Jazz Insights: Alan Bernstein

Newport’s Alan Bernstein is a lifetime music teacher and performer. His resume includes long stints as a school leader, teacher and as a jazz performer. While growing up in Newport, he began his love for music that included singing, guitar playing, stand- up bass playing and a sundry of other musical interests. He attended University of Rhode Island, where he graduated with a master’s degree in Music. Alan taught for a year in the Fall River school system before accepting a role with his hometown Newport School Department. He went on to spend 29 years teaching and mentoring lucky students throughout Newport county. He is formally retired from the Newport School Department today, and you can see him often sailing his boat in the waters of Narragansett Bay. Alan joined the late Mac Chrupkala’s popular musical group, performing in weddings, bar-mitzvars, funerals and a variety of special events during the last several decades. His double bass skills, singing and guitar playing gigs are well known throughout Rhode Island. During his life, he has directed orchestras, jazz ensembles and assorted bands, and has had involvement in musical theater. Now, he is an agent, leader and performer on his own in Newport. Alan is married to Karen. Their daughter Chelsea is a talented musician with a resume of her own. He is the son of the late Stanley Bernstein and his 91-year-old mother, Esther, who continues to be his number one fan. Check the advertisements and schedules for music in Greater-Newport for terrific performances that include Alan Bernstein.

Hip-Hop: Falling for Music

Fall is on the way! As the leaves change color and the temperature drops, we get all the dope hip-hop tour dates for the season. Here are a few shows to look forward to.

We start our fall season on Sep 9 with the RI Music Festival at The Strand Ballroom (Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel). A Boogie is headlining with a bunch of Rhode Island talent like J Duce, Jon Hope, Flawless & more! A Boogie will continue to build on his momentum from becoming a XXL Freshman and return to Providence. Also in September, on the 23rd Dave East will take his Paranoia Tour to The Strand Ballroom while Maxo Kream shuts down The Met. Whether you choose one or the other, you can’t lose because both artists are pushing hip-hop forward.

Later in the fall, we have MadeInTYO coming to The Met on Oct 6 during his Made In Tokyo tour. After recently dropping a project and also becoming a XXL Freshman, this is the perfect time for him to travel! Another show pulling up to The Met is Joyner Lucas on his 508 Tour performing on Oct 14. To end the month, on Oct 25 we have Dope Concepts at Aurora. This hip-hop show features Rhode Island’s own Foolish Heart, ALMTY Ceez, Lily Rayne & Cam Bells right before Aurora closes down.

Ending the pre-chill season proper, there’s one more show to mark on your calendars! On Nov 17, Cousin Stizz is stopping by The Met on the final stretch of his One Night Only Tour. If you’re unfamiliar with the name and you’re a fan of hip-hop, you should get familiar. Dive into the world of Stizz with this show.

These are just a few shows coming to the area, so definitely keep your ears to the venues for more! The Classical Sounds of Fall

Autumn is a great time for classical music in southern New England. Giving way to fanfare and season openers, the 2017-18 season offers many opportunities to hear unique and rare performances of obscure works as well as a healthy dose of familiar favorites. Read on to discover what’s happening this fall.

On Sat, Sep 16, The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra opens its 2017-18 season with Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto,” featuring violinist Simone Porter and guest conductor James Sommerville. Also on this program is Jennifer Higdon’s “Blue Cathedral” and Jean Sibelius’s “Symphony No. 2.” This is an important year for this group. This season’s eight classical concerts will each feature a different guest conductor, and each concert is an audition for the music director position (left vacant by Larry Rachleff’s recent departure). We all know how important it is to elect the right leader. And don’t miss their performance at Slater Park on Sep 9 as part of the Pawtucket Arts Festival’s Slater Park Fall Festival. For more information visit riphil.com

Also on Sep 16, Odyssey Opera of Boston performs Tchaikovsky’s “The Maid of Orléans.” First premiered in Russia in 1881, this work is based upon the story of Joan of Arc. Odyssey Opera is known for presenting opera in concert format — minus the sets and lighting, with all the music. Performed in Russian with English subtitles, this concert takes place at Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory, one of the region’s finest acoustic venues. For more information, visit odysseyopera.org

On Sep 22, the Boston Symphony Orchestra opens its season with an all-Bernstein Program. Featured on this concert is the music of “West Side Story,” “Divertimento” and several vocal selections sung by Frederica von Stade and Julia Bullock. Little needs to be said about the BSO’s world-class status and commitment to classical excellence. Hearing these incredible pieces performed by this orchestra in one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the US is well worth the price of a ticket. For more information, visit bso.org

On Sat, Sep 23, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra opens its season with Bernstein’s “Serenade, after Plato’s Symposium” and Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1.” Also on the program is “Dust Dances by Derek Bermel.” This ambitious program may be worth the trip out along route 195. For more information visit nbsymphony.org

On Oct 7, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra opens its season with Beethoven’s “Eroica Symphony” and “Egmont Overture.” Also on the program is Kanno’s “Revive” for end-blown flute and koto, a Japanese stringed instrument. For more information, visit hartfordsymphony.org

On Fri, Oct 13, Ensemble Parallax presents an evening of contemporary works by Arnold Schoenberg, Enno Poppe and John McDonald. This concert takes place at Tufts University in Medford, Mass, at the Granoff Music Center. For more information, visit ensembleparallax.com

On Sat, Oct 14, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra performs an ambitious program of music featuring Rossini’s “La Gazza Ladra,” Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 2” and Brahms’ “Symphony No. 2.” This concert is preceded by SSO President’s Opening Night Reception. It turns out there’s more to Springfield than the Basketball Hall of Fame. For more information, visit springfieldsymphony.org

On Fri, Oct 20, Boston Baroque presents Mozart’s “Requiem.” Under the baton of Martin Perlman and featuring soprano Amanda Forsythe, this promises to be a wonderful performance. For more information, visit bostonbaroque.org

