photo courtesy of The Buckinghams
On June 4, 2016, The Buckinghams played Fifth Third Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps, to kick off the summer season, sponsored by WGVU (NPR) Real Oldies 1480. This was their third concert at the ballpark.
Front Street Concerts; photo by Geoff Wilbur
One of my favorite house concert venues, Front Street Concerts is a popular place to catch great music in a backyard setting out here in the outer suburbs of Boston. The timing for this evening’s concert was pretty good, a cooler night than most we’ve experience the last couple weeks, and quite comfortable by the time the concert was in full swing. Tonight’s gig featured Metro Boston’s not-so-hidden gem Danielle Miraglia and her band the Glory Junkies with her husband, Boston music scene veteran extraordinaire Tom Bianchi, serving as her opening act.
Danielle Miraglia & Tom Bianchi; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Opening Act: Tom Bianchi
This was my first time catching one of Tom’s sets, and it was the fun experience I was told to expect.
Tom Bianchi; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Tom was tuneful and delivered nearly as broad a mix of acoustic folk-rock as possible within a short set that mixed legitimate acoutic guitar (and electric bass) chops and fun between-song banter into a folky froth. Indeed, the set was mostly acoustic but occasionally featured his electric bass.
As usual, I didn’t ask about song titles, so I may get them wrong, but here goes:
Tom opened with a self-described new song, “My Old Friend,” which featured acoustic guitar strumming, Tom’s engaging, bit-of-a-growl vocal style, and his big, welcoming personality.
The several-song set closed with an interestingly matched couplet, as Tom himself pointed out, featuring first an original anti-cover-song song, then his cover of the Beatles’ “Something.”
It’s obvious from even this short set why Tom is such a popular local performer. His performance comes across a bit like organized chaos… a guaranteed fun night out!
Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Headliner: Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies
Danielle Miraglia was the headliner tonight with her band, the Glory Junkies – Laurence Scudder (viola), Jim Larkin (bass), and Chris Anzalone (drums). Favorites around the Boston area and up and down the east coast, Danielle and her band packed the house – OK, the barn and the yard – at Front Street Concerts.
Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies; photo by Geoff Wilbur
I reviewed Danielle’s February gig at Atwood’s Tavern, and I’m not sure I’ll ever write a better description of her blue-chip band’s rockin’ blues style than I did in that review; suffice it to say, Danielle Miraglia and the Glory Junkies again delivered a performance of folk-influenced, rock-inspired, subgenre-crossing blues, all with a sly, sarcastic, fun, and sometimes heartfelt edge. The band’s leader and her partners-in-crime seem to always be at the top of their games; this gig was no exception.
The band kicked things off by getting the crowd fully engaged with “See the Light” from Danielle’s Box of Troubles album, followed by the rollocking “Fair Warning” from her latest release, Glory Junkies.
Danielle Miraglia; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Popular culture-inspired “Famous for Nothing” followed, as did Danielle’s amazing ability to channel Janis Joplin in an inspired Joplin cover. Here, as elsewhere, Scudder’s inspired viola work stood out.
A few songs later, Danielle ditched the band for three songs and went acoustic, reaching back three albums for “Snow Globe” and following it with a new song (“Silence Was Your Weapon”?), both quite sensitive songs that spoke to the audience. The highlight of the acoustic trifecta for me, though, was Danielle’s new “empowerment” song, a tune I’d never heard before, “Aim Low.” Instant classic. Like a musical demotivational poster.
The return of the band featured Danielle growling along with some well-placed viola on “Don’t Pray For Me,” followed by “Stagger Lee,” an energetic number that always brings to my mind an image of a railroad train chugging full-speed down the tracks.
The set closed with Tom Bianchi joining the band for its final three songs, closing with a rendition of Tom Waits’ “3:19” that, a Danielle Miraglia concert staple that she truly makes her own.
The evening ended with one of my favorite Danielle Miraglia tunes, a rafter-shaking performance of “Choir.” And, of course, the evening ended too soon.
Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Looking Ahead
The “shows” page on Danielle’s website lists her next gig as Friday, August 5th at Atwood’s Tavern opening for the Tim Gearan Band. Other upcoming scheduled shows include the Kingsville Folk Festival in Kingsville, Ontario on Saturday, August 13th; Saturday, September 3rd at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine, opening for The Mystix; Friday, September 16th at the Burlap and Bean in Newtown Square, PA with Beacoup Blue; a Saturday, September 17th house concert in Reston, VA; Saturday, September 18th at World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington, DE with Kyle Swartzwelder; and Saturday, October 1 at Old Sloop Coffeehouse in Rockport, MA with Jon Shain.
Tom’s performances page lists his weekly local Somerville/Cambridge residencies: Thursday nights with the Baker Thomas Band at Toad; Sunday nights as host, emcee, and performer at the Burren Backroom Acoustic Music Series; and Monday nights as host and emcee of the Lizard Lounge Open Mic Challenge.
Front Street Concerts has one upcoming concert currently scheduled: Florent Dufour on Saturday, September, 10th.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
The Backstory: About the Northborough Summer Concert Series
Of all of the local summer concert series, Northborough is one of my favorites. Four shows per summer, at 6:00 pm every other Thursday (with Sunday as a rain date). They tend to book top-notch performers (as do many of the local summer concert series), but just as importantly, the seating area is flat and comfortable, there is generally at least one food option if you don’t have time to pack a picnic basket, and there’s plenty of parking, though for those who arrive late it’s grass parking. When I first see the list of performers each year, I check them out online, and even though my availability is the key determinant of whether or not I attend, a quick listen to Mychael David’s music online suggested this was a show I didn’t want to miss.
The Show
With storms approaching, the organizers kept a close eye on the weather but made the appropriate call… just barely; the rain began falling during my drive home after the show. The result of the approaching storm, however, was a relatively cool summer evening ideal for an outdoor concert. In spite of weather concerns, the turnout was very good. Now, about the concert…
photo by Geoff Wilbur
Mychael’s rich, full, deep, emotive vocals are this band’s calling card. It’s a special voice, capable of everything from ballads to rockers and great on the mid-tempo, laid-back-but-still-energetic songs that seem to be his sweet spot. He gets support from Susan Jayne on vocals, some impressive guitar shredding from guitarist Howie Swett, and some sweet keyboard work from Glenn Stegner, with the tight rhythm section of Pete Early and DC Carter rounding out his concert-caliber line-up.
Yes, there’s traffic in downtown Northborough at this time of day, so I may have missed the first song or two, but upon my arrival I was treated to the fun, rockin’ Southern rock-style country number “It’s All About Tonight” (with apologies to the artist if I don’t get the song titles quite right).
The band showed its versatility over the course of the evening. Mychael’s “Heartbreak Song” showcased his deep, emotional, tear-jerking vocals. The energy and tempo changes within “Hang on Tight” set it apart as a worthy listen. And “Little By Little,” a mid-tempo duet with Susan, was a pleasant, almost Buffett-esque tune with perhaps a little more guitar twang and some rocking Howie Swett axework.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
Also worth noting were the Johnny Cash “Folsom Prison Blues” cover that got the crowd clapping along and took full advantage of the low end of Mychael’s vocals. And “Take a Lot to Make a Livin’,” a rollicking working-man’s country rocker; it’s so effective because Mychael delivers it with such conviction.
“Smoke and Ash” sported a growly vocal and a little funky guitar riff, while even on a mid-tempo twanger like “Goodbye is Still Goodbye,” Mychael’s vocals are still as crisp and clear as ever while still projecting full emotion. Did I mention that there’s a special nature to his vocal talent? I believe I did.
Finally, toward the end of the show, Mychael and band rolled out his biggest hit, “Nothin’,” a mid-tempo tune with lyrics that really connect, especially thanks to Mychael’s deep, emotional, powerful voice. The song is very catchy; I can see easily why it was a hit.
Looking Ahead
photo by Geoff Wilbur
The Mychael David Project lists a lot of local dates over the coming months, so you may have an opportunity to catch the band yourself if you live in New England, particularly in eastern or central Massachusetts. The next few shows listed are Friday, July 22nd for the Center of Hope Benefit at the Indian Ranch in Webster, MA; Saturday, July 30th at Halligan’s in Auburn, MA; Saturday, August 6th for the Massachusetts State Chili Cookoff at the American Legion in Winchendon, MA; Saturday, August 13th at Forty’s in Leominster, MA; and Saturday, August 13th at the Straw Hollow Engine Show on Cross Street in Boylston, MA. Check the “Tour” page on Mychael’s website for additional information on those and additional upcoming shows in Massachusetts, New Hamphire, and at the Woodstock Fair in Woodstock, CT.
