{"id":52129,"date":"2023-04-13T09:09:49","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T13:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=52129"},"modified":"2023-04-18T10:22:02","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T14:22:02","slug":"on-stage-beloved-local-improv-troupe-better-than-bacon-to-debut-at-colonial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=52129","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Beloved local improv troupe ‘Better Than Bacon’ to debut at Colonial"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

Better Than Bacon<\/p><\/div>\n

What is Better Than Bacon?<\/p>\n

With breakfast in mind, some will say \u201cnothing.\u201d Some will say sausage or pork roll — or even scrapple. An Amish person might say \u201cPannhaas\u201d (ponhoss\/panhaus) but that breakfast meat dish is definitely an acquired taste (look it up).<\/p>\n

On the flip side, Hindus, vegetarians, Jews, pollotarians, Buddhists or Muslims looking for a breakfast choice will tell you that anything is \u201cBetter Than Bacon.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, fans of comedy throughout the Brandywine Valley will tell you that \u201cBetter Than Bacon\u201d is a top-flight improvisational comedy act. <\/p>\n

For the last 12 years, Better Than Bacon has been generating laughter at its performances and has become a local favorite with its frequent shows at Kennett Flash and Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center.<\/p>\n

On April 15, Better Than Bacon will make its venue debut at the Colonial Theatre (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, thecolonialtheatre.com\/events<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Better Than Bacon Improv\u00a0is a short form improv comedy troupe based in West Chester. BTB performs short skits and games based on audience suggestions, often inviting audience members on stage.<\/p>\n

Improv comedy is a one-time only performance without scripts or nets. What audiences experience in one show will never be seen again. The spontaneity of improv makes improvisational comedy one of the most challenging forms of comedy.<\/p>\n

BTB\u2019s current troupe members hail from all over the Philly suburbs including Malvern, Exton, West Chester, Kennett Square, and Phoenixville. The troupe\u2019s artistic backgrounds include improv, acting, stand-up comedy, and music.<\/p>\n

The cast includes comedians Lauren Henry, Bob Curran, Jack Dibeler, Brett Heller, Lauren Henry, Sarah Hennessey, Susan Price, Greg Faber, Dan Freed, David James and Kevin O’Connell.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been together professionally since 2011,\u201d said Henry, during a phone interview Monday from her home in West Chester.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all live in Chester County except for a few in Swarthmore and Wilmington.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started with a bunch of us meeting at Chester County Night School in West Chester. We got to be friends, took classes and picked up more people. We decided to start our own troupe and found a director. The committed people stayed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had our first gig at Kennett Flash in June 2011. We have regular dates at Uptown, Kennett Flash and Media Arts Council. We play mostly in Chester County and northern and central Delaware. We don\u2019t play Philly because of territorial turf wars.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a fashion similar to the TV show \u201cWhose Line Is It Anyway?,\u201d the members of the troupe make up every single word and perform every single action completely on-the-spot\u2026and it\u2019s all driven by audience suggestions. Every show is a brand-new experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have 15-16 games in a show,\u201d said Henry, who graduated from York College with a degree in radio and television communication. \u201cIt\u2019s like \u2018Whose Line Is It?\u201d We call one of the sketches \u2018the guessing game.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though the shows are improv shows, BTB still spends a lot of time and effort rehearsing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still rehearse after all these years,\u201d said Henry. \u201cWe get together every week for about two hours. Uptown allows us to practice at their place.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything we do in our shows is spontaneous. It\u2019s a very interactive show. Everything we do is based on audience suggestion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Better Than Bacon \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/Y5sem4ZDsl4<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Colonial Theatre will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Blood Brothers<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cEvery Day I Have the Blues\u201d is a\u00a0blues\u00a0song that has been performed in a variety of styles. An early version of the song is attributed to\u00a0Pinetop Sparks\u00a0and his brother Milton.\u00a0It was first performed in the taverns of St. Louis by the Sparks brothers and was recorded July 28, 1935.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Day I Have the Blues\u201d could also be a theme song for local music fans this weekend because of the many upcoming live blues shows at area venues.<\/p>\n

