{"id":49580,"date":"2021-12-16T09:02:46","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T14:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=49580"},"modified":"2021-12-16T09:03:40","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T14:03:40","slug":"on-stage-brickman-brings-gift-of-christmas-to-keswick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=49580","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Brickman brings ‘Gift of Christmas’ to Keswick"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Jim Brickman<\/p><\/div>\n

Jim Brickman\u2019s music always has a warm, soothing quality. His current tour might just be his warmest, most familiar ever. It\u2019s a holiday tour that includes both Christmas music and songs from his vast catalogue<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Gift of Christmas\u201d is the name of Brickman\u2019s current tour.<\/p>\n

Brickman will bring his \u201cThe Gift of Christmas\u201d to the area for a show on December 21 at the Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Brickman has taken a holiday show on the road annually for more than two decades — except for 2020 \u2013 the year that everything closed down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t play live shows pretty much the whole time from March 2020 on,\u201d said Brickman, during a phone interview Tuesday from a tour stop in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a couple dates but, for the most part, it\u2019s been dead for being on the road and playing shows. You never know how long it\u2019s going to be so that affects the booking. <\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t mind being off for that time. I\u2019ve been working in the studio. I recorded my second Disney tribute album, and it will be out in March. And I recorded a 25th anniversary version of my song, \u2018Valentine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brickman released the album, \u201cPicture This,\u201d in 1996. The LP featured a vocal performance of the song, \u201cValentine,\u201d by\u00a0Martina McBride. The song reached Number Three on the Adult Contemporary chart.<\/p>\n

Brickman has recorded more than 50 albums including more than a half-dozen Christmas album. His new release is also a Christmas album \u2013 \u201cA Christmas Symphony.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had always wanted to record an album with a Symphony Orchestra,\u201d said Brickman, who is the best-selling solo pianist of our time with more than 20 Number One albums and more than 30 20 Radio Singles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the ways strings soar \u2013 the beauty and the majesty. On the album, we also have some woodwinds soloists and some guitar solos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brickman realized his dream this year.<\/p>\n

According to Brickman, \u201cThere\u2019s no better time than Christmas to celebrate with music, so I felt it was fitting to make my first orchestra album a holiday collection.
\n\u201cThis collection of songs is both traditional and contemporary, and features many of my favorite carols along with original compositions and star-studded vocal performances. This album is truly a labor of love.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album features versions of such holiday classics as \u201cThe First Noel,\u201d \u201cAve\u00a0 Maria,\u201d \u201cOh Holy Night\u201d and \u201cI\u2019ll Be Home for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI picked the songs as I went along,\u201d said Brickman, whose catalogue includes LPs with titles such as \u201cPeace,\u201d \u201cHope,\u201d \u201cGrace,\u201d \u201cFaith,\u201d \u201cJoy,\u201d \u201cLove\u201d and \u201cBelieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t usually over-list. I\u2019m not the type of artist who starts with 40 songs and whittles it down. On this tour, I\u2019m playing a combination of Christmas songs and songs from my other albums. People shout out requests and I do my best to play them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Jim Brickman — https:\/\/youtu.be\/M3q1gKgMoiY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Keswick Theatre on December 21 at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices start at $38.50.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Keswick are Darlene Love on December 17, An American Celtic Christmas on December 18 and Top of the World on December 19.<\/p>\n

If you like Christmas music but would like to hear something other than the same old traditional songs done the same old traditional way, there is a show for you tonight. If you want to enjoy the traditional songs and rock out at the same time, plan a trip to Lansdowne.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Laura Cheadle<\/p><\/div>\n

On December 18, Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) is hosting a concert billed as \u201cA Very Cheadle Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show features Laura Cheadle and her band. Cheadle has a band that features blues, soul, funk \u2013 and a lot of Cheadles.<\/p>\n

Her four-piece group features her brother Jim Cheadle on guitar and her father James Cheadle on keyboards along with South Jersey\u2019s Dave Ferebee on drums.<\/p>\n

