{"id":49142,"date":"2021-10-07T15:57:01","date_gmt":"2021-10-07T19:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=49142"},"modified":"2021-10-07T15:57:05","modified_gmt":"2021-10-07T19:57:05","slug":"on-stage-birdtalker-kicks-off-busy-area-music-weekend-at-milkboy-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=49142","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Birdtalker kicks off busy area music weekend at MilkBoy Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Birdtalker<\/p><\/div>\n

This weekend, live music gets off to an early start with a twin-bill at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>). The show on October 7 will feature Birdtalker as the headlined with Bre Kennedy as the opening act.<\/p>\n

Fronted by husband-and-wife Zack and Dani Green,\u00a0Birdtalker\u00a0have cultivated a special connection with their listeners through their blend of pulsing Americana\/folk\/pop, honest lyrics, and breathtaking harmonies.<\/p>\n

Birdtalker\u2019s path to formation was something that wasn\u2019t planned.<\/p>\n

\u201cDani and I got married in 2012,\u201d said Zack Green, during a recent interview. \u201cWe\u2019ve been together as Birdtalker since 2014 \u2013 the summer of 2014. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt accidentally started as a duo. We didn\u2019t have an ambition to be a band. I was a songwriter, but I didn\u2019t play shows. I didn\u2019t know Dani could sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dani said, \u201cI was a casual musician. I did study classical piano as a kid through middle school.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the start. Our duo was really tentative. Songwriting was something Zack did in college. We did a demo. My dad \u2013 Billy Montana \u2013 is\u00a0 a songwriter so we sent it to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billy liked it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave us positive encouragement,\u201d said Zack. \u201cI had a college buddy named Andy Hubright who helped. We realized how much fun it could be doing music. He said he wanted to play with us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were asked to play a set to open for a play at a park in Nashville. That\u2019s where we met our guitarist.\u201d<\/p>\n

While these three were playing the songs at Shakespeare in the Park on an August afternoon, Brian Seligman became interested in adding his immense talent to the mix as well and began playing along with mandolin and guitar. It sounded even better.<\/p>\n

The foursome wrote and practiced for about a year when another talented friend \u2013 Jesse Baker — expressed interest in lending his bass sounds to the band.<\/p>\n

Voice memos of song demos were produced, and suddenly they were a band, in everything but name or confessed intent.<\/p>\n

According to Dani, \u201cWe were very unintentionally doing what we were doing, Looking back, Brian and Andy had more of a vision for what we should be doing, and were probably very frustrated that they were dragging us along into becoming a band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with newcomer Chris Wilson on drums\/percussion,\u00a0Birdtalker\u00a0broadened their horizons with expansive indie\/rock textures while also staying true to their evocative and organic acoustic roots.<\/p>\n

With the unexpected success of their 2017 breakout single,\u00a0\u201cHeavy,\u201d <\/a>the band had to write, record, and release their first album with a sense of urgency. The whirlwind debut (which garnered acclaim from\u00a0Rolling Stone,\u00a0NPR Music,\u00a0Billboard,\u00a0World Cafe,\u00a0American Songwriter, and\u00a0Relix\u00a0among others) led to non-stop touring, festival appearances, and even their debut performance on the world-famous Grand Ole Opry.<\/p>\n

In August, Birdtalker\u00a0announced that their anticipated sophomore album will be released on\u00a0October 8\u00a0through AntiFragile Music. The self-titled effort is the follow-up to their 2018 critically acclaimed debut, \u201cOne.\u201d With their new album,\u00a0Birdtalker\u00a0find solid ground and step into their own with their most confident and unrestrained set of songs to date.<\/p>\n

This time around, the group found themselves much more comfortable in their own skin with no deadlines, zero restrictions, and a crystal-clear vision. It allowed them the time and space to be more explorative and curious, which can be heard in the expanded sonic palette across the album and the creative confident songwriting.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic was not a setback for Birdtalker.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrior to knowing anything about COVID-19, we planned on 2020 being a year to get into ourselves,\u201d said Zack. \u201cWe all got vaccinated and we masked up when we were rehearsing together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe separated from our previous management in December 2019 and didn\u2019t get new management until the record was done. The label didn\u2019t come through until spring this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were already planning to tour at that point. In our live shows now, we\u2019re playing a lot of the new album. For us, it\u2019s more inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Birdtalker \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/117o59qKWrw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bre Kennedy<\/p><\/div>\n

