{"id":44748,"date":"2020-01-09T09:03:02","date_gmt":"2020-01-09T14:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=44748"},"modified":"2020-01-09T09:03:04","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T14:03:04","slug":"on-stage-celebrating-50-years-of-nektar-at-the-flash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=44748","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Celebrating 50 years of Nektar at The Flash"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Nektar<\/p><\/div>\n

Nektar means different things to different people.<\/p>\n

It could be a keyboard controller, a scientific research company from San Francisco, or a manufacturer of honey crystals.<\/p>\n

To some, Nektar could mean a fine dining restaurant in Mexico\u2019s Yucatan region, a juice bar in Greece or a wine bar in New Hope, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

For music fans, Nektar could mean only one thing \u2013 the stellar prog rock band that is celebrating its 50th anniversary.<\/p>\n

Nektar is a British progressive rock band that was formed in Germany. Two of the original members are still in the band \u2013 bassist Derek Moore and drummer Ron Howden.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been 50 years since our first gig in Germany \u2013 50 years came in November,\u201d said Moore, during a phone interview last week from his home in Chester, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

Nektar\u2019s current lineup features Derek \u201cMo\u201d Moore\u00a0\u2013 bass, vocals; Ron Howden\u00a0\u2013 drums, percussion, backing vocals; Ryche Chlanda\u00a0\u2013 guitars, lead vocals; Randy Dembo\u00a0\u2013 bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitar, backing vocals; Kendall Scott\u00a0\u2013 keyboards; and Mick Brockett\u00a0\u2013 special effects, lights and lyrics.<\/p>\n

On January 9, Nektar will visit the area for a show at Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Nektar is touring in support of its comeback album \u201cThe Other Side\u201d which is being released this month via Esoteric Antenna.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe decided we were going to do a new album,\u201d said Moore. \u201cWe knew we had a cache of good songs from the 1970s that we didn\u2019t release so we brought them out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first track we worked on was \u2018The Other Side.\u2019 Then, we built it piece-by-piece. Even though some of the songs are really old, they also are really fresh.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome songs go back to 1974 \u2013 songs that were never finished. This whole album was recorded live. Later, we added to some of the tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nektar formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1969. The founding members were Roye Albrighton on guitars and lead vocals, Allan “Taff” Freeman on keyboards, Derek “Mo” Moore on bass, Ron Howden on drums and artists Mick Brockett and Keith Walters on lights and “special effects”.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in Hamburg playing with a band and Ron was in another band,\u201d said Moore. \u201cThe bands switched drummers. Ron and I have been playing together ever since. We\u2019ve played together for over 50 years so we know exactly what each other will do when we\u2019re playing together,\u201d<\/p>\n

Nektar\u2019s debut album, \u201cJourney to the Centre of the Eye\u201d (1971), consisted of a single song running over 40 minutes, with the last 100 seconds of the first side repeated at the beginning of the second side to maintain continuity. The follow-up, \u201cA Tab in the Ocean\u201d (1972), drew on more conventional rock and blues influences. The band\u2019s third album was the heavily improvised live-in-the-studio double LP, \u201c…Sounds Like This\u201d (1973).<\/p>\n

Nektar\u2019s U.S. release, \u201cRemember the Future\u201d (1973), propelled the band briefly into mass popularity. The follow-up, \u201cDown to Earth\u201d (1974), was another concept. The next two albums were \u201cRecycled\u201d (1975) and \u201cMagic Is a Child\u201d (1977). The group disbanded from 1982-2000. Nektar then went through nine different lineups before disbanding again from 2016-2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cI retired in 1978 and came back in 2002,\u201d said Moore. \u201cWe started about a year ago with a new lineup.\u201d<\/p>\n

In early 2019, Howden approached the newly retired Moore about reviving the original band. When Moore agreed, former members Randy Dembo (bass and 12-string), Brockett (lights, projections and atmosphere), and Ryche Chlanda (guitar and vocals) joined the project along with keyboardist Kendall Scott.<\/p>\n

