March 2-7, 2010
“An unexpected jolt of sudden genius!” Clive Barnes, New York Post
Broadway’s most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award®-winner in years opens at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center. Spring Awakening, the 8-time Tony Award® winning Broadway musical, will open at DPAC next week beginning March 2nd and playing for one week only. Tickets start at just $25 and still remain for the Triangle premiere of Spring Awakening at DPACnc.com, 919-680-2787 or Ticketmaster.
Spring Awakening swept the 2007 Tony Awards® winning eight out of its eleven nominations, including Best Musical, Best Director (Michael Mayer), Best Book (Steven Sater), Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), Best Orchestrations (Duncan Sheik), Best Lighting Design (Kevin Adams), Best Featured Actor (John Gallagher Jr.).
Hailed as the “Best Musical of the Year” by the NY Drama Critics Circle, the Drama Desk, the Outer Critics Circle and the Tony Awards®, Spring Awakening has emerged as the most talked about new musical on Broadway.
“Broadway may never be the same. This brave new musical, haunting and electrifying by turns, restores the mystery and the thrill to that shattering transformation that stirs in all of our souls.” Charles Isherwood, The New York Times.
Based on the infamous 1891 Frank Wedekind play, Spring Awakening features an electrifying score by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics Steven Sater, direction by Michael Mayer and choreography by the award-winning Bill T. Jones.
Set against the backdrop of a repressive and provincial late 19th century Germany, Spring Awakening tells the timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuality as seen through the eyes of three teenagers. Haunting and provocative, Spring Awakening celebrates an unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, a poignancy and a passion you will never forget.
“A miracle that must be seen to be believed … The best new musical in a generation.”
John Heilpern, The New York Observer
Set design is by Christine Jones, costume design is by Tony Award-winner Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Tony Award-winner Kevin Adams and sound design by Brian Ronan.
Spring Awakening opened on Broadway on December 10, 2006 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theatre Co. The original cast recording of Spring Awakening won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Spring Awakening is produced by Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and the Atlantic Theatre Co.
“The most explosive new musical since RENT!” Michael Sommers, The Star-Ledger
Spring Awakening contains mature themes, sexual situations and strong language.
Artist: Do It To Julia
Album: Archie Carroll
Sounds like/for fans of: The Beatles, Death Cab for Cutie, Dave Matthews Band
Members: Ryan O’Keefe (vocals/guitar), Halli Anderson (vocals/violin), Matt Rossino (bass), Stephen Bush (vocals/guitar) and Alex McWalters (drums)
Borrowing their name from a quote from George Orwell’s classic novel “1984,” Asheville, NC’s 5-piece rock outfit Do it to Julia have been pleasing audiences since 2006 with their interesting brand of melodic folk rock.
Intriguing male/female vocal harmonies combined with airy instrumental ambiance creates a warm, inviting conversation that draws listeners in with both insightful personal narratives and socio-political commentary. The light touch of piano and violin courtesy of Halli Anderson gives the band increased texture and dynamics, adding intimacy and subtle complexity which nicely complement the vocal styling of fellow songwriter/guitarist Ryan O’Keefe. This close relationship among co-singer/songwriters, reminiscent of classic bands such as Fleetwood Mac, fosters a strong aura of passion in Do it to Julia’s music that will undoubtedly keep audiences coming back for more.
After all, it’s hard to resist the band’s allure–good ole’ fashioned mountain folk hospitality meets modern indie rock sensibility, with a soothing vibe that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, like a nice intimate conversation by a stone fireplace. Plain and simple, Do it to Julia delivers wonderful tunes with inspiring lyrics from the hearts of not one but two excellent singer/songwriters. Definitely worth hearing, as there is this undeniably charming chemistry within this band that many others never seem to grasp. Their 2008 debut album on Split Rail records is available from CDBaby, iTunes, and the band’s website.
Having already shared the stage with well known acts such as Keller Williams, Sister Hazel, Tim Reynolds, and Sam Bush, Do it To Julia has great potential to bring added enthusiasm and soul to the folk/indie rock world in the future.
Catch them at Mansion 462 on Jan. 23 and Deep South on Feb. 6.
