{"id":42951,"date":"2019-05-23T09:03:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-23T13:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=42951"},"modified":"2019-05-23T09:03:09","modified_gmt":"2019-05-23T13:03:09","slug":"on-stage-yann-tiersen-at-the-keswick-tonight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=42951","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Yann Tiersen at The Keswick tonight"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Yann Tiersen<\/p><\/div>\n

Yann Tiersen speaks a lot of languages, plays an amazing number of instruments and has released almost 20 albums.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiersen is a multi-dimensional musician from the Breton region in the west of France who is known for his solo work and his work on film scores. He is currently on tour supporting his new album, \u201cALL\u201d \u2013 a tour that brings him to the area for a show on May 23 at the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

On \u201cALL,\u201d Tiersen tackles themes of environment, ecology and nature by using field recordings taken from various locations. For \u201cUsal Road,\u201d he chose to return to a very particular spot — one where his own place within nature was brought into sharp focus.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe song \u2018Usal Road\u2019 deals with an event that changed my point of view on the world,\u201d said Tiersen, during a phone interview Monday afternoon from a tour stop in Toronto, Ontario.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt refers to the exact place where we were chased by a mountain lion in California when we were on a break during the American tour five years ago. We were crossing California on bicycle.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Coming face-to-face with a wild animal and knowing that the encounter could very easily lead to your demise is an experience that makes an indelible impression on your mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Tiersen, \u201cThis is the only field recording from California and we included it not because of the place, but because this was a life changing experience. It changed my entire way of seeing the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cALL,\u201d which was released on February 15, is a diverse album with recordings done in and out of the studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started the album last year and finished mixing it in September in my new studio,\u201d said Tiersen. \u201cI also did a lot of field recording.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the violin recording done in California, \u201cALL\u201d incorporates recordings from locations such as Brittany, Devon\u2019s redwood forest and Berlin\u2019s decommissioned Tempelhof airport, an urban space now reclaimed by nature.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The album also features field recordings Tiersen made on the Breton island of Ushant, which is his home as well as the location of his newly-built studio, venue and community center, The Eskal. \u201cALL\u201d also examines Tiersen\u2019s renewed interest and deeper connection to his own place within nature.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI built the studio over the last couple years,\u201d said Tiersen, who won the C\u00e9sar Award for Best Original Music in 2002 and the German Film Award for Best Score in 2003. \u201cThis is the first recording done in the studio so that brings a lot to the album. We spent a lot of time there. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got plug-ins and changes at every step of the recording. I got ProTools and it\u2019s really good. I also have a 16-track recorder. The amount of equipment at the studio gets bigger and bigger over time. It took me two years to build the studio to the point it was ready to use.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiersen was born in Brest<\/a> in the Finist\u00e8re<\/a> d\u00e9partement in Brittany<\/a> in northwestern France<\/a> and learned to speak the Breton language there. Breton is also the language of Ushant, the island where he has lived full-time for the last five years<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cUshant is a peaceful place to make music,\u201d said Tiersen. \u201cLiving on the island influenced my songwriting. It\u2019s a small community and everything is in union.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, of course, there is the nature, the Atlantic and the (English) Channel. The weather here can be really tough. There are really big storms in the wintertime.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

French is the official language of Ushant but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the language of the people there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Breton language is still spoken,\u201d said Tiersen. \u201cIt\u2019s being kept alive by a younger generation. It\u2019s important to keep languages from the past alive to understand who you are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Predominately sung in the Breton language, \u201cALL\u201d features several guest vocalists. Anna von Hausswolff is the guest vocalist on \u201cKoad\u201d while \u00d3lavur J\u00e1kupsson collaborates on \u201cErc\u2019h\u201d and Breton singer-songwriters Denez Prigent (\u201cGwennilied\u201d), Emilie Tiersen and Ga\u00eblle Kerrien all feature on the album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn our live shows now, we play all of \u2018ALL\u2019 \u2013 in order,\u201d said Tiersen. \u201cWe also play some older songs. We look to find a balance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Yann Tiersen — https:\/\/youtu.be\/VFVMAPEOZjo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Keswick Theater will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 and $55.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Keswick Theater are Nathan Carter on May 23, Art Alexakis on May 26 and Apocalyptica on May 29.<\/span><\/p>\n