\u201cRon and I got into it and decided to go out with a new band,\u201d said Moore. \u201cMe and Ron and Ryche clicked right away. We added Randy on bass and then got Kendall Scott, who was a friend of Ryche. Then, we got Mick back with his light show.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the decision to go on the road because the music is that good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nektar fans \u2013 young and old \u2013 have been responsive to the tour.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, Nektar played to a packed house at the Sellersville Theater. That\u2019s an impressive feat considering the show faced several obstacles \u2013 post-holiday doldrums, a mid-week show, cold weather that makes you want to stay indoors and a venue that is a long drive from just about everywhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could have played bigger venues on this tour, but we picked intimate venues \u2013 small clubs,\u201d said Moore. \u201cWe want to interact with our fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tour itinerary includes intimate venues such as Orion Studios in Baltimore, the Iridium in New York City, the Middle East Night Club in Cambridge (MA), Daryl\u2019s House in Pawling (NY) and Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton (MA).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have three hours of music we can play \u2013 without any talking,\u201d said Moore. \u201cBut we like to talk with our fans. The show is about 100 minutes plus an encore.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe play three or four pieces from the new album. We also play a smattering from older albums \u2013 a lot of music from the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

The show at Kennett Flash will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Kennett Flash are Fabio Mittino & Bert Lams (of California Guitar Trio) on January 10, \u201c33 1\/3 Live\u2019s Killer Queen Experience\u201d on January 11 and 12.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Craig Bickhardt<\/p><\/div>\n

Craig Bickhardt, another act with a career spanning several decades, a recent album, a preference for performing intimate shows and a set list that includes songs from the very early days, is also playing in the area this weekend.<\/p>\n

On January 11, the Living Room at 35 East (35 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, https:\/\/thelivingroomat35east.com<\/a>) is presenting a show billed as \u201cOn A Winter\u2019s Night — A Solo Acoustic Evening with Craig Bickhardt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bickhardt first appeared on the radar in the early 1970s when he played in a band called Wire and Wood \u2013 a band that opened for Bruce Springsteen in his early days and played top area clubs such as The Main Point.<\/p>\n

Bickhardt has music in his DNA. His father Harry worked at WIP radio in Philadelphia and moonlighted as a big band musician.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father, who just died a few years ago, was a big band musician for more than 50 years,\u201d said Bickhardt, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Glen Mills.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Saturday night, he put on a tux and headed to a gig. It could be anything from a concert at a night club to a wedding.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing what he did made me believe that I could be a working musician. His love of performing was passed on to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another link to music in his family home when he was a kid led to Bickhardt\u2019s pursuit of a career in music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found an old Stella guitar in my parents\u2019 attic when I was 14,\u201d said Bickhardt. \u201cI taught myself to play. That began my experimentation with guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlus, I lived near the Main Point. I used to go there all the time. I remember watching Doc Watson\u2019s finger picking and listening to Eric Andersen\u2019s great songwriting. That was my college education in music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bickhardt was a graduate of Haverford High School \u2013 as was his father. He grew up in Havertown \u2013 just a stone\u2019s throw from the Main Point\u2019s location in Bryn Mawr.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t go to college,\u201d said Bickhardt. \u201cI just jumped into this as soon as I got out of high school. I went to L.A. with Wire and Wood in 1974.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the mid-1970s, Bickhardt was co-lead singer\/guitarist in Wire and Wood, an eclectic country-rock quintet that won a fervent East Coast following.\u00a0The group relocated to L.A. in search of a record deal and succeeded in attracting the interest of Bob Dylan\u2019s former manager Albert Grossman, who signed them to his Bearsville\/October Records label. Unfortunately, Wire and Wood\u2019s album was never completed, and the group called it quits soon after.<\/p>\n

