Hailing from a small New England town, comedian Jessica Delfino grew up listening to folk music legends like Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young and the acoustic-fueled rock of Bob Seger and Led Zeppelin. Add in a touch of rap like The Beastie Boys and Snoop Dogg as well as the jokes she inherited from her sailor grandfather, and you’ve got the recipe for “Dirty Folk Rock,” the signature style that Delfino has made her own.
Delfino’s raunchy, sex-fueled comedic stylings are somewhat reminiscent of Nikki Glaser, whom Delfino often shared the stage with while honing her chops in New York’s comedy scene. She’s a critically acclaimed observational comedian with credits that include appearances around the world, and on Saturday, Delfino will bring her unique brand of comedy and music to Poconos Underground Comedy at The Hideaway Speakeasy, part of Newberry’s Yard of Ale in Stroudsburg.
I recently spoke with Delfino about her upcoming performance and more in this new interview.
Q. What can you tell me about Poconos Underground Comedy?
Jessica Delfino: Poconos Underground Comedy is mostly a showcase of comedians who’ve decided to schlep out to the Poconos to entertain people who used to be New Yorkers who now “hate New Yorkers” [laughs]. People can expect to laugh, drink fancy cocktails and have some pizazz with their comedy. The show is different, but don’t get me wrong. There’s classic stand up but there’s also a lot of sparkles. It’s not for the faint of heart, it’s a show for the bold and the beautiful. My show production partner, Boris Khakin (also a comedian) and I take turns hosting. He brings the dude energy and I bring the girl magic.
Q. How would you describe your style? Can you put into words what your comedy/music is all about?
My style is “dirty folk rock” comedy and jokes that reflect that style. I like to swear, talk about sex, gross people out a little and ultimately, I love to make people laugh. I make jokes about things that lots of other comedians do: life, love, and the challenges that come with those things, but obviously my take is from a female middle-aged mom perspective who likes to do things my own way. I love weird words and I love that I’m a little different. It took me some time to understand that about myself but now that I do it’s like my superpower. As Frank Sinatra famously sang, “I gotta be me.”
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Jessica Delfino by clicking here.
Toad the Wet Sprocket, with its trio of founding members Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols and Dean Dinning, is still making music and touring with the same unwavering spirit of independence that made them one of the most seminal bands of the 1990s.
Toad’s third album, Fear, still ranks big on any ’90s playlist and songs like “All I Want,” and “Walk on the Ocean,” catapulted the band from college campus soundtracks to radio rotation royalty. Their music also found its way onto popular ’90s TV shows like “Friends,” “Dawson’s Creek,” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.”
The band took a break in the late ’90s but reunited in 2006 and has since released two albums, including 2021’s Starting Now.
Toad the Wet Sprocket is currently part of a tour that includes themselves as well as Gin Blossoms and Vertical Horizon. It’s a show that stops at the Wind Creek Event Center on Thursday, Aug. 15.
I recently spoke with bassist Dean Dinning about the show, what makes Toad the Wet Sprocket’s music so timeless all these years later and more in this new interview.
Q. Can you tell a little about the inspiration behind this tour and what fans can expect?
Dean Dinning: I used to go to concerts in Santa Barbara [California] where you would see two or three bands playing and it always seemed like everyone was friends and would come out and jam on each other’s songs. I always thought that was the most fun thing you could possibly do, and that’s really what this tour is like. These guys are all friends of ours. We’ve known the Gin Blossoms since 1992. They were the first band we ever got to pick to be an opener for our whole tour. It will be a fun vibe and I think people will really enjoy it.
You can read the rest of my interview with Dean Dinning by clicking here.
It was a great catalog of songs and the slow burn of touring perseverance that catapulted alt-rock band Gin Blossoms from the ranks of indie circuit into the ’90s musical mainstream.
Although it didn’t happen overnight, it was their infectiously good 1992 sophomore album, New Miserable Experience, and songs like “Found Out About You,” “Hey Jealousy,” “Until I Fall Away,” and “Allison Road,” that eventually became staples of ’90s radio and firmly established the group as one of the decade’s most definitive acts.
Fans of the Gin Blossoms — which features Robin Wilson (lead vocals / acoustic guitar), Jesse Valenzuela (vocals and guitar), Scott Johnson (guitar), Scott Hessel (drums), and Bill Leen (bass), can expect to hear all of the hits and more when the band performs with fellow ’90s rockers Toad The Wet Sprocket and Vertical Horizon at Wind Creek Event Center on Thursday, Aug. 15.