As for the Northborough Summer Concert Series, there are still two more upcoming concerts. Hit the Bus performs Thursday, July 28th, and Eclipse closes this summer’s series on Thursday, August 11th. Shows run from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. You can find more information on the Northborough Community Affairs Committee’s Facebook page here.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
The Backstory
I stumbled across an announcement for this show a few days ago while scanning a list of local events. So I checked out TOS’s music and was extremely impressed by the songs posted on the band’s YouTube channel. After that, I looked at the band’s website, and I was shocked to learn the band members were all aged 16-20. So much talent for such a young band. I was glad I was able to fit the band’s Saturday show into my schedule.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
The Concert
TOS delivers alt-rock with a modern edge and an old-school haunting vocal wail. Vocally, I hear a bit of Lush and perhaps a hint of Cocteau Twins, but TOS’s music is much more broadly accessible, more rocking. TOS’s repertoire of songs is mostly mid-tempo but with some variance, the music is engaging, and I’d pit this band against the best bar bands in any town. It’s also music that translates well to the studio, which is a bonus.
This particular gig was TOS’s album release show, launching its disc Killer. For the first set, in fact, the band performed its new album beginning to end. The second set featured some of the band’s new songs and some old ones.
Before I get any farther, I should point out something that’s apparent from the beginning. There can be no mistake. The original, unique flavor that is TOS emanates from the voice, phrasing, and songwriting of Sophia Ward. The rest of the band is tight and talented, and they have exceptional rapport on stage and, I can only assume, in the studio. Such a strong band by itself can be a bar scene favorite; add strong songwriting and an identifiable, memorable vocalist, and you have lightning in a bottle.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
Each band member contributes memorable segments to the songs – each, in fact, carries some of the songs. Lead guitarist Jackson Parker contributes well-placed, song-moving solos. Rhythm guitarist Jonathan Sommer provides memorably catchy hooks, particularly during a few of the songs on which he wields the acoustic axe. Bass player Jae Mannion keeps a steady rhythm, more noticeable on this evening during the second set, when he more often delivered the catchy hooks that held the songs together. And skinsman Mitch Rolla occasionally goes beyond just keeping a steady beat, providing subtle drum fills that add needed texture as a backdrop behind the melodies, noticeable for those who paid attention on several of the tunes performed this evening.
The first set opened with “Death of Me,” a song that combines Sophia’s haunting vocals with driving rhythm and a steady beat. One of the catchier songs on the album, it’s a solid welcome to the album and served to grab the audience’s attention from the very start of the evening. It was followed by “Soul Keeper,” a song that augments great vocal tone with an engaging song structure that builds to power before stopping cold in places. “Cry Baby,” meanwhile, was a bit poppier, driven by an energetic acoustic guitar line and what I can best describe as oh-so-cool, “That Thing You Do”-esque drumming.
I’d love to go song-by-song through the set, but I’ll just mention a couple more of the standouts. “Reckless” is a raucous rocker in which the bass line stands out as a sneaky-monster hook while featuring a nice little guitar solo and showcasing the singer’s vocal power and a few nice vocal flourishes. And set album-closer “Killer” is a powerful song whose tone, vocals, drumming, and even the speed-acoustic guitar solo recall a lava lamp-and-black light, late ’60s/early ’70s classic rock vibe.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
The band opened the second set with a great cover of the Beatles “In My Life,” then slipped into a straight up hoarse-vocalled alt-rock number, “Best You’ve Ever Had.”
Other notable tunes in the second set included “Primadonna,” a driving pop song with a somewhat different sound featuring a little bluesy and funky rhythm; “Alphabet Hate,” a sad but thoughtful song that’s delivered a bit angry; “Side Effects,” a slow, rhythmic, steady balladic song with a hint of a ’70s rock singer-songwriter vibe; and “Without You,” a poppy alt-rocker with a hooky bass rhythm and slick electric guitar solo that doubles as an audience participation clap-along song. The set closed with “Money,” a tune with a prominent bass line and blistering-though-subtle guitar solo that showcases the singer’s otherwordly trademark alt-rock vocal wail.