James \u201cPapa Cheadle\u201d has played and recorded with Don Cornell, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Four Aces, Grover Washington Jr., The Soul Survivors, Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be touring with them again next year,\u201d said Cheadle, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis weekend\u2019s show \u2013 \u2018A Very Cheadle Christmas\u2019 \u2013 will be my last local show for a while. My next area show will be \u2018Laura Cheadle Sings The Sexy Blues: Valentine’s Show\u2019 at The Living Room at 35 East in February.<\/p>\n

Christmas has already arrived for Cheadle this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just signed a deal with Sony Music,\u201d said Cheadle. \u201cI just released a Christmas album with Sony on their Orchard label, and I\u2019ll have a new album coming out on Sony in early 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in the studio a lot. I hadn\u2019t written in four years. When the COVID shutdown arrived, I started writing and couldn\u2019t stop. I just relaxed and enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the results of her writing outburst was here recently released holiday album, \u201cLet\u2019s Get Together for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a family affair,\u201d said Cheadle. \u201cI recorded it at my dad\u2019s studio with my brothers and him. My dad was the producer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are nine songs on the album with five originals and four standards \u2013 \u2018Sleigh Ride,\u2019 \u2018Here Comes Santa Claus,\u2019 \u2018First Noel,\u2019 and \u2018Blue Christmas.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a Christmas album before \u2013 in 2010. It was more of a jazz album. This one is definitely bluesier.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a Christmas album but it\u2019s a real sexy, sultry album \u2013 very R&B. I really got a chance to showcase my voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheadle\u2019s most recent studio album is \u201cChill,\u201d which came out in 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote the songs from 2013 on,\u201d said Cheadle. \u201cThere were a lot of changes in my life. The songs are about relationships and love \u2013 about being true to yourself. It\u2019s absolutely introspective. It\u2019s about my life.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking this album was definitely a cathartic experience. I worked through a lot of emotions on this record. I still feel the emotion when I perform them. I can\u2019t let go of these feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheadle\u00a0has played with her family ever since she was a young girl.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father has influenced me so much,\u201d said Cheadle. \u201cHe\u2019s a seasoned jazz musician who used to be a music professor at Rowan University. So, I\u2019ve always been involved with music<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has his own recording studio in South Jersey called the Swedesboro Music Studio and he records a lot of different people. He and I are both devoted to music. His influence on me is blues and jazz \u2013 but I make it modern.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheadle\u2019s music career began when she was four years old. Her father created the \u201cAppreciation Choir\u201d for the Persian Gulf War troops in the early nineties and created a music video that was aired on VH1 and MTV. Along with her two older twin brothers and various other children, Cheadle toured around the United States singing for audiences.<\/p>\n

When she was 11, she enlisted her father to teach her how to play drums. From her \u201ctween\u201d to \u201cmid-teen\u201d years, Cheadle was in a band with her brothers called Sibling \u2013 a pop group that played at local restaurants, churches, music venues, private parties and parades.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in the Philadelphia\/New Jersey music scene for quite some time,\u201d said Cheadle. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing acoustic stuff since I was 16 and then put my band together later. Sibling was a blend and I morphed into my music. Songwriting comes very naturally for me. Sometimes, I wake up with a melody in my head. It\u2019s just there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been a super fan of old soul. My biggest influences are Aretha Franklin, Tower of Power, James Brown and Stevie Wonder. I love real drums and all the organic instruments. Some of my songs are rock. Some of them are blues. It\u2019s hard to classify me \u2013 maybe pop\/rock with soul influence. I just do what I feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cheadle Family has built a strong reputation nationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were on an NBC television show called \u2018The Next Great Family Band\u2019 in 2013,\u201d said Cheadle. \u201cThat got us a lot of interest in being booked for tours. They actually came to our place in Swedesboro. The exposure was great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Laura Cheadle \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/Ro-JwppZkJM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Jamey\u2019s on December 18 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $30 advance and $36 at the door.<\/p>\n

This weekend, Jamey\u2019s will also present the Philly Blues Kings\u00a0Trio on December 17 \u2013 a show that will feature free admission. The band will also play another free show at Jamey\u2019s this weekend \u2013a \u201cBlues Jam\u201d on December 19 from noon-3 p.m.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Crossing<\/p><\/div>\n

The Crossing has two upcoming area performances of \u201cThe Crossing @ Christmas: Carols After a Plague\u201d — December 17 at the Annenberg Center (3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia) and December 19 at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill (8855 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia).<\/p>\n

