Music takes us right through the winter By Kellie Lambert McGuire REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
The groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter, but those next six weeks are filled with enough musical shows to chase the winter blues away.The calendar is ripe with concerts through the end of March. Music fans can put that tax rebate to good use by indulging in the many entertainment options filling up local venues.
Waterbury's Palace Theater offers up Hammer of the Gods, the Led Zeppelin tribute, on Feb. 23. k.d. lang performs on March 16.Visit the Palace box office at 100 East Main St. or call (203) 755-4700.The Warner Theatre in Torrington will host country legend Trisha Yearwood on March 7. "An Evening of Doo Wop Rock & Roll, Vol. II" will bring musical cheer to the Warner stage on March 15.For tickets, visit the Warner box office at 68 Main St. or call (860) 489-7180.
The Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport will welcome country sensation Carrie Underwood on Feb. 24. Josh Turner opens.The Arena also scored another hot tour: The Jonas Brothers, who will perform March 16.For tickets, visit the box office or visit or call any Ticketmaster outlet.The Jonas Brothers will also perform March 18 at the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford. The Chevy also has Celtic Woman on its schedule for March 22. Country superstar Dierks Bentley will take over the Chevy on March 29, with the help of Bucky Covington and Luke Bryan.For tickets to all shows at the venue, visit or call any Ticketmaster outlet.The XL Center, formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center, will welcome the reunited Spice Girls on Feb. 22, following by the legendary Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on Feb. 28.For tickets to all shows, visit the XL box office or any Ticketmaster outlet.Mohegan Sun Casino has a wealth of shows at three of its venues in the coming weeks. Matchbox 20 takes over the Arena on Monday, with the help of Alanis Morissette and Mute Math. Toby Keith hijacks the Arena on Feb. 28 and 29, followed by two nights with Bon Jovi and Daughtry, on March 7 and 8.Celtic Woman performs March 14. Van Halen, with opening act Kymani Marley, performs March 26.In the Cabaret, the retro music concert "Rat Pack Is Back" will be Friday through Sunday. Aaron Lewis of Staind will give an acoustic solo show on Feb. 20 through 24.The Wolf Den has several shows for any music fan on a budget. All shows at this casino bar are free. Gloria Gaynor brings disco back on Saturday. Martha Reeves & the Vandellas also have a nostalgic twist on Feb.24.Robert Cray performs Feb. 29 and March 1, followed by Chubby Checker on March 2. Davy Jones takes the stage on March 7, followed by John Waite on March 8, Tracy Lawrence on March 14 and The Romantics on March 15.Eddie Money returns to the venue for two days of shows, March 21 and 22. Tower of Power closes out the month with performances March 29 and 30.For tickets to Mohegan Sun events, visit the casino box office, any Ticketmaster outlet or call (860) 886-0070.Foxwoods Casino isn't left out of the musical fun either. The Fox Theater schedule has Al Jarreau on Friday, Bobby Vinton on Saturday, Creedence Clearwater Revival on Feb. 22 and Jackson Browne on March 29.For tickets, call (800) 200-2882.@$:DAVE SAMUELS INSTEAD: For personal reasons, Joe Beck, who was scheduled to appear as part of The Gunnery's annual Speaker Series, is unable to perform. In his place, Dave Samuels has agreed to perform at the First Congregational Church Meeting House on Washington Green at 7 p.m. Friday. Call (860) 868-7334 extension 251 for reservations as seating is limited. Admission is free.HIP HOP CONFERENCE: The Ant Farm Affiliates will host another Hip Hop Conference on March 1 in Stamford.The informational event will discuss, educate and inform people about true hip hop as well as the music industry. The focus of the event is to correct mainstream stereotypes about hip hop culture, inform participants about the positive and negative aspects of the music industry, and inspire those who are interested in pursuing a career in music.The conference will also feature performances by Ant Farm Affiliates artists like Phenetiks, D. Cyphernauts, Workforce, Cee Reed, The Rising Sun Quest, Sketch the Cataclysm, Expertiz, Pruven and Spaz the Working Class. There are also two special guests, MC Chubb Rock and Battlemaster Breez Evahflowin.The conference will be from 1 to 9 p.m. March 1 at West Hills High School, 125 Roxbury Road in Stamford. For more information, call (800) 688-5850 or e-mail othello88@ gmail.com.THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY: Today marks the day in 1972 when John Lennon and Yoko Ono hosted "The Mike Douglas Show." The pair hosted for a week, welcoming guests like Chuck Berry and Black Panther leader Bobby Seale.Send your arts and entertainment news and listings to kellmcguire @yahoo.com.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Poetry, hip hop share the spotlight at Black History Month celebration
By Monica PottsStaff Writer
February 24, 2008
STAMFORD - Chantel Wilkerson, a 17-year-old student at Stamford High School, could not decide whether she would get on stage.
