Tag: Entertainment

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Go Go Gadjet bringing high-energy show to Musikfest Cafe

Perhaps no band straddles the line between band and DJ better than Go Go Gadjet. Their innovative combination of musicianship with traditional instruments and modern controllers crafts an indelible sound that’s uniquely their own and one that simply must be experienced.

The acclaimed band, which performs upwards of 120 shows a year, will begin the new year with a sold-out performance at Bethlehem’s Musikfest Café on Friday.

Go Go Gadjet is Joel Bermudez (drums), Alex Buonopane (lead vocals), Rheed (lead vocals), Pete Macartney (guitars) and Luke Anderson (bass).

In addition to having founded Go Go Gadjet, manager Jeff Tomrell continues to build upon his success from his 8,000-square-foot creative studio, Three Hive, located in Sinking Spring. Last year his tribute creation Magical Mystery Doors, which pays homage to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Doors, was voted “Best Casino Show,” beating out the likes of Keith Urban, Shania Twain and Cirque du Soleil.

I recently spoke with Rheed and Pete Macartney of Go Go Gadjet and Tomrell about the band’s upcoming Musikfest Café performance, their origin and more in this new interview.

Go Go Gadjet is not a typical cover/bar band. Having said that, how would you describe the band in terms of its sound?

Rheed / Pete Macartney: We try to put an interesting and modern spin on everything we play. We’ll blend older and new songs across all different genres. The outcome is a sound uniquely our own. Go Go Gadjet has often been described as a band version of a DJ. The band is comprised of very talented musicians on their own individual instruments. This allows us to improvise and connect with an audience in an entirely different way than a DJ.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Go Go Gadjet by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, comedy, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

Off script: Improv comedy troupe bringing show to Nazareth for good cause

Scriptless in Seattle is a young improv comedy group that regularly tours the Midwest and mid-Atlantic. Reminiscent of the classic show “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” the group prides itself on creating a uniquely entertaining experience combining elements of classic improv games with fresh takes and new spins, all of them based on audience suggestions.

The group also strives to support the arts in local communities whenever possible, and such will be the case when Scriptless in Seattle brings their one-of-a-kind show to the Nazareth Area High School auditorium at 2 p.m. Saturday. Proceeds from the family-friendly event will benefit both the Nazareth Area High School theater program as well as the Nazareth Center for the Arts, which is also presenting the show. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at ScriptlessInSeattle.com.

I recently spoke with Scriptless in Seattle’s Justin Folger about the performance, the group’s origins and more in this new interview.

Q: How did Scriptless in Seattle come together?

Justin Folger: When I was in high school I was part of an improv group called the Royal Fools. A number of us were about to graduate and decided that we wanted to do some more improv. So three of us signed up for a talent show and while we were waiting in the wings of a theater the emcees of the show pulled us aside and asked what we should be called. We didn’t have a name so one off us suggested a pun on the Meg Ryan / Tom Hanks movie “Sleepless in Seattle.” So they introduced us as Scriptless in Seattle and we did our sketches. A few months later I got a call from a coffee shop in town who wanted to book us. We did that coffee shop and things just took off from there.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Justin Folger by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Kashmir lead singer Jean Violet previews upcoming Led Zeppelin tribute performance at Musikfest Cafe

Kashmir is considered the nation’s No. 1 Led Zeppelin tribute show, and for good reason. The band, which prides itself on bringing fans a true audio and visual Led Zeppelin experience, offers perhaps the most authentic representation and energy of the mighty Zep on the touring scene.

Kashmir’s set is a playlist of classic rock radio, and their show not only features songs that have become the soundtrack to people’s lives but also pay homage to one of the most identifiable voices in rock history, Robert Plant, as well as other Zeppelin trademarks, like a Jimmy Page-inspired double-neck guitar and a John Bonham-style drum solo.

Zeppelin fans of all generations can experience Kashmir for themselves when the band performs at the Musikfest Café in Bethlehem on Saturday. .

Kashmir is Jean Violet (vocals/harmonica), Kevin Slover (guitars, theremin & bow), Paul Cooper (drums) and Felix Hanemann (bass, keys and mandolin).

I recently spoke with Violet about the band and more in this new interview.

Q: Everyone has their own opinion but as someone who sings the songs night after night, what do you think makes the music of Led Zeppelin so special?

