{"id":55497,"date":"2025-05-08T10:12:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T14:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=55497"},"modified":"2025-05-08T10:12:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T14:12:49","slug":"on-stage-celebrate-mom-with-live-performances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=55497","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Celebrate Mom with live performances"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n
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Mother\u2019s Day Weekend Chamber Music Concert<\/p><\/div>\n

There are a lot of great ways to celebrate Mother\u2019s Day around this area. One of the best will actually take place the day before Mother\u2019s Day.<\/p><\/div>\n

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On May 10 at 11 a.m., Winterthur (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-888-4600,www.winterthur.org<\/a>) will host \u201cMother\u2019s Day Concert with the Kennett Symphony.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The Kennett Symphony (kennettsymphony.org<\/a>) will present a special Mother\u2019s Day concert at Winterthur\u2019s Copeland Lecture Hall under the direction of Music Director, Michael Hall.<\/div>\n
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The \u201cMother\u2019s Day Weekend Chamber Music Concert\u201d is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. (Winterthur Museum, 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware).<\/div>\n

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This year\u2019s program will include\u00a0\u201cLyric Quartette\u201d\u00a0by William Grant Still, one of the most important African American composers of the 20th century. Composed in 1960, this work reflects three of Still\u2019s friends, characterized as\u00a0The Sentimental One, The Quiet One,\u00a0and\u00a0The Jovial One.<\/div>\n
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Also featured is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart\u2019s\u00a0String Quartet No. 14 in G major, often referred to as the\u00a0Spring Quartet\u00a0due to its warm and sunny nature. Composed in 1782, this beloved quartet will fill the hall with its lively and elegant movements.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s part of our connecting with Winterthur\u2019s exhibitions,\u201d said Hall during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his Canadian home in Prince George, British Columbia.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhen we get invited to play this wonderful recital hall, we try to work it in with their exhibition for the year.<\/div>\n
\u201cOne segment features African-American composer William Grant Still to go along with Winterthur\u2019s African-American picture exhibit.<\/div>\n
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The other is about spring — Mozart\u2019s \u201cSpring Quartet.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Winterthur\u2019s special gallery \u2013 \u201cAlmost Unknown \u2013 Afric-American Picture Gallert\u201d will run now though January 2, 2026.<\/div>\n
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Inspired by an 1859 essay written by a free black journalist and educator named William J. Wilson, this exhibition takes visitors on a tour of Wilson\u2019s imagined gallery of prints, paintings, sculptures, books, and other decorative objects that represent Black life in the United States and across the Diaspora, as interpreted by curator and historian Dr. Jonathan Michael Square.<\/div>\n
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Known for being one of the original African-American composers of the 20th century, Still\u2019s legacy lives on today.<\/div>\n
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Still was an American composer of nearly 200 works, including five symphonies<\/a>, four ballets, nine operas, and more than 30 choral works<\/a>, art songs<\/a>, chamber music<\/a>, and solo works.<\/div>\n
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Born in Mississippi and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas<\/a>\u00a0Still attended Wilberforce University<\/a>\u00a0and Oberlin Conservatory of Music<\/a>\u00a0as a student of George Whitefield Chadwick<\/a>\u00a0and then as a student of Edgard Var\u00e8se<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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Because of his close association and collaboration with prominent African-American literary and cultural figures, Still is considered to be part of the Harlem Renaissance<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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Still was the first American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera<\/a>.\u00a0He is known primarily for his first symphony, Afro-American Symphony<\/a>\u00a0(1930).<\/div>\n
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Still often is referred to as the \u201cDean of Afro-American Composers.\u201d He was able to become a leading figure in the field of American classical music as the first African-American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra<\/a>, have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra, have an opera performed by a major opera company, and have an opera performed on national television.<\/div>\n