On the flip side, the pandemic did cause Bre Kennedy to alter her plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did have a lot of songs written and I planned to tour in 2020,\u201d said Kennedy, during a phone interview this week from Richmond, Virginia.<\/p>\n

Instead, 2020 was a shutdown and Kennedy worked on a new album with new songs \u2013 \u201cNote to Self.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the songs on the album were written during the pandemic,\u201d said Kennedy. \u201cThe only one that wasn\u2019t is \u2018Wilburn Street,\u2019 which I wrote the day before the lockdown. I thought that adding it would be a beacon of hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was writing about five or six songs a week. I probably wrote over 100 songs during the pandemic. When I chose the songs from the album, I didn\u2019t want to be just writing about being depressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are threads on the album. A lot of songs were me processing things about my life and how I wanted to live post-pandemic \u2013 songs to celebrate the brighter side after all the darkness brought on by the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raised by\u00a0her single dad in a highly musical household,\u00a0Kennedy\u00a0grew up jamming out to\u00a0greats like Tom Petty, Heart and Aretha Franklin. At 17 she moved to Los Angeles,\u00a0feeling in her gut that LA wasn\u2019t where she was meant to\u00a0be. In 2015, she\u00a0hopped in her Nissan and drove to Nashville where she really discovered her\u00a0true musical identity.<\/p>\n

Waitressing by day and gigging at night,\u00a0Kennedy\u00a0was\u00a0devoted to making her dream of a career in music a reality.\u00a0Playing shows at\u00a0prominent Nashville venues like The 5 Spot and The Basement, as her presence\u00a0grew in the city\u2019s music scene, she began releasing more of her own music and\u00a0building residency.
\nAfter her\u00a0buzzworthy hits like \u201cJealous of Birds\u201d and \u201cTwenty Something\u201d landed her Spotify\u2019s\u00a0New Music Friday, many doors opened up. Opening for Sheryl Crow at\u00a0Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and selling out her first\u00a0headlining show at\u00a0historical landmark Exit\/In, she cemented her spot as one of the new voices out\u00a0of the New Nashville music scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrior to the pandemic, my whole life was go, go, go,\u201d said Kennedy. \u201cWhen the pandemic hit, I was thew first time I was actually stopped. That\u2019s what ended up making songs. Because I was stuck at home, I had to face myself. A lot of dirt came out of the faucet. Eventually, it cleared up.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, the world was sick, and I drew inspiration from that. We all brute-forced through it. There\u2019s going to be a grievance. Writing these songs helped me get through it.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, they\u2019re all very introspective. A lot of dark stuff came up when writing the album. I\u2019m usually a very optimistic person. Seeing the world as a shitty place really helped.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Kennedy is performing live with bright spirits and a sense of optimism.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can make people laugh and get away from fear, then I\u2019m pleased with what I\u2019m doing,\u201d said Kennedy.<\/p>\n

Video link for Bre Kennedy — https:\/\/youtu.be\/1k3-IGZppmU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at MilkBoyPhilly on October 7 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming acts at MilkBoy are Son Little on October 8, Horrendous on October 9, Funk You on October 10, The Unlikely Candidate on October 11 and Moontype on October 12.<\/p>\n

On October 8, another female artist making a name for herself will visit Philly when The Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150,www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>) hosts Malia as the opener for JMSN.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Malia<\/p><\/div>\n