I recently spoke with guitarist Jesse Valenzuela about the show, career highlights — including the time he worked with Stevie Nicks, new music and more in this new interview.
Q. What was it about the ’90s era of music that keeps fans coming back?
Jesse Valenzuela: It was a terrific time for music and we were lucky to get some attention from radio. Toad [The Wet Sprocket] was so gracious and took us out on the road and showed us the ropes. Whenever we get to be together with them now, it’s always great fun. I have a real affection for those guys. Today we’re fortunate that we have a bunch of hit songs and this show will be long enough for you to hear all of them. We’re going to play all the hits and other songs people have heard and make sure everyone enjoys themselves. I love the Wind Creek venue. We’ve been there quite often over the years. This tour is just starting and the bands we’re touring with, Toad The Wet Sprocket and Vertical Horizon, are terrific. Everyone is playing so beautifully and firing on all cylinders.
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Jesse Valenzuela by clicking here.
Even though it happened twenty years ago today, it still feels like it was yesterday.
I was standing alone in my upstairs bathroom. Just an introverted thirty-four-year-old man looking at himself in the mirror — and shaking like a leaf. It was 3 p.m. and very soon I’d have to muster up the courage to get in my 2001 Ford Focus and drive over to South Bethlehem for sound check.
August 6th, 2004 is a day I will NEVER forget.
I suppose it’s best to give you a little bit of the back story before I continue on with this tale of one of my greatest memories. So here goes:
From the day I first picked up my grandmother’s hand-held tomato slicer as a seven-year-old boy, pretended it was a guitar and did my best Ace Frehley interpretation, it’s been my dream – shredding my guitar (not tomatoes) on a huge stage while staring out into a sea of people. And so began the pre-Internet days of callused fingers, long walks downtown to the music store for weekly lessons and countless hours spent practicing Mel Bay scales and Metal Method mail-order licks.
Unfortunately, my newfound interest in music, repetitive practice and Les Paul guitars also brought with it the constant torment and ridicule from my siblings and their friends. Many of whom did not mince words when they told me that what I was doing would never amount to anything. But rather than wallow in denial and self-pity, their words only served to reinforce my passion.
So while other kids of the MTV generation hung out with friends after school tossing a Nerf football or playing Atari, I spent most afternoons trying to figure out how Eddie Van-Halen got his Kung-Fu. I was so sure of what the future held for me that I even wrote entries into my journal describing all of the lavish purchases I would make and all of things that were going to happen to me after I had officially “made it” as a rock star.
— on a side note, I’m still waiting for the hordes of beautiful women to chase me down the streets of New York City. Get with the program, ladies.
Yes, I had dreamed about that rock star moment for twenty years…. and suddenly, TODAY of all days, the wait was finally going to be over.
On August 6th, 2004, our band was going to be the opening act for Clay Aiken at Musikfest – on the biggest stage of them all! Yes, THE Clay Aiken!
OK, before you start giggling uncontrollably, remember this. Clay Aiken had just placed second in season two of American Idol and was almost on the same level as Justin Bieber at the height of his fame. That is to say, people were going absolutely bonkers for him. At the time, it was the fastest sellout in the festival’s history (6,000+ people) and we had the greatest singer ever in our arsenal, who’s soaring vocals had gotten us the gig.
News from the day – August 6th, 2004 (SOLD OUT)
And yet here I was, standing in the bathroom trying to keep from hurling my lunch. A complete nervous wreck!
To this day, I’m not sure how I held it all together. Somehow, my “Rock Star Moment” was here, and I wasn’t about to let it slip away. Grabbing my Les Paul and a blue-flamed doo rag, I slowly made the pilgrimage to Bethlehem.
The rest of that evening was a bit of a whirlwind for me. There was time spent setting up gear in front of the stage, testing guitar levels and watching the thousands of people standing in line waiting to get in. Then there was the anticipation of going out there and feeling a rush no drug could ever deliver.
The crowd – Musikfest August 6th, 2004
Prior to August 6th, the most people I had ever played for was maybe 50 in some smoky bar at two in the morning. And even though I was fully aware that the audience wasn’t there to see us, I got to taste the experience of walking out on stage in front of six-thousand people for thirty minutes!! Finally looking out, instead of always looking in.
I liked what I saw.
Led Foot at Musikfest – August 6th, 2004
I’ve never had that kind of experience since and most likely never will again, but it doesn’t even matter. It was the love of music, a lot of hard work, and a little bit of luck that the cosmos aligned that particular summer night – and it was the beginning of a special journey we would all share together as a band. That experience also transitioned into one of my favorite quotes I still use to this day:
“Every once in a great while the universe tilts in your direction. You better be ready.”