With the crowd calling for an encore, TOS delivered the goods with “You Don’t Know.” Featuring a strong bass line and catchy rhythm guitar that seems to both mimic and mock the vocals, this is a song that brings the energy level in the room to a fever pitch. Talk about ending the show on a high note!
Brimming with talent, don’t dismiss this band because of its youth; TOS could rock any bar in Boston… or New York… or London with those cities’ best. These musicians are ready for a big stage. I can’t wait to hear what they do next.
Looking Ahead
TOS has three shows listed on its website: July 24th at The Raven in Worcester, MA; August 5th at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH; and August 8th at the Natick Commons in Natick, MA. Keep an eye on the band’s website for additional upcoming dates.
Also expect to see a review of the band’s album, Killer, on this website in the coming months. I have a few albums in the queue ahead of it, but I have a copy of the disc and look forward to penning its review.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
One of the local house concert venues I like to attend whenever possible, The Backyard is a great venue for live music, especially on a nice late spring evening like Saturday night.
Sean Peters and Erica Leigh; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Opening Act: Sean Peters and Erica Leigh
After the usual potluck, mingling, and settling into place, the musical portion of the evening began with two songs each from Sean Peters and Erica Leigh. Sean exhibited his soaring vocals on both tunes and did a heck of a job on a sad song. He also joined Erica on the first of her two songs on which her delivery was a sweet, storytelling style with sweet, folky vocals. On her second song, she kicked it up a notch, showing she has more vocal punch when it’s called for. A late addition to the evening’s program, Sean and Erica were fitting, enjoyable, talented openers for the night’s main event.
The DuPont Brothers; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Headliner: The DuPont Brothers
Hailing from Vermont and on the verge of releasing a new album, The DuPont Brothers delivered a fun, energetic, long set of folk/Americana, delivering it in an exceptionally crowd-pleasing style. The brothers, Zack and Sam, emerged to perform a couple numbers as a duo before being joined onstage by violist Laurence Scudder.
The DuPont Brothers; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Set-opener “Stay Put” kicked things off with a bang, showcasing The DuPont Brothers’ picking, slide guitar, and harmonies. Then, on “Empty Cases,” the brothers mixed a little Western flavor with their folk.
Other songs worth noting were “Seven Days,” which was punctuated with vocal wails and some well-placed viola-work and “Attention Spans,” a great strumming song with a strong fiddle line and forceful-yet-folky vocals.
The DuPont Brothers showed additional range within the folk/Americana umbrella, with one song featuring a kind of ’70s folk feel with a hint of Simon & Garfunkel; a couple others showcasing a somewhat haunted vocal edge. And, of course, late in their set the guys unleashed a very folky, fun cover of Nirvana’s “All Apologies.” Yes, really.
Throughout, the evening had a fun vibe, with the good-natured humor of the headliners helping things along. With the usual relaxed, friendly vibe of The Backyard and the always-talented performers who are booked there, it’s hard to go wrong; this particular evening, indeed, went exceedingly right.
The DuPont Brothers; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Looking Ahead
The DuPont Brothers will be performing exhaustively through the end of July. The “tour dates” page of the band’s website lists a May 20th date in Montpelier, Vermont; then a June 2nd show in Nashua, NH, kicks off a busy month of June that will also take the brothers to Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee; the July dates, so far, are limited to New England. Be sure to check out the website for live dates near you as the guys hit the road.
Danielle Miraglia with the Tim Gearan Band; photo by Geoff Wilbur
The Backstory
If you haven’t been reading the blog from the beginning, you may have missed it, but I reviewed Danielle Miraglia’s Glory Junkies album as installment #7 of my 9-part “Road Back to Music Journalism” series.
Friday nights are Tim Gearan’s night at Atwood’s Tavern. Each week, he brings in another great band to open for him. Because I hadn’t been out to see Danielle perform live since starting the blog, I had been looking for an opportunity, and this night came with a chance to catch Tim, as well, so it seemed like a perfect choice.
Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies
Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies; photo by Geoff Wilbur
My level of appreciation for Danielle Miraglia’s talent is already well-documented. She can perform solo as an acoustic, almost folky blues singer, and she can perform a raucous, full-on rockin’ blues set with her band, the Glory Junkies. Tonight, of course, was a Glory Junkies night.
