alternative
Alternative music from the underground, straight to your listening device.
The Circle of Blood.
It takes all shapes and styles for a play. Agamemnon: The Circle of Blood at LA MAMA Downstairs is an interesting, nuanced kind of show. The play is based as much on video artistry as it is on the solo artist: Rafika Chawishe. Out of Ayos, the play can take place in pretty much anytime the earth has existed. As it is set in Greek times, the modern music and sound design (Manolis Manousakis) and video (Asteris Koutoulas) is earry at times; edgy and absorbing at other times.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).about a year ago in Beat
My All Time Favorite Lead Singers and Solo Artists
One of the most influential reasons as to why someone loves a certain band is the lead singer. Maybe they have a distinct voice. Once they start singing, their voice is unmistakable. Maybe they have the uncommon ability to hit all the high and low notes with ease. Doing so is quite a talent after all.
By Jasmine Aguilarabout a year ago in Beat
Playlist: Waves festival
Saturday is Waves Festival, a monster music day across eight venues in Sunderland. Tickets, a bargain at £35, are running low, but you can still grab the last few here. And here are three rising northeast bands that you should be sure to catch on a bill led by Red Rum Club, Miles Kane, Tom A. Smith and more.
By Andy Pottsabout a year ago in Beat
Top Five Live Covers You Should Watch
Not too much on denigrating the art of the cover, now. Especially, as I've made clear, the live one. It's often high stakes thanks to some inaugural, celebratory, or tribute event in an arena, maybe even in front of the original artist. The live cover, in my opinion, is how an artist truly earns their stripes. Have they made it their own whilst honouring the original? Have they chosen the right track, or indeed been chosen for the event correctly? And ultimately, can they sing someone else's notes and lyrics with new, exciting meaning without changing its DNA?
By Jessica Baileyabout a year ago in Beat
Playlist: if the Pixies came from Peterlee
Marginal Gains – Now If the Pixies came from Peterlee, they might sound a bit like this. Part of the East Durham cultural revival (and yes, that really is a thing) Marginal Gains started life drinking cans of beer in a recording studio because it was cheaper than going to the pub. That musical atmosphere apparently rubbed off, persuading them to form a band. Fast forward a few years, and the bizarre juxtaposition between a poised rocking trio and a shirtless shouty frontman is grabbing attention across the northeast – and is surely destined to turn heads further afield.
By Andy Pottsabout a year ago in Beat
Hold and The Godling
Last evening at the Gene Frankel Theatre we were presented with a short, "Hold" and a full length play, "The Godling". Written by Mark Borkowski, the two plays had two different directors. Under the direction of Shira-Lee Shalit,"Hold" was a twenty minute farce that left the audience in stitches. The blend between Gerry (Santo Fazio and Bernie (Rich Pecci) was tremendous. Able to feed off of each other, the two gave the small theater audience a Broadway quality performance! Rather than make this performance campy, director Shalit went for the absurd and in doing so she hit it out of the park. While all three characters were excellent here, it was the brother's that brought this to the height of raucous farce.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).about a year ago in Beat
People of the Book.
The Urban Stages has put on a play that I like to refer to as a hidden gem; on off off Broadway play that is edgy, with great writing as well as interesting. Yussef El Guindi has written a play that has almost perfect symmetry to it. He presents four characters (a square), gives us four points a view; he brings out the jealousy in the men and shows us the support by their strong woman.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).about a year ago in Beat
