SAT MAY 25
Childhood’s End – A Tribute to Pink Floyd
Childhood’s End – A Tribute To Pink Floyd presents the complete multi-media Pink Floyd concert experience. Their note-perfect renditions of the classic catalog are enhanced with video projection, intelligent lighting and cutting-edge sound, raising the experience to near perfection.
The difference is in attention to the edge, darkness, and mood of the music. Rather than rounding off the corners, Childhood’s End sharpens them, and exposes the dark and reflects the light, the true essence of the legendary band.
For a decade Childhood’s End has won over audiences across the northeast and are aiming for new and larger venues. Their passion for the music is evident in each performance, experience Childhood’s End live in concert, coming to The Opera House on May 25th!
Tickets $23 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
SUN JUNE 2
Tea Leaf Green
Special Guests: The Spring Standards
San Francisco -based Tea Leaf Green issued their first national release, Taught to Be Proud, on November 15, 2005, as they played shows opening for Government Mule and Trey Anastasio. Further touring found them opening for Dave Matthews Band and Bruce Hornsby, as well as headlining on their own.
In many ways, this quintet is the essence of rock’s adventurous, playfully outlaw spirit, all of which ultimately fuels songs that resonate with classic vibrations, open-ended possibilities and radio-ready charm. TLG are bruised romantics with heavy minds and a lighthearted way with experimentation, as likely to jam out a number as they are to nail a primo verse-verse-chorus pop gem.
Special Guests: The Spring Standards (video here) have performed at SxSW in 2012 and 2010, on Conan O’Brien, and have become something of a staple on New York’s Rock Station 101.9 WRXP. They use their considerable strengths as a trio to create a sound that listeners might expect from a band twice their size. An emphasis on 3-part harmony and a variety of instrumental switching, their range and energy onstage, make them a perfect match for sound-oriented venues like the Opera House.
Tickets $18 DOS $20 Doors 6:30 PM Show 7:30 PM
FRI JUNE 14
Dave Matthews Tribute by Billy Bauer Band
The vocal style of Bethlehem-based Billy Bauer is so similar to that of the great Dave Matthews that it is only natural that he and his incendiary band would perform a tribute to his music at the Opera House.
A strong work ethic, good sense of humor and willingness to make sacrifices has helped the Billy Bauer Band get as far as it already has. With a sound that echoes The Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Death Cab for Cutie, and Jack Johnson, they have garnered acclaim throughout the Northeast with their crisp, bright sound.
They have been selected to perform at some of the most prestigious independent music festivals, including the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, Musikfest, Arts Fest, and the Herndon Festival in Virginia, and with very good reason. They’re talented, up-and-coming, and with a unique but very contemporary sound.
Special Guest: Scott McKenna
Tickets: $17 Doors 7:30 PM Show 8:30 PM
SAT JUNE 15
Craig Thatcher’s Salute to the Fillmore, Volume II
Bill Graham’s legendary Fillmores East and West are the standards by which all live venues measure themselves.
Every great group of the era (Allman Brothers, Cream, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Derek and the Dominoes, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Humble Pie, Miles Davis, and many others) recorded a live album there, and in the process captured the sound and inspiration that led each to the Fillmore.
If you happened to attend the Craig Thatcher Band’s Salute to the Fillmore show last June, you would have seen and heard that they understood the music of those remarkable bands, and the almost mystical power that the venue contributed to each show.
With an outstanding lineup of vocalists and musicians, Thatcher’s versatile group not only rips it up, but tells the great story of rock’s most iconic venues.
Tickets $23 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
SAT JUNE 22
The Felice Brothers
The Felice Brothers have captured the decay and corruption of contemporary America in dazzling, sickening fashion, like a series of character sketches drawn behind the scenes at a decrepit carnival, set to after-hours folk blues as raw and unhinged as the subject matter.
The national press has been blown away by this Americana band’s live set, with Esquire Magazine dubbing it one of the Nine Best Live Shows. This group just might expand the definition of Americana music.
“… the Felice Brothers also have moved in new directions that expose the benefits of taking risks.” – PopMatters.com
Tickets $23 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
FRI JUNE 28
Cabinet
Special guest East Bound Jesus
Rust Belt Bluegrass? That’s Cabinet. In just a few years, Cabinet has forged a dedicated fan-base in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre PA area that has grown steadily across Pennsylvania and Ohio, and they have continued on to break-out gigs in Vermont and out west.The band consists of six talented musicians who can all sing: three and four-part harmonies are a regular part of the show.