The band opened with “See the Light,” a stompin’ blues rock tune from the Box of Troubles CD that featured a nice fiddle solo and showed that Danielle’s tuneful blues growl was in full form tonight; the energy carried well into “Fair Warning.”
Next was “Famous for Nothing,” challenging the rhythm section, who adeptly kept the song under control as the vocals and guitar danced around the melody a bit.
Danielle Miraglia; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Through the rest of the set, Danielle did her usual amazing job on a Joplin cover, played a fun song off the Glory Junkies disc, grabbed the acoustic guitar for a new song – I didn’t ask for the title, but I’d assume it’s “Don’t Pray For Me” – that’s a real foot-stompin’ blues number with a smirk and a lotta howlin’ soul, and then added a Prince number.
The band closed its set with what’s a bit of a Danielle Miraglia standard, as well it should be, her powerful, force-of-nature rendition of Tom Waits’ “2:19.”
A deafening call for an encore was greeted with one last song, “Pick Up the Gun,” with a little spacy intro, great guitar-picking, vocal power, and significant use of a freaky fiddle sound I had never heard anywhere before this evening. This song, by the way, via a YouTube video of a live, outdoor performance, was one of the first songs I listened to when I was initially checking out Danielle’s music.
Tim Gearan Band; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Tonight was my introduction to Tim Gearan in a live setting, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, though I had an idea. He and his band are a powerhouse of full-steam-ahead, rollicking blues and blues-rock.
Tim opened his set by asking Danielle Miraglia to join him on vocals for the first two songs, which quickly got the house rocking.
After a couple more straight-ahead rockin’ blues numbers, Tim advanced to some funky blues. By this point one thing was clear. Well, two things. First, this band could handle just about any variation of the blues with aplomb. Second, there’s so much texture in Tim’s voice, sometimes seeming to have a Southern-sounding bluesy edge to it, that it always contains lots of emotional power.
Or so I thought. The band’s rendition of Tom Waits’ “Clap Hands” combined spacy and psychedelic music with understated vocals. Proving Tim can deliver emotion without the power, when called for. And when the band next turned it down for a slow swayer, there was a hint of Randy Newman in Tim’s vocals.
I’m glad I got a chance to catch the Tim Gearan Band live. The evening ran late, so I couldn’t stay until the end, but I did stay a bit longer than I had planned because I couldn’t tear myself away. Indeed, I don’t get out to catch live music as often as I’d like, but this double-bill was clearly one worth leaving this house for. ‘Cause “my house don’t rock” the way a Danielle Miraglia/Tim Gearan show does.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
I didn’t take any notes at the club last night; I didn’t even take my camera with me (so all I have is a grainy image from my phone). It was, after all, Valentine’s Day, so I wasn’t out with the intention of writing about the show. But I would like to write a quick review of this terrific evening of music.
The event was a combination Valentine’s Day/Trifon Zarezan celebration hosted by the Bulgarian Center of New England. The jazz for the event was provided courtesy of the Fifth Season Quartet – Elena Koleva (vocals), Plamen Karadonev (piano, accordion), Greg Loughman (bass), and Austin MacMahon (drums).
Though I couldn’t tell you any of the songs performed in the first set, the music was smooth, varied, and engaging, the performance seemingly effortless yet impeccable. I never cease to be impressed with Elena’s vocals, and I also always take notice in appreciation (and perhaps this is just me) when Plamen simultaneously plays the accordion and the keys.
In addition to a couple of young, very special guest performers during each set, the group performed a few jazzed-up pop vocal numbers during the second set. I recognized songs from Billy Joel, Norah Jones. Fifth Season also added some Bulgarian jazz to the mix. In all, an enjoyable evening thanks to an exceptionally talented jazz quartet.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
The Backstory
I started writing about music during my first two years in Boston. One of the bands I wrote about back then was a jazzy pop-rock outfit called The Amazing Mudshark, Everett Pendleton’s band. In fact, you can see me sporting an Amazing Mudshark shirt in this Throwback Thursday tweet from a photo op at the end of an Anthrax press conference back in the early nineties. So I’ve been a fan of Everett’s music for… a few years.