As a seven-year-old boy imitating his guitar hero on a vegetable slicer it seemed like such a far away dream. But just the idea of having a dream – no matter how small it might be or how long it takes you to achieve, is something that doesn’t fade after the music stops and the lights go out. It’s only then that you realize that dreams do indeed come true, and the magic of the dream becomes a part of you forever. You just have to be ready.
On August 6th, 2004, twenty years ago today, I was ready – and that magic became a part of me.
To Heather, Todd, Kevin and Rick…. We did it, baby!
It’s kind of hard to believe, but that little ol’ band from Texas, ZZ Top, has been delivering their infectiously rowdy brand of blues, rock and boogie to legions of fans since man first walked on the moon.
The band has become a fixture of classic rock radio with songs like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” and (of course) “La Grange.” All of which instantly conjure up images of long beards, sunglasses, hot rods and guitar riffs.
For more than 50 years the lineup of ZZ Top — Billy Gibbons (guitars), Dusty Hill (bass) and Frank Beard (drums), remained unchanged. Selling millions of albums, touring the world and introducing us all to music videos containing spinning guitars and fast cars with magical keychains. It wasn’t until Hill’s passing in 2021 that the band called up Hill’s long time bass tech, Elwood Francis, to hold up the bottom end and keep their musical legacy flowing.
Fans can certainly expect to hear a plethora of songs from the band’s more than half-century of hits and more when ZZ Top closes out this year’s Musikfest with a performance at the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza on Sunday, Aug. 11.
I recently spoke with Billy Gibbons about the band’s upcoming performance at Musikfest, its legacy, music and more in this new interview.
Q. This year marks the band’s 55th anniversary (coincidentally, the same age as this writer). When you look back on this milestone now with so much perspective what thoughts come to mind?
Billy Gibbons: We’re a band aiming to keep on keepin’ on as we genuinely like what it is we get to do. One of the true highlights of the experience was revealed when we heard ZZ over the radio airwaves for the first time. Then again, our induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Keith Richards delivering the honors also stands as a night to remember. We’re stoked that we continue getting to do what we do! The night-to-night intention is, ‘Have mercy! Let’s keep doing it!’
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Billy Gibbons by Clicking Here.
Although you’ve never seen saxophonists Dean Mitchell and Saxsquatch in a room at the same time, it’s safe to say that the beast might have learned a thing or two from his human musical counterpart.
Saxsquatch began his career by posting videos of himself performing on social media; one of which, his smooth cover of Daft Punk’s song, “One More Time,” instantly went viral with nearly 3 million views.
After years and thousands of unconfirmed sightings and unsuccessful attempts by man to prove his family’s existence, it was Saxsquatch’s newly found notoriety that ultimately drew the cryptid out of the forest and onto the national scene, much to the delight of music fans everywhere.
It’s a journey that will bring Saxsquatch to Musikfest on Monday, Aug. 5 for two shows at 7 and 8:45 p.m., and Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 7 and 9 p.m. All shows will be held at the Highmark Blue Shield Community Stage.
I recently spoke with Saxsquatch and asked him about the mythos, music and monster as well as what fans can expect from his Musikfest appearances in this fun new interview.
Q. Where did Saxsquatch originate? What brought you out of the woods?
Saxsquatch: I originally started playing music with my family. My Grandfather, Gigfoot, was a guitar player and my sister, Bigflute, played the flute. I started out doing the beats but one day I heard the saxophone on the radio. Our radio access was limited due to extension cord issues but I listened every chance I got. It was Jr. Walker’s sax solo on “Urgent” by Foreigner that got me hooked. When I got a sax from a pawn shop and wouldn’t stop playing it, everyone started calling me Saxsquatch. I have to admit I did like the attention and eventually felt like it was my purpose for other people to hear the saxophone in the same way that it has brought me so much joy and awe.
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Saxsquatch by Clicking Here.
Rising country artist Lilly Moss has roots that run deep through the Lehigh Valley. Born and raised in Bethlehem, the talented singer-songwriter is making a name for herself by combining her uniquely ubiquitous voice with a good measure of poetic storytelling.
This year, Moss performed for a sold-out crowd at the Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s Hearts of Gold Gala, where her mosaic artwork brought a winning bid of $20,000 for the foundation. She also performed at the Sherman Theater Showcase as a special guest of Hayes Warner, who was named one of People’s “Emerging Artists to Watch 2023.”