Guitarist Mickey Coviello and his mandolin-playing, songwriting partner J.P. Biondo formed the nucleus of Cabinet before the rest of the band came along. J.P.’s cousin, Pat Biondo, moved to the area from Cleveland and assimilated easily into the group.
Todd Kopec adds another blue-grassy dynamic with his fiddle while Dylan Skursky’s nimble fingers on the upright bass supplements the rest of the ensemble well.
“We’re telling you there is no better cure for what ails you than the heart-pounding good time medicine that is Cabinet.” – FestivalFamily.com.
East Bound Jesus is an upstate NY sextet blending sounds from country, bluegrass, and straight up Rock and Roll for their unique musical sound. The band uses gritty lead vocals backed by an abundance of harmonies, lap steel, and banjo to tell songs of the rural working class soul.
Tickets $23 Doors 7:30PM Show 8:30PM
SAT JUNE 29
The Jerry Garcia Show – by Dead On Live!
Based on their unique approach of note for note renditions, Dead On Live has become nationally recognized as one of the standout acts on the scene paying tribute to the music of the Grateful Dead.
In this special series D.O.L. will pay tribute to the best-loved songs of Jerry Garcia, recreating the compositions as they were written, performed and improvised by JG. From Dead favorites like Dire Wolf (with pedal steel), Friend Of The Devil (complete with Grisman’s mandolin) and Mississippi Halfstep (with Vassar’s violin played to a tee) to solo career gems from Garcia, Garcia and Saunders as well as some classics from the largest selling bluegrass record of all time “Old and in the Way”. (With full bluegrass ensemble!)
Touring/recording veteran Marc Muller has assembled a cast of world-class musicians, including veteran of Phil’s Terrapin Crossroads shows as well as touring member of Dispatch Boo Reiners and long time Vassar Clements band member and fiddle protégé Gary Oleyar, to recreate the music in full productions, as heard on the classic records of the 70s. D.O.L. not only remains true to JG’s heart and soul as featured on the recordings, but also features plenty of good old Grateful jamming to dance and shake your bones to that is sure to satisfy any hardcore Jerry fan.
Tickets $23 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
SAT JULY 6
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor’s 2012 effort, Listening, seamlessly merges the sounds and styles of folk, pop, soul, urban, reggae and country/western, running the gamut from sonically spacious acoustic numbers to multi-layered vocals and fresh beats.
Ben is an accomplished singer/songwriter and recording/touring artist in his own right, and is indeed the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon.
He’s written a pile of great songs, possessing a preternatural understanding of melody and a mastery of the understated lyric. He’s got a voice that lingers in the air–tuneful, expressive, the kind of voice that makes its impact with the smallest turn of a whispered phrase.
He’s always kept his standards high. And when his sound began to evolve, it showed the influence from those closest to him, but it’s still quintessentially Ben Taylor.
We hope you’ll join us in welcoming him and his fine band to Jim Thorpe, PA!
Tickets $22 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
Thanks to the Times House B&B, lovers of great music and owners of a terrific B&B, for sponsoring this show ! Check them out, they’re just 2 blocks from the venue!
FRI JULY 12
The New Riders Of The Purple Sage
In the summer of 1969, John Dawson was looking to showcase his songs while Jerry Garcia was looking to practice his brand new pedal steel guitar. The two played in coffeehouses and small clubs initially, and the music they made became the nucleus for a band—the New Riders of the Purple Sage
In 2006 as they went back on the road with a revived and inspired lineup, bringing the songs of John Dawson back to the ears of adoring crowds nationwide as well as taking those songs to places they’ve never been before musically. Led by David Nelson and Buddy Cage, the current touring lineup includes Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna) on guitar and vocals, Ronnie Penque on bass and vocals and Johnny Markowski (Stir Fried) on drums and vocals.