The Crossing (www.crossingchoir.org<\/a>) is an American professional chamber choir based in Philadelphia. The Crossing is conducted by\u00a0Donald Nally\u00a0and dedicated to new music. It is committed to working with creative teams to make and record new, substantial works for choir that explore and expand ways of writing for choir, singing in choir, and listening to music for choir.<\/p>\n

Many of its nearly 90 commissioned premieres address social, environmental, and political issues. With a commitment to recording its commissions, The Crossing has issued 19 releases and received two Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance (2018, 2019), and three Grammy nominations in as many years.<\/p>\n

This month\u2019s program is the culmination of a year-long focused project. \u201cCarols after a Plague\u201d features an evening of premieres by Leila Adu, Alex Berko, Edith Canat de Chizy, Viet Cuong, Samantha Fernando, Vanessa Lann, Mary Jane Leach, Shara Nova, Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Nina Shekhar, Tyshawn Sorey, and LJ White.<\/p>\n

The composers\u2019 works all address the topic of plague \u2013 be it a pandemic, racism, climate change, gun violence, homelessness, diasporas, isolation, or loneliness \u2013 through their own idea of a carol, a brief choral work of joy or lament.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarlier in this calendar year, I was thinking that with our singing, we needed a program that would reflect what we went through,\u201d said Nally, during a phone interview Monday afternoon. \u201cIt looks at the state of the world and how we treat each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Crossing asked 12 composers \u2013 12, representative of the divisions of the hour, the year, and the days of Christmas \u2013 to respond to the project title, leaving it to them to address what \u201cCarols after a Plague\u201d meant to them. In return, The Crossing received 12 deeply personal, musical ruminations on our battered, resilient world. Not one of these carols is a carol in the traditional sense, yet all focus both singers and audience on a particular, relevant topic for a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI invited 12 composers to write pieces that reflected their interpretations of carols and plagues,\u201d said Nally. \u201cI have a running list of people I like to work with. I just went to my list.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey all went and worked over a 5-to-6-month period. Some focused on isolation from the pandemic. Some investigated race issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were very different styles \u2013 jazz, minimalist, pop, modern. These are not carols in the traditional sense by any means.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following was posted on The Crossing\u2019s website \u2013<\/p>\n

\u201cA plague can be left behind. A carol is lasting:
\na record of the time.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS A CAROL?<\/p>\n

Brief, singable song, for choirs of varying sizes, often on themes of advent, anticipation, rebirth; a story, recounting an event, that stays with us and becomes a part of our culture.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS A PLAGUE?<\/p>\n

Can also be brief, or not; it affects great numbers of people, causing physical destruction and emotional distress. Pandemics, racism, climate change, gun violence, homelessness, diasporas \u2013 these are Plagues. Isolation and loneliness, too.<\/p>\n

Carols after a Plague: a collection from many composers new to The Crossing, all addressing the topic of Plague through their idea of Carol. A concert embracing unprecedented breadth of style and perspective; a history, as we emerge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect to hear \u201cThe First Noel\u201d or \u201cOh Holy Night\u201d at these concerts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is very different than two years ago,\u201d said Nally. \u201cCarols are different. I wanted to make a record that reflected this time. The record, which is not a live recording, will be out in March.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The Crossing \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/RWANOYFSH-w<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The concert at The Annenberg Center on December 17 will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35.<\/p>\n

The concert at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill on December 19 will start at 5 p.m. Tickets are $35 general admission, $25 seniors and $20 students.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mipso<\/p><\/div>\n

When Mipso started out almost a decade ago, it was looked at as a rising young string band from the Chapel Hill\/Durham area in North Carolina.<\/p>\n

Mipso\u00a0played a lot in the Golden Triangle area, built up a strong fan base and eventually began to spread out to new areas. The band released its debut album \u201cDark Holler Pop\u201d in 2013.<\/p>\n

Fast forward eight years. Mipso released its self-titled Rounder Records album in October 2020 and no longer is viewed as a young band.<\/p>\n