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On December 1, 1976, Still\u2019s home at 1262 Victoria Avenue in Oxford Square, Los Angeles<\/a>\u00a0was designated as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #169.<\/div>\n
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\u201cLyric Quartette\u201d\u00a0was composed in 1960, and was dedicated to Still\u2019s friend, Joachim Chassman. Set into three movements subtitled\u00a0\u201cMusical Portraits of Three Friends\u201d,\u00a0the quartet takes the listener on a personal journey.<\/div>\n
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It starts with \u201cMovement I \u2013\u00a0The Sentimental One.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Subtitled\u00a0\u2018The Sentimental One\u2019,\u00a0the opening unison fluctuations create warmth between the quartet\u2019s timbres. Throughout much of this movement the ensemble plays as a unit of sound, which creates ripples of music. The style in which this movement is written showcases Still\u2019s more sensitive style of writing, which is highlighted through the textures and rhythms of the music.<\/div>\n
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The definition of \u201cSentimental\u201d is\u00a0\u201cof or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness or nostalgia\u201d\u00a0and Still manages to get all of these things within the first movement.<\/div>\n
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The lack of big dramatic changes and the familiarity and warmth of the style accentuates the nostalgia and tenderness of this sentimental friend and the effect they had on the composer. The music resolves on the final chord to end this sentimental movement quietly.<\/div>\n
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Next is \u201cMovement II \u2013\u00a0The Quiet One.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Throughout this movement Still holds back in the way that the melody is presented, which perhaps reflects the characteristics of the quiet friend. The sweetness of the upper strings sits neatly on top of the warm lower strings, creating perfect harmony.<\/div>\n
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Deeply reflective and personal,\u00a0\u201cThe Quiet One\u201d\u00a0really shows Still\u2019s maturity as a composer.<\/div>\n
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The final segment is \u201cMovement III \u2013\u00a0The Jovial One.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The finale movement, dedicated to \u201cThe Jovial One,\u201d opens with a playful melody. The most energetic and driven of the three movements, the jovial character is established straight away.<\/div>\n
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Exciting whirling from the upper strings in the central section builds tension as the driving force of the lower strings keeps the music moving along at quite a pace. The bouncy melody, led by the violin at the end, comes to its epic finale with all the parts coming together.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI will be speaking prior to and during this piece \u2013 talking about William Grant Still,\u201d said Hall.<\/div>\n
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The other part of the performance will be Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart\u2019s String Quartet No. 14 in G major\u00a0\u201cSpring Quartet.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The \u201cSpring Quartet\u201d was composed by\u00a0Mozart in 1782 in Vienna.<\/div>\n
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As with all later Mozart quartets, this quartet has four\u00a0movements:<\/div>\n
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Allegro<\/a>\u00a0vivace assai<\/div>\n
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Menuetto<\/a>\u00a0Allegro (Trio in G minor<\/a>)<\/div>\n
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Andante<\/a>\u00a0cantabile, in C major<\/a><\/div>\n
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Molto allegro.<\/div>\n
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The first movement, in G major<\/a>, contrasts fairly diatonic passages with chromatic runs. It is a long minuet, written in the tonic key of G major, with its chromatic fourths<\/a>\u00a0set apart by note-to-note dynamics changes.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMozart\u2019s spring quartet is a really sunny piece,\u201d said Hall. \u201cThis is the first time we\u2019re doing it with the Kennett Symphony String Quartet.<\/div>\n
\u201cThis is our fourth year doing this Mother\u2019s Day concert at Winterthur and we draw larger crowds each year. It\u2019s become a Mother\u2019s Day tradition.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Attendees may pay an additional $10 for admission to Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library \u2013 including 90,000 objects in the 175-room mansion Henry Francis du Pont called home, 1,000 acres of rolling hills, streams, meadows, and forests, as well as a research center dedicated to America\u2019s artistic, cultural, social, and intellectual history from colonial times into the twentieth century.<\/div>\n
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Performance tickets are $25.<\/div>\n