Jean Violet: I always like to use the analogy of steak and potatoes. It’s been on the menu for hundreds of years. When something tastes good and people like to eat it then it’s going to be around a long time. I think classic rock is in the same realm as classical music — it’s timeless. We now have kids who are 12 and 13 years old coming out to see our show who are into Led Zeppelin.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Jean Violet by Clicking Here!

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Fashion, Interview, Morning Call, Movies and TV

Carson Kressley previews ‘Queer Eye’ 20th anniversary live reunion event at Wind Creek

Known for its fabulous makeovers, interactions, curious wit, and humor, “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy” became an instant hit when it launched on the Bravo network in 2003 and changed the landscape of television by promoting acceptance, diversity, and inclusion.

During its five-season run the series earned an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program along with two GLAAD Media Awards and its format would be used in many future reality-based shows.

To mark the show’s 20th anniversary the “Fab Five” — Carson Kressley (“fashion savant”), Thom Filicia (“design doctor”), Ted Allen (“food connoisseur”), Kyan Douglas (“hair/grooming guru”), and Jai Rodriguez (“culture vulture”) — are coming together for a special one-night-only live event at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on Saturday.

Moderated by Thomas Drayton, anchor/host of “Good Day Philadelphia,” the live reunion will give fans the opportunity to see the original “Fab Five” together again as they share stories and memorable moments from the show, as well as participate in a real-time Q&A and live audience makeovers.

I recently spoke with Allentown native Kressley about the 20th anniversary reunion event and more in this new interview.

Q: It’s been 20 years since “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy” made its debut. When you look back now with so much perspective, what thoughts come to mind?

Kressley: Looking back, our original intention was just to get these poor straight guys the job, the look, or the girl. Personally, I was just trying to get rid of pleated khakis and mullets [laughs]. Twenty years later we realize the show had a bigger impact. Whenever I’m out traveling or in public oftentimes people will come up to thank me and tell me how they watched the show with their family and how it started the conversation and allowed their coming out process to be so much easier. Whenever I hear those stories, I get goosebumps and am so grateful that we could help people in that way. It’s something larger and more long lasting than just the makeovers, which were fine unto themselves, but helping people with their personal journeys is much more rewarding.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Carson Kressley by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

Phantom of the Opera’s Sarah Brightman brings ‘A Christmas Symphony’ to Wind Creek
Photo by Oliver Sommers

With sales in excess of 30 million albums and more than a billion streams, Sarah Brightman is the world’s best-selling soprano. She originated the role of Christine Daaé in the world-renowned “The Phantom of the Opera,” which ended its historic run this past year, and her most recent album, “Hymn,” debuted at number one on both the classical and classical crossover charts.

Brightman will ring in the holiday season on Wednesday, Nov. 29, in, appropriately enough, Bethlehem, when she brings her acclaimed A Christmas Symphony tour to the Wind Creek Event Center.

Accompanied by a huge choir and orchestra and using emotional elements of costume and a world class light show, Brightman’s performance will feature renditions of Christmas classics and holiday favorites as well as a selection of her own greatest hits along with a few surprises.

I recently spoke with Brightman about her upcoming performance in Bethlehem and more in this new interview:

Q: In your opinion what makes the season of Christmas so special?

Sarah Brightman: For me, Christmas is a very emotional and important time of year, My family has always taken it very seriously. Even when I’m abroad I always try to get back home in time. It’s traditional for families to be together this time of year and whether you’re religious or not it’s lovely to go and see a Christmas show.

Q: What made you decide to do A Christmas Symphony tour ?

Sarah Brightman: Back when we first went into COVID a few years ago, I started thinking about what I could do that would help make people feel better, make myself feel better and also hire a few people who needed to work. I came up with the concept of doing a Christmas show and we got permission to film it in a beautiful old church in London. It went all over the world and we had such an amazing response that I thought maybe I should do this on tour in various continents, which we’ve started doing.

You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Sarah Brightman by Clicking Here!

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call, Music

‘Croce Plays Croce’: A.J. Croce honors memory of his legendary father by playing his songs

It’s hard to believe that it’s been fifty years since the untimely passing of singer-songwriter Jim Croce. The legendary artist was at the peak of his success, with hits that included “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels),” “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim,” “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song,” and “Time in a Bottle,” when the plane in which he was traveling crashed shortly after takeoff in September of 1973. Croce had spent much of that time living with his wife and young son, A.J. in a suburb outside of Philadelphia before moving to the West Coast just prior to that fateful night.