On Sat, Oct 21, the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra performs Wagner’s “Tanhauser Overture,” Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 3” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 3.” Performing at the Garde Arts Center in New London, this group is a cultural gem in the middle of nowhere. For more information, visit ectsymphony.com

On Nov 11 & 12, the Providence Singers opens its season with “Baroque Brilliance,” featuring the music of Purcell, Handel and Zelenka. One of the finest vocal ensembles in New England lives right here in Providence, and their concerts are always wonderful. For more information, visit providencesingers.org

The Roots Report: All I Am Saying Is Give Fall a Chance

Okee dokee folks … I know that most, if not all, of you will be unhappy about this, but it makes me VERY happy — summer is almost over!!! Fortunately it wasn’t really a brutal one and it went by pretty quickly. Yay!! My girlfriend isn’t thrilled that summer is ending, but I do have a group of friends who share my general disdain for the season. Okay, now please bear with me for a minute while I wind around to make a point. In the past I have encouraged songwriters to start writing (more) protest songs because they ARE needed. Well, I TRIED to write one a couple of weeks back, but it wound up being a protest song about SUMMER. It was a hot day. I went through writing three variations of a song before I landed at the summer protest tune. One of the earlier drafts was an anti-Trump song that was filled with off-color adjectives and foul metaphors about him, and I meant every word that I wrote, but just could not imagine myself performing it. At least not right now. I am seriously thinking about finishing it AND performing it sometime soon. Trump has gone off the rails and needs to be removed from office, period. We all need to speak up. Music is a form of communication, so lets convey our feelings through songs, even if they are filled with Trump hate. Let’s do it before it’s too late.

The Narrows Center closes out the summer with its FREE, 16th Annual Narrows Festival of the Arts, and countless performances by seasoned musicians. Beginning Sep 9, the gallery will feature its 5th Annual Narrows Poster Exhibition, showcasing affordable fine art and gig posters by four renowned design artists. The September schedule of upcoming performances is: Sep 7 — Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Seth Glier with Matt Nakoa; Sep 8 — The Schemers; Sep 10 — Narrows Festival of the Arts featuring Eilen Jewell, Kat Wright, Julie Rhodes, The Jim Robitaille Group featuring Dave Liebman, The Barley Hoppers, Ikebe Shakedown, Stan Martin, TJ’s Music All Stars, and the Colonial Navy of Massachusetts, and this is a FREE EVENT; Sep 15 — Grammy Award-winning musician Dom Flemmons; Sep 16 — Rik Emmett of Triumph-Acoustic Duo Performance with Dave Dunlop; Sep 19 — Matthew Sweet: his fifth album of new material in this century, Tomorrow Forever, is teeming with his signature sounds and ongoing preoccupations (watch for my interview with Matthew Sweet); Sep 21 — blues legend Albert Cummings; Sep 23 — Chris Hillman (of the Byrds, Desert Rose Band) & Herb Pedersen with John Jorgenson; Sep 28 — Seth Walker; Sep 29 — Coco Montoya; and finally, on Sep 30 is The Sweetback Sisters. If you cannot find something good in that group, then you have to have your musical taste buds checked! Get over the big ole Braga Bridge and see a show! For more, go considerably longer or higher than wide to NarrowsCenter.org

“When you were young and your heart was an open book, you used to say live and let live…” If you know that opening line, then this is a must-see show for you. Live & Let Die – A Symphonic Tribute to Paul McCartney plays the Stadium Theatre on Sep 16 with Milford Massachusetts’ Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra. Live and Let Die features a four-piece band led by Tony Kishman (vocals, bass, guitar & piano) and the 19-piece Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra lead by orchestrator and conductor Martin Herman. You’ll hear, complete in every detail, hit songs from the Beatles catalog and Paul McCartney’s solo works. Look forward to hearing robust renditions of your favorite Paul McCartney, Beatles and Wings songs, including “Hey Jude,” “Penny Lane,” “Live and Let Die,” “When I’m Sixty- Four” and many more. Band leader Tony Kishman starred for six years in both the national and international tours of Broadway’s smash hit, Beatlemania. For more, jet over to stadiumtheatre.com

The THE BAND Band, a tribute band to Bob Dylan and the Band, will be returning to the The Courthouse Center for the Arts on Sat, Sep 16. CCA director says, “They totally blew us away when they were here before, and we can’t wait to hear them again!” While iconic roots rock group The Band may be long gone from the stage, The BAND Band is keeping their sound and spirit alive and well with authentic, true-to-form renditions of the legendary repertoire. This group of veteran musicians showcases the astounding breadth and depth of The Band’s distinctively original Americana music with classics such as “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Weight,” and“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” as well as deeper cuts from The Band’s vast catalog. The THE BAND Band draws their set list from The Band’s seminal period — from Big Pink to The Last Waltz — capturing the sound and spirit of their live performances and bringing the songs to life again. Since 2007, The THE BAND Band has shared the stage with notables Richie Havens, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Aztec Two-Step, Marshall Crenshaw and more. The individual band members have performed or toured with original band members Rick Danko and Levon Helm, as well as Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry, Patti Smith, Keith Richards and many others. For more, go out yonder to courthousearts.org

Grammy Award-winning Trumpeter Chris Botti will open the Park Theatre’s fall season. Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music, including Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Buble, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra. Hitting the road for as many as 300 days per year, the trumpeter has also performed with many of the finest symphonies and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House and the Real Teatro di San Carlo in Italy. Chris Botti has thoroughly established himself as one of the most important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world. For more, brass attack to theparktheatreri.com

The Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich keeps on booking and adding to their already impressive list of upcoming shows. Their season is beginning and it kicks off with Doug Woolverton’s Tribute to Miles Davis on Sep 16. Get your tissues out (no, not really) for Cry Cry Cry — Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplansky and Dar Williams on Sep 21. Big Head Todd & The Monsters stomp in on Sep 23. Watch out, they are going to steal your face on Sep 29 when Playing Dead takes the stage and brings you Dead songs live. The jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra summer struts into the Odeum and closes out the month on Sep 30. Much more is coming up, but you will have to visit their site! For more, mainline to the Main St location’s webber at greenwichodeum.com

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. JohnFuzek.com

Alt-Nation: Fall Rocks ‘n’ Rolls

Of Montreal

Of Montreal is a progressive pop band from just beyond the border of Athens, Georgia. Over the years, Kevin Barnes and Co have made some impressive records and introduced the world to their former violist Kishi Bashi. Of Montreal has a new EP out called Rune Husk and they come to town to rock.

Of Montreal and Showtime Goma and Nancy Feast rock The Met Cafe on Sep 7.

Dan Blakeslee –The Alley Walker (album release show)

Dan Blakeslee’s new record, The Alley Walker, sounds familiar and kind of has a ’70s Dylan-meets-The- Band-by-a-campfire-in-Oklahoma vibe. I’m looking forward to seeing Blakeslee bring these tunes to life. The Horse-Eyed Men are the headliner with Cowboy & Lady rounding out what is a stacked bill.

Dan Blakeslee, The Horse-Eyed Men, Cowboy & Lady are at the Columbus Theatre on Sep 7.

Roky Erickson & The Hounds of Baskerville

It is hard to believe that after 52 years as performer legendary garage rocker Roky Erickson has never played in Rhode Island. That is about to change as Erickson comes to the oddities and collectables store POP in the Smith Hill section of Providence. Erickson was one of the original mavens of psychedelic garage with the 13th Floor Elevators known for the classic tune “You’re Gonna Miss Me.” Erickson has some solo bangers too, like “Bloody Hammer” and “Night of the Vampire” that have been hugely influential. Erickson pretty much invented horror-themed garage rock, which people like The Misfits later made into a genre of punk. Anyways, Erickson is like a comet in that he always comes around once every 52 years to Rhode Island, so I wouldn’t miss this chance.

Roky Erickson & The Hounds of Baskerville comes to POP – Emporium of Popular Culture, 219 W. Park St, PVD on Sep 10. The show runs from 4 – 7pm and advance tickets can be purchased here: http://stores.emporiumofpopularculture.com/roky-erickson-i…/

Descendents So-Cal punk scientists Descendents make their first visit to Rhode Island since the mid-90s. Descendents are known for their quirky tongue-in-cheek takes on teenage angst like “Cameage,” “Christmas Vacation” and “Pep Talk.” Descendents probably are the first punk rock band to go on hiatus because the lead singer wanted to be a scientist. The rest of the band formed All, after a Descendents album by the same name, but it was never as good as those early Descendents records. This is also a chance to check out the newly christened Strand Theatre as Lupo’s has decided to re- brand under that name. The room has been renovated with the goal to open up more space by moving the main bar.

Descendents and Berri Txarak rock the Strand Theatre (Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel) on Sep 10.

The Midnight Ghost Train

Thunderous stoner metal for the gods is how I’d describe The Midnight Ghost Train. They have a new album out, Cypress Ave, that they are plugging. I haven’t heard the new tunes yet, but their previous album, Buffalo, was solid.

The Midnight Ghost Train rock Alchemy on Sep 11.

WBRU’s Fall Ball

As the last notes of White Stripes’ “Fell in Love with a Girl” faded, 95.5 WBRU turned to static as it ceased transmission. By the next day their spot on the airwaves had been taken over by a horrible Christian pop radio conglomerate. This show is usually billed as WBRU’s Birthday Bash, but since dead entities don’t have birthdays, it has been changed to WBRU’s Fall Ball. The lineup, particularly night two with Bastille, is pretty dope.

WBRU’s Fall Ball night one features Cold War Kids, K.Flay, and Joywave rocking the Strand on Sep 12. Night two features Bastille and Frenship rocking the Strand on Sep 13. These shows are separate admission.

UHF Screening with “Weird Al” Yankovic Q&A

It wouldn’t be a true guide to fall without including a movie screening for a film that came out, like, 30 years ago. I can’t imagine why anyone would have any burning questions about UHF, but for “Weird Al” in general, hell yes. I’m curious about what artists have denied him permission to parody their songs because you know there have to be some pretty good ones that never got made.

The UHF screening with “Weird Al” Yankovic Q&A takes place at the Columbus Theatre on Sep 16.

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic

Some days this world gets so crazy that I just get home at blast off in the mothership known as Parliament Funkadelic. The ’70s funk grooves get the party hopping today as much as they did 40 years ago. I’ve always maintained that George Clinton has the best job in show business. He shows up, sings a line or two, disappears for 15 minutes, comes back to sing a line, hangs out on stage doing nothing for a long instrumental break and repeats. The man is truly a genius!

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic bring the funk to the Strand on Sep 22. Forge Fest

Forge Fest is a two-day overload of metal and hard rock that will engulf Dusk in Providence. The event features 18 bands over the two days. Confirmed bands for the festival so far include Churchburn, Worshipper and Cortez.

Forge Fest comes to Dusk on Sep 22 and 23.

Big Words

I don’t do a lot on jam bands because I don’t have the attention span, but this one should be a good show. Big Words features members of local legends Max Creek and soul/funk monsters Sister Sparrow. I do find it amusing that they choose Big Words as a name because jam bands usually don’t use a lot of words.

Big Words (featuring members of Sister Sparrow and Max Creek) kick out the jams at Fete on Sep 22.

Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson’s masterpiece, Pet Sounds, is on the short list for the greatest rock ‘n’ roll records of all time. Wilson’s been touring and playing the album in its entirety for what seems like a few years and why not? It is a really great record. This is a real special show that you don’t get to experience that often.

Brian Wilson plays the Zeiterion Theater in New Bedford on Sep 29.

The Silks

Everyone’s local favorite for barn burning ’70s rock and blues always rip when it is time to party. This is a great show if you’re looking for a rock band that puts on a show that you can dance to with familiar enough grooves.

The Silks rock The Met Cafe on Sep 29.

Providence Metal Fest 4

The name really says it all; it will be day filled with macho-guitar-slinging, ear-shattering rock ‘n’ roll. The two bands that jump out from the lineup are Life of Agony and local legends Kilgore. Kilgore, after a successful reunion last year, are working on a new EP. They have not announced a release date, but I am looking forward to hearing it. Kilgore, for those uninitiated, were a ’90s hardcore/metal band that rose to national prominence playing events like Ozzfest and the Green House, and touring with Pantera. It is good to have them back in action. This show will have the worst guy-to-girl ratio this fall.

Providence Metal Fest 4 featuring Life of Agony, Kilgore and more rocks Fete very hard on Sep 30.

The Huntress and the Holder of Hands — Avalon release show

I’ve been excited for The Huntress and the Holder of Hands debut for some time. Avalon doesn’t disappoint as it mixes in everything from psyche-noir to haunted folk. I’ll have a full review before

the show, but get this one marked on your calendar.

The Huntress and the Holder of Hands (Avalon release show) will enchant at the Columbus Theatre on Oct 6.

Bash & Pop

Tommy Stinson has been in some of the greatest bands of all time, from the Replacements to Guns N’ Roses to even a stint with Soul Asylum. Whatever else he does in music will always be considered gravy. Stinson decided to reform (with all different members) his post-Replacements band, Bash & Pop. Their new album, Anything Could Happen, is a slab of the same barroom rock ‘n’ roll that was the calling card of the Replacements. The local support for this show is stacked between Tall Teenagers and Gym Shorts.

Bash & Pop, Tall Teenagers, and Gymshorts rock The Met Cafe on Oct 12.

Shovels and Rope

The husband/wife band Shovels and Rope raise quite a ruckus for two people. Shovels and Rope are quite like the Dixie version of the White Stripes. They do some country, but mostly they are just a rock band. They killed it at the main stage of this year’s Newport Folk Fest and I am totally stoked to see them in an intimate environment.

Shovels and Rope rock the Columbus Theatre on Oct 13.

Mister Heavenly

Mister Heavenly is an indie rock super group composed of members of Man Man, Islands, Unicorns and Modest Mouse. Their debut album, Out of Love, was a slab of brilliant indie rock version meets doo-wop (they termed it doom wop). They have a new album called Boxing the Moonlight due out later this year that I’m amped for. Mister Heavenly and Eric and The Nothing are at Alchemy on Nov 4.

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood

The singer of the Black Crowes brings his solo band to town with the Crowes on indefinite hiatus cause he can’t get along with his brother. I caught The Chris Robinson Brotherhood five or six years ago and it was what one would expect: blues-based rock ‘n’ roll like Crowes. Nothing wrong with that, I don’t expect everybody to take a Dee Dee Ramone-like direction change and make a rap album. Hopefully he throws in some early Crowes tunes, but I doubt it because the Crowes stopped playing those songs.

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood rocks the Columbus Theatre on Nov 9.

Squeeze

Yes, you read this right, the band that sings “Pulling Mussels from a Shell” is coming to the Strand. Squeeze are one of those ’80s bands that I’ve come to appreciate more as the years go along. Their power pop hooks sound better than ever. A solid case could be made that this is the show of the fall for the 40-somethings.

Squeeze rock the Strand on Nov 18.

Deer Tick

This fall is a big one for Deer Tick has they have two new records (Deer Tick Volume 1 and Deer Tick Volume 2) coming out, three local shows in November and a Boston show for New Year’s Eve. Deer Tick will be kicking off their homecoming at the Columbus Theatre with an acoustic show that will likely feature much of the all acoustic Volume 1 on Friday. Then they’ll do two electric shows on Saturday and Sunday at The Met Café.

Deer Tick will enchant at the Columbus on Nov 24. Deer Tick will rock The Met Cafe on Nov 25 & 26.

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EDM Events Worth Fall-ing For

Fall is without question my favorite season to experience in Rhode Island. If you don’t share my love for all things autumn (haunted corn mazes, hoodies and pumpkin everything included), fear not! A welcome breeze of exciting electronic dance music events is making its way to some of our most beloved local music haunts this season — so layer up.

Happening on Thu, Sep 28, Australian electronic dance group Mashd N Kutcher are hitting up Lupo’s for the Glow Campus Tour. Then, on Fri, Oct 8, the same venue will host electro-influenced, Boston-bred pop partners-in-crime Timeflies for their “Too Much To Dream” tour stop.

On Sat, Oct 28, Tight Crew is taking over three great Pawtucket venues — The Met, Hope Artiste Village and Breaktime Bowl — for their Goosebumps-themed Halloween massive. This all-ages event will bring together more than 20 DJs from around the country and world. Other highlights include a “vendor village” area for party guests to peruse and purchase cool locally made clothing, art and accessories. Attendees are encouraged to get into the spooky spirit by rocking some creative costumes (There will even be a contest for the best one!). Expect awesome sounds, lighting and decorations at this banger. It’s gonna be lit.

Be sure to save some energy (and request time off) for actual Halloween, though, since Lupo’s, now called The Strand, is celebrating All Hallow’s Eve (Tue, Oct 31) by hosting sisterly EDM DJ duo Krewella, who will be hitting up Prov as part of their “New World Order” Tour. This will be a good time to hear music off the self-described Mixed Kids’ (that’s name of their new label) latest release, which came out in June.