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The Weight<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re familiar with Americana, folk music, Bob Dylan or folk-rock, then you surely are no stranger to the music of The Band. Unfortunately, The Band lost two members who have gone to the other side and now no longer exists as a band.<\/p><\/div>\n

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In case you\u2019re not familiar with Bob Dylan\u2019s first foray into electric rock music and his performances with The Band, The Weight Band will help you learn this piece of American music history \u2013 actually American\/Canadian music history.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe Weight\u201d is a song by The Band. The Weight Band is a band named after The Band\u2019s song \u201cThe Weight.\u201d The Weight Band is a music group put together to keep alive the music of The Band.<\/div>\n
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The Weight Band will play two shows in the area this weekend \u2013 May 9 at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com<\/a>) and May 10 at the Baby Grand (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>).<\/div>\n
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The Band was a Canadian-American rock group featuring Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson. In 1965, Dylan hired them as his touring band when expanded for a solo folk artist to a folk-rock musician with a group behind him.<\/div>\n
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After a while, Roberston left to pursue a solo career and then later Manuel died. The remaining three members continued to tour and record albums with a succession of musicians filling the departed members\u2019 roles. The final line-up included Richard Bell, Randy Ciarlante and Jim\u00a0Weider.<\/div>\n
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Danko died of heart failure in 1999, after which the group broke up for good. Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998 and continued to perform until cancer won the battle in 2012. A passing wish of Helm was for the music and spirit of The Band to live on.<\/div>\n
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The Weight was formed to do just that. The Weight came into existence to bring a live performance to fans of The Band \u2014 but not as a tribute band.<\/div>\n
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Replicating the music of The Band is a tall order but interpreting the music of The Band is an art.<\/div>\n
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Performing songs of The Band, The Weight Band is keeping the spirit and the music alive that helped define an era.\u00a0 Members of The Weight Band were either actual members in The Band or are directly and deeply connected to its legacy.<\/div>\n
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The group features Jim\u00a0Weider\u00a0from The Band; Brian Mitchell of the Levon Helm Band; Albert Rogers, who shared the stage with Levon Helm and Garth Hudson in The Jim\u00a0Weider\u00a0Band; Michael Bram, who played with Jason Mraz; and Matt Zeiner, who was a member of the Dickey Betts Band.<\/div>\n
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\u201cA few years ago, after we lost Levon, Randy Ciarlante and I put The Weight together with a couple other musicians,\u201d said\u00a0Weider, during a phone interview from his home in Woodstock. \u201cWe did songs of The Band and the shows sold out.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThen, we got Marty Grebb. We did a few shows and it really started to take off. We added Brian Mitchell and Byron Isaacs. Now, Byron has left the group and we pulled in a new bass player \u2014 Albert Rogers. He had played in my band \u2014 the Jim\u00a0Weider\u00a0Band \u2014 in the \u201990s.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The members all have other projects, but it is the music of The Band that binds them together.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI started playing with Levon in the early \u201980s in the Levon Helm Band,\u201d said\u00a0Weider. \u201cRandy was in the band too. In 1985, when Richard and Garth moved to Woodstock, we toured with Crosby, Stills and Nash. We went out as The Band. That really changed my life.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The Weight Band has stayed busy during the pandemic and has three live albums to show for it.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe released \u2018Acoustic Live,\u2019 which was recorded at Big Pink\u2019 in June 2021 and \u2018Live is a Carnival,\u2019 which came out in June,\u201d said\u00a0Weider.<\/div>\n
\u201cWe also have \u2018Live in Japan,\u2019 which is a Limited-Edition CD that was recorded at Billboard Live, Tokyo in August 2019.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The Weight Band\u2019s most recent album was \u201cShines Like Gold,\u201d which was released in 2022.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe main thing we did during the shutdown was to go in the studio and record a new studio album,\u201d said Weider. \u201cIt\u2019s called \u2018Shines Like Gold\u2019 and features all originals and one cover. We started in December 2020 and finished the mixing and mastering in May and June 2021.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAfter we released our last studio album \u2018World Gone Mad\u2019 in 2018, we wanted to slowly work on putting together a new album. The COVID pandemic gave me a lot of time to work on new music.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAll the songs were written during the pandemic. It definitely impacted the record. I wrote about positivity. I tried to look at it as glass half-full. Nobody needed negativity.\u201d<\/div>\n
