{"id":42451,"date":"2019-03-21T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=42451"},"modified":"2019-03-21T09:00:50","modified_gmt":"2019-03-21T13:00:50","slug":"on-stage-family-takes-center-stage-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=42451","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Family takes center stage this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

The Barr Brothers<\/p><\/div>\n

Three music acts with international vibes in their DNA will be playing shows in the area on March 22 and 23 \u2013 the Barr Brothers on Friday and Francesca Blanchard and Ranky Tanky on March 23.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Barr Brothers will headline a show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) with La Force opening the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Barr Brothers Band had its origin in Providence, Rhode Island where brothers Brad (guitar) and Andrew Barr (drums) began making music together and evolved into a Boston-based band that featured the brothers along with bassist with Marc Friedman. Just under 15 years ago, the Barrs relocated to Montreal, Quebec and have been living in Canada ever since.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother met his now wife as a cute waitress in Montreal back in 2003,\u201d said Brad Barr, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as the band was driving south to a Canada-USA border crossing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur old band The Slip was playing in Montreal. The venue caught fire and he met her on the street. He moved up in 2005 to be with her. We both were living in Boston, so I decided to move to Montreal too. She took over as the band\u2019s manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHer name is Meghan Clinton and she\u2019s from the Gaspe Peninsula. She\u2019s still our manager and still his wife. Their family and my family both have a kid now and we live next to each other in a duplex.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The brothers have been close \u2013 personally and musically. For a long time, they were musical road warriors. They spent most of the 1990s crisscrossing North America, and playing music with their spirited, improv-based rock trio,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAndrew and I have been making music together since we were kids,\u201d said Barr. \u201cOriginally, my parents got him a guitar and got me drums. After a while, we realized he was better at playing drums and I was better on guitar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The current line-up of the Barr Brothers features Brett Lanier on pedal steel, Morgan Moore on electric and acoustic bass, Evelyn Gregoire-Rousseau on harp, Andrew on drums and Brad on guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Barr Brothers, who describe their sound as \u201cprogressive roots music,\u201d have released three albums \u2013 \u201cThe Barr Brothers\u201d in 2011, \u201cSleeping Operator,\u201d which was nominated for a Juno Award in the \u201cAdult Alternative Album of the Year\u201d category, in 2014 and \u201cQueens of the Breakers\u201d in 2017 \u2013 and one EP, \u201cAlta Falls\u201d in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe got our studio running in 2008,\u201d said Barr. \u201cWe self-released our first album in 2010. Then, we got a label \u2013 Secret City \u2013 and re-released it in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThree albums in over 10 years isn\u2019t a lot. I\u2019m a slow writer. I\u2019m still working on songs that first occurred to me five years ago. I let everything simmer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe just started working on a new album. After this run of shows, we\u2019ll be able to leave things set up in the studio for a while. We\u2019re thinking about getting the tunes written and then going to a theater to record them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor our live shows on this tour, we\u2019ll probably mix it up and do songs from all three albums. Everyone in the band knows all the songs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Barr Brothers have partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket sold will go to support George Mark Children\u2019s House which provides life-affirming care and comfort for children and their families.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for the Barr Brothers \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/1JU4T9iqNTo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live, which has La Force as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the World Caf\u00e9 Live are J.S. Ondara on March 22, Beach Bod and Boosegumps on March 24, Robert Earl Keen on March 24, Meow Meow and Thomas Lauderdale on March 26, William Fitzsimmons on March 26 and The Antlers on March 27.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Francesca Blanchard<\/p><\/div>\n

While the Barr Brothers have a Franco-Anglo vibe with their adopted home city, Francesca Blanchard\u2019s Franco-Anglo connection is more direct. She was born in France and lived there the first decade of her life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just under three years ago, Blanchard made her Philadelphia debut with a show at the Fire. On March 23, she returns to Philly for a show at Bourbon and Branch (705 North Second Street, Philadelphia, 215-238-0660, bourbonandbranch<\/a>philly.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