Malia\u00a0is a singer-songwriter and neo-soul artists whose roots are on the West Coast.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was born in Texas and raised in the suburbs of Seattle \u2013 in Bellevue, Washington,\u201d said Malia, during a phone interview last week from Gastonia, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cI moved to L.A. for college \u2013 Chapman College in Orange County. Now, I\u2019m living in East L.A.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malia began studying music as a child, taking piano lessons at age eight and joining choir in middle school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been singing since pre-kindergarten. It was a thing I always liked to do. I sang in choirs in middle school and high school. I also joined advanced drama class and was in shows like \u2018West Side Story\u2019 and \u2018Guys and Dolls.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I went to Chapman College, I got degrees in political science and sociology. I also learned to long board when I was in Orange County.\u201d
\nShe also learned that most jobs were dead-end streets \u2013 so she started singing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t start singing until I was 27,\u201d said Malia. \u201cI was just really unhappy working dead-end jobs. I worked retail, restaurants, modeling. I even worked as a greeter at L.A. Airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so unhappy. I was going down this bland path of education. I asked \u2013 what am I doing working paycheck-to-paycheck. I wanted to find out what would make me happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where music came on the scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got my first guitar and started to noodle around,\u201d said Malia. \u201cI got on You Tube. I made 15-second covers of songs on Instagram. Based on a couple YouTube videos, I got emails from people inviting me to studios. So, I went to studios in L.A. and cut songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her journey had begun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI released the \u2018Malia\u2019 EP in 2015,\u201d said Malia. \u201cIt was my first time putting out music. Then, I released my \u2018Letting Go\u2019 EP in 2016.<\/p>\n

Matt Martians of\u00a0The Internet<\/a>\u00a0invited Malia to their studio where she met the band.\u00a0She went on to collaborate with\u00a0Syd<\/a> on her track, \u201cDirty Laundry,\u201d\u00a0and opening for Syd on her 2017 West Coast tour.\u00a0Malia collaborated with Soulection on the release of her single \u201cPlay Sides\u201d\u00a0and played their Los Angeles tour stop. Malia released her first album, \u201cUnpolished,\u201d\u00a0in April 2021.<\/p>\n

\u2018I recorded some of the album at my home studio and some at a friend\u2019s studio,\u201d said Malia. \u201cI started to produce on my own because we couldn\u2019t get together because of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album has a raw vibe. A lot of it was written about personal experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a new EP that is a very intimate project. It\u2019s already mixed and mastered. Thankfully, I was able to work with people again. It\u2019s the most authentic piece of work I\u2019ve done. I think it will drop in February.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Malia \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/n9lul-OnI2s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at The Foundry on October 8 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at The Foundry are Lewis DelMar on October 9 and Christian French on October 10.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bahamas<\/p><\/div>\n

On October 8, Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com<\/a>) will host a show by Bahamas, the stage name for Canadian musician Afie Jurvanen\u2019s longtime music project.<\/p>\n

He is currently touring in support of his most recent albums — \u201cSad Hunk,\u201d which was released on October 9, 2020, and won the 2021 Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year, and his brand-new LP, \u201cLive to Tape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe live album is out this week,\u201d said Jurvanen, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in western Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the LP during the lockdown. I made the video project with musicians from all over the world. The band was in studios in Nashville, L.A. and Australia. There were cameras in both ends and we recorded digitally.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I didn\u2019t expect it to turn out as well as it did. We took the best performances from different sessions. There were 10 sessions altogether.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was at a professional studio in Halifax. I still like going to the studio and having someone else turn the knobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jurvanen grew up in Ontario before relocating to the Nova Scotia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI moved to Halifax from Toronto three years ago,\u201d said Jurvanen, who is of Finnish descent. \u201cI love being on the water. And, Halifax has a lot of great people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jurvanen taught himself guitar and recorded his debut album,\u00a0\u201cPink Strat,\u201d in a cabin in rural Ontario in 2008. He released the album under the name Bahamas in 2009 and was subsequently nominated for a\u00a02010 Juno Award\u00a0for\u00a0Roots & Traditional Album of the Year \u2013 Solo.<\/p>\n