Before John Dawson passed away on July 21, 2009, he had given the guys his blessing and was excited to know his music is being heard live again by new generations of fans. Keeping the NRPS spirit and flame alive, the band released Where I Come From in 2009, its first studio album in twenty years. Featuring a slew of new songs written by David Nelson and Robert Hunter among other band originals, the New Riders’ renaissance continues to grow, both on record and at their live shows, where they are continually breaking out new songs, while staying true to the legacy that was started over 40 years ago by John Dawson and Jerry Garcia.
Tickets $30 Doors 7:30 PM Show 8:30 PM
SAT JULY 13
Kashmir – The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Show
Kashmir is the most authentic representation of Led Zeppelin on the modern national touring scene. Each of the four band members assumes their individual role with pinpoint accuracy. Kashmir possesses the live stage show, sound, and likeness to bring audiences and fans back to the days when the mighty Led Zeppelin ruled the musical landscape.
With the playlist of every classic rock station and the most identifiable voice in rock history, Kashmir’s show features Page’s iconic double-neck guitar, Bonham’s drum solo, the stage show of the era, and most importantly, the greatest hits that make up the soundtrack to peoples’ lives. For those who dream and wish to experience a live Led Zeppelin show, dream no more—Kashmir fits the bill, hitting every stop along the way, leaving you hungry for more.
“Hits you like a Hammer of the Gods…” - Boston Globe
Tickets $23 Doors 7 PM Showtime 8 PM
FRI JULY 19
Todd Snider
Todd Snider has been hailed as the Jerry Jeff Walker and John Prine of our time. Few artists in this or any age can both appear to be taking it less seriously than he is while managing to entrance, engage, and delight audiences with one astonishing tale after another.
Singer-songwriter Todd Snider first garnered attention for his timely alt-rock satire “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues”, a folk-rock song that struck a chord with younger people fed up with angry alternative rock bands and, at the same time, appealed to aging rockers who grew up with the folk revival of the 1960’s.
Todd Snider reminds us to look beyond our surroundings and consider what’s going on in this world. For years now, folk singer Snider has been one of those artists who gives voice to America and continues to make observations that bring us together. If you haven’t yet answered his knock, then maybe it’s time to open up your front door and let Todd Snider in for a real and refreshing evening of, make no apologies, tell-it-like-it-is performance.
SPECIAL GUEST : Tommy Womack
Tommy Womack has been called everything from “Tom Lehrer with a Telecaster”to “Nashville’s best loved musical eccentric,”. An award-winning recording artist and a published author, Womack writes songs as honest as anything Hank Williams or Steve Earle ever recorded, and has attracted the attention of the national press while accumulating a loyal following.
Womack came to Nashville from Kentucky, where he led the legendary post-punk band Government Cheese.
Tickets $28 Door 7:30 PM Showtime 8:30 PM
SAT JULY 20
Incendio
In both Italian and Spanish, Incendio means fire. It is a fitting name for a musical group whose sound is all about energy, exploration, and passion.
At the heart of Incendio’s sound is the Latin or Spanish guitar, which conjures romantic as well as powerful, bold images. Their music is not solely flamenco, classical, Middle Eastern, Celtic, jazz, rock, trance, or pop, but all of them.
Showcasing the timeless sound of the Spanish guitar in a variety of settings, Incendio takes the listener on a global musical experience.
All I can say is go see Incendio live, it’s an outing you will never forget. – Amazon
Tickets $23 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
FRI JULY 26
Bennie & The Jets – The Elton John Show
If your thing is the music of Elton John and his band, then this is the perfect show for you. Greg Ransom plays the Elton John character with aplomb, but most importantly – he has mastered the songs, both vocally and on the piano.
His band is top-shelf too, pulling together all the parts of a master’s music and performing it like you want to hear it.
Benny and the Jets have performed all across the country and also overseas, last summer entertaining our troops in Iraq. This is a classy show, pure fun and great music, sung and played as it should be.
Tickets $24 Doors 7:30 Showtime 8:30
SAT JULY 27
The Vagabond Opera
Bohemian Cabaret ensemble Vagabond Opera is described by the Washington Post as “A band of ceaseless charisma, boundless energy, impeccable musicianship and more than a little touch of both the naughty and exotic.”
The group delivers passionate offerings of Bohemian cabaret for young and old. Paris hot jazz, gut bucket swing, tangos, Ukrainian folk-punk ballads, klezmer and vigorous originals meet a world of riverboat gambling queens, Turkish belly dancers, and the enigmatic Marlene Dietrich. Weaving elements of Kurt Weil, Duke Ellington and Edith Piaf with absurdist flair, theatrics and an old world mood.