She was at an event for Black History Month at the University of Connecticut's Stamford campus yesterday, a few hours before a spoken word poetry contest was to begin.
"She's here, and she's a block of ice," said her mother, Phyllis Wilkerson, 46. "You get her at a party and she will dance at the drop of a song, in front of people she's never seen before."
But poetry is different, Phyllis Wilkerson said. "Words mean so much more."
The event, which included the spoken word poetry contest and a panel on music, was to begin at 2 p.m. yesterday, but got off to a slow start. That left a little more time for Chantel Wilkerson to decide, and she ultimately was swayed to perform.
It was sponsored by the company BlackCT, founded by Jere Eaton, former president of the Stamford chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Eaton said she wanted to celebrate positive art forms for Black History Month.
DJs, a spoken word poet, musicians and a teacher spoke during a panel discussion on music. About 30 people, including children and adults, from Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford, were in the audience.
The panelists shared a common idea: Music, literature and history education improve the way African-American youth view their roles in the world.
"What has happened in our country to the African-Americans, we have been taught through the media over time to wait for someone to come save us," said Joseph Celcis, a musician and English teacher at Westhill High School. "Your generation needs to step up and say, 'We are going to change things for ourselves.' "
Sheanna Cuffee, a 17-year-old student at Central High School in Bridgeport, told the audience she grew up in foster care and said that kind of thinking was unfair.
"What was I supposed to do when I was 3, 4, 5 growing up?" she said. "It bothers me when you say our generation is clueless; it's not most of our faults."
Sheanna, who said she has lived in four foster homes, said extra challenges face those who grow up in poverty or in foster care.
"Parents need to wake up," she said. "Society needs to wake up."
The panelists spoke about the history of music and hip hop, and said the negative images portrayed in today's mainstream rap are at odds with hip hop's thoughtful, political roots.
It has become more like the mainstream music against which it was reacting, like disco, which was more about making repetitive sounds for people to dance to and less about encouraging people to think, Celcis said.
It is a problem for this generation of children, he said. "They don't search, and it's amazing because they have every search tool at their fingertips."
Copyright (c) 2008, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.word9feb24,0,2811289.story
February 24, 2008
STAMFORD - Chantel Wilkerson, a 17-year-old student at Stamford High School, could not decide whether she would get on stage.
She was at an event for Black History Month at the University of Connecticut's Stamford campus yesterday, a few hours before a spoken word poetry contest was to begin.
"She's here, and she's a block of ice," said her mother, Phyllis Wilkerson, 46. "You get her at a party and she will dance at the drop of a song, in front of people she's never seen before."
But poetry is different, Phyllis Wilkerson said. "Words mean so much more."
The event, which included the spoken word poetry contest and a panel on music, was to begin at 2 p.m. yesterday, but got off to a slow start. That left a little more time for Chantel Wilkerson to decide, and she ultimately was swayed to perform.
It was sponsored by the company BlackCT, founded by Jere Eaton, former president of the Stamford chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Eaton said she wanted to celebrate positive art forms for Black History Month.
DJs, a spoken word poet, musicians and a teacher spoke during a panel discussion on music. About 30 people, including children and adults, from Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford, were in the audience.
The panelists shared a common idea: Music, literature and history education improve the way African-American youth view their roles in the world.
"What has happened in our country to the African-Americans, we have been taught through the media over time to wait for someone to come save us," said Joseph Celcis, a musician and English teacher at Westhill High School. "Your generation needs to step up and say, 'We are going to change things for ourselves.' "
Sheanna Cuffee, a 17-year-old student at Central High School in Bridgeport, told the audience she grew up in foster care and said that kind of thinking was unfair.
"What was I supposed to do when I was 3, 4, 5 growing up?" she said. "It bothers me when you say our generation is clueless; it's not most of our faults."