Bickhardt signed to a publishing contract with EMI in 1982. Among his first musical recordings were two songs for the soundtrack to the 1983 film \u201cTender Mercies,\u201d one of which (\u201cYou Are What Love Means to Me\u201d) charted at No.\u00a086 on the Billboard country singles chart. He also sang background vocals on Reba McEntire\u2019s 1984 album, \u201cMy Kind of Country.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, he found work as a songwriter, with one of his first cuts being \u201cThat\u2019s How You Know When Love\u2019s Right,\u201d which became a Top 10 country hit when Nicolette Larson and Steve Wariner recorded it as a duet. He also co-wrote \u201cYou\u2019re the Power\u201d with F.C. Collins for Kathy Mattea and The Judds\u2019 Number One hit \u201cI Know Where I’m Going,\u201d in collaboration with Don Schlitz and Brent Maher.<\/p>\n

\u201cI left L.A. and moved to Nashville in 1983,\u201d said Bickhardt.<\/p>\n

After Paul Overstreet departed the country music trio S-K-O (formerly Schuyler, Knobloch and Overstreet), Bickhardt was recruited to take Overstreet\u2019s place in the trio. As a result, the group was renamed S-K-B (Schuyler, Knobloch and Bickhardt). Bickhardt made his debut on the group\u2019s second and final album, 1987\u2019s \u201cNo Easy Horses\u201d on MTM Records. The album contained several songs that he co-wrote, including two of its singles \u2013 \u201cThis Old House\u201d and \u201cGivers and Takers.\u201d S-K-B disbanded in 1989 after MTM closed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith S-K-B, we tried to re-create the feelings of the college age and the era of festivals,\u201d said Bickhardt. \u201cThere was a really healthy vital community.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a while, Bickhardt had his fill of living in \u201cMusic City.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI moved back to the Philadelphia area in 2006,\u201d said Bickhardt. \u201cI saw the winds of change in Nashville and didn\u2019t like where it was going. I didn\u2019t want to write in a committee of songwriters. And, I wanted to get back to performing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since moving back to the Delaware Valley, Bickhardt has released five albums — \u201cBrother to the Wind\u201d (2009), \u201cLive at Sellersville Theater\u201d (2011), \u201cThe More I Wonder\u201d (2014), \u201cCarrying A Dream\u201d (2017), and \u201cHome for the Harvest\u201d (2018) \u2013 as well as three albums with Idlewheel, a musical project he has with former Poco member Jack Sundrud.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded most of \u2018Home for the Harvest\u2019 at my house but some of I started in Nashville,\u201d said Bickhardt. \u201cI always have had a small digital studio at wherever I was living. I co-produced the album with John Mock, and we finished recording it in the winter of 2017\/2018. It was released in October 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my live shows now, I\u2019m doing songs from all my records. I am trying to concentrate on the recent record.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bickhardt will also be doing a concert on February 14 at Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547,\u00a0www.burlapandbean.com<\/a>) with his daughter Aislinn Bickhardt.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust being able to have an audience to play for is an incredible feeling,\u201d said Bickhardt.<\/p>\n

Video link for Craig Bickhardt — https:\/\/youtu.be\/OGtcUeb7csg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Living Room at 35 East will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

Anther upcoming show at the Living Room at 35 East this weekend is \u201cJohn Byrne Band \u2013 Acoustic\u201d on January 10.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

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

Singer\/songwriter John Byrne is a native of Dublin, Ireland who first worked in the United States when he was in college and then moved to this country more than 20 years ago. He is now a resident of the Fishtown section of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