Moss’ second single, “Heartbreak Summer,” will be released Friday; the release date of her album will be announced soon. The title-track, “Meet Me on Broadway,” is an energetic tribute to Moss’ dream of a Nashville happily ever after and was produced by Grammy-nominated producer Dan Malsch of Soundmine Studios in Stroudsburg.
Moss’ summer schedule is shaping up nicely and includes both band and solo (guitarist-accompanied) performances, including a Musikfest appearance at Lyrikplatz on Monday, Aug. 5. On Monday, July 22, she’ll appear with her full band, The Steel Ponies, at the Williams Township 75th Country Fair. Her performance starts at 7 p.m.
You can find out more about Lilly Moss on her website: www.lillymoss.com. I recently spoke with Lilly Moss about her music in this new interview.
Q. Did you always know music was going to be your calling?
Lilly Moss: I like to say that I grew into it. I started voice lessons in sixth grade and took them up until I left high school but never really thought about performing because I was self-conscious of my voice and its tone. I wasn’t confident enough to put myself out there until I realized that’s what set me apart. I performed for the first time back in 2021 and remember never wanting to get off the stage. It was then that I thought, ‘OK, let’s do this for real.’
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Lilly Moss by Clicking Here.
For more than 30 years, the band moe. has garnered critical acclaim for its exploratory musical improvisation along with members’ unfettered knack for both showmanship and songcraft.
The key to the jam band’s longevity can be credited to having never performed a song the same way twice and the camaraderie among its members, which includes founders Al Schnier (guitars/vocals), Chuck Garvey (guitars/vocals), and Rob Derhak (bassist/vocals) as well as longtime members Vinnie Amico (drums), Jim Loughlin (percussion) and Nate Wilson (keyboards).
It’s also reflected in the band’s passionate fanbase, aptly named, “Famoe.ly.”
On Wednesday, July 10, moe. will be bringing its unique style and mind-bending musicality to Bethlehem for a standing room only performance at Levitt Pavilion.
I recently spoke with Amico about the band’s upcoming performance. We also discuss songwriting, what it was like touring and hanging out backstage with Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, and more in this new interview.
What can moe. fans expect from your upcoming performance at Levitt Pavilion?
Vinnie Amico: Well, you’re going to get a high-powered set of rock and roll. We’ve been working a lot this year and playing better than ever. We’re also back in the studio putting together some new music. You’ll hear music from across our catalog. It’ll be a really good show.
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Vinnie Amico by Clicking Here!
In her new book, “The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock and Roll Narrative,” Author K.L. Doty unveils the long-awaited story of the life of vocalist Jack Russell. From his early years as the original front man for American rock band Great White to the band’s subsequent success with its million-selling album, Once Bitten as well as thesubsequent follow-up, Twice Shy, and their infectious cover of the Ian Hunter song, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” Russell gives readers an inside look into the glory days and debauchery of eighties hard rock.
Doty’s book, which will be released this summer, also promises to reveal a deeper, more complex story of Russell’s life. One that offers readers a personal and eye-opening account of the singer’s rise, fall, and return to fame following the horrific events of The Station Nightclub fire in February of 2003. In it, Doty helps to uncover Russell’s creative and enduring spirit, one showcased both in and outside of the spotlight.
I recently spoke with K.L. Doty about Jack Russell’s upcoming autobiography and more in this new interview.
How did you and Jack Russell connect?
My husband, Chip Z’Nuff is in a band Enuff Z’Nuff. They’ve been around since the eighties and still actively tour. I helped sell merchandise on the road for Enuff Z’Nuff for a long time and Jack Russell’s Great White was one of the bands that Chip toured with. That’s how I met him.
How did this project come about?
I had been approached several times over the course of a few years by Robby Lochner, who is Jack’s guitarist. I said no every time because even then I knew how much work was going to be involved. Then In September of 2020 I was asked again. At the time, I had just finished almost two years of study to become a wardrobe stylist through the New York University of Art and Science. I still wasn’t interested in taking on so much work but went to bed and literally woke up in the middle of the night thinking, “I have to do this.” That’s how it all started.
What was the writing process like?
People often ask me what my biggest advice for writing a book is, and it’s always “Don’t do it!” [laughs]. You start off with stars in your eyes but the longer you go the stars can start to dim, because it’s a lot of information. And it’s not like I was writing some cute little fairy tale from my own brain. I was writing someone else’s story and it was all true. So if someone tells me something, even if it was just a single sentence that contained a few facts, I would have to go and fact check with multiple sources. It can be hard to corral the information and still create a cohesive story. I had to learn to be organized and do whatever I could to seek out the information I needed.