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On the group\u2019s second studio album,\u00a0The Weight Band\u00a0looks at our troubled world, ponders the passage of time, and ultimately conveys a sense of hopefulness for the future.<\/div>\n
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Featuring nine original songs and a cover of a Willie Dixon gem, the band\u00a0recorded the album live at Clubhouse Studio in Rhinebeck, NY, over four days \u2013 with minimal rehearsal during the height of the pandemic in 2020. Producer Colin Linden, an award-winning musician and\u00a0Weider’s longtime collaborator and co-writer on several of the album tracks, was in Nashville.<\/div>\n
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According to\u00a0Weider, \u201cColin had a big hand and footprint on this record. We go back, so there is a comfortableness working with him.\u201d<\/div>\n
Even with its original music, The Weight Band taps into that down-home style made popular by The Band.<\/div>\n
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\u201cOur band has that real Americana feel,\u201d said\u00a0Weider. \u201cThe originals go right good with any Band tunes we play.\u00a0People are going to get a big show \u2013 a very diverse show.<\/div>\n
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\u201cObviously, we play a lot of Band music and our won songs like \u2018Shines Like Gold\u2019 and \u2018World Gone Mad.\u2019 We do some Allman Brothers and some Dead and a few other covers. It\u2019s a well-rounded show with five vocalists.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe haven\u2019t been in the studio. We\u2019re just playing live \u2013 which has been good. The band is sounding better than ever.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Video link for The Weight Band — https:\/\/youtu.be\/I8xvgpZhB74<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show on May 9 will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $45.<\/div>\n
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The show on May 10 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $56.<\/div>\n
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The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will showcase a variety of genres over the next few days with Satisfaction on May 9, Shemekia Copeland and Jeffrey Gaines on May 11 and Deadgrass on May 14.<\/div>\n
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Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a><\/u>) is hosting Dan Navarro on May 8, Kennett Metal Night on May 9 and Abbie Gardner On May 10.<\/div>\n
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Navarro\u00a0became familiar to a lot of listeners not so much as a solo artist but more as one-half of the popular duo Lowen &\u00a0Navarro.<\/div>\n
Lowen &\u00a0Navarro\u00a0was a songwriting team composed of David Eric Lowen and Dan\u00a0Navarro, who met in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s.<\/div>\n
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They wrote the song \u201cWe Belong,\u201d which became a major hit for Pat Benatar in 1984.\u00a0 They became active as a performing group in 1987. In 1990, they began to release a number of records of their own, including \u201cLearning to Fall\u201d and \u201cPurpose.\u201d<\/div>\n
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In March 2004, Lowen was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease. Because of compromises to his playing and singing, Lowen ceased touring.<\/div>\n
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The duo played its last shows in June 2009. Lowen died of complications of ALS on March 23, 2012 at the age of 60.<\/div>\n
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After a career spanning decades and a dozen albums with Lowen &\u00a0Navarro,\u00a0Navarro\u00a0released his first true studio-recorded solo album, \u201cShed My Skin.\u201d It was recorded and produced by Steve Postell and released in spring 2019.<\/div>\n
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Video link for Dan Navarro — https:\/\/youtu.be\/VXVw–kViXc<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show on May 8 will start at 7 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $30.<\/div>\n
Gardner has built up a strong fan base in the Delaware Valley. And, she has done it in a variety of ways \u2013 as a solo act, as one-third of Red Molly and as part of a duo project with Jesse Terry.<\/div>\n
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Gardner, the fiery dobro player with an infectious smile toured with Americana darlings Red Molly for eleven years. The band took an indefinite hiatus in 2015, so Gardner started doing gigs with different bands, backing up her friends and stepping out into the spotlight for her own gigs.<\/div>\n