Artist: Schooner
Album: Hold on Too Tight
Sounds like/for fans of: Brian Wilson, The Shins, The Hold Steady
Members: Reid Johnson, Kathryn Johnson, Billy Alphin and Maria Albani
If the 60s are back as some suggest, then Schooner would fit right in with their “back to basics” approach to indie rock. No better time than the present to express awkward individuality through understated lyrical abstractions within the context of mellow folky pop rock, right? They certainly aren’t the first to take a stab at it. At least they are genuine enough to perhaps end up on a future “sounds of a generation” soundtrack.
Located out of the college town suburbia of Carrboro, NC, Schooner is one of the few bands to achieve such remarkable harmony arising out of often volatile and polarizing sibling rivalry-driven songwriting. Working around somewhat “vintage” song structures and vocal styling, Schooner achieves the poetic lyrical understatement that so many lesser bands unsuccessfully strive to create. Shrouded within the innocence of their sound lies some hints of therapeutic catharsis, with songs like “Pray for you to die,” “There’s Enough to Do,” and “Strange Alibis.”
To their credit, Schooner seems to have more to express than their own ineptness (musically or otherwise) as many unsigned indie rock bands seem to do. Its honest, melancholy folk-pop with some interesting mood shifts, ranging from weird socially awkward drinking songs, to moments of blissful swagger and melancholy moments of reflection, to somewhat aloof, happy-go-lucky doo-wop tunes. Worth a listen, regardless of your tastes.
Currently, the group is in the process of releasing a new record entitled Duck Kee Sessions, which will be available via www.cytunes.org, a music downloading site where 100% of the proceeds go to Duke University’s Tisch Brain Tumor Center.
Rolling Stone Magazine recently compiled what it considers to be the 25 greatest songs of the year. While some selections are worthy of making the list, others leave me scratching my head. (Not to mention wondering according to what criteria these 25 songs were deemed the “best.”)
You be your own judge.
Thoughts?
Artist: To The Republic
Album: Drown EP
Sounds like/for fans of: Foo Fighters, Muse
Members: Nate Marriner (vocals/guitars), Houston Causby (bass), Andrew Davis (vocals/guitars), Eddie Lucas (drums)
To The Republic presents a vivid sound instilled with enchanting vocals, colorful guitar work, and expressive arrangements. Intricate yet subtle instrumental phrasing and progressions combined with reflective lyrics create a luring sonic environment for the listener, all without relying on genre-specific clichés or overt hooks.
There are many feel-good moments, suggesting a strong desire for listener involvement rather than merely accepting passive observation. The overall presentation is a tasteful, insightful and honest combination of singer-songwriter warmth and indie rock sensibility that results in a versatile, valuable listening experience. This band, without a doubt, is appealing to a diverse range of audiences and personalities.
The group started recording Drown EP in March with Jesse Clark of Evenform Studios. After multiple recommendations of Clark’s “immense talent,” the group was sure that this was the route for them. With a completed EP, they are happy to report that this particular way of choice has put them in a good position.
“Working with Jesse was great,” Nate Marriner said. ”We came in with our own gear and our own equipment, and we didn’t incorporate the typical processed sound.”
The band seeks influence in Radiohead and Sly & The Family Stone, both of which the band respects for their originality and appeal.
“This release is a full-band effort,” Marriner said. ”It’s a great reflection of where we are as musicians, which we are all really excited about.”
After their CD release party at Deep South-The Bar on Friday, Nov. 20, they have one initiative: To regroup.
“October and November have just been crazy months,” Marriner said. ”Especially after what happened on the 15th of October.”
On this fateful date, the band’s storage area was broken into, resulting in the loss of… well… pretty much everything – from their equipment down to their merchandise.
So while keeping busy getting insurance claims and recovering their property, they have also worked hard to promoting their newest release.
Check them out tonight at Deep South, with special guests Sleep Control and The Wailin Canes. Doors open at 8 p.m. and show starts at 9:30 p.m.
I Was Totally Destroying It has become quite a noteworthy act over the past year. Not only within the Triangle music scene, but throughout the country. A Chapel Hill-born group, the members include Curtis Armstead (guitar), John Booker (vocals/guitar), Rachel Hirsh (vocals/guitar/keyboard), Joe Mazzitelli (bass) and James Helper (vocals/drums).
