Society will start at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and $15.<\/p>\n

If you want a concert featuring singer\/songwriters of today\u2019s generation, head to The Met (858 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/themetphilly.com<\/a>) on March 9. The new venue on North Broad Street is hosting a show featuring James Bay and Noah Kahan.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

James Bay<\/p><\/div>\n

Bay, the show\u2019s headliner, is an English singer\/songwriter\/guitarist who was born in Hitchin 28 years ago and now resides in London. Hitchin is a small (pop. 33,000) market town in Hertfordshire, England<\/p>\n

Bay released his debut EP, \u201cThe Dark of the Morning,\u201d in July 2013. His second EP, \u201cLet It Go,\u201d was released in May 2014 and debuted in the Top 10 iTunes album chart. The lead single, \u201cLet It Go,\u201d peaked at Number 10 in the UK charts.<\/p>\n

In 2014, he released his single \u201cHold Back the River<\/a>,\u201d which has been certified platinum, before releasing his debut studio album \u201cChaos and the Calm<\/a>\u201d in 2015. Bay recorded \u201cChaos and the Calm\u201d with producer Jacquire King at Blackbird Studios in Nashville.\u00a0 The album debuted at number one in the UK charts, Number 15 in the US and has been certified X2 platinum.<\/p>\n

In February 2015, Bay received the Brit Awards<\/a> \u201cCritics’ Choice Award.\u201d At the 2016 Brit Awards<\/a> he received the award for Best British Male Solo Artist<\/a>. The London-based hitmaker also received three nominations at the 2016 Grammy Awards<\/a> — Best New Artist<\/a>, Best Rock Album<\/a>, and Best Rock Song<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In May 2018, he released his second studio album, \u201cElectric Light<\/a>.\u201d Bay released a single, \u201cPeer Pressure,\u201d on February 22 2019, featuring artist Julia Michaels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just released my single \u2018Peer Pressure\u2019 today,\u201d said Bay, during a recent phone interview. \u201cIt\u2019s always a fine day when you put out a new song. Julia and I wrote it in November 2018. It\u2019s the first song we wrote together. I finished off producing it in January. I recorded it in L.A. I\u2019ve been going back-and-forth to L.A. for six years.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019m in the states — touring in support of \u2018Electric Light.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cElectric Light,\u201d Bay\u2019s sophomore album, is a display of his musical evolution.<\/p>\n

\u201cNinety per cent of the tracks on the record were rough tracks,\u201d said Bay. \u201cPaul Epworth, who co-produced the album, heard the tracks and took them to his studio. He said that the rough tracks were good.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn my first record, I wrote the songs, took the demos to the studio and started from scratch on each track. With the second album, we had the rough tracks and we wanted to keep that energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a press release, Bay said: \u201cIf I had to describe my first album visually it would probably be a flame \u2013 while this new album is about a real sonic and artistic evolution for me. The feeling of a 100-watt bulb expanding and brightening is what I envisioned.\u00a0\u2018Electric Light\u2019\u00a0came to my mind and I knew it was perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bay lives in North London and stayed there to make \u201cElectric Light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it at a studio in North London called The Church,\u201d said Bay. \u201cIt\u2019s Paul\u2019s studio. The studio originally belonged to Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a weird process. I started at the end of 2016 and by May 2027, all the songs were written. We were done mixing by August. We just kept our heads down and kept working.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m bringing my band out for this tour. I\u2019m looking forward to being loud. There are also parts of being intimate \u2013 solo moments. We\u2019re playing a few tracks from the first album that I didn\u2019t play in 2018, a few songs from the new album, the new single and some tracks I\u2019ve never played live before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for James Bay — https:\/\/youtu.be\/4whnY_hTVDE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kahan\u2019s music spans genres such as indie pop, folk, rock and singer\/songwriter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Noah Kahan<\/p><\/div>\n

Growing up in Strafford, Vermont (pop. 1045), small town wonderment\u00a0led\u00a0Kahan to explore songwriting early on \u2013 modeling his songs based on musical influences like Paul Simon, Ben Howard, and The Lumineers.\u00a0Kahan writes with thought-provoking realism about self-doubt and fear\u00a0while highlighting\u00a0the intricacies of relationships with an unpolished\u00a0sincerity.<\/p>\n

That approach, along with head-turning vocals, has brought Noah a long way from Strafford in a very short time. As a senior in high school,\u00a0Noah\u2019s unique take on the world and his knack for crafting a captivating story\u00a0attracted the attention of world-class\u00a0songwriters\u00a0Dan Wilson (Adele),\u00a0Scott Harris\u00a0(Shawn Mendes),\u00a0Chris DeStefano\u00a0(Carrie Underwood),\u00a0among others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to go to college,\u201d said Kahan, during a recent phone interview during a break from rehearsals in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut then I got a record deal when I was 17 or 18 \u2013 a senior in high school. I\u2019m 22 now. I had been putting music up on Soundcloud. I was working with my friend Nate Tookas on production. My songs did really well on Soundcloud and that led to me getting signed by Republic Records.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within two short years, music took Kahan around the world — a long way from the 133-acre tree farm where he resides. On the trip, the alternative troubadour notched an international hit in the form of \u201cHurt Somebody\u201d (featuring Julia Michaels), which tallied 200 million-plus streams in the span of a year, went triple-platinum in Australia and gold in six other countries, and was the third most played song on Australian Top 40 radio in all of 2018.<\/p>\n