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Gardner has released seven albums \u2014 \u201cAbbie\u00a0Gardner\u201d (2000), \u201cMy Craziest Dreams\u201d (2004), \u201cHoney on My Grave\u201d (2006), \u201cHope\u201d (2011), \u201cWishes on a Neon Sign\u201d (2018), \u201cLive at Arcata Playhouse\u201d (2018) and \u201cDobroSinger\u201d (2022).<\/div>\n
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Gardner\u2019s latest recording, \u201cDobroSinger,\u201d was released May 13, 2022. It\u2019s intimate, real and raw \u2013 her dobro and voice recorded at the same time at home, without a band or any studio tricks to hide behind. You can hear every breath, every chuckle, as if you are in the room with her.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI recorded the album at home in Jersey City,\u201d said Gardner. \u201cI recorded it in my closet with Logic, two microphones and a laptop. I wanted to get live takes of singing and playing at the same time.<\/div>\n
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\u201cOriginally, I put \u2018DobroSinger\u2019 out on Bandcamp by myself \u2013 only dobro and vocals. I wanted to establish my new self.<\/div>\n
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\u201cEvery time I sit to write a song, it\u2019s a different way. With \u2018Burn in the City,\u2019 I came up with the riff first. Then, I brought it to Will Kimbrough, and we put the words on. \u201cOther times, the vocal melody came first \u2013 like on \u2018Three Quarter Time.\u2019<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe biggest challenge is rearranging songs so they sound full. The exciting part is that when I play this way, I find myself wandering from one song into another. There\u2019s more room for improvisation.<\/div>\n
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\u201cInstrumentally, I\u2019ll be sticking mostly to dobro. I used to do guitar, but dobro now is my main instrument. I love it. It frees me up for vocals and melodic lines.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMy main dobro was made by Paul Beard. I play a Hipshot dobro which is like two instruments in one. You can pull a lever and change the tuning. I put everything through a compressor microphone. It\u2019s a throwback sound.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Gardner\u2019s songwriting has brought her much acclaim including 2008 Lennon Award Winner (folk) for \u201cThe Mind of a Soldier\u201d and 2008 American Songwriter Magazine Grand Prize Lyric Winner for \u201cI\u2019d Rather Be.\u201d Her song \u201cHoney on My Grave\u201d was also published in Sing Out! Magazine in 2008.<\/div>\n
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Video link for\u00a0Abbie\u00a0Gardner \u2013 https:\/\/na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?<\/a><\/div>\n
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The show on May 9 will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $25.<\/div>\n
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Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) is presenting Roy Book Binder on May 9.<\/div>\n
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Book Binder is at an age where his clan could include great-great-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, grandchildren and children.<\/div>\n
Book Binder celebrated his 81st\u00a0birthday this year.<\/div>\n
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Book Binder\u00a0is billed as \u201can American\u00a0blues\u00a0guitarist, singer-songwriter and storyteller, who is equally at home with blues and\u00a0ragtime.\u201d<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m not a blues artist,\u201d said Book Binder, during a phone interview from somewhere in Pennsylvania. \u201cI\u2019m an entertainer who plays the blues. I play music and I tell stories.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Book Binder was somewhere in Pennsylvania as he was driving his \u201ctour bus,\u201d actually his comfortable motor home, with Philly as the eventual destination.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI got my first bus\/motor home in 1976,\u201d said Book Binder. \u201cI gave up my place in Greenwich Village and lived on the road for 17 years \u2013 until I met my new wife in 1990. I\u2019ve had a lot of motor homes over the years.<\/div>\n
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\u201cDuring the winter, I stay in Florida \u2013 for the last 26 years. I have a home in St. Petersburg. In the wintertime, I don\u2019t tour. I just do about one gig a month locally.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Book Binder, who grew up in Queens, N.Y., traces his music career back to his time in the Navy in the early 1960s.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere was a kid on the ship from Oklahoma,\u201d said Book Binder. \u201cHe had a guitar and taught me some chords. So, I bought myself a guitar when we were somewhere off the coast of western Italy.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAnother kid who was from Dallas who played sax. He had a battery-operated Victrola and introduced me to blues acts like Bobby Blue Bland. A third kid was from Brooklyn. He was reading F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jack Kerouac, so I borrowed some of his books.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Even though Book Binder is an octogenarian, he is still mentally sharp. He recalls things from 60 years ago with the accuracy of a 14-year-old boy remembering his recent first-time trip to first base..<\/div>\n