Just over a year ago, Albert Castiglia\u00a0was part of a blockbuster blues show at the Sellersville Theater with Mike Zito. The two blues aces toured with their bands on what was billed as, \u201cBlood Brothers Tour 2022 \u2013 Two Brothers, Two Bands, One Amazing Show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u00a0recorded a Blood Brothers album with Zito that Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith produced. The CD, \u201cBlood Brothers,\u201d was released via Gulf Coast Records on March 17.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album at Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana and got Joe and Josh to produce it,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon route to a gig in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful studio with a great mixing board. It has a mix of digital and analog equipment including a 48-track Neve board. It\u2019s located in a beautiful, secluded part of Louisiana in the middle of a bayou. It\u2019s a wonderful place to record, meditate, unwind and get work done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album in September, and it just came out last month. The songs were written mostly by Mike. He wrote four, I wrote one and Tinsley Ellis gave us a song. We also took liberty with some classics. We hadn\u2019t played the songs as a group until we got in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both blues guitarists have been celebrating releases of highly acclaimed new albums — Zito\u2019s double live set,\u00a0\u201cBlues for the Southside,\u201d\u00a0which was released in February 2022 and debuted at Number One on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Blues Chart, and\u00a0Castiglia\u2019s new album, \u201cI\u00a0Got Love,\u201d which was released in March 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cI Got Love,\u201d\u00a0was produced by Zito\u00a0and features Justine Tompkins (bass and vocals), Ephraim Lowell (drums and vocals), Lewis Stephens (Hammond B3 organ and piano) and\u00a0Castiglia\u00a0(guitar and vocals).<\/p>\n

It showcases 11 intense, blues-drenched tracks and is a personal and powerful statement from\u00a0Castiglia.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Castiglia, \u201cThe album is a musical essay documenting the last two years of my life — two years of many highs and lows. It\u2019s about falling, failing, adapting, reinventing, surviving and becoming triumphant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe blues and blues-infused music is rooted in truth. This album is my truth. To ignore the events of the past two years (the COVID era) and write about anything else would not be my truth. I went through it all – loss, depression, illness, fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I couldn\u2019t have been the only one that went through it. This collection of songs is for those who felt like I did. It\u2019s for those who went down fighting and those who keep on fighting. For many of us in my profession and in the gig economy, this was our great depression. Some of us are doing well and some of us are still trying to find solid ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s two previous albums were \u201cMasterpiece\u201d in 2019 and \u201cWild and Free\u201d in 2020.\u00a0Castiglia\u00a0was the 2020 BMA winner for Blues Rock Album of the Year with \u201cMasterpiece.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen \u2018Masterpiece\u2019 came out, we toured pretty heavily that year,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia. \u201cWe did a winter tour in early 2020. We were in Switzerland and there were rumblings of a pandemic in the states.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got home and did shows in Atlanta and Tallahassee. We were on our way up to Delaware for a show in St. George\u2019s when the owner called and said \u2013 hold on. He called again and said that the state had shut down. So, we turned around and headed home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put out \u2018Wild and Free\u2019 in 2020. COVID was part of the inspiration. There were no real rules where we lived \u2013 in Florida. We just had to adapt to what was happening. I did gigs and then got heat from the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor musicians, the pandemic was a time of depression. We lost all those gigs and had to find a way to make up for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur drummer is a handyman, so he found work. So did our bass player, who is an office worker. I improvised — teaching lessons by Zoom and doing virtual shows. It was a tough couple of years, but we found a way to get through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u00a0was born on August 12, 1969 when the planets were getting in cosmic alignment to welcome the hundreds of thousands of music fans who had already begun their journey to New York State to attend \u201cWoodstock Music & Art Fair: An Aquarian Exposition.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lot of blues acts performed live during those three historic days including the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Johnny Winter, Keef Hartley Band, and Canned Heat along with blues-influenced rock bands such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Mountain, Ten Years After and Blood, Sweat & Tears.<\/p>\n

Castiglia, who is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, got involved in the blues two decades after Woodstock.<\/p>\n