Jim’s son, A.J. Croce, an acclaimed artist in his own right, is honoring the music and memory of his father with a new tour, “Croce Plays Croce 50thAnniversary.” One that will make two stops in the area: first at the Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading on Wednesday, November 1, and then at the Keswick Theater in Glenside on Sunday, November 5. 

Croce’s show will feature many of his father’s biggest and most beloved songs performed by a full band while a large screen showcases a montage of video memories. Croce will also connect with his father’s legacy by telling stories behind the songs and sprinkling in selections from his own catalog of original music as well as taking requests from the audience in real time. To coincide with the tour a new box set, “The Definitive Jim Croce,”  was recently released that features all three studio albums Jim Croce made for ABC records: You Don’t Mess Around With Jim, Life and Times, and I Got A Name.

I recently spoke with A.J. Croce about the tour and much more in this exclusive new interview.

It’s been fifty years since the untimely passing of your father, Jim Croce. When you think about this anniversary what thoughts come to mind?

A.J. Croce: It’s kind of amazing because in a way, he never left. It’s hard to go into a grocery store or a mall and not hear one of his songs. Plus, I have worked his catalog from behind the scenes for twenty-eight years so it’s very much a part of my daily life. Making sure people hear his music has been a gig that I really have enjoyed. As a person, I was able to get to know him not only through his music and friends and my family but also from the hundreds of tapes he left where I could hear him talking to friends about new songs and conversations about politics, history, psychology and philosophy. His presence has always been there.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with A.J. Croce by clicking here.

A Conversation With, comedy, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

Tape Face bringing his unique brand of comedy to State Theatre
Photo: Chris Haston / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Following in the footsteps of his successful Las Vegas residency, silent comedian and America’s Got Talent finalist, Tape Face (Sam Wills) is bringing his unique brand of comedy and weirdness to the State Theatre Center for The Arts in Easton on Friday.

Using simple, yet clever, humor and an abundance of props, Wills has created a character that takes the best elements of silent film comedy and combines it with the magic and puppetry into one whimsical, interactive experience. His curious approach to everyday objects like balloons and oven mitts invokes the inner child, while his appearance and style conjures up images of Tim Burton and the nostalgia of ’80s music, arcade video game cabinets and classic cartoons.

As his name suggests, Tape Face performs with a strip of black tape covering his mouth, but that doesn’t diminish the popularity he has with audiences. On the contrary, his America’s Got Talent audition and subsequent performances have, to date, garnered a staggering 47 million views.

I recently spoke with Sam Wills (Tape Face) about what to expect from his performance at the State Theatre, the origin of Tape Face and more in this new interview.

How would you interpret your style of comedy?

Sam Wills: The best way to describe it is standup comedy without talking. I was a standup comedian back in the day so I use the same traits and the same tricks. I just apply it to silent comedy by using music and props. When people ask me what to expect I always like to tell them the weirdest stuff, like you can expect me to fight Darth Vader, bring John Lennon back to life and we’ll have a big balloon fight at the end of the night [laughs]. The show is exactly the same as the [Las] Vegas show, with all of the same bells and whistles. If you like standup comedy, you’ll like my show.

How did the character of Tape Face originate?

Sam Wills: Back in 2005 was when I first picked it up. Before that I used to do a show where I actually talked too much. Back then I’d do circus, sideshow, and carny stunts like hammering nails up my nose, eating light bulbs, breathing fire and other weird routines. During that time, I was lucky enough to have written a show called “Dance Monkey Dance” that won the biggest comedy award in New Zealand. After I had won that award, I decided to challenge myself and do the exact opposite of what I’d been doing, so the challenge became to come up with a silent character who does nothing.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Sam Wills (Tape Face) By Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, comedy, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

Q and A with Sam Morril: Comedian brings a class act to Wind Creek

Comedian Sam Morril’s distinct style can be seen on his new special, “Same Time Tomorrow,” currently streaming on Netflix as well as his appearance on “That’s My Time, with David Letterman,” where the iconic late-night host invites some of the hottest up-and-coming stand-up comedians to perform a set and then sit down for a one-one-one chat.