After years as a trio,\u00a0Mipso\u00a0added fiddler and vocalist Libby Rodenbough to the existing lineup of Jacob Sharp (mandolin), Joseph Terrell (guitar), and Wood Robinson (bass). All were students at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n

Mipso, which will headline shows on December 17 and 18 at Milkboy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>), is now an established band with five albums in its resume.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s different now,\u201d said Rodenbough, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to be that when we\u2019d play festivals, we were the new kids \u2013 the young band. Now, there is a new wave of young bands and we\u2019re at a different level.\u2019<\/p>\n

When Mipso started, all four members were students at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The three guys graduated in 2013 and Rodenbough collected her diploma in 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph was one of the first people I met in school,\u201d said Rodenbaugh. \u201cThe only music I had played before that was classical violin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe asked me to jam with him. It was terrifying — but I caught the bug. I left school and went to a folk music school in Chicago. I was studying banjo, mandolin and guitar — and I brought my fiddle along to jam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I was gone, the three boys started the band. When I got back, I just played local shows with them as a featured guest. Then, they asked me to join the band on a permanent basis. I was hesitant at first because it was three boys singing love songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere wasn\u2019t a particular moment that made me decide to do it. I just started having so much fun playing with them. And it was either join a band or take a lousy entry-level job somewhere. I was also starting to really enjoy playing live and writing songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mipso, influenced by the contradiction of its progressive home and the surrounding rural southern landscapes, is hailed as \u201chewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular\u201d and was recognized by\u00a0Rolling Stone\u00a0a few years ago as an \u201cArtist You Need to Know Now<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMipso\u201d is Mipso\u2019s sixth full-length album. The album\u2019s 12-songs are a blend of alt-folk, indie, alt-country and rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never did an album release tour for this album because of the pandemic,\u201d said Rodenbough. \u201cIt was really frustrating. It\u2019s hard to conceive what an album is if you\u2019re not playing shows. One good thing is that it gave us a chance to sit back and take stock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started writing songs for the new album in early 2018\/late 2018. The first big recording session was in the summer of 2019 at Ethel Mountain Studio in Asheville, North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mipso\u2019s members collaborated with producer Sandro Perri (Polmo Polpo, Great Lake Swimmers).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a great producer,\u201d said Rodenbough. \u201cAll the band members feel a connection to the North Carolina mountains, and we wanted to try a change of scenery. The landscape influenced a lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was summertime. It was hot and humid during the day and then cooled off at night. In the evenings, we\u2019d sit and drink wine on the porch while listening to a chorus of cicadas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album has a lot of natural imagery in the songs. We made it much the way made all our other albums \u2013 hungry to record because we had written a lot of songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe rarely start with themes, but they do tend to emerge. This time, it was a historical moment in time and where we are with our own lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Mipso \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/8MAFe3TL_Ek<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Milkboy Philly on December 17 will have Alexa Rose as the opener and the show on December 18 will have Johanna Samuels as the opening act. Showtime is 8:30 p.m. both nights.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnique\u201d is an often overused and misused descriptive adjective. It means \u201cbeing the only one of its kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Grex<\/p><\/div>\n

No band or artist makes music that is truly unique. But Grex, a band that will be appearing on December 19 as part of \u201cFire Museum Presents\u201d series at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St, Philadelphia, firemuseumpresents.com<\/a>), makes music that is much, much closer to being unique than being common.<\/p>\n