\u201cEric Clapton got me into the blues in the beginning,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia. \u201cI listened to a lot of blues on record. I was fascinated but these were blues songs that were covers. I wanted to find the versions that were the originals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I bought Muddy Waters\u2019 \u2018Hard Again.\u2019 That was the record that really changed it. I was hearing Muddy for the first time on cassette. To me, the songs are what matter \u2014 even without production. Music is still really powerful. It\u2019s all about the song and the message.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s because of the old stuff that I\u2019m doing this now. The great thing about the blues is that you never stop learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u00a0joined the Miami Blues Authority in 1990 and was named the \u201cBest Blues Guitarist in Miami\u201d by the Miami New Times in 1997. Discovered singing by Junior Wells in 1996,\u00a0Castiglia\u00a0joined his touring band and worked as Wells\u2019 lead guitarist until the blues legend\u2019s death in 1998.<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s first solo album, \u201cBurn,\u201d was self-released in 2004 and followed in 2006 by \u201cThe Bittersweet Sessions,\u201d which was also self-released. He then released four albums on BluesLeaf Records \u2014 \u201cA Stone\u2019s Throw,\u201d These Are the Days,\u201d \u201cKeepin On,\u201d and \u201cLiving the Dream.\u201d Next was a series of four LPs on Ruf Records \u2013 \u201cSolid Ground,\u201d \u201cBlues Caravan 2014,\u201d \u201cBig Dog,\u201d and \u201cUp All Night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Castiglia\u2019s 11th album was \u201cMasterpiece,\u201d which was released by Gulf Coast Records on May 24, 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album in Mike\u2019s studio in Nederland, Texas,\u201d said\u00a0Castiglia. \u201cIt was very special to be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cMike played bass and drums and I played guitar and sang. It was mostly analog. A lot was done live with Mike on drums and me. I think it has a live feeling. The only thing we overdubbed was the bass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zito said, \u201cI\u2019ve known Albert for 12 years. We just hit it off right away. We\u2019re cut from the same cloth \u2013 Italian-American blues players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zito\u00a0has released four albums over the last four years — \u201cRock ‘N’ Roll \u2013 A Tribute To\u00a0Chuck Berry\u201d in 2019, \u201cQuarantine Blues\u201d in 2020, \u201cResurrection\u201d in 2021 and \u201cBlues for the Southside\u201d this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe toured \u2018Resurrection\u2019 in 2021,\u201d said\u00a0Zito, a five-time Blues Music Award winner. \u201cWe played more shows that year than most bands. We did 30 shows just in December.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of those shows late last year resulted in \u201cBlues for the Southside.\u201d The album was recorded on November 26, 2021 at the Old Rock House in St. Louis, Missouri, and produced by Mike\u00a0Zito.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlues for the Southside\u201d\u00a0showcases\u00a0Zito\u00a0(guitar and vocals) and his band — Matthew Johnson – vocals\/drums; Lewis Stephens – piano\/organ; Doug Byrkit \u2013 vocals\/ bass, with special guest guitarists Tony Campanella, Dave Kalz and Eric Gales.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Zito, \u201c\u2018Blues for the Southside\u2019\u00a0is a special album for me. I have wanted to do a live blues album playing songs from my catalog with my current band for a while now. I wanted to go back to my old neighborhood in South St. Louis to make the recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where it all began for me, where I fell in love with music. I knew friends and family would fill the Old Rock House and bring the energy I was looking for in this recording.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted Tony Campanella and Dave Kalz to join me as guests. I grew up with both of these guys playing in the scene in St. Louis in the 1990s. I was surprised by my dear friend Eric Gales, who happened to be in town for a rehearsal. He showed up and I got him onstage to do an impromptu version of the original \u2018Voodoo Chile,\u2019 which turned out to be 12 minutes of pure guitar bliss. I am proud of this album and my band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zito\u2019s \u201cRock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry\u201d was released on November 1, 2019, and quickly rose to #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.<\/p>\n