Bahamas\u2019 second album,\u00a0\u201cBarchords,\u2019 was released\u00a0on February 7, 2012.\u00a0The album received nomination at the\u00a02013 Juno Awards\u00a0for the\u00a0Adult Alternative Album of the Year. Jurvanen received a nomination for\u00a0Songwriter of the Year\u00a0for the tracks \u201cBe My Witness,\u201d \u201cCaught Me Thinking\u201d and \u201cLost in the Light.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jurvanen released his third album,\u00a0\u201cBahamas Is Afie,\u201d\u00a0on August 19, 2014. The album received first place on\u00a0Q\u2019s Top 20 Albums of 2014. \u201cBahamas Is Afie\u201d\u00a0received a nomination for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the\u00a0Juno Awards of 2015, and Jurvanen received nomination for Songwriter of the Year for \u201cAll the Time,\u201d \u201cBitter Memories\u201d and \u201cStronger Than That.\u201d\u00a0He won the awards in both categories.<\/p>\n

Bahamas\u2019 fourth album,\u00a0\u201cEarthtones\u201d, came out on January 19, 2018. Jurvanen released his fifth studio album,\u00a0\u201cSad Hunk,\u201d on October 9, 2020. The album won the Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the\u00a0Juno Awards of 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Sad Hunk\u2019 came out a year ago,\u201d said Jurvanen. \u201cThe whole thing was made in December 2019 and January 2020 \u2013 just before lockdown. I pushed the release back to the fall of 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know when things would get back to normal so putting it out was the only choice. If we sat on it to long, I\u2019d write more songs. I like to put things out as quickly as I can. I looked at it as an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jurvanen did see some good things about the lockdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt forced me to stay home and that meant I was able to make breakfast for my daughters who are four and six,\u201d said Jurvanen. \u201cBut I did miss touring. I enjoy touring. You become more proficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Jurvanen usually tours with a band, this phase of live shows will have him performing as a solo artist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I play solo, the pace is much different,\u201d said Jurvanen. \u201cI can do what I want. I don\u2019t have to stick to a set list. But, when I\u2019m solo I\u2019m playing guitar the whole time and that can be a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Bahamas \u2013<\/p>\n

The show at Union Transfer on October 8 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

Another upcoming show at Union Transfer is Jukebox the Ghost on October 9.<\/p>\n

On October 9, Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is back with indoor shows with a concert featuring David Wilcox.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

David\u00a0Wilcox<\/p><\/div>\n

More than three decades into his career, singer\/songwriter David\u00a0Wilcox\u00a0continues to push himself, just as he always has.\u00a0Wilcox, by so many measures, is a quintessential folk singer, telling stories full of heart, humor, and hope, substance, searching, and style. His innate sense of adventure and authenticity is why critics and colleagues, alike, have always praised not just his artistry, but his humanity, as well.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the result of a man giving himself over in gratitude and service to something bigger than himself. After an early 80s move to Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, Wilcox started playing guitar and writing songs, processing his own inner workings and accessing his own inner wisdom.<\/p>\n

In 1987, within a couple of years of graduating,\u00a0Wilcox\u00a0had released his first independent album,\u00a0\u201cThe Nightshift Watchman.\u201d A year later, he won the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Award and, in 1989, he signed with A&M Records, selling more than 100,000 copies of his A&M debut,\u00a0\u201cHow Did You Find Me Here.\u201d<\/p>\n

On his most recent album, \u201cThe View From the Edge,\u201d Wilcox delved into topics such as mental health, family legacies, spiritual contemplations, and topical concerns. The song \u201cWe Make the Way By Walking\u201d also won him the Grand Prize in the 2018 USA \u00a0Songwriting Contest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe View From the Edge\u201d was released in 2018 and no new LP is on the schedule yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking an album is the last thing on my mind \u2013 until it\u2019s the only thing on my mind,\u201d said Wilcox, during a phone interview last week from his home in Asheville, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday, I looked at my songs that I\u2019d written since the last album, discarded some and I have 52 left. The pandemic has been a great time to write songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been good for me. I talk with friends. I watch the garden come in. It has given me a lot of time to do things that normal people do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilcox was able to stay somewhat active musically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a few outdoor gigs \u2013 using a singer\u2019s mask,\u201d said Wilcox, who normally would be on the road a lot each year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also did a lot of Livestream shows \u2013 two or three a month for a while. It had its own advantages \u2013 a sweet spot, a way to interact. I was speaking to one person at a time. I had to get really honest and speak as one-on-one with a friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did miss the live interaction. I realized how much I missed it when I did my first live show in front of an audience again. I remembered what fun that was. With Livestream, I had to turn up my input to feel the connection.\u201d
\nFortunately for his fans, Wilcox has been doing more than writing new songs.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been recording,\u201d said Wilcox. \u201cI usually record them as I write them. There is something about catching a song when it\u2019s just written. Then, I fix what needs to be fixed later.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll release a new album soon. It\u2019s gotten to be that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for David Wilcox — https:\/\/youtu.be\/-Y7ng-Uz1qg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kennett Flash will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

