Okee dokee folks… As a music columnist I write about great music and sometimes I am excited for YOU to see a show, but sometimes I am equally excited for ME to see a show. I was very excited that America was scheduled to play the Strand. I wrote a nice long bit about their musical influence on me and blah, blah, blah… Then I found out the show was canceled. Grrrrrrrrrrrr… Gotta hate that. Oh, well. Another show I wrote about a couple of months ago that was cancelled and rescheduled is the Indigo Girls. Their show was called off due to illness, and hopefully Emily is feeling better this time around for the new date on May 23. For more, “Watershed’ to thestrandri.com
The mission of the Mary K. Hail Music Mansion is to enrich the cultural life of Rhode Islanders by providing a unique and distinguished concert hall in a beautiful, Neo-Georgian manor home. They are doing just that on Friday, May 4, when singer-songwriter Diane Cluck makes a stop on her current tour. The Virginia-based Cluck has toured the US, the UK and Europe. She has a voice and style reminiscent of early Joni Mitchell and accompanies herself on various instruments including guitar, piano, harmonium, zither and a copper pipe instrument she built by hand. She has released seven albums and her latest is titled Boneset. The album received the distinction of premiering through NPR’s First Listen, All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concert series. I contacted Diane and asked for her to comment about her upcoming show. Her reply was, “I found it funny that they have seating for 88 people, the number of keys on a piano. They have a baby grand there, which I look forward to playing!” Aside from that, she hoped folks would check out her website and music at DianeCluck.info. On the site, you can stream the video of her NPR Tiny Desk Concert and it should inspire you to check her out live on May 4. The is Music Mansion is located at 88 Meeting St in PVD. For more, “gardenovena” over to MusicMansion.org
On a sad note, Russ Smith is ending the Paskamansett Concert Series. He started it soon after he left his position producing shows at Sandywoods a few years back. It was a nice room in a very rural setting at a grange hall in Dartmouth, Mass. I was fortunate to perform there, and it is always sad to lose a great music venue. This just goes to show you that if you don’t get out to see live music, the venues do go away. Their final show will be the Rosewood Trio on Saturday, May 5. The trio features members Christopher James Farias (guitar, vocals, harmonica), Tom Laureanno (percussion, vocals) and Alicia Ruggiero (fiddle, vocals). For more, tisket-a-tasket to PaskamansettConcertSeries.
Common Fence Music has been knocking it out of the park with their 2017-18 concert series. Every show has been stellar. It’s been a great mix of folk, Americana, traditional, world and more. There are just a few shows left before the season ends, and if you haven’t attended one yet, you definitely should! On Saturday, May 5, you will get a “two-fer” when the husband and wife singer-songwriters Kris Delmhorst and Jeffery Foucault make a visit to the community hall on Anthony Rd. Though married since 2004, Foucault and Delmhorst have largely built their careers separately. Wisconsin-bred Foucault is known for his country-folk style, and Brooklyn-raised songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Delmhorst has built a broad and eclectic repertoire of folk and rock originals that showcase her sophisticated melodies and haunting vocals. The pair has taken the show on the road together for the first time in support of Delmhorst’s October 2017 release, The Wild, which also marks the couple’s first foray into the studio together. Featuring two distinct sets of music, this May 5 concert offers a rare and intimate performance by two of the country’s foremost songwriters, and the first time either has performed on the Common Fence Music stage. The final two shows for the season at CFM are The Sea, The Sea with guest Stev Delmonico at the Hope and Main Stage in Warren on May 18, and Heather Maloney’s CD release show at CFM in Portsmouth on May 19. For more, go “Uphill All The Way” to commonfencemusic.org
Sometimes I wish I could be funny. Sometimes I THINK I am funny. Most times I’m not. I usually forget punch lines or deliver a joke and hear crickets. If you attend the Motif Awards next week, you can witness this first-hand when I host them. In the meantime, if you want to hear someone who is ACTUALLY funny and gets paid to do it, then you will want to get to the Providence Performing Arts Center on May 10 to catch comedian Brian Regan. I had the chance to do an e-mail interview with Regan last week. In preparation, I watched a few of his comedy specials. Funny stuff! Laughing is good and these days we need as much as we can get. To read the full interview shtick it to: motifri/brianregan and ba dum bum to ppacri.com
Beam yourself over to PPAC on Saturday, May 12, because Captain James Tiberius Kirk is coming! William Shatner, who is best known for his iconic role of Captain Kirk on the “Star Trek” series, will be in town at a screening of the feature film, The Wrath of Kahn. Shatner, who is also recognized for “TJ Hooker,” “The Practice,” “Boston Legal,” “Better Late Than Never,” Priceline commercials, his writing and countless other projects, will be doing a moderated Q&A after the screening of the film. I had the honor of holding a brief phone conversation with Shatner last week. To read it transport to motifri.com/talking-shat and for more about the show, warp to ppacri.com. Don’t miss seeing this legendary celebrity in person!
“I wish that I had Jesse’s Girl” — if you remember that song and the Australian “General Hospital” heartthrob who released it back in 1981, then you will probably want to be at the Twin River event center on May 12. Springfield began his career as a teen pop idol. In the late ’70s he concentrated more on an acting career, but continued with his music as well. In 1981, his album Working Class Dog spawned the single “Jesse’s Girl,” and he took home a Grammy for Best Male Rock Performance. He followed that success with singles “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “Affair of the Heart” and “I’ve Done Everything for You.” And if you are wondering, yes, I have seen Rick Springfield in concert; it was back in 1983, I think. It was fun. And, hey, The Romantics opened! Anyway, for more about the May 12 show, “Human Touch” to twinriver.com
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. JohnFuzek.com