Featuring 21 guest guitarists honoring the Berry including Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, Richard Fortus, Sonny Landreth, Luther Dickinson, Albert Castiglia, and Anders Osborne. Also performing\u00a0on the album is Charles Berry III, Berry\u2019s grandson. The album is produced by\u00a0Zito\u00a0and was recorded at his Marz Studios.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Berry album was released at the beginning of November 2019,\u201d said\u00a0Zito, who lives in Fort Lauderdale Florida. \u201cWe wanted to go out with a big band with horns. Because of COVID-19, we didn\u2019t get the tour we had hoped for. We did a big show in St. Louis and then everything came to a halt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI probably wouldn\u2019t tour the Berry album now. Maybe I\u2019ll do just one Berry show each year \u2013 in St. Louis. I grew up in St. Louis. Chuck was from St. Louis, and I lived there for 32 years. When I was young, I worked at a small musical instrument store in a record store and Chuck used to come in there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing away from St. Louis for the last 17 years, I wanted to do something about St. Louis. If you\u2019re a musician from St. Louis, you have to learn to play Chuck Berry and learn how to play the blues. So, I decided to do a Chuck Berry tribute and add the guitarist aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making an album like the one\u00a0Zito\u00a0did on Berry\u2019s music provided special challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album without the guitarists initially,\u201d said\u00a0Zito. \u201cI decided how much space to leave for the guitar and then had to send off the tracks to the different guitarists. I could never bring them to my studio to record live because they\u2019re always on tour playing all over the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to do it was to accommodate them as much as possible. I\u2019d send them a track and say \u2013 send it back in four or five months. I went into this knowing I\u2019d need a big window.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the songs came back, I had to re-record my parts to make sure the intensity was the same. In the end, it sounded like we were in the studio together. I\u2019m pretty proud of the production. The album was completed at the end of July.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album was produced by\u00a0Zito\u00a0and was recorded at his Marz Studios in Nederland, Texas.<\/p>\n

Zito\u00a0began playing guitar at the age of five, and by the time he reached his late teens, he was already a fixture on the local St. Louis music scene. He initially released his music independently and then signed with Eclecto Groove Records in 2008. \u201cPearl River,\u201d the title track of his 2009 album for the label, won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards and marked his first collaboration with Cyril Nevill, with whom he\u2019d later work in the Royal Southern Brotherhood.<\/p>\n

A steady succession of critically acclaimed albums followed, culminating in 2011\u2019s \u201cGreyhound,\u201d which was nominated for Best Rock Blues Album at that year\u2019s Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis. Two years later, he signed with Ruf Records and released \u201cGone to Texas,\u201d the story of how he gained his sobriety, offered an emotional homage to the state that\u00a0left an indelible imprint on his entire life. It also marked the debut of his band, the Wheel.<\/p>\n

\u200bFrom 2010-2014,\u00a0Zito\u00a0also played an integral role in the super group of sorts — Royal Southern Brotherhood. The group released two albums and a DVD \u2014 \u201cSongs from the Road \u2013 Live in Germany,\u201d which was winner of the year\u2019s Blues Music Award for Best DVD.<\/p>\n

Zito\u00a0recently launched his own new label, Texas-based\u00a0Gulf Coast Records<\/a>, which has an artist roster featuring Billy Price, Jimmy Carpenter, Tony Campanella, Diana Rein, The Proven Ones, and Kid Andersen \u2013 and Albert Castiglia.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cBlood Brothers Tour\u201d video — https:\/\/youtu.be\/RpN7W9yrPtg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater on April 13 will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $29.50.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Carolyn Wonderland<\/p><\/div>\n

Carolyn Wonderland will take over the stage at the Sellersville Theater on April 16.<\/p>\n

In 2021, the award-winning Texas guitar slinger, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist celebrated the release of her Alligator Records debut album,\u00a0\u201cTempting Fate.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

The new LP, which is\u00a0Wonderland\u2019s 11th album, was produced by famed master roots musician Dave Alvin, and features\u00a0Wonderland\u2019s signature, blistering six-string and lap steel playing, her intense vocals and her original songs melding blues, rock and Americana.<\/p>\n

In November 16, tastemaker UK magazine\u00a0MOJO\u00a0released its influential Best Blues Albums Of 2021 list and three Alligator Records artists were selected. Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram\u2019s\u00a0\u201c662\u201d\u00a0topped the list at #1. West Coast bluesman Chris Cain\u2019s \u201cRaisin\u2019 Cain\u201d\u00a0followed at #3, and\u00a0Wonderland\u2019s label debut,\u00a0\u201cTempting Fate,\u201d earned the #7 position.<\/p>\n

Things got even better for\u00a0Wonderland\u00a0as she was nominated for two awards in The Blues Foundation\u2019s 43rd Blues Music Awards.<\/p>\n

