Max Vernon Brings His Observational Style to The View UpStairs

Performances begin for The View UpStairs on February 15th for the new musical written by Max Vernon at the Lynn Redgrave Theater. This contemporary American theater production will highlight Max Vernon’s observational style. His insightful intellectual curiosity reflects nuance and the dual complexities of modern-day life. Vernon is passionately inquisitive about societal issues and expresses his concerns with many words. His songs of content always hit just the right note.

The View UpStairs is a provocative new musical that pulls you inside the UpStairs Lounge, a vibrant ‘70s gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans. This forgotten community comes to life in all its gritty, glam rock glory when a young fashion designer from 2017 buys the abandoned space, setting off an exhilarating journey of seduction and self-exploration that spans two generations of queer history. Inspired by one of the most significant yet all-but-ignored attacks against the LGBTQ community, The View UpStairs examines what has been gained and lost in the fight for equality and how the past can help guide us all through an uncertain future.

For more information and tickets, The View Upstairs

Max Vernon

SOBO Blues Band @ the Parkside Lounge

SOBO Blues Band from Israel played at the Parkside Lounge last Saturday, January 28th, as a first stop and warm-up to their final destination, the 2017 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Their style of playing is what I call "happy blues." They exude the purest form of pleasure in music collaboration while celebrating the American art form they treasure and proclaim is universal.

Assaf Gansman, the bass player with deeply soulful vocals, is also the band's master of ceremonies. Daniel Kriman shreds on electric resonator slide guitar and harmonica, creating the group's signature sound. With the first beat of drummer Eden Bahar, I knew I was in for a treat. He is classically trained, but unlike other players of that ilk, he brings grit to the mix.

Together they generate love from the stage. Shout out today; they made it to the finals, sending their brand of love in the form of blues to Memphis.

SOBO was founded in 1995 in Jerusalem by the songwriting team Assaf Ganzman and Daniel Kriman. Ganzman is also co-owner of the legendary Mike's Place live music bars and restaurants in Israel. Two years ago, the team was joined by 24-year-old Eden Bahar, considered one of the best percussionists in Israel.

SOBO Blues Band from Israel played at the
Willpilot Productions and Jack Baxter present SOBO Blues Band live in New York City.

SOBO on bandcamp#Blues #Memphis #MikesPlace #ParksideLounge #resonatorslideguitar #JackBaxter #BluesByTheBeach #SariSinger #StrengthToStrength

Arkansas’ Adam Faucett; Soulful Poetry in Song

I saw Adam Faucett live last month and bought his 2014 release Blind Water Finds Blind Water. Yes, I’m old school and like to support directly. Since 2006 with a little break, I’ve been writing about under-the-radar music. I’m late to Adam Faucett, he was just not on my radar but is now, thanks to a friend and musician I admire who treasures him. I am also from the east coast, and references to rock piles, sleeping Opossum, and old train lots are not common jargon for me, but each song speaks to me through the universality of love, breakup, hurt regret, and fine storytelling.

Adam Faucett has one of the greatest voices I’ve ever heard. His smooth high notes and diaphragm-defying fervent belts possess soul, grit, and beauty. Best of all, they are delivered with his Arkansas accent. Blending finger-picking on electric guitar with bass and drums. These contemplative songs are the perfect mix of Southern soul, rock and roll, and folk. The only track in a different direction is “Killer on Staten Island”; It is eerie, gorgeous, and highlights the piano.

His songwriting applies snippets of memory retrieved and blended into a poetic narrative with references to small-town America. Faucett weaves dreams, hopes, memories, and predictions as complicated expectations. A paragraph recited in full in the song "The Poet" inscribed by the local Oracle on the bar bathroom wall.  Faucett cites the famous mystic to make themes realized in the song "Edgar Cayce" / your dreams have swallowed me whole /.  And a descriptive narrative using the word (I remember) travels through the song "Opossum," imparting some folk wisdom; / all that truly love you / been traveling with you always / well I hope your right /.

I can feel the heartache and regrets and can smell the bar, and picture its dark, oppressive, dimly lit interior on the first track “Day Drinker” / Nobody / nowhere is gonna outdrink me / It’s so lonesome in the afternoon / when you’re the only one / with nothing to do /.