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\u201cI got out of the Navy in 1965 when Greenwich Village was still happening,\u201d said Book Binder.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI went to junior college in Providence, Rhode Island on the G.I. Bill. I played my first open mic there in 1967. It was then that I knew I was going to do it the rest of my life.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI met Dave Van Ronk in Providence. A year-and-a-half later, I played an open mic in the Village and Dave heard my last song. I asked him if he remembered me. He said, \u2018I do\u2019 and \u2018You did.\u2019<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe went to his place and drank Irish whiskey all night. The thing I liked about him was that he made the music his own.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThat led me to Reverend Gary Davis. I took a five-dollar guitar lesson with him. We talked and he wanted me to go on tour with him \u2013 but not as a musician. He was blind so he needed an assistant. I was part of Gary Davis\u2019 world until he died in May 1972.\u201d<\/div>\n
Soon, Book Binder got involved in recording.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI recorded a few tunes on anthologies in 1967 and 1968,\u201d said Book Binder, who was born Paul Roy Bookbinder.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThen, I went to England where I really made my mark. I also got a gig playing with Arthur Crudup in 1969. Around that time, I signed with Adelphi Records.\u201d<\/div>\n
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After meeting another of his musical influences, the bluesman\u00a0Pink Anderson, Book Binder released his first album,\u00a0\u201cTravelin\u2019 Man,\u201d on Adelphi in 1971. The album was named after one of the songs he learned from Anderson.<\/div>\n
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Book Binder has released more than a dozen albums since then \u2013 the most recent of which is \u201cThe Good Book,\u201d which came out in 2013.<\/div>\n
\u201cThe most important album is \u2018The Good Book,\u2019\u201d said Book Binder. \u201cIt was my best record.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Now, almost 60 years since he started playing music, Book Binder is still at it.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI do around six gigs a month,\u201d said Book Binder. \u201cIn my live shows, I sing and I tell stories. There is no greater joy than making people laugh.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Video link for Roy Book Binder — https:\/\/youtu.be\/Ot7VVFxXYrM<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show on May 9 will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door.<\/div>\n
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The schedule for the rest of May at Jamey\u2019s House of Music is: 8, The Fabulous Dueling Pianos; 10, Michael London; 11, the Girke-Davis Project; 15, Lisa Chavous; 16, Todd Albright; 17, Settlement Music School; 18, Steve Shanahan\u2019s Blues Muthas; 22, AC Steel & the Perpetrators; 23, Drivetime; 24, Clarence Spady Band; 25, Philly Blues Kings with Clarence Spady; 30, Tom Hampton and Jack Murray; 31, Mindstorm and the Lucky Break.<\/div>\n
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On May 10,\u00a0SRUTI\u00a0(www.sruti.org<\/a>) will present a Grand Carnatic Vocal Music\u00a0Concert featuring Ranjani and Gayatri at 4:30 p.m. at West Chester Henderson High School (400 Montgomery Avenue, West Chester, www.sruti.org<\/a>).<\/div>\n
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SRUTI, The India Music and Dance Society is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization. Every year, around 10 or more world class music and dance recitals are presented during the Spring and Fall seasons by\u00a0SRUTI\u00a0in the Greater Philadelphia area.<\/div>\n
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Ranjani and Gayatri, sisters, are world-renowned musicians whose musical contributions include studio recordings, television, radio, concerts, festivals and lecture demonstrations. They have appeared as soloists, violin duos, accompanists, vocal duos, composers, educators and ambassadors of Indian Classical Music.<\/div>\n
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As top class Carnatic classical musicians, Ranjani and Gayatri are conservators of their genre\u2019s unique beauty and preserve ancient tradition as they continue to innovate within it.<\/div>\n
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Ranjani Gayatri\u2019s performances are highly acclaimed for their melodious renditions, impeccable coordination as a duo, and their ability to explore the depths of ragas through intricate improvisations.<\/div>\n
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They have a vast repertoire of classical compositions in several languages including Sanskrit, Tamizh, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi and others.<\/div>\n
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Perfection of sruti (pitching), powerful voice control, rich imagination and impeccable aesthetics which reflect the timeless values of classicism — these are some of the qualities that describe the music of Ranjani and Gayatri.<\/div>\n