During the COVID pandemic, Morril entertained fans by performing stand-up outside on the tops of buildings, a feat that earned his creative “Up On The Roof” series a coveted spot on The New York Times “Best Comedy of 2020” list. He also showcased his comedy during an appearance in the Academy Award-winning film, “Joker” (alongside Joaquin Phoenix), and currently provides voiceover for several characters on the MAX animated series, “Ten-Year-Old Tom.”

In addition to performing his stand-up, Morril co-hosts the popular “We Might Be Drunk” podcast with fellow comedian Mark Normand. The pair also has collaborated on their own brand of rye whiskey, Bodega Cat, that’s available for purchase in select states.

Morril is out in support of his Class Act Tour, which includes a stop at The Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on Friday, I spoke with Morril about his comedy and more in this exclusive new interview.

Q: To someone who may not be familiar, how would you describe your comedy?

Sam Morril: It’s fun and punchy, in the New York style. Light jokes on topics that aren’t always so light.

Q: What can fans in the Lehigh Valley expect from your “Class Act Tour” performance?

SM: A little bit of everything. It’s a new hour of jokes with a lot of similar topics I’ve discussed in the past. This is coming toward the end of my latest run of dates so it’s going to be a good show. I’ve played this venue before and I really like it.

Read the rest of my Morning Call Interview with Sam Morril by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, comedy, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

Q and A with Paula Poundstone: What you can expect at Saturday’s performance at Sellersville Theater

Known for her spontaneous wit and observational humor, Paula Poundstone is one of standups most coveted comedians. In addition to a robust touring schedule, she’s a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” and can be heard weekly on her comedy podcast, “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone,” now entering its fifth year.

On Saturday, Poundstone will bring her unique comedic style to an intimate performance at the Sellersville Theater.

I recently spoke with Poundstone about her show, the state of comedy and her relationship with Robin Williams in this new interview.

Q: What can you tell me about your new round of shows?

Paula Poundstone: It’s really one unending tour. I go out most weekends for a few nights. I have somewhere in my head 44 years of material rattling and sometimes I pluck from that. So I’ll talk about things like a house full of animals and trying to keep up with current events and the news, which is not so easy to do these days.

My favorite part of the night is always talking to the audience and doing the time honored “Where are you from and what do you do for a living?” This is where little biographies of audience members emerge. It’s how I set my sails and therefore no two shows are the same. I do about two hours and occasionally tell stories about my children but not as much as I used to when they were little. Now that they’re adults, they might sue [laughs]. I figure the inside of my head looks like one of those arcade games where you step into a glass booth and they blow paper money around and whatever you can grab you can keep.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Paula Poundstone by Clicking Here.

A Conversation With, Entertainment, Interview, Morning Call

‘Long Island Medium’ Theresa Caputo bringing live show to Wind Creek this weekend. See what she has planned.

Theresa Caputo has been a practicing medium for more than 20 years. During that time she’s helped countless people find closure by delivering healing messages to them from lost loved ones. She’s a four-time New York Times best-selling author, the star of TLC’s hugely successful “Long Island Medium” for 14 seasons and the host of a weekly podcast, “Hey Spirit!,” which allows her to engage with people from around the world.

Caputo is also celebrating the 10th anniversary of her “Theresa Caputo Live — The Experience!” tour, which includes two shows at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem on Saturday and Sunday. During each event, Caputo will share her unique gift as Spirit guides her through the audience in real-time while a video display ensures everyone attending will have an up close and personal experience regardless of their seat location.

Theresa Caputo: They can expect a night filled with peace, comfort, and laughter. People might not realize that what I do is so much more than just communicating with people who have died. Spirit restores our faith in life and ourselves. One of the wishes I have for people who do attend my live show is that when they leave, they know that their loved ones are still with them, just in a different way.

Q: How does the Experience work?

I recently spoke with Theresa Caputo about her upcoming Experience show at Wind Creek Event Center and more.

Q: What can people expect from your Experience live events?

Caputo: It starts with me coming out and giving a quick speech on what people can expect over the next 90 minutes. Then once I start sensing and feeling, I’ll come off the stage with cameras following me around. There will be screens set up so that no matter where someone is seated in the theater they’ll feel and be a part of this amazing experience up close and personal. To watch someone feel grief and then actually see them smile or bring laughter to their face is absolutely incredible.

Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Theresa Caputo by Clicking Here!