The first BMA nomination was \u201cSong of the Year \u2014 \u201cFragile Peace and Certain War\u201d written and performed by Carolyn\u00a0Wonderland and the second was \u201cContemporary Blues Female Artist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was cool because I got to play at the awards show,\u201d said\u00a0Wonderland, during a phone interview last week. \u201cEverybody \u2013 well not everybody \u2013 got to go up and do a few songs. It\u2019s quite the honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as my fellow nominees.\u2019<\/p>\n

A BMA Awards nomination is always a good way for an artist to achieve a higher profile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t win \u2013 but it was our first nomination,\u201d said\u00a0Wonderland. \u201cI don\u2019t think of myself as a \u2018Contemporary Blues Female Artist.\u2019 I\u2019m all over the place. I guess it\u2019s under the Americana umbrella. People can call it whatever they want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wonderland\u00a0has been playing guitar in John Mayall\u2019s band on tour from 2018 until his recent retirement. She also recorded with him on his 2019 Forty Below Records release, \u201cNobody Told Me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter being in John Mayall\u2019s band for a couple years, I decided it was time to do some recording on my own,\u201d said\u00a0Wonderland, during a phone interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in Woodstock with my friend Cindy Cashdollar, who is a great lap steel player. She asked me who I\u2019d like to do the album with, and I said \u2013 Dave Alvin. She called him and he said yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wonderland\u00a0and her band \u2014 Kevin Lance and Bobby Perkins \u2013 tracked the album in their hometown of Austin, Texas at Stuart Sullivan\u2019s Wire Recording with Dave Alvin producing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a fan of Dave Alvin since I was a kid,\u201d said\u00a0Wonderland. \u201cI\u2019m a huge fan. I love him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made the album at Wire Recording in January 2020. We just captured the joy in less than a week.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album featured a lot of top-flight guests.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Wonderland, \u201cWe were super lucky to have Dave, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Red Young, Cindy Cashdollar, Marcia Ball, Shelley King, and Jan Flemming all lend their extreme talents in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

The timing was right.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe magic trick was that it was January when most of these musicians weren\u2019t on tour. Even Cindy (Cashdollar) was in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wonderland, who was born Carolyn Bradford in Houston, has been making music her whole life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was a kid, music was the only thing that would hold my attention,\u201d said\u00a0Wonderland. \u201cMy mom had a guitar, and my aunt had a trumpet. I learned to play and then started doing shows. My first gig was in Houston when I was 14 or 15.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played Sellersville Theater in John Mayall\u2019s band. For this show, I\u2019m being joined by Shelley King on guitar and vocals. I went from a trio to a quartet. My bass player is Naj Conklin and my drummer is Giovanni Carnuccio \u2013 but we just call him Nooch.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy set list will include a little bit of everything \u2013 mostly from the latest album,\u201d said Wonderland. \u201cIt\u2019s my first release on Alligator and Dave Alvin produced it so there are a lot of good songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll also play at least one new song. I\u2019ve been in a writing phase and want to get in the studio soon. I want to be in love with 15-20 songs and then whittle it down to tell the story. Right now, it\u2019s just a handful of songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Carolyn\u00a0Wonderland\u00a0\u2014\u00a0www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GTh-rlPIpSY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater on April 16 will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $25.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Rhett Miller on April 14, Double Vision on April 15, and Albert Cummings on April 19.<\/p>\n

As usual, blues will also be on the menu at Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,\u00a0www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) this weekend.<\/p>\n

The main attractions this weekend at Jamey\u2019s are the Dukes of Destiny on April 14 and Onyx&Honey on April 15.<\/p>\n

The Dukes of Destiny are headlining on Friday evening and it\u2019s a match made in blues heaven.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s has become the area\u2019s top showcase for regional and national blues acts \u2013 a destination for blues band\u2019s tour schedule and a Mecca for area blues fans.<\/p>\n

The Dukes of Destiny, who have been treating fans to live performances of top-flight blues and soul music for almost three decades, are back in action with a lineup built around John\u00a0Colgan-Davis (harmonica, vocals) and AC Steel (guitar, vocals).<\/p>\n

About a year-and-a-half ago, the Dukes\u2019 lineup went through a major change when vocalist Aryl Wolters retired from the band.<\/p>\n