There will also be a Kennett Flash Rooftop Series *Special Return Performance* on October 8 at 7 p.m. featuring jazz\/blues sax ace Vanessa Collier.<\/p>\n

Video link for Vanessa Collier — https:\/\/youtu.be\/qz57R8qDA2w<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tickets for the October 8 rooftop show are $30.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dar Williams<\/p><\/div>\n

Dar Williams, who will be performing October 9 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>), is out on tour in support of a new album.<\/p>\n

Williams, who has recorded more than 20 albums, released the new LP, \u201cI\u2019ll Meet You Here,\u201d on October 1 on BMG\u2019s recently launched Renew label. Her most recent album prior to this was \u201cEmerald,\u201d which came out in 2015.<\/p>\n

In a recent phone interview from her home in New York\u2019s Hudson Valley, she explained why there was such a long time between album releases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a gap between albums because I did a book,\u201d said Williams, a well-respected speaker\/author\/singer-songwriter.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter I released \u2018Emerald\u2019 in 20215, I stopped writing songs for a while. I didn\u2019t start writing songs again until 2017. Then, I recorded \u2018I\u2019ll Meet You Here\u2019 in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to release it in 2020. But because of the pandemic, I moved the entire release up a year. It was just a year off and now it\u2019s really full out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album in North Jersey at a studio near Weehawken with producer\u00a0Stewart Lerman. The core of the recording was done in a couple weeks in November 2019. Then, I did an intensive week in January 2020 with Stuart Smith, who plays with the Eagles. I sent a scratch track of the title song to Larry Campbell in Woodstock. I wanted to do it as a duet with bassist\u00a0Gail Ann Dorsey\u00a0and\u00a0Larry Campbell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campbell produced the track and played\u00a0guitars, pedal steel and twangy baritone guitar. Later, they had to postpone a mid-March mixing date because Campbell said he wasn\u2019t feeling well anyway which turned into a serious case of COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a schedule conflict, so we had to postpone the mixing date with Larry for day,\u201d said Williams. \u201cHe was getting really sick and then found out he had COVID. He got very sick with COVID. We were very lucky because if we had done the mixing session, a lot of people could have contracted the disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite encountering some speed bumps along the way, Williams finally able to put the album out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album officially came out on October 1,\u201d said Williams. \u201cWe had a few singles that came out prior to the album release and that helped.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album has 10 songs including nine originals.<\/p>\n

One song isn\u2019t her own, but she loves the melody and message of \u201cSullivan Lane,\u201d a retro-poppy tune about finding kindred vulnerable spirits. It was written by one if her neighbors \u2013 Philadelphia native Joziah Longo, leader of one of America\u2019s most underappreciated folk-rock bands\u00a0Slambovian Circus of Dreams.<\/p>\n

Even when Williams isn\u2019t focusing on music, she still stays very busy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just taught a college course at Wesleyan University,\u201d said Williams, who also handles the duty of being as mother to a young child. \u201cTeaching at a university was great. I\u2019ve also done some songwriting retreats and that\u2019s been great too. I like to have different avenues rather than just recording and touring.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those avenues has been writing books. Williams published two young-adult novels with Scholastic in the mid-2000s, along with a green blog for Huffpost, before she tackled her urban-planning study, published in 2017 \u2013 \u201cWhat I Found in a Thousand Towns: A Traveling Musician\u2019s Guide to Rebuilding America’s Communities \u2014 One Coffee Shop, Dog Run & Open-Mike Night at a Time.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her new book, Williams muses on why some towns flourish while others fail, examining elements from the significance of history and nature to the uniting power of public spaces and food. Drawing on her own travels and the work of urban theorists, Williams offers real solutions to rebuild declining communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I Found in a Thousand Towns\u201d is more than a love letter to America’s small towns, it’s a deeply personal and hopeful message about the potential of America’s lively and resilient communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a memoir,\u201d said Williams. \u201cIt\u2019s what I had seen from tours in my travels at towns that had found a way to be resilient \u2013 hometown pride and a world welcome. I followed that thread and tried to figure out what it was.<\/p>\n