The French-American singer-songwriter has been compared to Norah Jones and Eva Cassidy as well as French singers Franc\u0327oise Hardy and Carla Bruni.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blanchard<\/span> was born and raised in the south of France, traveled the globe with her family and settled in the Vermont countryside when she was 10 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blanchard<\/span>\u2019s first full-length release, \u201cdeux visions,\u201d was produced by\u00a0Chris Velan\u00a0(Sierra Leone\u2019s Refugee All Stars), mixed by acclaimed Montreal producer\u00a0Jean Massicotte\u00a0(Lhasa,\u00a0Patrick Watson) and mastered at the prestigious Metropolis Studios in London. The album was featured on numerous \u201cBest of 2015\u201d lists.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a wait of several years, Blanchard is ready to release her sophomore album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been listening and relearning what I want to express with my music,\u201d said Blanchard, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Burlington, Vermont.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just ran down. I had to find new inspiration. I had to go look for it. I love mountains. I\u2019m either in the studio or I\u2019m hiking. I had to fill up on mountains<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI took an Outward-Bound course in 2017. I was hiking and backpacking in a variety of places \u2013 Joshua Tree, Colorado, Ecuador, Utah. Coming back, I had a new wave of inspiration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of my new songs are thematically similar to my first album. They are songs about heartbreak, but they\u2019ve grown as I\u2019ve grown.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve also switched genres. \u2018deux visions\u2019 was very English-French folk. I\u2019ve let go with focus on language and music style and have been focusing on self-effacing lyrical fun \u2013 taking the pressure off the Anglo-French aspect. They are still heartbreaking songs but they have a twist of humor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is some risk in moving from a folk, bi-lingual genre to what I\u2019m doing now but I\u2019m willing to take a risk. We have a five-piece band with synths and these songs are moving a lot more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Blanchard\u2019s songs always come from her true self. Her intimate original songs, performed in French and English, reflect on her life journeys, both physical and emotional.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents were both incredible music lovers,\u201d said Blanchard. \u201cWe travelled the world. My parents just appreciated culture. My mother was a USAID nurse and my father worked with Doctors Without Borders. They met along the Red Sea in Eritrea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Born in the south of France where her family resided until she was ten, Blanchard also lived and went to school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Bujumbura, Burundi. Family journeys have taken her to countries such as South Korea, Mauritania, Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt, Thailand, Australia, Honduras, Tanzania, Guatemala and India. She has grown up in a household consisting of a French father, an American mother, and adopted siblings from Ethiopia and Guatemala.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy freshman year in high school was in Bujumbura,\u201d said Blanchard. \u201cBurundi was very challenging in many ways. Most of my school days were in Vermont. My music career started four years ago with theater. I graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Arts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just have the itch to sing. I don\u2019t know where it comes from. I started writing songs when I was 14. Obviously, I\u2019ve matured since then. My songwriting has evolved a lot since then. I write on guitar. Ideas will come and I start with the melody. It\u2019s definitely melody-driven<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMelody shapes the song and the words come later. I\u2019m so focused on the feel of the song that the words are secondary. When it\u2019s time to write the lyrics, I ask myself — what does the melody make me feel?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Blanchard\u2019s new album is done and should see the light of day soon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m playing primarily new songs in my shows now,\u201d said Blanchard. \u201cPlaying new songs is a concern. It\u2019s been four years since my last album. The new album is a musical rebirth of sorts.\u201d Video link for Francesca Blanchard \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/2HP6AZIukDg<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Bourbon and Branch, which also features The Lunar Year and Rosa Lup, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Them Fangs<\/a> and Birthday Boy<\/a> on March 24 and Kat & The Hooligans<\/a>, Liz Fulmer<\/a> and Keely Sibilia<\/a> on March 27.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ranky Tanky<\/p><\/div>\n