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Their two voices blend and contrast to strike a fine balance between vibrancy and contemplation, intellect and emotion, tradition and innovation. Their concerts, which draw full houses across the globe, resound with energy, freshness and emotional intensity.<\/div>\n
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Ranjani and Gayatri owe their rich musical heritage to their Gurus, Sri T.S. Krishnaswami who taught them violin, and Sri P.S.Narayanaswamy, who guided them through their vocal journey.<\/div>\n
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They had their initial vocal training from their mother Smt Meenakshi Balasubramanian and their father Balasubramanian played a pivotal role in shaping their musical values.<\/div>\n
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They will be accompanied by Rajeev Mukundan, Manoj Siva and Krishna Shriram.<\/div>\n
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Mukundan\u00a0is a dynamic and acclaimed Carnatic violinist, whose mellifluous playing and keen sense of aesthetics and musical understanding makes him a much sought-after accompanist in the Carnatic concert circuit.<\/div>\n
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Manoj Siva, a prime disciple of Sangita Kalanidhi Sri Palghat Raghu, hails from a family of musicians and music lovers. A Musician and a teacher par excellence he had his initial training in mridangam under Sri Kumbakonam Rajappa Iyer and Sri Srirangarajapuram Jayaraman from a very young age.<\/div>\n
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Krishna Sriram\u00a0is a distinguished percussionist who plays the Ghatam, a clay pot instrument used in Carnatic Music. Trained under the Ghatam Vidwan (legend) V Suresh and guided by doyens such as T.H Vinayakaram, Krishna (known as Ghatam Krishna) has been playing alongside Mridangists of various styles, accompanying both vocal and instrumental music.<\/div>\n
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The show at Henderson High on May 10 will start at 4:30 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $60 for adults, $30 for seniors and $25 for students.<\/div>\n
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American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, www.AMTshows.com<\/a>) will host Old Crow Medicine Show on May 10 on May 10 at 8 p.m. Herman\u2019s Hermits Starring Peter Noone on May 11 at 7:30 p.m.<\/div>\n
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The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble, a Philadelphia-based ensemble that centers the work of women in tap through performance, education, and community outreach, will present their Spring Concert Series at Harold Prince Theatre at the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts (3680 Walnut Street, \u200bPhiladelphia, www.ladyhoofers.org<\/a>) on May 10 at 2 and 7 p.m.<\/div>\n
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The ensemble will perform innovative and original tap choreography by several accomplished choreographer.<\/div>\n
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The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble is composed of 30 professional and pre-professional tap dancers, including the group\u2019s First Company and Apprentice dancers. Additionally, local college tap groups will be invited to perform through an adjudicated process.<\/div>\n
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The Artistic Director is Tamera Dallam.<\/div>\n
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Dallam is a performer and teacher who put on her first pair of tap shoes in 2004 and hasn\u2019t stopped tapping since.<\/div>\n
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She is well-known as one of the ensemble’s star improvisers and has performed with the company in Koresh’s Come Together Dance Festival, the Kimmel Center’s Fall Arts Fest, and That Which Connects Camden.<\/div>\n
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Another dancer with dual duties is Katie Budris, who is the company\u2019s Managing Director.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve been with the Lady Hoofers since the beginning in 2011,\u201d said Budris, during a phone interview from her home in Sicklerville, New Jersey.<\/div>\n
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\u201cKat formed it as part of Philly Fringe. The group got invited to perform in Philadelphia\u2019s City Hall in April 2012. It got a grant for a performance at City Hall.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI performed in the second ever Lady Hoofers show. Since then, we have built quite an extensive repertoire.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The 2025 Spring Concert Series features innovative choreography by Michael J. Love and Dolores Sanchez, audience favorites by Katie Budris and Kat Echevarr\u00eda Richter, and a world premiere by renowned Chicago tap artist Star Dixon.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere are about 18 numbers in this weekend\u2019s show,\u201d said Budris, who is a Senior Lecturer of Writing Arts at Rowan University. \u201cIt runs about 90 minutes with an intermission.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re doing about 12 numbers that are pretty typical of our Spring Concert. We also try to include two new premieres each Spring Concert.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere is a resurgence in tap \u2013 live, TV, films \u2013 and we\u2019re part of that resurgence.\u201d<\/div>\n