On May 23, The Voltage Lounge (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215- 964-9602, www.voltagelounge.com<\/a>) is offering metal music fans a tasty sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord of live treats with a quadruple-bill featuring four diverse metal acts on the \u201cTech Trek IV Tour.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The tour features the hyper-intense, rapid-fire death metal of Archspire; the melodic, almost-prog metal of Virvum; the melodic death metal of Nashville\u2019s Inferi; and the \u201cTechnical Brutal Death Metal\/Deathcore\u201d music of Wormhole.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Archspire<\/p><\/div>\n

Archspire, the headliner, is a technical death band from Vancouver, B.C. featuring Oliver Rae Aleron, Vocals; Dean Lamb, Guitar; Tobi Morelli, Guitar; Jared Smith, Bass: and Spencer Prewett, Drums.<\/span><\/p>\n

The band was formed in 2007 as Defenestrated but changed its name to Archspire in 2009. In April 2011, Trendkill Recordings released \u201cAll Shall Align,\u201d the band\u2019s debut album. It was recorded with producer Stuart McKillop at The Hive studios.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2013, Archspire signed with Season of Mist<\/a> and released its second album \u00a0— \u201cThe Lucid Collective.\u201d Archspire\u2019s third album —\u00a0 \u201cRelentless Mutation<\/a>\u201d — was released on the same label in September 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been working on new stuff,\u201d said Lamb, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Atlanta. \u201cWe\u2019re in the pre-production phase.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe all jam together. A lot of bands work online and email; music files back-and-forth. With us, we\u2019ll sit in a room together for two or three hours \u2013 four nights a week. We start with a basic part and develop it. If you\u2019re a member of Archspire, you have a say in every single part of each song and every instrument used.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s music we all develop and are happy with. We don\u2019t want anyone in the band to be unhappy with a part of a song a few months after it\u2019s been recorded. We want to be playing these songs 10 years from now and still loving them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The members of Archspire have no need for the internet to make a recording.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe all live in the same city 20 minutes away from each other\u201d said Lamb. The space where we play is a central location along the water in Vancouver.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, when we\u2019re not on tour, we spend four nights a week working on our music. We\u2019ll record ideas on the fly and then can listen back to it the instant we write it. We\u2019re all in it from step one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With \u201cRelentless Mutation,\u201d which was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2018, the Canadian musicians are pushing the limits of their genre even further than before — on all levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018Relentless Mutation\u2019 with producer Dave Otero,\u201d said Lamb. \u201cWe cut the album at Flatline Audio, his studio in Denver. We spent five weeks there — retreat-style.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe next record will be our fourth album and we\u2019re hoping to work with Dave again. We want to take all the ideas from the last album and push them \u2013 make the crazy stuff crazier, the groovier stuff groovier and the faster stuff faster. We like everything fast, but the music also needs memorable hooks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Archspire \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/oiY4zwcjt-s<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Virvum<\/p><\/div>\n