On March 23, the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series will present Charleston-based quintet Ranky Tanky in the McPherson Auditorium, Goodhart Hall (150 North Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, brynmawr.edu\/arts\/series.html<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranky<\/span> Tanky performs a mix of the spirituals and blues of the Gullah — a culture born of the West African transatlantic slave trade and still rich in coastal South Carolina. \u201cGullah\u201d comes from West African language and means \u201ca people blessed by God.\u201d \u201cRanky Tanky\u201d translates loosely as \u201cWork It,\u201d or \u201cGet Funky!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In this spirit, the South Carolina quintet performs timeless music of Gullah culture born in the southeastern Sea Island region of the United States. From playful game songs to ecstatic shouts, from heartbreaking spirituals to delicate lullabies, the musical roots of Charleston are \u201crank\u201d and fertile ground from which these contemporary artists are grateful to have grown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranky Tanky \u2013 Quiana Parler, Voice; Kevin Hamilton, Bass; Clay Ross, Guitar; Charlton Singleton, Trumpet; Quentin Baxter, Drums — released its eponymous debut album in October 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOfficially, we formed in May 2016,\u201d said Ross, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. \u201cWe\u2019re old friends. We\u2019ve known each other for 20-plus years. We met when we were studying music at the University of Charleston. We\u2019ve played together a lot over the years in different projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw an opportunity to form a regional musical roots band for this area. Several musicians in this band are from the Gullah culture. I saw a need for it, and everybody was ready to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did a lot of work to bring source music to the group along with the band growing up in the Gullah culture and being exposed to Gullah music in church. Our music has an insider\u2019s perspective and an outsider\u2019s perspective. For me, it started with an interest in jazz and jazz leads back to the African diaspora.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gullah heritage was born of the West African transatlantic slave trade and its traditions are still rich in the Caribbean, throughout the coastal South, and especially in the islands of South Carolina. Influences are felt in the art, dance, food, spirituality and storytelling culture of the region. Gullah traditions have seeped into American popular culture, from \u201cBr\u2019er Rabbit\u201d to children\u2019s hand games to \u201cKumbayah\u201d (Gullah for \u201ccome by here\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of musicologists had worked on tracing Gullah music \u2013 for example, Alan Lomax,\u201d said Ross. \u201cThey had discussions where the music came from and how it is alive today.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of slaves were brought to South Carolina from Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast because of their talents in rice cultivation. The Gullah people learned the music in church. All our songs have links to the Gullah dialect. There is overlap between Gullah and English \u2013 a lot of overlap.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranky Tanky will soon put out its sophomore album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe just released the first song from our new album \u2013 a song called \u2018Freedom,\u2019\u201d said Ross. \u201cOur upcoming album is called \u2018Good Time.\u2019 It will be released on September 6 by Resilient Music Alliance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it here in Charleston, South Carolina. Our drummer Quentin Baxter produced it. We kept it insular. Now, we play most of the new songs in our live set.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Ranky Tanky — https:\/\/youtu.be\/EiUDFfkF6vo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranky Tanky will perform on March 23 at 8 p.m. at Bryn Mawr College\u2019s Goodhart Hall in McPherson Auditorium. Tickets are $20 — $18 for seniors, $10 for students, and $5 for children under 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Michael Hahn<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is hosting Dave Mattock and Tap Room on March 22, Outside the WALL – The Ultimate Pink Floyd Experience on March 23, Open Mic with guest host Michael Hahn on March 24, and \u201cJimmy Vivino & Bob Margolin — Just 2 Guitars and 200 Stories\u201d on March 27.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610- 917-1228, www.thecolonialtheatre.com<\/a>) will present Delbert McClinton on March 22 and Two Funny Philly Guys on March 23.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) has Brand New Crescent Moon, The Cozy, and Savvy Cats on March 23.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will present \u201cGrunga-A-Palooza!\u201d on March 21, Samantha Fish with special guest Jonathon Long on March 22, Matador! Soul Sounds on March 23 and Melvin Seals on March 26.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) is hosting The Musical Box premieres A Genesis Extravaganza on March 23.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) has a line-up featuring Reckless Kelly with Greg Farley on March 21, Runa on March 22, Paula Poundstone on March 23, Four Bitchin\u2019 Babes St. Deirdre Flint, Sally Fingerett, Debi Smith & Christine Lavin on March 24, Jake E. Lee\u2019s Red Dragon Cartel with Rob Balducci on March 25, Peter Himmelman with Skip Denenberg on March 26, and Coco Montoya & Tinsley Ellis on March 27.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481, sonapub.com<\/a>) presents Amy LaVere \u00a0and Pete Donnelly on March 21, An Evening with Lloyd Cole on March 22, Richard Shindell with special guest Dina Hall on March 23, Selwyn Birchwood with special guest Eryn on March 24, and Lula Wiles with special guest Nina DeVitry on March 27.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Three music acts with international vibes in their DNA will be playing shows in the area on March 22 and 23 \u2013 the Barr Brothers on Friday and Francesca Blanchard and Ranky Tanky on March 23. The Barr Brothers will headline a show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,12014,12015,12013],"class_list":["post-42451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-francesca-blanchard","tag-ranky-tanky","tag-the-barr-brothers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42451","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=42451"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42452,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42451\/revisions\/42452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}