While vocals express longing in "Walking Home Late" / Walking home late /with you on my mind / because all that I have is you on my mind / the music simulates a pulse like a heartbeat stressing the aloneness of the moment. The instrumentation in “Melonie” is musically masculine, combining guitar, bass, and a persistent war-like drumbeat, emphasizing regrets about an affair that went wrong as he sings / Melonie I don’t want to hold hands / get killed by your ex-old man / but no more /. And the unintended fallout / We did / we did him wrong / he was our brother in song /.

I love the two songs about different Arkansas towns. "Benton” constructs the memories of youth re-visiting the old rockpile and reflects on the dreams left behind / the flowers walk away / from the grave of my young dreams / just easier that way / just easier that way /. While “Sparkman” is about a regretful longing through the prism of a man thinking he might regain a relationship that has gone terribly wrong.

Ending with “Rock Ain’t Gold’ where Faucett depicts the act of digging and searching to represent all dreams not actualized. / Struck gold now the sun won’t rise / been a digging for most of my life/ trade it all for a little bit of life / rich comes at the bottom of the mine /.

This music was a gift to me, like folklore passed along from one friend to another. In today’s music climate, people only hear parts of a whole my suggestion is to listen to the entire body of work and buy the whole damn thing.

Looking forward to his next record said to be released in 2017.

Adam Faucett – Guitar and Vocals

Jonny D – Bass

Will Boyd – Drums

Conor Oberst Solo at Carnegie Hall

The minimalist stage was set for a solo evening with Conor Oberst. Conor switched between piano and guitar while the harmonica remained a constant. His songwriting took center stage at Carnegie Hall while the instruments like jewels glimmered around his poignant lyrics. In the performance's first half, he played his new album, Ruminations, in full. Having purchased Ruminations recently, I was familiar with the raw pared-down recordings. The accompaniment of Miwi La Lupa on bass and the acoustics at the Carnegie created a dichotomy giving the magnitude of the song while hearing private intimate songs become very public.

In the second half, he played older songs curated for content. They were familiar and, with the advent of time, took on new meaning as history unfolded post-election.  

Lenders in the Temple, Cape Canaveral, White Shoes, Passing Through (Leonard Cohen cover and dedication), Ladder Song, Lua, The Big Picture, and At the Bottom of Everything.

Whether the material was old or new, each word sung echoed through the majesty of the hall. Speaking to me as they always have for the last 16 years. Conor has become a seasoned performer, his lyrics carry levels of imagery and inference like no other. His phrasing and delivery create the winning dynamic as chosen words are highlighted for effect or a consonant is pronounced with clarity.

The audience at Carnegie Hall cheered from the top tiers every time Conor sang the line /victory is sweet, even deep in the cheap seats / from the song “Cape Canaveral.” The sound experience was the same regardless of the seat's price or location. The only seat I would have really liked was Sean Foley’s (harmonica cleaner) next to the grand piano with a fishbowl full of water.

Adam Faucett's Voice Delivers at Rockwood Music Hall

There is no better healing for a beat-up soul with election blues than powerful live music. Thank you, Adam Faucett! Was I on sacred ground or stage 1 at Rockwood Music Hall?  His voice bellowed and reverberated from the rafters and made me a believer. When he brought down the volume, the soothing tenderness of his voice settled inside my spirit. His poetic songwriting was delivered like a moving sermon. I am not religious but sign me up!

Two other newbies were sitting next to me and said, "There is nothing better than discovering extraordinary music accidentally."

http://www.adamfaucett.com/music

Four Star Mecca EP by Peoples Rohoss

Peoples Rohoss is a power trio. Two brothers and a childhood friend who plays a scattered rock mix of guitar, bass, cello, and drums, intertwined with high-frequency vocals and woven with an adventurous orchestral sound. They rely on improvisational chance and musicianship that they synchronize with each other. To say they are interactive is an understatement.

Their EP Four Star Mecca takes all those elements and blends them to create a statement.  The “Intro Song” is an orchestral rock composition that combines unfamiliar instrument sounds with distant vocals that fade and suddenly vanish. Surprisingly ”Young Elitists” starts as a poppy punk song with the catchphrase / It’s two AM / we're wide awake /. The song's muscular start pauses only to pick back up with an outpouring of energy. It ends with a lone guitar player's mindless strumming, possibly imagining this recording was his pipe dream.