As a result, Colgan-Davis had a dual role with the Dukes.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that Arlyn is gone, I\u2019m doing the majority of the singing,\u201d said Colgan-Davis. \u201cI was singing before Arlyn so now it\u2019s back to the roots.<\/p>\n

In addition to performing at most of the clubs in the Tri-State area, the Dukes of Destiny have\u00a0performed at the Pocono Blues Festival, the Waterfront Jam at Philadelphia\u2019s Penn\u2019s Landing, the State Street Blues Stroll in Media, the Bucks County R\u2019n\u2019B Picnic, the New Jersey Folk Festival and the Longwood Gardens Summer Concert Series.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past few years, we\u2019ve had great years,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis back in 2019. \u201cWe played places we had never played before \u2013 like the Philadelphia Folk Festival. We also played places we really love like the Kennett Flash and the West Grove Friends Meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe played the Phoenixville Blues Festival and the Paoli Blues Festival. We really love playing the Kennett Flash. And, we love our Chester County crowd. They\u2019ve been coming to see us play for 14-15 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chester County music fans and the Dukes of Destiny definitely have a love affair going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did the Turks Head Festival in West Chester a few years ago \u2013 and \u2018Rhythm and Roots\u2019 in Media,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cWe love the Flash \u2013 the intimacy and the sound system. And we love what it stands for and what it means to Kennett Square.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love the people of Chester County and I really like the landscape of the area. It\u2019s always a special place for us. Chester County gigs have the vibe of old coffee houses. We put out the energy and the audience give sit back to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Audiences that like to get out of their seats and dance are a big part of the Dukes of Destiny live experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get all kinds of dancers at our shows,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cWe\u2019ve been playing a lot more festivals. We\u2019re back on the festival circuit. I love playing festivals for a couple reasons. You get a whole bunch of people playing together. That takes me back to the 60s and the be-ins back then.<\/p>\n

\u201cSun Ra had said the message that music is the healing force of the universe, and you feel that at festivals. And kids get to hear real music played by real people. With a band like us that plays off the crowd, a festival show is a real exciting thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colgan-Davis\u2019s introduction to the blues came when he was in high school at Central High in Philadelphia and saw the Stones performing with Howling Wolf on the \u201cShindig\u201d TV show. Howlin\u2019 Wolf, whose real name was Chester Burnett, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player who was one of the premier Chicago bluesmen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I saw Howlin\u2019 Wolf on that TV show, I jumped up and said \u2014 this is what I want to do,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cI started playing blues when I was 16. My dad gave me a grab bag for my birthday and a harmonica was in it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started listening to blues records a lot \u2014 players like Muddy Waters and James Cotton. I was really into Chicago blues of the 1950s and 1960s when I started. Then, I got into guys like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. One of the first bands I played in was a Philly blues band called Sweet Stavin\u2019 Chain.\u201d<\/p>\n

A while later, the Dukes of Destiny became the main musical vehicle for\u00a0Colgan-Davis.\u00a0At first, they played house parties in Germantown, generating word of mouth interest. A gig at the now-defunct Taker\u2019s Cafe in Germantown launched their public career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dukes got together in the mid-1980s,\u201d said\u00a0Colgan-Davis. \u201cSteve Brown started the band, and it began with that gig at Taker\u2019s Caf\u00e9. Steve died of pancreatic cancer in 2000 and I\u2019ve been the leader ever since. Steve has always been in my mind. We did a tribute concert to him a few years ago and we still do some of his favorites in our set.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a whole range of music in what we can play \u2014 everything from Chicago blues to old-school soul. What\u2019s great about the Dukes is that we\u2019re a band. We use each other\u2019s strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Dukes of Destiny \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/j5fM0sugB5w<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Jamey\u2019s House of Music will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.<\/p>\n

Every Sunday, Jamey\u2019s presents \u201cSUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM\u201d featuring the Philly Blues Kings. Another weekly event at the venue is the \u201cTHURSDAY NIGHT JAZZ JAM\u201d\u00a0featuring the Dave Reiter Trio with guest vocalist Phyllis Chapell.<\/p>\n