In any case, when I learned Everett was performing an early 6:00 show at Chopps tonight and realized it fit into my schedule, I jumped at the chance to hear him sing.
The Show
photo by Geoff Wilbur
I arrived a couple songs into Everett’s first set and was able to stay for about a set and a half. Everett has a smooth, rich, strong voice that’s well-suited to radio-friendly soft rock, country, and blues. And it’s always worth it to get out and hear this guy sing, even at a venue like this where he mostly performs cover tunes.
When I entered the room, Everett was singing the Eagles’ “Take It Easy.” He followed it with “Driving With the Brakes On,” a Del Amitri soft rock ballad he delivers with what could be interpreted as a hint of country style.
A couple songs later, I was treated to the one original Everett performed while I was there, “The Devil You Know,” a mid-tempo soft rocker with emphatic vocals; a song well-suited to his strengths.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
Throughout the rest of the evening, Everett showed off the breadth of his vocal and stylistic range. Matchbox 20’s “When She Smiles” was one of the more uptempo numbers of the evening, showcasing the richness of his vocals. The variety of the evening, however, ranged from Men At Work’s “Overkill” to Vertical Horizon’s “Everything You Want” to Van Halen’s “Dance to Night Away.” Other notable covers included Tom Petty’s “Free Falling,” Oasis’s “Wonderwall,” Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up,” Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Let Her Cry,” and Train’s “Calling All Angels.” And a couple of my favorites were Everett’s delivery of Lowen & Navarro’s “The Spell You’re Under” and energetic strummer Ben Harper’s “Steal My Kisses.”
At least as far as I’ve ever seen, Everett always delivers. In this case, the early gig fit my personal schedule quite well, resulting in a great evening of soft, acoustic rock music, covering songs spanning several decades and multiple genres and sub-genres.
Balkansky and guests; photo by Geoff Wilbur
The Bulgarian American Cultural Center Madara, as part of its 15th anniversary celebration, featured this concert including headliner Balkansky, featuring Theodosii Spassov, Ivan Shopov (DJ Cooh), and Ivo “Kuker” Christov. I had never been to Arts at the Armory in Somerville before, and while the building is an interesting one on the outside — it is, obviously, a repurposed armory — the performance room itself is a large, admirably unique space. But, of course, this night was about the music, which opened with performers from around the Balkans…
Elitsa Stoyneva and Christiane Karam; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Opening Act: Elitsa Stoyneva and Christiane Karam
The evening opened with a traditional folk song performed by Elitsa Stoyneva and Christiane Karam. This talented pair of vocalists were a terrific choice to kick off the night’s performances.
Jasna Duran Band; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Second Act: Jasna Duran Band
The second act of the evening was a two-song performance by the Jasna Duran Band. In addition to Jasna Duran (vocals), the band consists of Andrea Charls (vocals), Gretchen Schadebrodt (guitar and vocals), Negah Santos (percussion and vocals), and Tania Mesa (violin and vocals). The group opened with a traditional vocal performance; then the band broke out its instruments to perform one of Duran’s very well-written and performed original songs. It was a nice introduction to Jasna and her group’s musical abilities.
Balkansky; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Headliner: Balkansky
The headlining act, Balkansky, is a multi-media performance group consisting of legendary Bulgarian instrumentalist-singer Theodosii Spassov, DJ Ivan Shopov (DJ Cooh), and Ivo “Kuker” Christov providing visuals. Though he performed with three instruments during the evening, Spassov’s specialty — that for which he is widely known around Bulgaria — is the kaval, a traditional instrument in the flute family; for most of the evening, he performed on the kaval.
Theodosii Spassov; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Musically, the result of the blend of kaval, vocals, and DJing is a unique mix that sounded to me like an extremely intriguing mix of experimental ambient jazz coupled with techno influences (through Shopov’s DJing). As my wife and the other Bulgarians around me pointed out, though, many of the melodies were deeply rooted in traditional Bulgarian folk songs, and the crowd easily recognized it. During one song, in fact, perhaps a third of the audience joined in a traditional dance around the room. Regardless of your familiarity with the origins of the sounds (or instruments) involved, this was an interesting, enjoyable performance fusing traditional and modern musical methods into a unique evening, enhanced by carefully-selected visuals.