The lyrical hook / to find the grays in this dotted space /mimics the sound of discordant melody in the song “The Four Star Mecca.” It is a high-powered mix with splattered vocals and drums that sound like dropping bombs. Coming on strong is the appropriately titled “Back and Forth,” in which every instrument commits to an intense dialogue creating an invigorating tension. The vocals / It could have been bittersweet to go home, stoned / come in gently in contrast to the rough and tumble mix. Closing this unique collection is “The East End,” which starts with a seductive, strong bass line and has a rousing and unpredictable exuberance that builds to a crescendo following the phrase  / you always run / but never make amends /and pauses with a drum roll.

This EP collection is invigorating smart rock music. It is not an easy listening experience, and that is a compliment.

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Peoples Rohoss Bandcamp

Bass / Cello - James Acampora

Drums -Sean Perham

Guitar / Howling / Everything else - Mike Acampora

Sawyer Fredericks Shines Through

Screenshot D Strait YT

When I first heard Sawyer Fredericks's deep, soulful, and emotionally charged voice, I was immediately captured. My heart was racing, my eyes were welling, and my emotions were being played like a violin.

How was this possible? It was just a Monday night, and I was mindlessly watching The Voice. The emotional connection Sawyer expressed while singing was channeled through the television screen and seemed to be directly aimed at me. It was as if I had receptors and was open to receiving.

Sawyer’s voice can elicit longing, empathy, aching, and compassion. It is especially potent when he reaches for high notes, and it warbles and vibrates while emoting every last drop of feeling.  At times he sings quietly or pauses so that a word can linger, and within a short time frame, he can powerfully amplify his voice to soar with energy and surge with purpose.

What was most delightful to discover was that Sawyer Fredericks is a songwriter. Through his thoughtful phrasing, he masterfully sings and shapes words that resonate with the listener. 

That night I was ready to receive and surprised to find so many viewers obsessively hungry for genuine original music. My reaction had something to do with the fact that certain genres of music are rarely celebrated on mainstream television. 

One added detail really sparked my interest. In several interviews, Sawyer Fredericks mentioned one of his favorite artists is Langhorne Slim, someone I've been writing about since 2006.

Faren and the French Fries! New Video

Hello, Hello, I know you’re there.. Well, I just need to talk....... OMG, this video is so cute, and the song Answering Machine by the pop duo Faren and the French Fries is sooooo catchy!

The Children’s Museum of the Arts (CMA) art colony class has created a POPTASTIC video production (as described on CMA’s blog). Watch for the credits with the featured kids and a listing of the production team of teaching artists along with Faren and the French Fries's song “Hey You.”

CMA's new headquarters will be a 10,000-square-foot former loading dock in Hudson Square at 103 Charlton St. The grand opening is set for Oct. 1.

Oh, to be a kid again. I wish!!

Ava Luna @ the Clocktower Gallery

Ava Luna played a show at the Clock Tower as part of the Above the Law Series curated by Joe Ahearn. One flight up from the 13^th floor and adjacent to the roof, the audience squeezed in close for an intimate experience. 

This is a great band, and the acoustics in the space only enhanced their sound. We were all lucky enough to hear almost a complete album of gems performed for the first time, creating an immediacy and edge.

Dynamic acoustics, crazy awesome harmonies, soul strutting, and hard-hitting music structure were made for a listener who enjoys being challenged. Ava Luna combines many music genres, creating a jumbled juxtaposition of dynamic excitement. 

Flickr Set: 

Style Meets Substance; A Poets Guide To The Bars

Style counts today, even in the world of poetry. The latest reprint of Kenneth Sonny Donato’s “A Poet's Guide To The Bars” has hit the shelves, bringing poetry up front and out of the backroom's dusted stacks of treasured finds.

Pax Americana Productions, LLC has curated Sonny’s poetry into a visually graphic format where text, imagery, editing, and layout meet to house his retrospective of legendary LA bars in which dreams are one shot away. For online promotion, they have created a must-see book trailer. (below)

Kenneth Sonny Donato reads and shares stories alongside his friend Harry Dean Stanton, to whom the book is dedicated @ Book Soup on Wed. Aug. 3, 7pm.