Byrne is playing shows in support of his new album, \u201cA Shiver in the Sky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recorded at Spice House Sound in Philadelphia and produced by long-time collaborator Andy Keenan, the new album shows his band of multi-instrumentalists vibrantly executing 10 new originals. Strings, horns and guitars escort Byrne\u2019s vocals through a set of songs about living and pushing forward through negative times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have six musicians who I use all the time for big shows,\u201d said Byrne, during a recent phone interview. \u201cWhen we hit the road, it\u2019s usually acoustic three-or-four-piece. It\u2019s the same line-up without bass and drums. Everyone in the band lives in Philly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band has been around for 10 years. We recorded our first album, \u2018After the Wake,\u2019 in 2009 and it was released in 2010.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the Wake\u201d was released to great critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic in 2010. With influences ranging from The Chieftains to Planxty to Bob Dylan, Byrne expands upon the musical and lyrical traditions of his native and adopted homes. The John Byrne Band followed its debut disc with “Celtic Folk” in 2013 and \u201cThe Immigrant and the Orphan\u201d in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the first album came out, I was working as a teacher in Norristown,\u201d said Byrne. \u201cI was teaching at an alternative school called Lincoln Center. When the album did so well, the side project became a main project and I quit teaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the songs on the new album \u2013 \u2018Time Ain\u2019t Changed a Thing in this Town\u2019 \u2013 was inspired by what we\u2019ve seen while touring. We tour a lot in the Midwest and come across towns who have had the life sucked out of them. Norristown is a town like that.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the album is about facing trauma. The original title was \u2018What If We Don\u2019t Die Young\u2019 but we decided to change it. The album is about \u2013 how do we push on? It\u2019s about understanding that things will happen to you and, if you push through them, they will pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album offers inspiration to people who are dealing with adversity.<\/p>\n

According to Byrne, \u201cThings will happen to you and they can be immensely painful, but they won\u2019t be there forever. If you don\u2019t let them break you, there will be a new version of yourself that emerges and has learned the skills to live with this pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are cautionary tales, songs about dealing with addiction, about immigration, about relationships of all kinds, about facing prejudice, about leaving things behind. They all ultimately carry a similar message — that living carries with it the possibility of balancing out regret or mistakes that you\u2019ve made with a future that contains something brighter.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album evolved with songs that were uplifting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I looked at what I had written, that\u2019s what the songs were talking about,\u201d said Byrne, a former soccer player in school who is a big fan of Dublin\u2019s Bohemian F.C., a team that competes in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. \u201cWhen I looked back at the album, I saw that it was all positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the John Byrne Band \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/3teMyc8QdKk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Living Room at 35 East on January 10 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will host \u201cOPEN MIC NIGHT<\/a>\u201d on January 9 and \u201cBEST OF OPEN MIC NIGHT 2019 AKA: FORK CANCER! A FUNDRAISER FOR MARISSA<\/a>\u201d on January 11.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will present \u201c80s Dance Party\u201d on January 10, The Samples with special guest Rugby Road on January 11 and Tab Benoit on January 12.<\/p>\n

118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com<\/a>) will present Chris Grunwald & the Slow Response and the Dirk Quinn Band<\/a> on January 9, Scott Sharrard and Stolen Rhodes on January 10, Brown Sugar (Rolling Stones tribute) on January 11, and Sean Kelly of The Samples on January 12.<\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) presents Kashmir on January 11.<\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) is presenting Simon Phillips Protocol 30th Anniversary Tour on January 10, An Intimate Evening With JD Souther on January 11, Tribute To Dave Brubeck & More Performed By The Eric Mintel Quartet on January 12, Jane Monheit on January 12, We Banjo 3 \u00a0on January 14, and Mames Babegenush on January 16.<\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481, sonapub.com<\/a>) will present Matt DiMaio\u2019s Birthday Show featuring The Tisburys, Barney Cortez and more on January 11.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, \u00a0www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) hosts Sephardic Treasures on January 11.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Nektar means different things to different people. It could be a keyboard controller, a scientific research company from San Francisco, or a manufacturer of honey crystals. To some, Nektar could mean a fine dining restaurant in Mexico\u2019s Yucatan region, a juice bar in Greece or a wine bar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[12748,7426,12547,12749],"class_list":["post-44748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-craig-bickhardt","tag-featured","tag-john-byrne","tag-nektar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44748","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=44748"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44749,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44748\/revisions\/44749"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}