What were some of the other challenges you faced during?
I didn’t realize I would be giving up as much as I did, including spending time on the road with my husband. I was working with other people’s schedules and had to put personal relationships on hold because this book had to be first. The whole process took four years in total and I spent the first two years interviewing Jack a few times a week for about an hour and half. It was all recorded and there was so much to transcribe. My goal was to get the general idea of things and then make it sound the best that I could. I received the first copy recently. It didn’t become real until I actually held it in my hands. That’s when it sunk in that this heavy thing I was holding; something that you could open up and look through, actually existed!
Did Jack share any fun “rock and roll” stories with you?
Oh, he had a lot of those. Little anecdotes, like when he was on tour with Judas Priest and they trashed the hotel room and threw everything out into the pool. It was one of the first times the band had been on the road and they wound up having to pay out a lot of money.
K.L. Doty – Photo by Jamie Benjamin
Jack says “I’m sorry” quite a bit when discussing the events of The Station Nightclub fire. How did you approach talking to him about such a difficult subject?
It was a heavy thing to have myself go through as a writer and I was very cautious talking about certain things. Jack says “I’m sorry” in the book because, legally, he wasn’t allowed to say it during the trial, because doing so would be considered an admission of guilt. This is the first time he gets to speak out on that.
Can you tell me a little about your background and how it helped shape you into who you are today?
I come from a very whimsical family and grew up around a lot of influential people in rock and roll and Hollywood. Growing up, my grandmother would host these incredible parties where random celebrities would just show up. I knew one day I wanted to be just like that — to host parties with people like that. When I was sixteen, I’d lie to get out of going to school by telling them I was sick or on a family vacation, and then I’d tell my parents that I was going on a field trip. Then I’d go to venues with these rock bands where I would just be there and interview them. Times were different then, but I’d show up and say I was so and so and I was writing articles for this or that magazine. Being female, it was inevitable that I was going to be labeled a groupie, so people looked at it the wrong way. But my main goal was to learn more about the industry.
Are there any other projects you’re currently working on right now?
I have a record that should be coming out by the end of the year. If you ask me how I would describe it, I’d say it’s what would happen if Norah Jones were to do a record with Alice Cooper, Nine Inch Nails and Beethoven. I like to give the sound the imaginary title of phantasmagoric pop. I like very soft, ghostly elements but I don’t mind the industrial drive in the bass. I’m also focusing on boxing right now. It’s something I didn’t know was in me but I really don’t mind hitting hard. We’ll see where it takes me.
Is there a message you’d like people to take away from reading the book?
I want them to take away the beauty of words. The story aside, I wrote this book in such a way where, even under the most horrible of events or feelings, it makes you feel like you’re eating something delicious. Adjectives, synonyms and what have you, it’s a beautiful little puzzle piece. My goal was to take all of the best words and put them in the right order to make a true story taste as incredible as it sounds.
The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative will be released this summer.
Inspired by renaissance, nature and love, Blackmore’s Night has been captivating audiences with their ubiquitous melodies and troubadour-style performances for more than 25 years at venues, festivals, and castles alike.
The group features vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Candice Night as well as legendary guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow). But don’t expect to hear screaming vocals or high-volume distorted electric guitar from this eclectic duo and their band. Instead, Blackmore’s Night live show is a passport to a time gone by; complete with merry camaraderie, medieval instruments like the hurdy-gurdy, shawms, and pennywhistles as well as renaissance garb.
The group is out on six-city tour, which includes a stop at The Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg at 8 p.m. Saturday.
I recently spoke with Candice Night about the band’s upcoming performance and more in this new interview.
It’s been nearly 30 years since you and Ritchie formed Blackmore’s Night. What inspired the project?
Candice Night: I had never heard of Renaissance music before I met Ritchie, yet I was always inspired by having one foot in a magical world, a world of fantasy. When I met him, he brought me to his dark English Tudor house in the woods of Connecticut with nothing but trees around for miles. He had a minstrels gallery; everything was very low lit with lots of tapestries on the walls and a huge fireplace. He would play nothing but purist Renaissance music on the sound system. And it was there, looking out the window as the snow fell and watching deer eat the grass off the front garden while this music played that it became the soundtrack to nature in my mind. It completed the picture — the perfect marriage of visual and audio.
Read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Candice Night by Clicking Here.
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