{"id":43617,"date":"2019-08-23T17:08:17","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T21:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=43617"},"modified":"2019-08-23T17:08:25","modified_gmt":"2019-08-23T21:08:25","slug":"on-stage-adrian-belew-lights-up-sellersville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=43617","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Adrian Belew lights up Sellersville"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Adrian Belew<\/p><\/div>\n

The concert schedule of the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) frequently features an evening of blues music. <\/span>On August 23, the venue will feature an evening of Belew\u2019s music \u2013 the music of internationally acclaimed guitarist\/multi-instrumentalist Adrian Belew.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belew<\/span> first appeared on the guitar-world radar when he toured with Frank Zappa who later said, \u201cAdrian reinvented electric guitar\u201d. Belew\u2019s signature tones, unique use of effects and whammy bar remains completely different, and his techniques continue to be a huge influence on today\u2019s guitarists.<\/span><\/p>\n

He was guitarist, songwriter and frontman for progressive rock powerhouse King Crimson for more than 30 years. \u201cDiscipline,\u201d Belew\u2019s first record with King Crimson, is listed among the most important rock records ever made.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Belew has had a career that commands both awe and respect from fellow musicians and loyal fans — from his first solo record \u201cThe Lone Rhino\u201d to the Atlantic Records hit album \u201cMr. Music Head\u201d or any of his other 20 plus solo records that push sonic boundaries. He also has been involved in countless world tours and albums with David Bowie, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, and Paul Simon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belew<\/span>, who is also a guitarist with the Bears, is a strong fan of the power trio format that was popularized by Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience in the late 1960s. On this tour, he has expanded his band to a quartet.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more than a decade the Adrian Belew Power Trio stunned audiences around the world.\u00a0Now Adrian is ready to re-invent his live show with a new quartet which includes Jordan Perlson\u00a0on drums, Saul Zonana on keyboards, guitar, and vocals, and bassist extraordinaire Julie Slick.\u00a0The tour dates will be in support of Belew\u2019s new album, \u201cPop-Sided.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe trio is something I always like to do,\u201d said Belew. \u201cYou can stretch out more when it\u2019s just a trio and that\u2019s what I want to be able to do. It\u2019s a nice form to work in because you have to work really hard. Our music is complicated and to hold it together is difficult. The drummer has to deal with a variety of electronics, and I loop a lot with my guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019ve taken the trio and added Saul Zonana. He\u2019s been our opening act and toured with us for years. I said \u2013 you\u2019re in the van, why not be in the band. He still does the opening set. Like me, he\u2019s a multi-instrumentalist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith a quartet and another guitar, it greatly increases the variety of material we can play. It\u2019s a better show because we can add to the repertoire and play songs that we couldn\u2019t do as a trio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe never played \u2018Big Blue Sea\u2019 before. We have more of a variety of King Crimson songs that we can play. I had just finished making \u2018Poop-Sided\u2019 and, like my previous 24 albums, I didn\u2019t put stuff on it that we couldn\u2019t play live. It\u2019s different now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans can expect to hear a more comprehensive presentation of Belew\u2019s music delivered live on stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Belwew, \u201cThe show is a more complete picture of most things I\u2019ve done. More songs,\u00a0new songs from the award-winning FLUX app, King Crimson material I haven’t played for years,\u00a0and a dose of classic Power Trio. It\u2019s my intention to make this the best Adrian Belew show ever!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

FLUX:FX is an award-winning professional multi-effect processor app for the iPad that lets you \u2018play\u2019 your effects. Innovative, intuitive and exciting, FLUX:FX lets you manipulate your audio signal into something entirely new and redefines the possibilities of studio sound design and live performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

FLUX by belew is an ever-changing mix of Adrian Belew\u2019s new music, songs, sounds and visual art that comes at you in quick, surprising pieces. FLUX by belew is the newest way to experience music that never plays the same way twice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe ideal for FLUX was in my head since 1978 when I was sitting outside between two caf\u00e9s in Marseille, France,\u201d said Belew. \u201cBetween the cafes, I heard background sounds like seagulls and different music coming from the two cafes. I realized I\u2019d like my music to be constantly changing. I wanted it never to sound the same two times.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAbout six years ago, I talked about this to some guys from Amsterdam and I\u2019ve been working on it for six years now. The content is pretty broad. I cut the songs into bits and then make it so the computer algorithms will choose different parts. There is something about the immediacy and the surprise element. It\u2019s like real life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a whole generation of people who get things in short, quick bursts. I thought there should be music that goes along with this format. It\u2019s never finished and will always be changing. My lifelong dream is to come up with something that has never been done before \u2013 and I did it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Adrian Belew \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Q00TNTTjVkg<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville, which has Saul Zonana as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Mary Fahl on August 24, and Larry, Steve & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers on August 25.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen perform as Hot Tuna, the music veterans who were part of the original San Francisco music scene in the late 1960s bring a wealth of rock-and-roll history along with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Hot Tuna<\/p><\/div>\n