Dan Deacon fans and people who like live music are in for a treat on Thu, Nov 9, when the electronic composer and multi instrumentalist will perform on the main stage at AS220. Deacon is known for his signature high-energy, audience-engaging shows, so this is definitely a can’t-miss event.

PRONK! Celebrates a Decade of Social Change

PRONK! is heading into its 10th year! Providence knows this festival as one heck of a fun street festival. But PRONK! is more than just a parade and a party; it is specifically organized to amplify voices of social change. PRONK!’s manifesto states many points, including encouraging interaction with music to promote social change, reclaiming public space, building relationships and sparking meaningful dialogue. It’s often easy for artists involved to understand exactly how they mean to promote social change, but it’s not always easy for a potential audience to make the connection. The intent behind actions doesn’t always equal the impact. The organizing committee behind PRONK! has worked hard to figure out how to put their mission into action. What began as a parade alternating marching bands with social justice organizations has developed into the purposeful development of formal relationships between community organizations and artists to collaborate and create art, lead workshops and teach-ins, and more. The goal is to use music and art to amplify the voices of both those who have been historically silenced and those who work tirelessly for justice, peace, education and a safer city. Avi David, one of PRONK!’s organizers, described it as a “pep rally for people doing the important work.”

The organizing committee has made a commitment to listen to the voices of Providence in planning the event. David explained that it’s a continual process of diversifying. The volunteer organizers actively seek out community input for which causes they should represent and how those causes should be represented. The goal of the committee is to listen to voices that demonstrate a broader representation of the makeup of Providence regarding race, culture, ethnicity, age, gender, orientation and physical ableness so they can collectively envision and create a more relevant and accessible festival. Over the last few years, the diversification has included the involvement of high school students, which has brought a different energy and feel to PRONK!. Students bring a different idea of what is “cool,” and questions about what it means to create a safe space for younger people.

Questions of safety are important to ask for an event that seeks to reclaim public space. PRONK! happens every year on Indigenous People’s Day for a specific reason. According to David, “There should not be a holiday celebrating Columbus. People have the power to create change. If we ignore our history and are silent about injustice, white supremacy, corporate greed, systemic racism, etc., people with power and money will make decisions that continue to oppress the most vulnerable members of our society. We strive to create somewhat of an alternate reality.” To that end, the committee has made the event completely non- commercial. PRONK! is held in the streets of Providence, and is free to all. There is no entry fee. There is nothing for sale. None of the bands use electricity. Everyone involved is a volunteer. It’s created to be an ephemeral event with no footprint.

This year, PRONK! is doing things a little different. They are moving out of Burnside Park to set up along the Providence River, from South Water Street to Point Street. They will have four to five “stages” (which are really just marked areas so that audience members can be more involved with the music), and live active art-making stations (many of which will be youth-led). After the afternoon programming, PRONK! will parade down to the Hurricane Barrier and will continue with nighttime performances at Hot Club and around the barrier. The organizers are still working out details of scheduling, so keep your eyes peeled for more information. Visit providencehonkfest.org for updates.

Is This Jazz?: What’s Next For Fall

The fall season is a perfect time to go see jazz around Rhode Island. As the weather begins to cool and people start piling up the layers of outer wear, musicians ditch the outdoor stages for the clubs and local hangs. Here’s a snippet of the excellent shows coming to the state this season.

First up, on Sep 9 we have local sax legend Greg Abate bringing his quartet to Slater Park as part of the Pawtucket Arts Festival concert series. Abate is a favorite in the area and his performances are always exceptional. Rounding out the group will be Rusty Hughes, Joe Potenza and Gary Johnson. On the following day, Sep 10, head over to Aurora in Providence for the latest edition of the Jazz Revelations concert series. This show will feature The Jake D’Ambra Group (Jake D’Ambra, Warren Pettey, Ian Quinton, Shane Dähler, Clay Nordhill) performing the music of saxophonist Charles Lloyd. These young lions all have a deep appreciation for Lloyd’s music and will surely bring a great energy to their set. A week later, on Sep 17, The Duke Robillard Hard-Swing Sextet will present a set of “Swinging Jazz Standards” at Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton. Robillard is a native son of RI who, throughout his outstanding career, has played in nearly every style with some of the biggest names in the business, including Scott Hamilton, Herb Ellis, Jay Geils and Bob Dylan.

Looking forward to Sep 23, the “Is This Jazz?” series is presenting a special night of duos at AS220 in Providence. On the bill is Golden Crackers (Tom Swafford, Matt Crane), Pride of Lowell (Patrick Breiner, Max Goldman) and Phil Mazza & Ryan Kowal. Each duo will be showcasing their unique sound and exploring a dynamic mix of intricately composed and freely improvised music. On Sep 29 at Chan’s in Woonsocket, Roomful of Blues will be celebrating 50 years of swinging jump blues. As they say on their website, although their “lineup has changed over the years, the band has always been one of the tightest, most joyful blues ensembles in the world … their winning combination of jump, swing, blues, R&B and soul remains their calling card.”

Moving into October, on the 6th, “Is This Jazz?” will be back at AS220 for the next installment of its bimonthly concert series. Headlining the night will be Boston-based saxophonist Kelly Shepherd and his group NoMad Stories. When asked to describe the ensemble, Shepard writes, “Longing for a world with no genres, we travel the musical spheres with no boundary, touching and reflecting the ancient, aboriginal stories of the earth, and simultaneously reaching the outermost expanse of the modern spheres, acoustic and electric. These are the NoMad Stories.” NoMad Stories has opened for and performed with Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Ray Charles, Buckwheat Zydeco, Bela Fleck, George Coleman and many more, so be sure to come through and see this amazing group of supremely talented musicians. Finally, on Oct 15 at The Vets in Providence, jazz icons Chick Corea and Steve Gadd will be joining forces once again to create mind-shattering music. Although this will be their first time co- leading an ensemble, they first came together in the 1970s when Gadd became the first electric drummer for Chick’s seminal jazz fusion band Return to Forever. Since then, they have continued this musical cohesion and have evolved together into a perfect synthesis of unified sound. With them will be a band of fellow visionaries with Lionel Loueke, Steve Wilson, Carlitos Del Puerto and Luisito Quintero.