Vagabond Opera was created in 2002 by European-trained opera singer and composer Eric Stern. Then disillusioned with the classical opera world, Stern created a new context for opera: Performance on a more intimate scale incorporating not only opera but elements of Weimar Cabaret, Arabic and Balkan forms, and the original music that springs from the ensemble’s fertile creative work. This is a visceral artistic ensemble that features powerful instrumental and vocal performances coupled with a highly eclectic and theatrical experience.
Tickets $22 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
FRI AUGUST 2
Marrakesh Express – a Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young Experience
Marrakesh Express is the world’s only touring tribute to the internationally-acclaimed supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.
CSNY’s music spoke for a generation in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their multitude of hits, deep cuts, and fan favorites are still in heavy rotation on classic rock radio stations today. Marrakesh Express performs the acoustic and electric songs of the CSNY catalog, as well as individual members’ solo hits.
The band is comprised of youthful musicians with a late 60s vibe, which lends an authentic visual sense to the performance. The band’s four vocalists each have different ranges and timbres, and excel at capturing the cascading, layered harmonies that made CSNY one of the most revered and respected rock bands of all time.
But they bring more than just a nostalgic concert. CSNY spoke for a disenfranchised generation in the late 1960s and many of the lyrical themes and subject matter are just as relevant today.
Ticket $25 Doors 7:30 PM Show 8:30 PM
SAT AUGUST 10
Forward Motion
Forward Motion’s music and performances capture the qualities of music that move people. Steeped in the traditions of funk and soul, their sound is instantly recognizable yet entirely new.
Influenced by his jazz and rock backgrounds, singer, songwriter and pianist Alex Godiksen has developed a style that is at once both lyrical and soul-driven. Lead guitarist Andy Sorenson and drummer Jon Stoltzfus are childhood friends from Philadelphia who share a love of classic funk and modern jazz. Guitarist John Brackett has come back to Connecticut after spending time absorbing the classic Americana sounds of blues and country around Nashville, Tennessee. While the influences are diverse, they are also at the root of Forward Motion’s ability to create a sound that can instantly connect with the audience.
Ticket $15 / Doors 7PM / Show 8pm
THUR AUGUST 15
The Dustbowl Revival
The Dustbowl Revival is a Venice, California-based collective that merges old school bluegrass, gospel, jug-band, swamp blues and the hot swing of the 1930’s to form a spicy roots cocktail. Known for their inspired live sets, the Dustbowl Revival boldly brings together many styles of traditional American music. Imagine Old Crow Medicine Show meeting Louis Armstrong’s Hot Seven Band in New Orleans or Bob Dylan and Fats Waller jamming with Mumford & Sons on a front porch in 1938.
Growing steadily from a small string band playing up and down the west coast (hundreds shows in the last two years), DBR has blossomed into a traveling collective featuring instrumentation that often includes fiddle, mandolin, trombone, clarinet, trumpet, banjo, accordion, tuba, pedal steel, drums, guitars, a bass made from a canoe oar, harmonica and plenty of washboard and kazoo for good luck.
SPECIAL GUEST : BIRDIE BUSCH
Critics from the Village Voice to American Songwriter have admiringly found her of kindred spirit to everyone from Syd Barrett to Eudora Welty and All Music Guide exclaimed that she is one of the “most affecting altos around”. Her timeless approach and broad spectrum of influences has allowed her to play shows with everyone from iconics like Richard Thompson to one of her most recent stints, opening a short run for the rockin’ tour de force Dr. Dog in the spring of 2012.
Ticket $15 / Doors 7:30 / Show 8:30
SAT AUGUST 17
An Evening with Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, and Lenny White
Enjoy an intimate, up-close performance by one of the finest powerhouse trios anywhere, exclusively at the Mauch Chunk Opera House. Meet the artists after the show!
Larry Coryell’s deep and groundbreaking involvement in the fusion movement earned him superstar status on the strength of his dazzling technique, limitless imagination, and unforgettable sound. He’s performed with John McGlaughlin, Eric Clapton, Al DiMiola, Chick Corea, Billy Cobham, and many other of the world’s finest musicians.