Each year, Hot Tuna makes its annual Thanksgiving holiday visit to the area for a show at the Keswick Theatre (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

This year, they\u2019ve made an addition to their schedule and will perform at show at the theater in Glenside on August 23. Dave Mason, solo artist and former member of Traffic, will open the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe dates move around a bit \u2013 why not try to do something different?\u201d said Casady, during a recent phone interview from Long Island, New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

Casady and Kaukonen were founding members of the original Jefferson Airplane and then together founded Hot Tuna. Kaukonen, a guitarist, has also released a number of solo projects and Casady, a bass player, had done a few. Both veteran musicians have done hundreds of recording sessions with other artists. As Hot Tuna, they play a mesmerizing blend of rock, folk and blues.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve put together a really nice tour with some great musicians,\u201d said Casady. \u201cThis is our summer tour — 15, 16, 17 shows in a row.<\/span><\/p>\n

For 50 years Hot Tuna has brought a wealth of emotions to their music through deep perceptions and tremendous talent.\u00a0 Kaukonen and Casady are always injecting fresh energy into their sound with constant improvisation taking their musical horizons further. \u00a0For five decades, Hot Tuna has played, toured, and recorded some of the most memorable original electric rock and soulful acoustic music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt happens to be our story,\u201d said Casady. \u201c50 years later, Jorma and I are working musicians. That\u2019s what we do. This is our life. I think of myself more as a folk musician than a rock musician. That being said, we\u2019re doing electric this time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do Jorma or I want to retire for? We get to pursue the profession we like. We did so much work last year between our schedule and our individual schedules.\u00a0 It all makes up for it in front of an audience. That\u2019s why we\u2019re coming around there now.\u00a0We\u2019re minstrels of sorts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a unique take on it \u2014 acoustic guitar and bass. We\u2019ve had all kinds of configurations \u2014 folk music, rock, blues. Words, music, poetry \u2014 that\u2019s what we\u2019ve always been into. The music stays alive. The communication in the music keeps it alive every night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When \u201cElectric,\u201d Hot Tuna includes three-time Grammy winner, drummer and percussionist Justin Guip. He is all about the groove, the heartbeat at the essence of all great music. \u00a0Guip lets the song \u2014 delicate or driving as the music needs \u2014 dictate his drumming style providing the perfect dynamic for Hot Tuna to electrify their trademark sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

Casady<\/span> and Kaukonen first got together when both were high school students in the Washington, D.C. area. Their first band together was a D.C.-area garage band called The Triumphs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together since 1958,\u201d said Casady. \u201cWe started Hot Tuna in 1968 and did both bands (Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane) together until 1973. That\u2019s when Marty (Balin) put Jefferson Starship together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe figured that Jefferson Airplane had its run. The core years were over. Most bands don\u2019t stay together more than four years so seven years was a lot. We did the first Hot Tuna album in 1970. Some of the material has held up well to the test of time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There are times when they go out as an electric duo, times as an acoustic duo and times as a trio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing electric this time,\u201d said Casady. \u201cWe have 60 years of playing together and are still love doing shows.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, I love teaching. Teaching at Fur Peace Ranch is great. Teaching keeps you in shape and it keeps you investigating \u2013 which is important. I work in a workshop format. It\u2019s a collaborative environment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Casady was asked if 50 years ago he thought he would still be making music 50 years later, he replied, \u201cI never thought of not doing it. I always thought of myself as wanting to be a good musician. You keep working at it. Jorma is a poet and a songwriter first and a musician second. That\u2019s the key to our longevity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With a six-decade history of making songs, deciding which ones to perform in a show can be tough.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe set list \u2013 Jorma is the master of that,\u201d said Casady. \u201cWe have over 100 songs we can play right now. We rotate songs in and out of the set list. We have some that we haven\u2019t played in a while that we\u2019re folding into the set. Fans will hear a nice variety and be pleased.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Hot Tuna — https:\/\/youtu.be\/3ubSwu37-nI<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Keswick will start at 7:30 p.m. on August 23. Ticket prices range from $49-$75.<\/span><\/p>\n

This weekend, the Keswick will also present The Wallflowers on August 25.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ramonda Hammer<\/p><\/div>\n

Another area show this weekend will feature a much newer band \u2013 Ramonda Hammer.<\/span><\/p>\n