The band’s sophomore full-length, Horror Vacui, was released in October on Greyday Records.
I sat down with James Helper to find out more about IWTDI.
“I Was Totally Destroying It” – what’s the story behind the name?
It’s one of those names that kinda starts as a joke and then finds its way into reality. I have a theory that every seven seconds in America someone says “That would make a great band name!” Ours came about during a discussion that John was having years ago with former band mates about how it’s fun to smash stuff (John likes to call this “the cathartic nature of destruction” because it sounds all brainy but we all know it’s just plain ole fun to destroy things). He was talking about how he was using a jackhammer to break apart a slate walkway or something, and said “I Was Totally Destroying It” – and DING – “that would make a great band name!”
Fast forward a few years, and the jury is still out as to whether it’s great, but it definitely is a band name.
You’ve won a lot of praise for your covers of U2 tracks. How did that come about? And why U2?
The people who run Tir Na Nog approached us last spring and just asked if we’d like to do a U2 cover project. I guess you could say we were commissioned to put together a U2 tribute. John and I grew up loving and listening to U2, and the other members were more or less game, so we agreed. And thank goodness for that, because tribute bands fare consistently better than original bands, so we’ve actually come to partially fund our original records with the revenue from the U2 stuff. We work really hard at it, and we feel that our experience learning those songs has made us better musicians and live performers.
You opened for Joan Jett & The Blackhearts at Raleigh Downtown Live in July. What was that like?
Breathtaking! Our love for Joan Jett’s music aside, to get the chance to perform in front of 15,000 people is something that bands like us dream of doing on the regular. Most bands never even come close to that goal. To get a taste of it really helped us to focus on being the best band we can be so that maybe someday we’re the ones drawing those huge crowds.
Also, it was a great test of our stage presence. We were either going to succumb to the anxiety of being in front of that many people and bomb, or we were going to soak the energy in and radiate it right back out to the audience. I really think that we did the latter. Everyone in the band stepped it up, and I think we put our best foot forward. For all we know that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it inspired in us the will to strive for that brass ring.
Offstage, you guys are noticeably levelheaded and approachable. That’s not always the case in this business. Is keeping that kind of good-natured, personable character important to the band?
Absolutely. EVERYONE in this band is easy to get along with and eager to make friends and talk with the people who are kind enough to come to our shows and support our efforts. We value our relationships with other bands, with radio DJs, with club owners and bookers, with writers and critics, and with fans for a few simple reasons.
First, the more love you spread, the more love is out there, and it always comes right back to you. Second, our relationships will endure long after we hang up our instruments. Third, being nice just makes good business sense, not as in “be nice and people buy things,” but rather, “be nice, punctual, professional, and respectful, and club owners will book you again, fans will come back, bands will continue to play with you, etc.”
The bottom line is, you do this long enough and you always come across people who have lost their perspective on what this is all about. I’ve heard every member of this band say out loud, “Let’s never be like that.” And it’s perhaps the main reason why we enjoy doing this and why we will look back on these days fondly no matter how successful the band becomes.
What’s the band most looking forward to over the next couple of months?
Taking a break! We’re just about to hit our three-year anniversary, we’ve put out two full length records and a dual-EP, toured across the US twice, played numerous shows in and around NC, and with this U2 thing, we’ve seen each other four to seven days a week every week since March. We’re looking forward to a month or so when we can rest, refill the rock and roll gas tanks, and then push this new record some more and maybe get to work on the next one. As fun as it is, it can be grueling, and it’s all too common for things to get too business-like, routine.
Some time off will put some of the novelty back into the process, hopefully! Or maybe I’m just saying all this because I’m old and worn out. You decide!
If you could share the stage with any artist/band in the world, who would it be? And at what venue?
Wow, this is a tough one. I mean, I’m not even sure which criteria I should use to answer that! If I want to go the “superstar who brings countless people out and who has inspired me greatly” route, I would say someone like Bruce Springsteen or U2 in a venue like Wembley Stadium or better yet, Central Park like Paul Simon did back in 1991.
