Posted on

Queensryche set to rocks Univest, ‘Cabaret’ returns to movie theaters [Events roundup]

Queensryche set to rocks Univest, ‘Cabaret’ returns to movie theaters [Events roundup]

The following events are planned for the week ahead throughout the region:

• The Sounds of Summer Concert Series at Univest Performance Center, Quakertown, continues with the double bill of Queensrÿche and special guest Great White on Friday at 7 p.m. Queensrÿche burst onto the music scene in 1982 with the release of their self-titled four song EP “Queensrÿche.” They very quickly gained international recognition and performed to sold-out audiences around the world. In 1988, the band turned out the monumental album “Operation: Mindcrime,” which would go on to become one of the top 10 best-selling concepts records of all time, and set the stage for continued sold-out performances around the world. With the release of the critically acclaimed and commercially successful “Empire” in 1991, the band earned multiple Grammy Award nominations and won the MTV Viewers Choice award for the chart-topping hit “Silent Lucidity.” Great White has an impressive arsenal of songs including Grammy-nominated Best Hard Rock Performance hit “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” as well as “Rock Me,” “Mista Bone,” “Save Your Love,” “House of Broken Love” and “Lady Red Light.”  The Univest Performance Center is an all weather venue with outdoor seating. Tickets start at $35 at quakertown.org.

• Berks Arts will continue its Bandshell Concert Series on Friday with blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Albert Cummings and his trio, bassist Scot Sutherland and drummer Warren Grant, performing at 7 p.m. at Reading’s City Park Bandshell. During the pandemic, Cummings recorded his 10th album, “TEN,” with renowned Nashville producer Chuck Ainlay. One of the 13 original cuts, “Last Call,” features country superstar Vince Gill singing harmony with Cummings. Since its release in April, Cummings has been receiving not only rave reviews and an increase in bookings, but plenty of interest from guitar magazines who want interviews. He released his first album, “From the Heart,” in 2003; his breakthrough album was “Working Man” in 2006. His album “Believe” was released in early 2020 after being recorded in the legendary FAME studio in Muscle Shoals, Ala. His performance will be preceded by a presentation from a local musical organization beginning at 6 p.m. Families are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs. Food vendors will be available on-site. For more information, visit www.berksarts.org.

Liza Minelli and Joel Grey in "Cabaret," which will be screened in select theaters Sunday and Wednesday to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Liza Minelli and Joel Grey in “Cabaret,” which will be screened in select theaters Sunday and Wednesday to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

• Fathom Events presents 50th anniversary screenings of “Cabaret” on Sunday and Wednesday in select theaters. This blockbuster film version of the Broadway musical is set in Berlin in 1931, as Nazism rises in Germany. Flamboyant American Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) sings in a decadent nightclub and falls in love with a British language teacher (Michael York), whom she shares with a homosexual German baron. But Sally’s cabaret world is about to be crushed under the boot of the Nazis as Berlin becomes a trap from which Sally’s German friends will not escape. The film won eight Oscars, including best actress in a leading role (Minnelli), best director (Bob Fosse) and best actor in a supporting role (Joel Grey). For participating theaters, showtimes, tickets and more information, visit fathomevents.com.

• The Bryn Mawr Twilight Concert Series presents the Jimmy Vivino Band with opener Jackson Taylor on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bryn Mawr Gazebo Park. The Fab Faux bandleader, Vivino (aka Jimmy V) has always considered himself “a blues man with a job.” Although best known for serving 26 years as Conan O’Brien’s musical director, guitarist and bandleader, his experience in the music business predates that by 20-plus years. He has produced, led bands and recorded with a countless number of rock and roll and blues artists for five decades, including the likes of Hubert Sumlin, Warren Haynes, Bob Weir, Keith Richards and Elvis Costello, to name a few. The concert is rain or shine, and tickets cost $15 for ages 13 and older at brynmawrtwilightconcerts.com.

• The County of Chester and West Whiteland Township will be hosting a Community Day Celebration at Exton Park on Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. The event will feature live music, food truck vendors, kids activities, a vendor fair, a touch-a-truck area and fireworks. Admission is free, with free parking at the Valley Creek Corporate Center, one-quarter mile from the event. Handicap parking is located off of Church Farm Lane. Rain date is Sunday.

• Pennypacker Mills historic site, Schwenksville, will present a Porch Performance titled “Fire in the Hole” on Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m. Historian Rich Pawling will share the experiences of men like Irish miner Frank Kehoe, who performed back-breaking work in the coal mines of Pennsylvania during the Industrial Revolution. Learn what it was like to work in the “patch,” shop in the company store and move up from breaker boy to a “miner with papers.” “Fire in the Hole” is a first-person performance with musical accompaniment. Guests are invited between 1 and 3:30 p.m. to walk the property and complete a treasure hunt activity or tour the Pennypacker mansion to see what life was like in the early 1900s.