On August 23, the Barbary (951 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-634-7400, www.facebook.com\/thebarbary<\/a>) will host Ramonda Hammer, a relatively new Los Angeles grunge band that has been hitting its stride over the last two years.<\/span><\/p>\n

The foursome of Devin Davis, Andy Hengl, Justin Geter, and Mark Edwards released a five-song EP called \u201cDestroyers\u201d on New Professor Records. Moving ahead, the band just released its debut album, \u201cI Never Wanted Company\u201d on the same label.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the first full-length for the band,\u201d said Davis, during a phone interview last week from her home in Los Angeles. \u201cWe had been building songs over the last couple years. Only one \u2013 \u2018Everlasting Love\u2019 \u2013 is six years old.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On \u201cI Never Wanted Company,\u201d Davis takes a hard look at her internal struggle between despairing loneliness and embracing independence. The Los Angeles quartet\u2019s blistering guitars and Davis\u2019s paint-peeling vocals form a strong support for lyrics that grapple with two years of emotional upheaval for Davis.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the band released its 2017 EP \u201cDestroyers,\u201d Davis struggled to come to terms with her codependency, fought against her own impulse to get overwhelmed by her own over-analysis, and got into her first queer relationship. The result is an album that\u2019s bruising, cathartic, searching, and ultimately therapeutic. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I always explored,\u201d said Davis. \u201cI never really wanted to be with someone from the opposite sex, but I wasn\u2019t really into women. Now, I have a relationship with a non-binary person \u2013 very masculine but not biologically male.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have a different story than most. My sister is gay and married to a woman and I have two gay aunts. I always grew up in that environment, so I knew I\u2019d never be judged by my family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in this relationship for two years and the songs come from it. But it wasn\u2019t something that was in my head when I was writing the songs. My songs are just about relationships \u2013 trials, tribulations, things you learn about each other when you\u2019re in love.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a couple songs just about myself \u2013 self-sabotaging thoughts, fake thoughts. A lot of them are anthems for myself \u2013 pep talks. I had been pretty co-dependent in past relationships. I realized that I could be independent and not be lonely.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ramonda<\/span>\u00a0Hammer\u00a0took its name from a lady featured on the television show \u201cCheaters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Davis, who the foursome\u2019s primary songwriter, is also the founder of the band.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Orange County \u2013 the San Clemente area,\u201d said Davis. \u201cI moved to New York when I was 19 and then came back out west to Oakland. After that, I moved back to Los Angeles \u2013 to the Frogtown area.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had just moved to L.A. in the summer of 2014. I went to this giant 6,000-feet warehouse that is a huge art space with artists, band rooms, a barbershop, and all kinds of things.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a nomad art compound. People also live there. I moved in the same day as our bass player Andy (Hengl). He was working in film and, at first, I didn\u2019t know he was into music too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe got together musically. We jammed a bit and I told him that he was my bass player. A year later, Justin joined the band. We were developing our grungy sound and then the drummer quit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a show lined up at SXSW and needed a drummer. Our label recommended Mark Edwards for the SXSW show. He came \u2013 and never left.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first Ramonda Hammer gig was in July 2014. Then, in spring 2016 we made a self-produced, self-released album. It was an eight-song disc called \u2018Whatever That Meant.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ramonda<\/span> Hammer worked hard at building a fanbase \u2013 and a solid base of songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo make \u2018Destroyers,\u2019 we did a Kickstarter campaign,\u201d said Davis. \u201cOur goal was $1,000 and we far exceeded that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the first record at Sunset Sounds. It was awesome to get to make a record at such a legendary studio. And, we got to work with an amazing engineer named Morgan Stratton.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were playing a show at the Echo here in L.A. and that led to us getting signed by New Professor. The first thing we did with them was our \u2018Zombie Sweater\u2019 single last fall. Now, we just released our new album with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Ramonda Hammer — https:\/\/youtu.be\/2pH9geR2ROQ<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Barbary, which also features Line Leader and Puppy Angst, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $6.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Barbary are Mark Rose and Ryan Dunston on August 24,<\/span> Imprint on August 25 and The Good Mess on August 27.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The concert schedule of the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com) frequently features an evening of blues music. On August 23, the venue will feature an evening of Belew\u2019s music \u2013 the music of internationally acclaimed guitarist\/multi-instrumentalist Adrian Belew. Belew first appeared on the guitar-world radar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[6290,7426,9166,10374],"class_list":["post-43617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-adrian-belew","tag-featured","tag-hot-tuna","tag-ramonda-hammer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43617","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=43617"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43618,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43617\/revisions\/43618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}