Balkansky with Elena Koleva; photo by Geoff Wilbur
During the show, Balkansky was also joined on stage twice by local musicians. For two songs, highly-regarded, talented Boston-based jazz singer Elena Koleva (of the Fifth Season Quartet) lent her voice to the performance. Later, guitarist Asen Vaptsarov (from Berklee) joined Balkansky on stage for a couple songs. The blend of local talent, young and experienced, with the touring tour de force Balkansky rounded out the evening of fun, artistic music, blending seemingly-disparate musical styles seamlessly.
Balkansky with guitarist Asen Vaptsarov; photo by Geoff Wilbur
And if you’re still unsure what sort of music I’m describing, which is likely the case since it’s almost impossible to explain, check out Balkansky’s YouTube video for “Rada.”
Closing/Dance Party
After Balkansky played its final note, the night concluded with a Bulgarian dance party, led by Ludo Mlado‘s Peter Petrov, with traditional dance instruction to help those who needed it, though I needed to leave just getting started, so I missed the end of what was certain to be a party continuing much, much later into the night.
Looking Ahead
Balkansky’s North American tour continues for about two more weeks: Dec. 1 at the Padonia Village Clubhouse in Baltimore; Dec. 3 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta-Northlake in Atlanta; Dec. 4 at Molly Malone’s in Los Angeles; Dec. 5 at the Great Town Hall in Seattle; Dec. 6 at the Croatian Center in San Francisco; Dec. 10 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego; and Dec. 12 at the John Dutton Theatre in Calgary. (Dates and locations are listed on the group’s website.)
photo by Geoff Wilbur
The Backyard is an interesting venue, hosting house concerts, typically in — you guessed it — the backyard. In late November, however, the concert was held inside, in a very unique downstairs space. As is often the case with house concerts, The Backyard’s concert series consists of a potluck before the show, a concert-style performance, and a little mingling afterwards. I had not seen Sarah Borges perform before, but she came highly recommended, so I made an effort to get out to see her perform this year; this concert, indoors at The Backyard, was my best opportunity.
The Concert
photo by Geoff Wilbur
Shortly after I first heard about Sarah, I briefly checked out her music online, but that was months ago, so I entered this concert quite unaware of the style of music I was about to hear. And, indeed, the music is easy to identify but hard to describe. She’s bluesy, rockin’, rootsy, rockabilly, with a hint of old-school country but an alt-rock/punk-rock edge. Got that? (Sarah’s SoundCloud page lists her style as “Rock/Americana/folk/indie,” so yeah, that sounds about right.) It really works, and it provides a fun concert atmosphere. Musically, she could share the stage with anyone from Karen Nash (Americana/country) to The Empty Hearts (old-school Orbisonesque rock) to The Baghdaddios (NYC raucous punk-rock) and still win over their audiences. Others who came to mind during various portions of Sarah’s two sets were Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Joan Jett, and The Wonders (yes, the band in That Thing You Do!). One tune even evoked for me the Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There.” As I said, an intriguing mix that really works.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
A few songs stood out for me (actually many, but this is limited to those whose song titles I could easily discern, as I was not familiar with Sarah’s music prior to this gig). The first was a tune with great energy, “Can’t Go On This Way,” which features a little ’50s, old-school rock rhythm and stylistically fitting vocals. “It Comes to Me Naturally” is a rollicking number that could be a cousin to Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” Finally, “The Waiting and the Worry” is a tuneful, catchy crowd favorite that features Sarah’s insistent vocals at their best, well-placed guitarwork, and a hook that might keep it in your mind for days.
In summary, this was a fun concert from a charismatic singer — heck, a charismatic band. A great evening out. And proof why I’d heard so much buzz about Sarah before finally getting out to one of her gigs.
Looking Ahead
photo by Geoff Wilbur
Sarah’s next performance is tonight, November 28, at the Narrows Center for the Performing Arts in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her next flurry of performances is four shows in four nights with Amy Black (Dec. 16 at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC; Dec. 17 at The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC; Dec. 18 at Motorco in Durham, NC; and Dec. 19 at IOTA in Arlington, VA), followed by a return to Massachusetts (December 31st at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge; Jan. 9 at Atwood’s Tavern, also in Cambridge). Of course, all of Sarah’s upcoming dates are listed on her website.
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