• The Summer Concert Series at the Green Lane Park Amphitheater presents Hotlanta — The Allman Brothers Experience on Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. Founded by Tad Isch, who has gone on to perform with Butch Trucks and other Allman Brothers musical family members, Hotlanta has performed in the tri-state area since its inception in 2008, playing all of the Allman Brother’s crowd favorites. The concert is all-ages and free to attend. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

• The East Coast Reptile Expo returns to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Hall C, and Greenberg’s Great Train and Toy Show runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Hall B. In addition, Ranger Station, the first all Power Ranger convention in the Philadelphia area, runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Hall E. The reptile expo features vendors from across the country selling quality live reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, food items, supplies, books, cages and related accessories at discounted prices. Greenberg’s train shows are designed for the general public, modelers, hobbyists, families and the just plain curious. Each show features hundreds of tables of trains and accessories for sale, huge operating exhibits, activities for kids and more. All scales are welcome, as are books, videos and railroadiana. For tickets and more information, visit phillyexpocenter.com.

• The Keswick Theatre, Glenside, presents Howard Jones with Midge Ure, the voice of Ultravox, on Friday at 8 p.m., the Manhattan Transfer’s 50th anniversary concert on Saturday at 8 p.m., Dion on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Jon Anderson’s “Close to the Edge” 50th anniversary tour on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Anderson, the lead singer of Yes, will perform the “Close to the Edge” album in its entirety, along with other classic and suprises. For tickets and more information, visit keswicktheatre.com.

• The Reading Pride Celebration Festival will be held Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Jim Dietrich Park, Muhlenberg Township. Headliners include Ada Vox (Rupaul’s queen of the universe), Bria & Chrissy (YouTube’s No. 1 singing lesbian duo) and One Up Duo (Kelly Clarkson’s favorite on “The Voice”), with returning bilingual emcee Jeannie Sol. There will be more than 100 vendors, 15 food trucks, three bars, a Pride children’s area and sober social space. Take along chairs and blankets for lawn seating. General admission is $7, and free for children 12 and younger. For more information, see readingpride.org.

 

Posted on

La Jolla Business Roundup: International offerings, ‘Lion King’-themed events in store

La Jolla Business Roundup: International offerings, 'Lion King'-themed events in store

Several new businesses have opened or are about to throughout the La Jolla area, including some that bring an international flair.

Here’s a rundown, along with other business happenings around town.

Mrkt Space

Operating as an all-in-one cafe and market, Mrkt Space opened in late June in the Whitney Building in La Jolla Shores at 2202 Avenida de la Playa.

Owner Matt Power said the establishment offers “an elevated casual experience” with everything from coffee to cocktails and breakfast to dinner.

“We use the Australian method of making coffee … which creates a creamy, flavorful product,” said Power, an Aussie himself. “But my business partners are Italian, so the menu is reflective of that.”

Items include avocado toast for breakfast and light meals for lunch; grab-and-go items such as baked goods, meat and cheese plates, salads and sandwiches; vegan options and a full market of snacks and wine.

Power said the afternoon offerings tend to focus on the Italian-inspired aperitivo concept of cocktails and bites.

“We’re reinventing convenience, so it is a high-quality experience,” he said.

Learn more at mrktspace.com.

Eppig Brewing

Eppig Brewing is looking to open a La Jolla location by the end of the summer at 1273 Prospect St. The 1,300-square-foot tasting room will take the space of a former art gallery and will feature an ocean-view patio area.

It will join two other San Diego-area Eppig tasting rooms.

Eppig co-founder Todd Warshaw said the move into La Jolla is “an obvious choice.”

“We knew there was demand for our award-winning beers in neighborhoods besides Vista and Point Loma, so our co-founders had been eyeing ideal locations for expansion,” he said. “The Village of La Jolla [is] … a prime location consistently trafficked by both the residential community as well as tourists, a great local property owner [is] eager to work with us, and who can ignore the ocean views and breezes? We can’t wait to contribute fresh, local craft beer to the neighborhood.”

Eppig, founded in 2016 and rooted in a Bavarian family history of brewing lagers and traditional styles, expanded in recent years to include wheat ales, pilsners, smoked lagers, specialty ales, IPAs and sours.

Learn more at eppigbrewing.com.