Sheanna, who said she has lived in four foster homes, said extra challenges face those who grow up in poverty or in foster care.
"Parents need to wake up," she said. "Society needs to wake up."
The panelists spoke about the history of music and hip hop, and said the negative images portrayed in today's mainstream rap are at odds with hip hop's thoughtful, political roots.
It has become more like the mainstream music against which it was reacting, like disco, which was more about making repetitive sounds for people to dance to and less about encouraging people to think, Celcis said.
It is a problem for this generation of children, he said. "They don't search, and it's amazing because they have every search tool at their fingertips."
Copyright (c) 2008, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.word9feb24,0,2811289.story
Sunday, February 17, 2008
For The Record
Sadly, after 8 years and change...
truckloads of dope songs...
and 6 albums of varying degrees...
Due to reasons that will remain within the know of the individuals that know...
phenetiks and JK1 the Supernova have officially parted paths.
We at phenetiks incorporated wish JK the respect, encouragement, and good luck to succeed with all his endeavors.
He is beyond talented, and I am for sure positive he will leave a lasting impression on the music world.
phenetiks will continue on the forward path that we've been on something heavy.
Peace.
deto-22
truckloads of dope songs...
and 6 albums of varying degrees...
Due to reasons that will remain within the know of the individuals that know...
phenetiks and JK1 the Supernova have officially parted paths.
We at phenetiks incorporated wish JK the respect, encouragement, and good luck to succeed with all his endeavors.
He is beyond talented, and I am for sure positive he will leave a lasting impression on the music world.
phenetiks will continue on the forward path that we've been on something heavy.
Peace.
deto-22
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Troublemakers Breez Evahflowin and Dirt E. Dutch make serious noise
TW LW ARTIST & TITLE LABEL
1 1 LUPE FIASCO The Cool Atlantic-1st & 15th
2 7 FOOD FOR ANIMALS Belly Hoss
3 4 MIKE LADD Nostalgialator Definitive Jux
4 9 NIGHT OWLS 4: A SHOT IN THE DARK Various Artists Syntax
5 3 Y SOCIETY Travel At Your Own Pace Tres
6 2 DANTE Roaming Empire Havoc
7 8 GHISLAIN POIRIER No Ground Under Ninja Tune
8 6 BUCK 65 Situation Strange Famous
9 - YAK BALLZ Scifentology II Flospot
10 5 HANGAR 18 Sweep The Leg Definitive Jux
11 10 WYCLEF JEAN Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant Columbia
12 - BREEZ EVAHFLOWIN AND DIRT E. DUTCH Troublemakers Little Ax
13 12 SONTIAGO Steel Yourself endemik
14 16 BLOCKHEAD Uncle Tony's Coloring Book Ninja Tune
15 11 OMID Afterwords 3 Alpha Pup
16 - DUO LIVE The Color Of Money Redemption Music Group
17 14 JAY-Z American Gangster Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam
18 36 WU-TANG CLAN 8 Diagrams SRC
19 15 TALIB KWELI Eardrum Warner Bros.
20 28 WELL DEEP: TEN YEARS OF BIG DADA RECORDINGS Various Artists Big Dada
Posted by Will Johnsen at February 1, 2008 4:05 p.m.The
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/spi/archives/130855.asp
Troublemakers intend to resurrect hip-hop
What makes a record stand out? Usually it's the beats or rhymes that the producer and emcee respectively created, but sometimes a producer and emcee combine together and deliver an album, the type of record rappers are rarely known for. Perhaps it's because rappers don't do entire albums with one beat maker or maybe it's just because rap today has become a land of club singles and ring tones.
Whatever it is, Breez Evahflowin and Dirt E. Dutch have combined to form Troublemakers and if their self-titled first effort is any indication, they intend to cause even more problems for an industry that is already in trouble.
Knowing little about producer Dirt E. Dutch, his style is reminiscent of an era of classic producers utilizing drums that knock and samples that any good crate digger would be remiss not to add to his list of records to look for.
The rhyming half of Troublemakers, Breez Evahflowin, has been a staple of the NY underground for years as both a solo emcee and member of the unbeatable – and missing in action – collective Stronghold. Probably better known for guest verses and a 12-inch or two, here we get to finally see Breez stretch out and try some different styles and really show us why he hasn't given up on a career in this crazy industry: dude has skills.