Additionally, he performed the single on Late Night with Stephen Colbert during his late-night television debut. As Kahan steadily averaged more than six million monthly listeners on Spotify, his songs \u201cYoung Blood\u201d and \u201cFalse Confidence\u201d racked up millions of streams and he sold out tours in North America, Europe, and the UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cI put out the \u2018Hurt Somebody\u2019 EP last year,\u201d said Kahan. \u201cI\u2019ve released 10 singles so far. I just put out another single today. The way the music industry is now, making singles is the way. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like James Bay, Kahan also teamed up with Julia Michaels on a single.<\/p>\n

\u201cI put out the original version of \u2018Hurt Somebody\u2019 as my own single,\u201d said Kahan. \u201cIt\u2019s a song about how the grass is always greener on the other side. Julia Michaels liked it and reached out to me. She said she wanted to make a recording of it with me. We did it and that version of the song became a huge hit in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Kahan is ready to release his debut album.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited about making a record,\u201d said Kahan. \u201cIt\u2019s all finished. We recorded a bunch of songs over the last year-and-a-half. I recorded it primarily with Joel Little at his studio in L.A. and did two tracks with Todd Clarke in Nashville. And, I did one track in upstate New York with Simone Felice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album has five new songs, including my new single \u2018Ness\u2019 and five previously-released songs that fit the theme of the album. The songs on the album have a lot of self-exploration and tracking the experience on my last four years making music \u2013 songs about who I am and where I\u2019m going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bay and Kahan, who complement each other musically, will be touring together until the beginning of April.<\/p>\n

They should get along well — unless the topic of conversation switches to English Premier League football. Bay grew up supporting local favorite Newcastle United and now is also an Arsenal fan \u2013 because he lives right next to Arsenal\u2019s Emirates Stadium. Kahan is an American but, in one of his videos, there is a jersey of Chelsea\u2019s Eden Hazard hung on the wall.<\/p>\n

Video link for Noah Kahan — https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZdsER1S3t8k<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at The Met will begin at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $39.95.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Motherhood<\/p><\/div>\n

Motherhood, a band based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, will headline a show on March 10 at The Pharmacy (1300 South 18th Street, Philadelphia,\u00a0https:\/\/thepharmacyphilly.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The Canadian trio features Adam Sipkema, Brydon Crain and Penelope Stevens. Motherhood\u2019s sound has been described as everything from\u00a0experimental art-rock to avant-country to circus punk to weirdo country to black metal fusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together almost 10 years,\u201d said Crain, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Fredericton. \u201cAdam and I went to high school together in Belle Isle, New Brunswick. We moved to Fredericton and met Penny. At first, we had a five-piece band and then we whittled it down to three.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur new album is our third \u2013 and there\u2019s an EP in there too. Our first album was \u2018Diamonds and Gold\u2019 in 2013. We released our second album \u2013 \u2018Baby Teeth\u2019 \u2013 in 2017. Our new one \u2013 \u2018Dear Bongo\u2019 \u2013 is out on Forward Music in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Bongo\u201d had its US release on March 1 via Forward Music Group.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018Baby Teeth\u2019 in 2016,\u201d said Crain. \u201cWe\u2019re always writing so pretty soon after we were working on songs for the next album. We recorded \u2018Dear Bongo\u2019 in 2017 with producer Corey Bonnevie at Monopolized Records on St. John, New Brunswick. We\u2019ve been sitting on it. We didn\u2019t want to rush things.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, Motherhood didn\u2019t waste time in the studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the album in about a week,\u201d said Crain. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t agree on the track list, so we went back for another day and did another song. There are nine songs on the album. We don\u2019t generally write extra songs. Some, we did demos for and tested them live. And, there was one instrumental that we arranged in my studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got more conscious about it lyrically as it went on. We try not to add any filler \u2013 which is why it takes us longer to write. We take out things we don\u2019t need. I do all the lyrics separately from the music so there were a lot of lyrics we couldn\u2019t use.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDear Bongo\u201d is loosely about a painter. Reeling from the end of his latest relationship, a distressed painter seeks solace in alcohol and his craft. Bored of typical canvas, he paints rooms, other artists\u2019 paintings, buildings, and highway lines until he ultimately decides to fix nature\u2019s colors — most of which now seem flawed to his obsessed eye.<\/p>\n

A meditation on the strident need for perfection in an imperfect world, the narrative weaves and waves, bounces and bops, and careens and crashes amidst the group\u2019s signature blend of self-made circus punk.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had been thinking about doing a story about a painter because I liked the metaphor,\u201d said Crain. \u201cIt\u2019s not so removed from being a musician. It was more a vague idea at first. As it went on, I got an idea of what this guy was like \u2013 but not too specific.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Motherhood \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/y8vobfq3AIg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at The Pharmacy, which also features Mondays, Dipking, and Cold Soul as opening acts, will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Philly get ready — Thumpasaurus is on its first national tour and has a stop in Philadelphia planned for March 9. The genre-bending band from Southern California is bringing its \u201cBook of Thump Tour\u201d to the Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com).    Send […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,11991,9445,11572,11992,11990],"class_list":["post-42374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-james-bay","tag-john-mccutcheon","tag-motherhood","tag-noah-kahan","tag-thumpasaurus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42374","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=42374"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42375,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42374\/revisions\/42375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}