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One of the young dancers in the company is dance apprentice Ava Keagle\u00a0from Downingtown.<\/div>\n
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Keagle began dancing when she was just three and her love of tap began two years later. She currently trains at Lionville School of Dance in ballet, jazz, contemporary, musical theater, and tap. She is also a member of Nicole Billow\u2019s youth tap group, Tap Impact.<\/div>\n
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Video link for Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/5bfdgIwBpEU<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The shows on May 10 will be held at 2 and 7 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $25 and $35.<\/div>\n
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Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) will host Better Than Bacon on May 8.<\/div>\n
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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.<\/div>\n
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Improv comedy is a one-time only performance without scripts or nets. What audiences experience in one show will never be seen again.<\/div>\n
The spontaneity of improv makes improvisational comedy one of the most challenging forms of comedy.<\/div>\n
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BTB\u2019s current troupe members hail from all over the Philly suburbs including Malvern, Exton, West Chester, Kennett Square, Media, Swarthmore, Wilmington and Phoenixville.<\/div>\n
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The troupe\u2019s artistic backgrounds include improv, acting, stand-up comedy, and music.<\/div>\n
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The cast includes comedians Lauren Henry, Bob Curran, Jack Dibeler, Brett Heller, Lauren\u00a0Burawski, Sarah Hennessey, Susan Price, Greg Faber, Dan Freed, David James, Jessica Berzon, Marielle Latrick and Kevin O\u2019Connell.<\/div>\n
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The show at the Uptown on May 8 will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/div>\n
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Better Than Bacon will also have its 14th Anniversary Show on June 13 at the Kennett Flash.<\/div>\n
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Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center will also present Chelsea Reed and the Fairweather Five on May 15; the Laugh Lounge at Uptown on May 22; The Philly Keys on May 29; and a comedy night with headliner Heather Shaw and opener Leah Knauer.<\/div>\n
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The Colonial Theater (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, thecolonialtheatre.com\/events<\/a>) will present Anna Todd on May 8,<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u201c80\u2019s Prom\u201d on May 16, The Ledbetters and Superunknown on May 17, and Vocal Fusion Spring Concert on May 21.<\/div>\n
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The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) has a busy week with Brett & River on May 8, Unlimited Devotion on May 9 and 10 and Dandy Warhols on May 14.<\/div>\n
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This weekend, the Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com<\/a>) will host Hayden Kauffman on May 8, the Sensational Soulcruisers on May 9, and Rust: Neil Young Tribute on May 10.<\/div>\n
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The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) will present Professor Brian Cox on May 9, Almost Queen on May 10 and Living Colour on May 14.<\/div>\n
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World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) has a variety of shows this week \u2013<\/div>\n
Audrey Nuna on May 9, Shallow Alcove on May 9, The Ledbetters on May 10, Ace Monroe on May 10, Madeleine Peyroux on May 12 and Orrin Evans on May 14.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times There are a lot of great ways to celebrate Mother\u2019s Day around this area. One of the best will actually take place the day before Mother\u2019s Day. On May 10 at 11 a.m., Winterthur (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-888-4600,www.winterthur.org) will host \u201cMother\u2019s Day Concert with the Kennett Symphony.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,214,8034],"class_list":["post-55497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-kennett-symphony","tag-the-weight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55497","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=55497"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55498,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55497\/revisions\/55498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/55495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=55497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=55497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=55497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}