There are always new gigs being added to the schedule, so keep an eye out for more great jazz going on around the state.

Happening Around Town:

The John Allmark Jazz Orchestra; first Monday monthly @ The Met (Pawtucket)

Is This Jazz?; first Friday, bimonthly @ AS220 (Providence) isthisjazz.tumblr.com

Allary At Arias; Sundays @ Arias Lounge (Providence)

Groove Merchants; Mondays @ Fifth Element (Newport)

Jazz Jam; Tuesdays @ Ten Rocks (Pawtucket)

Groove E Tuesday; Tuesdays @ Murphy’s Law (Pawtucket)

Parlour Jazz Jam; third Sunday each month @ The Parlour (Providence)

Jeff Platz Quartet’s Modern Sound Series; last Sunday each month @ Tea In Sahara (Providence)

To add your listing please email [email protected].

Ben Shaw is a local composer and performer. Find him at ahueofshaw.tumblr.com or on Twitter @ahueofshaw. Mike D’s Top 5 Can’t Miss Shows of September

1. Sunday, September 10: Roky Erickson’s Psychedelic Ice Cream Social; 4 to 7pm; $15; All ages; POP, 219 W Park St, PVD. If you were like me, you were cursing the sky back in February 2014 when Roky and the Black Angels were canceled due to a couple inches of snow and a parking ban. It has been over three years, and the time for healing is finally upon us. Roky Erickson is a psych rock icon and doesn’t tour very often. He was in one of the very first psych bands, Austin’s The 13th Floor Elevators. Their debut single “You’re Gonna Miss Me” is outstanding in how it is still beautiful, unique and at the same time jarring 51 years later — a rare occasion of the pioneer setting the genre’s ceiling. This show will be Roky performing with his current band, The Hounds of Bakerville, and portions of the proceeds go to his neighbors, in Texas and Louisiana, who need relief from the unfortunate and powerful Hurricane Harvey. This is also the perfect pregame for the Descendents show. And if you haven’t been inside POP, southern New England’s best oddities shop hands down, then make sure to arrive early to poke around through great pieces of pop culture art from the last century.

2. Sunday, September 10: Descendents, Night Birds, Berri Txarrak; 7:30pm doors / 8:30pm show; $30 advance / $35 day of; All ages; The Strand Ballroom & Theatre, 79 Washington St, PVD. Descendents are back in Rhode Island for the first time in close to (or maybe actually little more than) 20 years and are the first rock show to kick off the newly renovated (and renamed) The Strand Ballroom & Theatre. The Strand was the original name of the space where Lupo’s and The Roxy were sharing, so its makes sense that after significant renovations to make it more of a theater, it goes back to its theater name. The last time they were in town, the Descendents played at Lupo’s (version 2) with The Bouncing Souls and Swinging Utters, a show that was so much damn fun that I will never forget it. I saw them again a couple of years ago, and while time marches on the velocity of those punk classics remain timeless. Get there early to check out the new changes and opening acts Night Birds ( on Fat Wreck Chords and from NJ) and Berri Txarrak ( from the Basque Country?).

3. Saturday, September 23: Ocean State Oyster Festival 2017; 1-7pm; $25 advance / $30 day of (children under 12 free); All ages; 243 S Water St, PVD. While this isn’t a traditional concert or show, there will be live music and I am also slightly addicted to our area’s delicious and briny oysters. There is a popular saying, “Pizza is like sex, even when bad, it’s good.” I don’t agree with that, but I get why you could make a strong argument. Oysters, on the other hand, are not all created equal. If you have traveled (or gotten stuck with cheap Blue Point oysters locally) and tried oysters from outside of New England, you have likely had a mixed bag experience. I don’t bother taking the risk anymore (unless they are free I guess) and stay true to the local oysters. I go back and forth between whether I like East Beach Blondes or Matunucks better, but I look forward to trying whatever I can get my hands on here at this festival. Newport’s multi-genre juggernauts Z-Boys headline the live groups, which also includes in the line up Jesus Andujar, Grupo Sazon and The Whenzdays. Also Red Dawn, Unkle Thirsty, and Providence mod music empressario Ty Jesso will be spinning records. The best local oysters combined with some of the best local craft beers and cocktails should make for the last great summer outdoor event. The event is rain or shine, if rain, consider regrouping at one of my favorite bars The Wild Colonial, which is a hop and a jump away.

4. Wednesday, September 27: Dinosaur Jr., Easy Action; $27 advance / $30 day of; All ages; The Met, 1005 Main St, Pawtucket. Bless Dinosaur Jr. They are one of the few bands that have reunited, stay together and continue to make new music I want to actually listen to. Most of the revisited ’90s indie rock icons reunions are nothing more than going through familiar motions, and new music serves best as coasters, but not Dinosaur Jr. The 2012 release “I Bet on Sky” is right up there with their late ’80s / early ’90s classics for me, and their most recent “Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not” is also a fantastic record. Dino is playing their entire 1987 album, You’re Living All Over Me, at Riot Fest in Chicago a few weeks before, so I would expect to hear a heavy helping of that. Also I would expect an ungodly amount of volume; bring ear plugs.