Ciao Ciao Piadina

After almost two years in The Village, Ciao Ciao Piadina restaurant closed in late June and will be renovated into an Italian market and wine bar at 510 Pearl St.

Giacomo Pizzigoni, managing partner at Milano Five Group, which operates Ambrogio15 in Pacific Beach and Semola in La Jolla, said the concept will be changed “to something closer to what we love to do, which is high-quality Italian products.”

He said his Ambrogio15 customers “wanted a place to buy our natural wines, for which we are the exclusive carrier, and the products we use in our restaurants,” such as 30-year aged balsamic vinegar and specialty meats and cheese.

“When you eat at Ambrogio15, you will find the products we use at this new market and can take it home,” Pizzigoni said.

The renovation at Ciao Ciao Piadina will begin in September, and Pizzigoni said he hopes for a November opening. In addition to a retail market, it will offer wines by the glass or flights, along with small bites including meats, cheese and bread.

‘Lion King’-themed events

The La Jolla Village Merchants Association announced a variety of summer events associated with Broadway San Diego’s production of the Disney musical “The Lion King,” which will run Aug. 24 to Sept. 11 at the San Diego Civic Theatre.

Here are the “Lion King”-themed events taking place in La Jolla’s Village:

• Circle of Life Art Contest call for entries: July 5-20. Amateur artists of all ages can submit their representations of “Lion King” themes — from the African animals and scenery to symbols of love, family, adventure, coming of age and betrayal. Selected pieces will be displayed beginning Friday, Aug. 5.

• Simba’s Safari Scavenger Hunt: July 15 to Aug. 7. Participants can follow clues to find “Lion King” masks throughout The Village.

• ManeTain the Trail La Jolla Coast Walk Cleanup: 9-11 a.m. Sunday, July 17

• Poolside Cinema: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 19. The La Valencia Hotel will host an outdoor screening of the original 1994 “The Lion King” animated movie.

• First Friday Art Walk: 4-7 p.m. Aug. 5. “Hakuna matata” (“no worries”) is the theme of the August Art Walk, which will feature an opening reception for the Circle of Life art show.

For more information and to register for the events, visit bit.ly/3uk2bTV.

Bird Rock merchants app

The Bird Rock Community Council’s merchant discount app is now live, offering specials at area businesses for members of the Community Council. Membership is $50 a year.

A snapshot of participating businesses on the Bird Rock merchant discount app.

A snapshot of participating businesses on the Bird Rock merchant discount app.

(Courtesy of Ron Fineman)

An app holder can get a variety of discounts at participating businesses, said BRCC member Ron Fineman. Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, for example, offers 15 percent off on all coffee orders. Bird Rock Surf Shop offers 10 percent off on all clothing. Others offer one-time promotions and app-holder specials, such as dollar mimosas.

Services range from music lessons for kids to plumbing, he said.

“Our goal is to get more people to sign up for this,” Fineman said. “We also want to get more merchants. One of the big things we appreciate is when people shop local and keep money in the local economy. Many of these are services which you wouldn’t go buy from a large chain.”

“We’re all frustrated by boarded-up storefronts all over La Jolla,” Fineman added. “But this is an opportunity to help those that are here and draw more merchants to the community.”

To learn more or to sign up for membership, visit birdrockcc.org/join-the-brcc.

Belmont Village

Belmont Village Senior Living has partnered with the UC San Diego Center for Healthy Aging to produce a first-of-its-kind “living lab” in the La Jolla area that integrates independent living, assisted living and memory care in a 17-story high-rise with 180 units at 3880 Nobel Drive. The ribbon-cutting for the project will be Thursday, July 14.

The facility, operated by UCSD faculty and researchers, will enable faculty and staff to launch initiatives to study health, well-being and longevity.

“This unprecedented collaboration makes available luxury living, great weather, chic design, top chefs, farm-to-table food … sprawling pools and lounge areas, immaculately manicured grounds, fitness centers, the latest technology, and wellness programs that encourage wellness and personal growth for La Jolla seniors,” according to the developers.

Westmont Living

Diane "Dee" Navarro has been named vice president of operations at Westmont Living, a La Jolla-based senior living provider.

Diane “Dee” Navarro has been named vice president of operations at Westmont Living, a La Jolla-based senior living provider.

(Courtesy of Walke Communications)

Diane “Dee” Navarro has been promoted to vice president of operations at Westmont Living, a La Jolla-based senior living provider, after four years at the company.

In the past two years, “Navarro has ably navigated Westmont Living communities through the COVID-19 pandemic [with] many responsibilities beyond normal working hours/days in support of hundreds of seniors, the frailest and most vulnerable to the virus, along with reassuring their families and encouraging staff without interruption of essential services and keeping as safe and engaged as possible,” according to a news release.