Donovan Woods has been very busy in the post-pandemic era.<\/p>\n

Last summer, the veteran Canadian singer\/songwriter joined with Matt Nathanson and embarked on a 35-date tour across the states and Canada that started in July in Sarnia, Ontario — the Canadian town where he grew up.<\/p>\n

Now, he is touring the states again.<\/p>\n

Woods\u2019 upcoming tour is a co-headliner with Henry Jamison, dubbed \u201cThe Husbandry Tour.\u201d It will make a stop at World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) on April 13.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the tour with Matt Nathanson, I went and did a bunch of European shows,\u201d said Woods, during a phone interview Tuesday from a tour stop in Boston. \u201cI toured with Aoife O\u2019Donovan in Europe.<\/p>\n

His most recent release, \u201cBig Hurt Boy EP,\u201d was released March 18, 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cI cut the EP at Union Street Studio in 2021,\u201d said Woods, a JUNO Award winning singer-songwriter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing more recording lately. I was in the studio at Union Street for a week before I came here and a week back in January.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have about 18 songs written \u2013 maybe 20. There will probably be 11 on the record. Some recording was done in L.A. and some in Nashville.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo of the songs are mixed already. It\u2019s still early \u2013 and I\u2019m slow. A lot of the songs were done in demo form and written when I was on tour with Matt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in Nashville quite a bit \u2013 about one week out of every month. I live in Toronto, and I do a bit of recording in Nashville. I grew up in Sarnia and lived there until I left for college. I went to the University of Guelph and studied English.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woods released his first album, \u201cThe Hold Up,\u201d in 2007. He has released six more LPs since then. The most recent is \u201cWithout People,\u201d which came out in 2020 and as a deluxe edition in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a few Livestream shows during the pandemic,\u201d said Woods, who was the winner of the 2019 JUNO Award for \u2018Contemporary Roots Album\u2019. \u201cI did one thing in an empty auditorium in Toronto.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Woods is performing live versions of songs from \u201cBig Boy Hurt\u201d for his audiences.<\/p>\n

According to Woods, \u201cI wanted to get back to the feeling that my early recordings had.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Donovan Woods \u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/9EKhuw-a5L8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $20 and $30.<\/p>\n

A huge number of musicians live in New York \u2013 mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In recent years, a lot of them have moved upstate \u2013 which, for many of them, means two hours north up the Hudson River.<\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s not surprising that the band Upstate, which is performing on April 15 at 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com<\/a>), is based in the Hudson Valley.<\/p>\n

The band, which is touring in support of its new album \u201cYou Only Get a Few,\u201d features Mary Webster, Melanie Glenn, Harry D\u2019Agostino and Dylan McKinstry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI live in Highland,\u201d said D\u2019Agostino, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home along the Hudson.<\/p>\n

\u201cMary, who is our main singer and also plays guitar, is from the east side of the river in Poughkeepsie. Dylan, our guitarist, lives in Brooklyn and Melanie, who also sings and plays guitar, is from Vermont. When it\u2019s time, everybody convenes in Hudson.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve bene together for 10 years. The configuration of the band has changed a lot but Mary, Melanie and I have been together the whole time. We met in college at the State University of New York \u2013 New Paltz. We didn\u2019t start with any clear conviction of being a recording band. It just sort of snowballed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past decade, Upstate has garnered acclaim for their effortless and genre-dodging arrangements, which flourished on two previous albums, \u201cA Remedy\u201d\u00a0(2015) and\u00a0\u201cHealing\u201d\u00a0(2019). The group swelled with members, traveled the country on a national headlining tour, and secured support slots with The Felice Brothers, Marco Benevento, Lake Street Dive, Mt. Joy, and the Wood Brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were regional, then national, then regional again,\u201d said D\u2019Agostino. \u201cWhen we released \u2018Healing\u2019, we were a national band and out on the road a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, Mary got married and had a baby. I got married. A lot of our lives had been on the road and, all of a sudden, we were stuck in place. We started making the new album during the pandemic and then two members left \u2013 drummer and singer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou Only Get a Few\u201d continues Upstate\u2019s pattern of releasing an album every four years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not very prolific,\u201d said D\u2019Agostino. \u201cBut we\u2019re happy with what we get out of the other end. We had too many good songs. We wanted to make a really good record.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got together and did most of the tracking in a few days at The Building (a studio in Marlboro, New York). Dylan was engineering and co-producing with Mary. He did the overdubs in Brooklyn at a studio in Brooklyn — Greenpoint Recording Collective. We worked on the album between 2020 and 2022 with the main batch in summer 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t think it was curated to do a theme. We just picked songs we liked. The theme came later with a lot of honest and introspective songs. A lot of the themes are love and change and death. A lot of the record is about time — how it shows what it is to set the course of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our live shows now, we\u2019re doing all of \u2018You Only Get a Few\u2019 and a good amount of \u2018Healing.\u2019 There aren\u2019t any songs from \u2018A Remedy\u2019 \u2013 at least not now. They all have a different flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Upstate \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/UNRDVeX4KsU<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at 118 North on April 15 will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