5. Friday, September 29: Brian Wilson presents “Pet Sounds”; 8pm; $79 and up; All ages; Zeiterion, 684 Purchase St, New Bedford, Mass. Road trip! Did you forget to leave Providence this summer? Did you not go see The Beach Boys play in East Providence perhaps with Uncle Jesse because you wanted something more pure? Have you ever been to New Bedford? Solve many of these conundrums and more with a trip 45 minutes east. Hell, if its warm you could potentially combine this with a trip to Horseneck beach. And if you want the true experience, find marijuana (I think its legal in Mass? Or maybe that’s not til next year and its only decriminalized?), park downtown, inhale, find No Problemo (tell them A Wilhelm Scream sent you), get loaded at Pour Farm Tavern (tell them Raindance sent you), inhale, find Zeiterion and watch “Pet Sounds” fully enlightened. Bliss.

Also worth checking out :

Sep 7: The Shakes (Album Release) @Dusk Sep 9: of Montreal @ The Met Sep 12: Cold War Kids @ The Strand Sep 12 Ne Hi / The Tapestries @ AS220 Sep 13: Bastille @ The Strand Sep 14: Never Shout Never @ The Met Sep 15: Bim Skala Bim / The Agents / Copacetics @ The Met Sep 16: An Albatross / What Cheer Brigade / Hairspray Queen @ The Met Sep 17: Arcade Fire @ TD Band Garden(Boston) Sep 19: Matthew Sweet @ Narrows Center Sep 22: George Clinton @ The Strand Sep 23: The Spits @ Alchemy Sep 23: Dave East @ The Strand Sep 23: Quicksand @ The Paradise (Boston) Sep 29: The Silks @ The Met

Descendents Take Over Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Sep 10 Descendents

There’s a case to be made that the most important decade for punk rock was the ‘80s. Yes, the ‘70s gave birth to the style and in the ‘90s it took on the mainstream, but the 10 years between were an artistic incubator. The ‘80s gave rise to indie labels SST and Sub Pop while the music itself pushed new boundaries. One of the bands that took punk in a whole new direction during that time were the Descendents out of Manhattan Beach, CA. They put their own pop-influenced spin on the genre while still maintaining the grit and ringing in a melodic accessibility.

The band will be rolling through Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence Sep 10 with New Jersey punks Night Birds and Basque Country shredders Berri Txarrak. Ahead of the show, I had a chat with frontman Milo Aukerman about his time being a genetic biologist, getting laid off, the Descendents’ influence on countless bands and being made fun of in a cartoon.

Rob Duguay (Motif): Along with being in the Descendents, you also have a doctorate in Biology from UC San Diego and you’ve worked at the University of Wisconsin, the University of Delaware and Dupont. Last year you decided to quit the profession to focus on music full-time. Has your life become less stressful since you made the decision and what got you into science in the first place? Did you grow up conducting experiments in your house?

Milo Aukerman: My dad is a physicist so I definitely had a science kind of bent to me. It was in high school when I gave a book report on DNA, and I got fascinated with the concept of DNA and what can be done with it. This was when genetic engineering was starting up and I thought that was pretty cool. I just got more and more interested in genetics. Then I went to college where I did a lot of coursework. My focus in grad school genetics and I ended up getting a Ph.D. in plant genetics.

So it was something that kind of blossomed alongside my music interests. At the same time I was getting really into punk rock I was also getting into the concept of DNA. The two things for me are parallel to each other. When it came time to pursue a career I thought “Well, I think I’ll pursue this science career because music is supposed to be fun and it’s not supposed to be a career.” I didn’t think as a punk rock band that you could make a career as a musician.

This was back in the ‘80s and really it was almost impossible to make a living in punk rock. It was fun so I just kept on doing that as well. This is how my decision-making process went. I was going to be a scientist but I was going to play music for fun. That’s how I continued doing it for many years and then in the past few years when I was working at Dupont, and it started to be not so much fun to be doing science. Science was getting kind of dreary and whereas music is always going to be fun for me.

That had me wondering whether I should cut ties and actually become a musician and just not be a scientist anymore. Dupont actually helped me make that decision by laying me off last year. RD: Oh wow.

MA: Yeah, they ended up laying off hundreds of people in March of last year and I was one of them. The timing was actually really good because Descendents were finishing up our last record and I was able to really focus on that completely. At this point, I haven’t really looked back and I’ve decided that music is where it’s at for me. Science is not just in the backseat for me, it’s kind of in my rear view mirror right now. That’s kind of my way of not dealing with it.

I can say that I’m much less stressed out. That’s part of the reason why I had to leave science because it was stressing me out.

RD: Especially with all the research you have to do and all the conducting [research] you have to do at Dupont or wherever else you have a job.

MA: With anything I do, I like to have creative control but I need to have a creative outlet. For many years in science, I did have that creative outlet. I worked for a company and sure I had to do the stuff that they told me to do but I also had a creative spin to put on it. I could use my brain and I could design experiments but in the past few years all that creativity was taken away from me by the company. I was left with it just being a job, it was not going to be creatively fulfilling and the only thing I had left that was creatively fulfilling was music. It really made a stark contrast and at that point, the music was going to be the be-all end-all in terms of satisfying me creatively.

RD: You mentioned earlier about the album that you guys put out last year, Hypercaffium Spazzinate. The band recorded the album in three different studios: The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO, Armstrong Recording in Tulsa, OK, and Whitehouse Studios in Newark, DE. What was the reasoning behind using three studios instead of just one? Were everyone’s schedules being hectic at the time or was it something else?

MA: There were a couple things. One is that we all geographically live in separate areas. Bill [Stevenson] and Karl [Alvarez], the drums and bass, live in Fort Collins so they can actually put down the basic tracks in one studio. Stephen [Edgerton] lives elsewhere so he was able to put his basic tracks down in Oklahoma. For me, I live out in Delaware and part of it not only was that each of us were busy doing our own things but this also gave us the freedom to lay down tracks when we could.