Or I could go the “largely influential smaller band in an intimate setting” route and say it would have been amazing to play with some of those great CBGB era bands like Blondie, Velvet Underground, Talking Heads.
Then there’s the whole “famous concerts of history” thing, like I would have killed to be a part of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus back in 1968, one of the greatest and most under-appreciated rock events of all time, or Live-Aid, or of course Woodstock. Those are great fantasies because I don’t think we’ll ever see stuff like that again. In fact, maybe it says something about me that with all of the bands I’ve listed I didn’t mention a single band that formed later than the 70’s. Clearly I have a wide nostalgic streak.
Favorite track off the new album?
Hooboy, even tougher. It’s like asking who your favorite child is. I’ve gravitated towards the slower, more delicate tracks like “Cup of Tea,” “Evergreen,” “Turn My Grave,” and “The Ocean,” but looking back on the recording process and the way songs initially hit me, “Come Out, Come Out” was just a blast to work on. So in the end, I think my favorite track has to be “Come Out, Come Out.” But I love them all!
Check out I Was Totally Destroying It tonight at The Pour House Music Hall with The Monologue Bombs and The Small Ponds. Doors open at 8 p.m. and show starts at 10 p.m.
Something to consider for your weekend plans…
Radio One Raleigh Presents: The First Annual Media & Entertainment Conference
There are few entertainers and shows that come to the DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center that can claim to have run for over 20 years, had more performances on Broadway than Cats, and enchanted over 12.5 million people in New York alone. The Phantom of the Opera, coming to DPAC November 26 through December 20 as part of the SunTrust Brodway series, claims these accomplishments and so many more.
The Phantom of the Opera, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, premiered on Broadway January 26, 1988, after a very successful start in the UK two years before. The show’s been running strong ever since, still entertaining adoring fans at the Majestic theatre on Broadway.
For those few people who’ve managed to go the 20+ years of this musical’s existence without learning what it’s about, here’s a basic summary for you: the musical is based off of the novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, the story of a masked phantom who dwells beneath the Paris Opera House and harbors a deep, but unrequited love for the up-and-coming opera starlet Christine Daaé. The phantom works to develop Christine into the perfect performer, completely under his control. And if you needed this summary, then you’re one of the folks who should definitely go see it; Phantom is a cornerstone of Broadway shows. And even if you did know the facts, why not see again the biggest show ever to come to Broadway!
Phantom will reach its 21st anniversary while it shows at the DPAC. Don’t miss your chance to have a legendary Broadway experience; be sure to get tickets to Phantom.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.dpacnc.com, by phone at (919)680-2787 or at the DPAC box office. The theater is located on 123 Vivian St. in the American Tobacco District in Durham.
Aftershock kicked off in the middle of 2005 when a guy named JD decided to get off his butt and put together that “hair metal” band he had said for years he was going to do. He placed an ad on RaleighMusic.com something along the lines of:
“Starting a cover band to focus on big hair covers and fun party songs (that you can dance to, think Bon Jovi, GnR, Def Leppard, Poison). If you love that music like I do, give me a shout. If you’re looking to cut an album, tour the world and become rich and famous doing this, don’t bother me. I’m just looking to play locally and have fun doing it.”
Or something like that. Within hours (practically), JD heard back from a singer named Rob and a guitar player named Jonny. JD already had a band name and a logo designed which should have clued Rob and Jonny in that they would be joining a control freak, but they did anyway.
JD, Rob and Jonny very quickly got together over a couple beer’s and decided to give it a go. They optimistically decided that they had three parts in place (you know, without really even hearing each other play), and set out to find a bass guitarist. Lance became the fourth piece in the puzzle. This all happened within days, which is pretty amazing and cool.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Aftershock
80’s Rock Cover Band
Raleigh, NC
www.aftershocknc.com
The Triangle now has a social networking site exclusively for entertainers. The website has been created to support and promote local entertainers with easy to navigate main features. Members will be able to create their own profile, upload music or instruction videos, photos, bios and CD covers. And the best part? Its all FREE!
A classified section is provided to place ads for equipment, instruments, personnel, or anything related to music! Members can even upload audition videos. To check it out, visit www.TriangleGroove.com