Grex is a duo featuring Karl Evangelista (guitar, voice, drums, samples, misc.) and Rei Scampavia\u00a0(synth, voice, drums, misc.), an Oakland, California-based that has been making unconventional music for more than a decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been a band in some official capacity since 2009,\u201d said Evangelista, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon as he and Scampavia were driving through Oklahoma on their way to the tour\u2019s opening show in New York. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a drummer \u2013 Robert Lopez \u2013 in and out over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cRei and I went when we were students at Mills College in Oakland. I got my master\u2019s degree in music performance literature and Rei got hers in biology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mills is an\u00a0undergraduate women’s college\u00a0for women and gender non-binary students with graduate programs for students of all genders. Mills was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was relocated to Oakland in 1871, and became the first women\u2019s college west of the Rockies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been performing as a duo since 2016. The difference between when we started and now is the environment. At the start, I was playing a lot of improvisation and free jazz. Then, I adjusted to include noise and hip hop to collide with the acoustic.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our goals is to integrate \u2013 to find the middle ground between experimental music and the traditional songbook.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bay Area has always been a fertile breeding ground for experimental, non-mainstream music including the Residents, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Naytronix, Cosa Brava, Splatter Trio, tUnE-yArDs and Fred Frith, who was a\u00a0Professor of Composition in the Music Department at\u00a0Mills College\u00a0until his retirement in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Residents informed a lot of music,\u201d said Evangelista. \u201cSo did Fred Firth. There are a lot of experimental bands in the Bay Area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oakland also has been a political hotbed for decades. Oakland has a long history of activism around
\nissues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city\u2019s past and the lives of its residents to this day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Los Angeles and the Philippines,\u201d said Evangelista. \u201cI\u2019ve been in Oakland since 2004. \u201cThe political culture influenced our early work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have friends who are political activists. It weighs a lot in our mission statement. We play a lot in the Bay Area \u2013 frequently in community spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grex is out in its first tour since the release of its most recent album, \u201cEverything You Said Was Wrong,\u201d which was came out on September 5, 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album In Oakland with producer\/guitarist Myles Boisen,\u201d said Evangelista. \u201cWe got some basic tracks done in the studio and then COVID hit, and we had to finish it at home<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started working on the record in 2019. We were still in the compositional process when it was still pre-pandemic. We actually started working some of the songs into our show in 2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

A grex is a\u00a0multicellular aggregate of amoeba\u00a0of the groups Acrasiomycota or Dictyosteliida that can be formed when the amoeba run out of food. Similarly, Grex is a multicellular aggregate of music cultures.<\/p>\n

Video link for Grex — https:\/\/youtu.be\/i3kzzCAa89A?list=PLZiG1rMROWAlCdjGGeUcmaxnzF4L-QOS6<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Rotunda on December 19 will start at 8 p.m. with Sirius Juju as the opening act.<\/p>\n

Admission is free and donations will be welcomed.<\/p>\n

118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com<\/a>) knows that anytime is a good time for a show by a Grateful Dead tribute band. That\u2019s why the club is hosting Jawn of the Dead on December 16.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jawn Of The Dead is a Philly band centered around the nucleus of guitarists\/vocalists Rich Hill and Jim\u00a0Tauscher. The Grateful Dead tribute band just celebrated a milestone event for a young music act \u2013 its second anniversary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started on March 20, 2019,\u201d said Hill, during a phone interview from his home in nearby Ridley Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was supposed to be a one-off show at The Fainting Goat in Glenolden. I play there once a month with my bar band so I asked if I could do a (Grateful Dead) show. I invited some musician friends to get together to play Dead stuff. I took people from different bands, and we rehearsed 30-40 songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe showed up at the club with our gear and the place was packed. Deadheads from around the area got the word and showed up.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter we played the second set, people were coming up to us saying that they loved it. I said to the guys \u2013 I think we have a \u2018thing.\u2019 They said — yeah, we do have a \u2018thing.\u2019 We didn\u2019t have a name, so we came up with Jawn Of The Dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Time out here for a Philadelphia based etymology lesson.<\/p>\n

If you live more than 35-40 miles from Philly, you might not have ever heard the word \u201cjawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJawn\u201d\u00a0is a\u00a0slang\u00a0term local to\u00a0Philadelphia\u00a0and its\u00a0metropolitan area. \u201cJawn\u201d is a context-dependent substitute noun, meaning it is a noun that substitutes for any other noun \u2013 and it can be singular or plural.<\/p>\n

\u201cJawn\u201d is a word loved by Philly residents. Because it has no specific meaning, it can be used to mean all sorts of things. One of the only points on which everyone can agree is that \u201cjawn\u201d is a noun \u2013 and that now it is part of the name of a Philly area band.<\/p>\n