Also it was a way of not having any time limitations on actual vocal performance. When we used to record, you’d book three hours in a studio and in these three hours you’d have to do X number of songs. Maybe you’d book two days in the studio but you’d have to get the record done in those two days. For a singer, that’s a lot of pressure. Singers are always self-conscious when it comes to losing their voice or if the vocal quality is going to go down. What I was able to do while recording in my own space was have an open-ended recording schedule, so maybe on one day I sing really hard and aggressively but then I won’t be singing for the next three days.

I can take a break and come back to it and I’ll come back to it fresh. For me, that was the most important result of this strategy. I was able to get more aggressive with the vocals because I didn’t have to worry about the time. I didn’t have any kind of time restriction.

RD: It must have also made you feel relaxed rather than have a distinct timetable. You could work on a song when you were ready to work on a song rather than rushing yourself into it. MA: Yep. Actually Bill came out here [because] I was recording just by myself, pressing go and recording. After a few times of me doing that, Bill said “Hey look, I’m coming out” and he flew out to Delaware because he said “You need an audience, you need someone to be there in the room cheering you on and giving you feedback.” He was in the room with me but since we’re such good friends it became a big vacation for him and it was a great time for Bill and I to hang out, record some songs and just be pals together which is what we’ve always been.

RD: That sounds awesome. Many music critics, music historians and fans consider Descendents to be the pioneers of pop punk. Do you ever think about the influence the band has had on numerous bands over the past 35 years or do you completely ignore it?

MA: There were many years where I tried to downplay it. I would be like “Aww, shucks” but now I think we can own that, that we did have an influence. Having said that, there are so many bands in addition to us and before us that have influenced what’s going on today. We were influenced by a whole slew of other bands like The Buzzcocks and X and Black Flag and even The Beatles. These are bands that came before us and I’ve always felt that we’ve had an influence on bands after us and that was us passing the torch to someone else.

We think of rock ‘n’ roll as everything is borrowed from everybody else and that’s perfectly legit. It’s really something to celebrate that people borrow from other people because that’s how music evolves. Every time you have someone borrow something they make it a little different. The bands that came after us changed it up a little bit and maybe added more orchestration or added more pop elements. We were more of a punk band with a little bit of pop and the bands after us became more pop bands with a little bit of punk, so that’s their way of taking the ball and running with it.

RD: The stuff that came out in the mid-‘90s definitely had that influence, when acts like Green Day come to prominence and Rancid and even No Doubt’s early material.

MA: Yep.

RD: The trademark logo of the Descendents is a caricature of you. It’s on nearly every record the band has put out. How did the idea for that come to be and who did the original drawing?

MA: In high school, Bill and I both went to high school at the same time and at the same place. We have a mutual friend in Roger and he would doodle during class because he was bored and one of his doodles was to make a cartoon starring me. The thing about it, is it was really a dig at me because the cartoon was all about the pitfalls and misfortunes of Milo in class. I was a bit of a dweeb in high school and socially inept. He would document that in cartoon form and that became this little cartoon strip that he would do just to amuse himself and amuse me too.

I didn’t even know he was making fun of me but it was funny. Then when we were making the first record Bill said “What about that cartoon thing Roger drew? Let’s put that on the cover.” It was not my idea, let me just make that clear. It was Bill’s idea to have that cartoon be on there. We didn’t know that it was going to be so iconic after a while but the thing about it is, it’s such a simple kind of stick figure that’s easy to draw and it lends itself well to tattoos and whatnot.

It’s simple art, so we’ve kept up with that aesthetic because we like that simple artistic aesthetic of it being a stick figure. It’s been good for us. We try to get away from it at times but we keep coming back to it. Of course, we thank Roger for his initial cartooning efforts. RD: I remember when I first saw it as a kid and I thought it was a really cool drawing. I’ve always wondered how it came to be. It’s cool that you accepted it and you weren’t bothered by it, because I know other people who would be high strung about it if someone was making a caricature of them and they would take it the wrong way.

MA: Its high school boys with each other. They’re always cutting each other down. It’s all in good fun, it all comes from a place of affection and friendship. I took it as that way but it’s funny that it started out as a teasing thing but it became more of something that we could celebrate as this image of the band basically.

RD: After the show at Lupo’s on Sep 10, what does the rest of the year hold for you? Can we expect another release from the Descendents in the next few months?

MA: We pretty much are on a constant touring cycle but it’s a touring cycle that has lots and lots of breaks built into it. We’ll go out for two or three days but then we’ll come home and then in a few weeks we’ll go out for another two or three days. I hardly even call it a tour because we go out and we just come home. That’s what we’re looking at for the rest of the year is to go out for a few days, play some shows around, and then come home. Next year we might go back to Europe. It’s been a while since we’ve been to Japan, which would be great.

It’s been working for us to do it this way because we all have families. We don’t like to bail out for a month at a time and not see our families for long stretches. This is a way where we can still be able to play shows but we can still maintain our family lives. In terms of recording, I’ve written some new songs and Stephen has got some new music that we can work on, so we’ll be continually working on new music. I feel like we can put a new record out within the next couple years.

For us, that’s pretty timely because normally we go like a decade between records so knowing that we can commit to another record within a couple years is a positive step for us. That’s all I can say right now. We’re committed to making more music and it’s just a matter of when exactly it’s going to happen. I don’t think it’s going to happen next year but maybe in the next couple of years but it won’t be another 10 years. We still have things that we want to say and we still want to develop as musicians. That’s what I think we want to do, is keep putting out new music.

Tickets for the Descendents, Night Birds and Berri Txarrak at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Sep 10: etix.com/ticket/p/5648901/descendents-providence-lupos-heartbreak-hotel

Descendents web site: descendents.tumblr.com