Virvum is a Swiss band from Zurich that includes Bryan Berger, vocals; Nic Gruhn, guitars; Toby Koelman, guitars; Arran McSporran, bass; and Diego Morenzoni, drums.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe band was formed by me and the singer Bryan, who was a drummer at the time,\u201d said Gruhn, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Atlanta.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we\u2019ve been making music together 13 years. But we didn\u2019t start playing live shows until 2012 and we used some different names in the early days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The band is still touring in support of its latest album, \u201cIlluminance,\u201d which was released by Season of Mist in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Gruhn, \u201c\u2018Illuminance is a journey to a place where timelessness reigns and nature blooms in strangest colors\u2026A heavenly place far beyond comprehensible perception.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The album took a while in its making.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started writing the record in 2014,\u201d said Gruhn. \u201cIt took about four years altogether. We began recording it in 2015. We did the guitars at home. It\u2019s easy to do with modern technology. Then, we mixed and mastered it with Chris Brandes at Iguana Studios in Freiburg, Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were a quartet but now we are a quintet. Arran McSporran is a bass player from the U.K. He was a session player for is and then later he joined the band for tours. Now, he is a full member of the band.\u201d
\nWhat sets Virvum apart from the majority of metal bands is its use of melody.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith us, melodies always come first,\u201d said Gruhn. \u201cA lot of bands just do rhythms. Some bands on this tour are purely technical.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven though our style is physically technical, songwriting always comes first \u2013 melodies and a good song. I think memorable melodies are needed to add something refreshing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Virvum\u2019s sophomore album is looming on the horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been constantly working on new material for the last two years \u2013 composing all the time,\u201d said Gruhn. \u201cWhen we write, there is no structure in process. I start from scratch with a new idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also have a day job. I work as an accountant. So, I can only write at night. Actually, we all have day jobs so getting away to do tours is difficult. This is our second tour of America. We did a smaller tour in 2017.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Virvum \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/UjOsxIpoWJY<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The all-ages show at The Voltage Lounge will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Slum Village on May 24, Jayme Stewart on May 26, and Night With The Wolves on May 28.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Caleb Johnson<\/p><\/div>\n

On May 23, the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, www.chameleonclub.net<\/a>) will host a concert by one of the most acclaimed new southern rock acts — Caleb Johnson and The Ramblin\u2019 Saints.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnson is touring in support of his new album \u201cBorn From Southern Ground.\u201d His first album \u201cTestify\u201d came out a few years ago but Johnson looks at \u201cBorn From Southern Ground\u201d as his real debut album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy first solo album was \u2018Testify\u2019 in 2014,\u201d said Johnson, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from his home in Asheville, North Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, that album was just a project for the show. It was a very rushed thing \u2013 not 100 percent me\u2026not a lot of TLC.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The show to which he was referring is \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d \u2013 a competition that Johnson won in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