\u201cI call it \u2018positive proximity\u2019 \u2013 a state of being in a town where people know that living side-by-side is beneficial\u2026that the more they follow that proximity, the better life can be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote about how to build positive proximity, how to maintain the benefits of positive proximity and how to sustain positive proximity.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her book, Williams looks at two area towns \u2013 Phoenixville and Wilmington.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Phoenixville chapter is about what happens when a town digs into its history and builds on that,\u201d said Williams. \u201cIt is a town that has become a vibrant place because of that. The Wilmington chapter is about waterfronts \u2013 about how towns can come back to life by developing their waterfront areas with parks, restaurants and public spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n

On this tour, Williams won\u2019t be playing Steel City Coffee House or the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville nor The Grand or The Queen in Wilmington. But the Sellersville Theater is close enough.<\/p>\n

Video link for Dar Williams \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/4-0tPKPbypk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville on October 9 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams on October 7, Jackie Venson on October 8, Sam Amidon on October 11 and Hotel California on October 12 and 13.<\/p>\n

On October 12, Philadelphia-based rock band will play at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) as the opening act in a show featuring A Flock of Seagulls.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Athensville<\/p><\/div>\n

Athensville is an alternative rock band featuring Matthew Taglang (vocals), David Perry (guitar), Ed Moman (bass), and James Farrell (drums).<\/p>\n

Ironically, despite not being a young band fresh out of college, the members of Athensville were still in elementary school when A Flock of Seagulls had their big hit, \u201cI Ran (So Far Away).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all in our late 40s and early 50s,\u201d said Taglang, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. \u201cThe band is a passion project on the side of our careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taglang should be familiar to many Chester County residents. He teaches German at Rustin High School and spent more than a decade as the school\u2019s cross country coach. Moman lives in Chestnut Hill and is a sound man at many of the area\u2019s music venues. Farrell, a Parks Service employee, hails from North Wales and Perry is a Philadelphia lawyer who lives in Glenside,<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started in 2015. We met through mutual acquaintances at a fundraiser. We started playing our first shows in 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur guitarist Dave Perry and I were original members. We started out playing covers and by 2018 we had written five originals. We released our first EP, \u201cProper,\u201d in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen that EP was released, we had a release party at the Grape Room in Manayunk and also played a show at Forest & Main in Ambler.\u201d<\/p>\n

Athensville spent all of 2019 and 2020 recording the follow-up to \u201cProper.\u201d Released in March 2021, their full-length LP, \u201cUndressing Minds for Show,\u201d features 11 songs, each with its own distinct character. The album was recorded at BarnSound Studios in Newtown Square with producer Derek Chafin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2019, we went back in the studio with 11 new songs,\u201d said Taglang. \u201cWe started in early 2019 and played shows all year while we were also in the studio recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took us a full two years to make the album. Our plan was to do weekend touring around the area \u2013 D.C., New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Then, COVID hit, and we weren\u2019t able to do any shows from March 2020 to March 2021.\u201d<\/p>\n

Athensville, which plays a mix of rock and alternative rock, took its name from the history of Ardmore, the Philadelphia suburb where rehearsals first took place and where the band will be playing this weekend. Originally named \u201cAthensville\u201d in 1853, the community and its railroad station were renamed \u201cArdmore\u201d in 1873 by the\u00a0Pennsylvania Railroad.<\/p>\n

Athensville also has a show alter this month at The War3house 3 in Swarthmore on October 23.<\/p>\n