The Candlelight\u00a0Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) just opened its production of \u201cI Love You, You\u2019re Perfect, Now Change\u201d \u2013 a show that will run through April 23.<\/p>\n

The show is billed as \u201cA musical presented in the form of a series of vignettes, connected by a central theme of love and relationships. Everything you have secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit!\u00a0For mature audiences. Adult content.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI Love You, You\u2019re Perfect, Now Change\u201d\u00a0is a\u00a0musical\u00a0comedy with book and lyrics by\u00a0Joe DiPietro\u00a0and music by\u00a0Jimmy Roberts. It is the second-longest running\u00a0Off-Broadway\u00a0musical. The musical was nominated for the\u00a0Outer Critics Circle Award\u00a0as Outstanding Off-Broadway musical in 1997.<\/p>\n

The musical premiered Off-Broadway on August 1, 1996, and closed on July 27, 2008, after 5,003 performances.\u00a0It was first produced in the town where playwright Joe DiPietro was born, Teaneck, New Jersey. This production ran from February 24 to March 12, 1995, at the American Stage Company Theater.<\/p>\n

Despite the large number of characters, the show is typically done with a comparatively small cast: the original Off-Broadway production uses a cast of four.<\/p>\n

The production at the Candlelight features a standout cast of Jessica Ball, Jared Calhoun, Tori Healy and Max Redman.<\/p>\n

\u201cI Love You, You\u2019re Perfect, Now Change\u201d is presented in the form of a series of vignettes connected by the central theme of love and relationships. The play’s tagline is \u201cEverything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit.\u201d<\/p>\n

With few exceptions, the scenes stand independent of the others, but progress in a fashion designed to suggest an overall arc to relationships throughout the course of one’s life. A first date, for example, comes before scenes dealing with marriage, and scenes dealing with marriage come before those dealing with childbearing.<\/p>\n

Watching this production is similar to watching a show by a comedy troupe like Second City \u2013 watching a rapid series of scenes that are intense, loosely related and very funny.<\/p>\n

\u201cI Love You, You\u2019re Perfect, Now Change\u201d is running now through April 29. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m.\/show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m.\/show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $69.<\/p>\n

Later this month, there will be another edition of the Candlelight Comedy Club.<\/p>\n

Jake Mattera will headline a show on April 20. Jay Simpson will be the feature and Seamus Millar will be the emcee. Tickets are $30 for the 7:30 p.m. show.<\/p>\n

There also will be a special one-night-only show on April 29 featuring Broadway\u2019s Tyler Hanes in concert. The show, which is a benefit for Candlelight Education Programs, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45 and include hors d\u2019oeuvres and open bar.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will present the third edition of \u201cSinger-Songwriter Showcase 2023!\u201d on April 15. This weekend\u2019s showcase features Dante Robinson, Cal Toner, Cameron Narimanian,\u00a0and\u00a0Stephanie Phillips.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) will have The Weeklings on April 13 and Live at the Fillmore on April 15.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times What is Better Than Bacon? With breakfast in mind, some will say \u201cnothing.\u201d Some will say sausage or pork roll — or even scrapple. An Amish person might say \u201cPannhaas\u201d (ponhoss\/panhaus) but that breakfast meat dish is definitely an acquired taste (look it up). On the flip side, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[3897,15063,14200,7426],"class_list":["post-52129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-better-than-bacon","tag-blood-brothers","tag-carolyn-wonderland","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52129","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=52129"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52130,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52129\/revisions\/52130"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/52126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}