Lesson over!<\/p>\n

\u201cWe played a handful of shows from March through August 2019,\u201d said Hill, who grew up South Philadelphia and graduated from Neumann High. \u201cThen, we got a call from the World Caf\u00e9 Live about its Tuesday Dead Jam. One of the bands canceled and they asked us to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe audience liked it. We kept the band going \u2013 playing a few places around Philly. Last February, we played the Boot and Saddle. We figured that if we got 50 people, it would be a good start. We got 170.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were just getting started and then we had to shut down because of COVID-19. We played some private events in the summer and then started to play at 118 North in Wayne. We also did a Livestream show from the Kennett Flash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billing themselves as \u201can energetic tribute to the\u00a0mystique\u00a0and musical mayhem of The Grateful Dead,\u201d Jawn Of The Dead posted this message on its website \u2013 \u201cThe dedication of the band to both the songs of the Grateful Dead and their spirit of musical exploration sets JOTD apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not a tribute band in the sense that we\u2019re trying to be the people in the Dead,\u201d said Hill, who was a music major at West Chester University.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur commitment is to excellence \u2013 to playing the music well and to also honor the songwriting. We play a whole catalog of Dead songs along with cover songs the Dead played.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jawn Of The Dead has already become a favorite of Philly area Deadheads so the band must be doing something right.<\/p>\n

Hill and his mates aren\u2019t looking to conquer the world. Right now, they\u2019re happy just \u201cPlaying in the Band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Jawn of the Dead \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/p6qxYa6p20o<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at 118 north on December 16 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at 118 North are Smash Palace on December 17, The Commission on December 18, Not Tuna on December 19 and Chris Day on December 22.<\/p>\n

Now through January 2, People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern,\u00a0peopleslight.org<\/a>) is presenting the world premiere of \u201cA Christmas Carol.\u201d<\/p>\n

This version of \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d is adapted from Charles Dickens by Zak Berkman and features original music by Zak Berkman.<\/p>\n

Callous Scrooge, shackled Marley, and the haunting spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future spring vividly to life in this fresh adaptation of a favorite yuletide ghost story.<\/p>\n

Featuring a lively mix of original songs and newly arranged 19th-century English carols, this music-infused retelling captures the magic, joy, and generosity of Dickens\u2019 beloved classic.<\/p>\n

Each year, the People\u2019s Light holiday\u00a0show is a panto\u00a0that transforms a beloved children\u2019s story into a musical extravaganza filled with outrageous characters, toe-tapping original music, slapstick comedy, and topical humor for both kids and adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d\u00a0is not a panto. But it is music-filled, interactive fun for every age — whether you believe in spirits or not.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester,\u00a0uptownwestchester.org<\/a>)is presenting \u201cThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever\u201d on December 16 and 18.<\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/a>) will have an \u201cIn the Round\u201d show on December 18 featuring Michael Braunfeld, Lizanne Knott and Kyle Swartzwelder.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host Donna Buffalo on December 16, Steve Gunn and Jeff Palmer on December 17, Talkbeck Soundsystem on December 18, Piebald on December 19 and KT Tunstall on December 22.<\/p>\n

The Living Room (35 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, https:\/\/thelivingroomat35east.com<\/a>) will host a show by Phil Nicolo on December 17.<\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will present Carsie Blantonon December 16, Pete Correale on December 16, Annie Haslam on December 18, Gunhild Carling on December 19 and KT Tunstall on December 21<\/p>\n

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) will present the Wizards of Winter on December 17.<\/p>\n

The Xcite Center at Parx Casino (2999 Street Road, Bensalem, 888-588-7279, https:\/\/parxcasino.com<\/a>) will have Shaun Cassidy on December 16 and Old Dominion on December 17 and 18.<\/p>\n

The Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 202-730-3331, www.thequeenwilmington.com<\/a>) will present Mary Friggin Christmas on December 17.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Jim Brickman\u2019s music always has a warm, soothing quality. His current tour might just be his warmest, most familiar ever. It\u2019s a holiday tour that includes both Christmas music and songs from his vast catalogue \u201cThe Gift of Christmas\u201d is the name of Brickman\u2019s current tour. Brickman will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,14257,13726,10757,10613,7494,13369],"class_list":["post-49580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-grex","tag-jawn-of-the-dead","tag-jim-brickman","tag-laura-cheadle","tag-mipso","tag-the-crossing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49580","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=49580"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49581,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49580\/revisions\/49581"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/49574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}