Video link for Athensville — https:\/\/youtu.be\/b-RPKx-Ea3c<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Ardmore Music Hall on October 12 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Jackie Greene on October 7, KRS-One on October 8 and Giant Panda Gorilla Dub Squad on October 13.<\/p>\n

Chestnut\u00a0Grove, which will play a residency at 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com<\/a>) on Saturday nights, has some similarities to Athensville.<\/p>\n

The band has its roots in the Delaware Valley, has played gigs at the Ardmore Music Hall and recorded its most recent album \u2013 \u201cThe Album\u201d –at BarnSound Studios in Newtown Square with producer Derek Chafin.<\/p>\n

Chestnut Grove was formed by\u00a0James Daniels, John Tyler, Sean Murray\u00a0and\u00a0Dee Gerhart\u00a0in 2011 during their senior year of high school. The band\u2019s name was chosen in memory of would-be member and guitar player Matt Barber, who passed away tragically in a car accident on\u00a0Chestnut\u00a0Grove\u00a0Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together for a decade,\u201d said Gerhart, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. \u201cWe\u2019ve been touring heavily since 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all graduated from high school together in 2011 \u2013 Boyertown High School. Our drummer James played with our guitar player John. I was doing acoustic singer\/songwriter doing open mics. We weren\u2019t drawn together musically.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my senior year, I was in a talent show at Boyertown High. I did some numbers like \u2018You Really Got a Hold On Me\u2019with Zach Winkler. They approached me and it rolled on from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe covered a lot of Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix. I was the only one singing. We immediately started working on some originals. We were trying to be a jam group but drifted more to singer\/songwriter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s collective songwriting. It\u2019s mainly driven by me and James, but everyone has an input. Each has their on part of the puzzle.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2015, Gerhart, Winkler, Daniels, Tyler and Gary Geers, with the help of friend\/engineer Owen McGreehan, released their self-produced album,\u00a0\u201cPerkiomenville,\u201d\u00a0to a sold-out hometown crowd at\u00a0World Cafe Live\u00a0in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded that album at our barn studio in Perkiomenville,\u201d said Gerhart. \u201cIt had 10 tracks with a vert rootsy, Americana feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2016, the band released its \u201cLet it Down\u201d\u00a0EP which was produced by Bill Moriarty (Modest Mouse, Dr. Dog) and in 2018, the band released the\u00a0\u201cBlack Champagne\u201d\u00a0EP on Mad Dragon Records, with the single \u201cScratch an Itch\u201d\u00a0getting airplay on Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started working on our new album two years ago,\u201d said Gerhart. \u201cWe started recording around the end of 2019. We were going to release it in 2020 and then COVID changed everybody\u2019s plans. The 2020 tour evaporated.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally, we released the album in May 2021 and hopefully will tour a lot into 2022. Right now, we\u2019re trying to plan out next year. The residency at 118 North is a glimmer of hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Chestnut Grove — https:\/\/youtu.be\/tNbl1ViCMlk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) presents Back in Black on October 8 and the Bill Withers Project on October 9.<\/p>\n

The Living Room (35 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, https:\/\/thelivingroomat35east.com<\/a>) will present Phil Roy on October 9 and Iain Matthews with Jim Fogarty on October 10.<\/p>\n

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) will present Theo Von on October 8 and Lewis Black on October 9.<\/p>\n

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) is presenting its \u00a0brand-new mainstage production \u2013 \u201cThe Best of the Candlelight Theatre\u201d \u2013 now through October 31.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times This weekend, live music gets off to an early start with a twin-bill at MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com). The show on October 7 will feature Birdtalker as the headlined with Bre Kennedy as the opening act. Fronted by husband-and-wife Zack and Dani Green,\u00a0Birdtalker\u00a0have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[14102,14106,14103,14107,5874,14105,7426,14104],"class_list":["post-49142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-athensville","tag-bahamas","tag-birdtalker","tag-bre-kennedy","tag-dar-williams","tag-david-wilcox","tag-featured","tag-malia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49142","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=49142"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49143,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49142\/revisions\/49143"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/49135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}