After being crowned the winner of Season 13 of \u201cAmerican Idol,\u201d Johnson recorded his debut album, \u201cTestify,\u201d which was released on Interscope Records. It debuted at Number 1 on the iTunes Rock chart and Number 24 on the Billboard \u201cTop Album Sales\u201d chart. He was recruited as an opening act for some of the biggest touring bands in rock n roll, including KISS, Cheap Trick, Sammy Hagar, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and Black Stone Cherry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album, there is a vast difference in the music and the songwriting,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cI had complete control over it. I recorded it in Nashville with Zac Brown.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was done over a period of three to four years in between tours. All the songs were cut live on the floor. It\u2019s got a throwback, vintage sound. All but one of the songs are originals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBorn From Southern Ground\u201d was recorded at Brown\u2019s Southern Ground Studio, where the veteran producer enlisted the help of his three-time Grammy\u00ae-winning multi-instrumentalist cousin, Bryan Sutton, to co-produce the album. Sutton brought in some of Nashville\u2019s A-list musicians to form the studio band, including Audley Freed, Kenny Greenberg, Fred Eltringham, Mike Webb, Tony Lucido, Angela Primm, Gale Mayes, and Devonne Michelle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnson has been singing for a long time \u2013 but with somewhat less stellar accompaniment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat really got me into rock was when a friend in middle school gave me a copy of the \u2018Queen Greatest Hits\u2019 CD,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cI wore that CD out. I was blown away by Freddie Mercury\u2019s voice and Brian May\u2019s guitar playing. \u201cFrom Queen, I went to Led Zeppelin to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Rush to Van Halen to soul to grunge to metal. Music became a big part of my life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA few years later, I sang for a buddy\u2019s band at a high school talent show. I sang Creedence Clearwater Revival\u2019s \u2018Fortunate Son\u2019 and the audience reaction blew me away. When I heard the audience erupt, it just gave me chills. That was the genesis of that spark of inspiration. Right then, I knew that making music was what I wanted to do the rest of my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the summer of 2010, Johnson was involved in a freak accident that put him in the hospital for several weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI got run over by a car and landed in the hospital,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cI had a fractured pelvis and a dislocated arm. I was stuck in bed, so I watched a lot of television. \u2018American Idol\u2019 was one of the shows I frequently watched.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnson decided to try for a spot on \u201cAmerican Idol.\u201d After a few years of unsuccessful auditions, Johnson hit pay dirt and got accepted for Season 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt all started with three preliminary rounds,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cIt ended with me being the winner of Season 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSince then, I been the opening act on a lot of great tours. I played Lancaster and Philly opening for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and played at the Thanksgiving Parade in Philadelphia. And, I played the Chameleon before opening for Black Stone Cherry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019m on my own tour with my band The Ramblin\u2019 Saints \u2013 all great musicians from Asheville. We do two songs from the first album \u2013 \u2018Devil\u2019s Daughter\u2019 and \u2018Testify\u2019 \u2013 but mostly songs from \u2018Born From Southern Ground.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d describe the new album as Bob Seeger meets the Black Crowes. It\u2019s a southern, visceral, over-the-top rock-and-roll record. It was self-funded and self-produced and it drops on June 14.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Caleb Johnson and The Ramblin\u2019 Saints \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/dchc0jI6Xqc<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show, which has Cody Tyler and Gypsy Convoy as opening acts, will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Chameleon Club are Church of Misery on May 24, Lest Lane Cruiser on May 25, and Boundaries on May 28.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Bill Currier Band<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) has <\/span>The Bill Currier Band and Tony Travalini & The Still Lifes on May 24, and \u201cFilms & Words \u2013 A Band Called Death with Lamont Caldwell\u201d on May 26.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will host \u201cOpen Mic Night\u201d on May 23, \u201cA Benefit for Orion: Bob Dylan\u2019s 78th Birthday Show\u2019 on May 25, and \u201cAffinity Colabs Story & Poetry Slam\u201d on May 26.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host its \u201c<\/span>17th Annual<\/p>\n

Bob Dylan Birthday Party\u201d on May 23; The Quelle Source, Seamus Browning and Cardillo on May 24 and Yngwie Malmsteen on May 25.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host its \u201c<\/span>17th Annual<\/p>\n

Bob Dylan Birthday Party\u201d on May 23; The Quelle Source, Seamus Browning and Cardillo on May 24 and Yngwie Malmsteen on May 25.<\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481, sonapub.com<\/a>) will present Maya de Vitry, The Sea the Sea and Originaire on May 23.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) presents Sugar Mountain (Neil Young Tribute) on May 23, Gary Hoey with Jim George on May 24, Barleyjuice on May 25, Savoy Brown with James Pace Band on May 26, and Yngwie Malmsteen with Sunlord & Paralandra \u00a0on May 29. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Grand Opera House <\/span>(818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, <\/span>www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) will host Laura Story on May 23.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 202-730-3331, www.thequeenwilmington.com<\/a>) will have Cracker on May 24,<\/span><\/p>\n

Merry Pranksters Spring Happening on May 25 and Led Zeppelin 2 on May 26.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Yann Tiersen speaks a lot of languages, plays an amazing number of instruments and has released almost 20 albums. Tiersen is a multi-dimensional musician from the Breton region in the west of France who is known for his solo work and his work on film scores. He is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42953,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[12180,12183,7426,12182,12181,12179],"class_list":["post-42951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-archspire","tag-caleb-johnson","tag-featured","tag-the-bill-currier-band","tag-virvum","tag-yann-tiersen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42951","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=42951"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42952,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42951\/revisions\/42952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}