Westmont Living operates 18 senior living communities in California and Oregon. Learn more at westmontliving.com.

Posted on

Music Friendly Communities’ Events Round-Up

Music Friendly Communities' Events Round-Up

May 12, 2022
|

News

|

Outreach

|

Music Friendly Communities

As the Texas Music Office’s Music Friendly Community program has grown to include more than 30 communities and cities, the events that the cities produce and promote continue to grow too. Check out what’s happening across Texas in the various communities in our Music Friendly Communities’ Events Round-Up:

DALLAS

EarthX Film, May 12-15, 2022, https://earthxfilmfestival.org/music/  

The 2022 EarthX Film Festival is four days of film, music and interactive environmental programs and events set in the heart of Dallas Arts District, May 12-15th. Our mission is to bring awareness of the environmental crisis in order to create sincere action on both an individual and communal scale; to inspire local and global change on how we as humans affect our home planet and our fellow beings. We aim to include Texas, and the Southwest, in the conversation on climate change through compassionate, positive, truthful storytelling.

McKINNEY

The Texas Music Revolution is coming up June 3-4 in McKinney’s downtown. Attendance is expected to be around 5,000 with 3,500 of those being paid admissions (for access to special areas). Today’s report was we have 102 bands/music acts over two days! https://www.visitmckinney.com/event/26th-annual-texas-music-revolution/2522/

NEW BRAUNFELS

May 22nd it’s the SOLD OUT 24th annual KNBT Americana Music Jam, where a who’s who of Americana artists gather in support of the Crisis Center of Comal County and the Hill Country Youth Orchestra. Can’t wait to tell you about the good it does for the community!

New Braunfels is proud to welcome new resident, Grammy-nominated musician and producer, Alex Meixner. Alex will grace the Krause’s Cafe stage May 27 and 28

The 26th annual Two Ton Tuesdays are back! It wouldn’t be summertime without popular rock-a-billy band Two Tons of Steel holding court in Gruene Hall every Tuesday evening from June 7th through August 16th. If you haven’t felt the energy of Two Tons live, grab your dancing partner and get ready for a rockin’ night! Doors open at 7:30pm. Show starts at 8:30pm. Just $8 at the door. Make sure you come early for Swing Dance Lessons!

ODESSA

Odessa Arts is teaming up with the Ector Theater, the Texas Music Office, and Downtown Odessa, Inc. to host Battle of the Bands on July 2 during Firecracker Fandango.

Local talent will be able to upload their entry videos through May 15. The public will then be able to vote on their favorite band. Each vote costs $1, and the funds support Odessa Arts. The top four vote getters will perform live at the Ector Theater on July 2 live in front of a panel of judges that includes Marc Fort of the Texas Music Office, Adam Nunley, executive director of the Ector Theater, and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s. Tickets are $5 for adults, under 12 free and available at theector.com.

The winner will receive a headlining slot for the closing night of Hot Summer Nights, a music video shoot, courtesy of Young Guns Entertainment, and graphic design services for logos, printed and digital assets courtesy of Kathy Swindler Creative.

PORT ARANSAS

Southern Coast Open and PALMFest are being held May 13 & 14.  

https://southerncoastopen.com/

ROUND ROCK

We are kicking off our Music on Main springtime concert series today, May 4th, just one day shy of our Music Friendly Community-versary! In tandem with this, we have put up an art exhibit of concert photography from past Music on Main events by photographer Henry Huey in our Round Rock City Council Chambers Gallery (on view through September 6, 2022).

SAN ANTONIO

Taco Fest – this Saturday, May 14 – https://tacocapitaloftheworld.com/

Press – Santiago Jimenex to drop new album – https://www.sacurrent.com/music/san-antonio-conjunto-legend-santiago-jimenez-jr-will-play-taco-fest-this-weekend-drop-new-album-28864948

Tech Port Opens – new venue – https://www.sacurrent.com/music/san-antonios-new-tech-port-arena-and-smashing-pumpkins-combine-for-magical-night-of-music-28802026 

WAXAHACHIE

Railyard Nights Concert Series

Saturdays in June – June 4, 11, 18, 25

This will be an annual concert series, with touring artists headlining and local artists opening each date.

October 29

Texas Country Reporter Festival – largest one day arts and music festival in the state of Texas

GO TEXAN Grown Local stage

We will have 7 Ellis County artists perform. June 1-30 artists can submit.  July 1-31 the community votes. Lineup is announced in August.