Attacking the industry and those who challenge hip-hop's relevancy on "No Room for Growth," we see Breez team up with L.I.F.E. Long. The two emcees' chemistry is perfect and rather than it feeling like a competition of who can spit harder, it feels more natural and they try to build off each other.
Throughout the record, Dutch splices in audio clips from, I'm assuming, a combination of films, TV shows and records. These audio clips add to the content of Breez's rhymes and make it feel like a cohesive set of tracks rather than 12 random songs.
This album will satisfy that desire for some banging hip-hop while we wait for the industry to get back in gear and deliver some heat but, unfortunately, it may get forgotten by the end of 2008, and that would be a shame. Do what you have to to find this project, if for no other reason than to hear one emcee and one producer rock together in the vein of that traditional hip-hop sound.
Posted by Will Johnsen at February 1, 2008 4:05 p.m.
1 1 LUPE FIASCO The Cool Atlantic-1st & 15th
2 7 FOOD FOR ANIMALS Belly Hoss
3 4 MIKE LADD Nostalgialator Definitive Jux
4 9 NIGHT OWLS 4: A SHOT IN THE DARK Various Artists Syntax
5 3 Y SOCIETY Travel At Your Own Pace Tres
6 2 DANTE Roaming Empire Havoc
7 8 GHISLAIN POIRIER No Ground Under Ninja Tune
8 6 BUCK 65 Situation Strange Famous
9 - YAK BALLZ Scifentology II Flospot
10 5 HANGAR 18 Sweep The Leg Definitive Jux
11 10 WYCLEF JEAN Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant Columbia
12 - BREEZ EVAHFLOWIN AND DIRT E. DUTCH Troublemakers Little Ax
13 12 SONTIAGO Steel Yourself endemik
14 16 BLOCKHEAD Uncle Tony's Coloring Book Ninja Tune
15 11 OMID Afterwords 3 Alpha Pup
16 - DUO LIVE The Color Of Money Redemption Music Group
17 14 JAY-Z American Gangster Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam
18 36 WU-TANG CLAN 8 Diagrams SRC
19 15 TALIB KWELI Eardrum Warner Bros.
20 28 WELL DEEP: TEN YEARS OF BIG DADA RECORDINGS Various Artists Big Dada
Posted by Will Johnsen at February 1, 2008 4:05 p.m.The
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/spi/archives/130855.asp
Troublemakers intend to resurrect hip-hop
What makes a record stand out? Usually it's the beats or rhymes that the producer and emcee respectively created, but sometimes a producer and emcee combine together and deliver an album, the type of record rappers are rarely known for. Perhaps it's because rappers don't do entire albums with one beat maker or maybe it's just because rap today has become a land of club singles and ring tones.
Whatever it is, Breez Evahflowin and Dirt E. Dutch have combined to form Troublemakers and if their self-titled first effort is any indication, they intend to cause even more problems for an industry that is already in trouble.
Knowing little about producer Dirt E. Dutch, his style is reminiscent of an era of classic producers utilizing drums that knock and samples that any good crate digger would be remiss not to add to his list of records to look for.
The rhyming half of Troublemakers, Breez Evahflowin, has been a staple of the NY underground for years as both a solo emcee and member of the unbeatable – and missing in action – collective Stronghold. Probably better known for guest verses and a 12-inch or two, here we get to finally see Breez stretch out and try some different styles and really show us why he hasn't given up on a career in this crazy industry: dude has skills.
Attacking the industry and those who challenge hip-hop's relevancy on "No Room for Growth," we see Breez team up with L.I.F.E. Long. The two emcees' chemistry is perfect and rather than it feeling like a competition of who can spit harder, it feels more natural and they try to build off each other.
Throughout the record, Dutch splices in audio clips from, I'm assuming, a combination of films, TV shows and records. These audio clips add to the content of Breez's rhymes and make it feel like a cohesive set of tracks rather than 12 random songs.
This album will satisfy that desire for some banging hip-hop while we wait for the industry to get back in gear and deliver some heat but, unfortunately, it may get forgotten by the end of 2008, and that would be a shame. Do what you have to to find this project, if for no other reason than to hear one emcee and one producer rock together in the vein of that traditional hip-hop sound.
Posted by Will Johnsen at February 1, 2008 4:05 p.m.
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