Victor Bailey began his recording career with Weather Report, and has played with such diverse groups as Steps Ahead and Madonna. Bailey’s ability to play both rhythm and lead provides for a deep rhythm section.
(Former Morning Call Arts writer Geoff Gehman’s revealing interview with Victor Bailey)
Lenny White is best known for his drum work on the Miles Davis Bitches Brew sessions, and as a member of Return to Forever with Chick Corea. Since embarking on a solo career White has collaborated with the cream of fusion players, including Brian Auger, Jan Hammer, Miroslav Vitous and Al DiMeola.
CBW represents an opportunity to listen to a collaboration of some of the finest, most groundbreaking names in fusion.
Tickets $27 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
FRI SEPTEMBER 6
Solas
Immigration is in the news again, but in America the struggle faced by newcomers seeking a fresh start is woven into the nation’s very fabric. With Shamrock City, Irish-American supergroup Solas delivers a singular concept album delving into the gritty world of Irish immigrants toiling in the mines of Montana, stories that resonate powerfully with contemporary accounts of field workers and sweatshop laborers.
Featuring Solas founders Seamus Egan, (banjo, mandolin, low whistle, nylon string guitar), and Winifred Horan (fiddle), Mick McAuley (vocals, accordion, and guitar), Eamon McElholm (guitar, harmony vocals, electric bass, and keyboards), and making her recording debut with the band, Cork-born Niamh Varian-Barry (vocals and viola). Solas has been a leading force in traditional Irish music for the past two decades, with 10 acclaimed albums since the band’s founding in 1994.
Over the years, Solas has featured some of the most gifted artists in traditional Irish music, including guitarist John Doyle, vocalist Karan Casey, and guitarist Donal Clancy. The present lineup ranks among the band’s strongest, and on Shamrock City Solas is joined by a dazzling cast of guest artists, including Crooked Still vocalist Aoife O’Donovan, cellist Natalie Haas, Carolina Chocolate Drops vocalist Rhiannon Giddens, Appalachian and Cajun banjo master Dirk Powell, and Scottish vocalist Dick Gaughan.
While the group has often interpreted songs from a wide array of sources, Shamrock City takes Solas into startlingly rich new territory. The band not only uses one man’s story to explore universal themes of displacement, the struggle of working folks for dignity, and the resilience of the human spirit, Solas digs deeply into American roots music, uncovering the stylistic and emotional currents connecting the old sod with the new world.
Tickets $25 Doors 7:30 PM Show 8:30 PM
SAT SEPTEMBER 14
The John Denver Tribute by Ted Vigil and Steve Weisberg
John Denver is alive and well with Ted Vigil! With his uncanny resemblance to John Denver, both physically and vocally, singer/songwriter Ted Vigil has stunned audiences across the country with his tribute performances.
Born and raised in the same open air which John Denver so deeply cherished, Vigil recreates the original concert experience in his tribute to John Denver. Joining Ted on stage will be John Denver’s long time musical partner and original guitarist Steve Weisberg. Together the mixture of behind the scenes accounts of Steve’s musical journeys with John Denver and Ted’s incredible voice and likeness elevates this show to the most accurate representation of any artist your likely to see on stage.
Tickets $25 / Doors 8PM / Showtime 9PM
FRI SEPTEMBER 20
Dancin’ Machine
The band that has everyone dancing to non-stop hits from the disco era, is back.
Recapture the days of Boogie Fever and do The Hustle to all of the top Disco hits of the 70′s. It’s time to party with the East Coast’s hottest Disco tribute!
Dancin Machine makes every event a party! It only takes a minute to fall in love with their Disco Inferno. There ain’t no stoppin’ them now.
So if you were Born to be Alive, get out your Boogie Shoes and Let’s Groove tonight with Dancin Machine! A superb group of seasoned New York musicians with diverse backgrounds ranging from Pop to Rock, Jazz, Blues and Classical, this 10-piece band will have you Shakin Your Booty all night. Dancin Machine will Play That Funky Music all night long!
Tickets $20 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
SAT SEPTEMBER 28
The Soft Parade
The Soft Parade was formed in 1990 by lead vocalist Joe Russo. His goal was to re-create all aspects of the theatrical, poetic, primal atmosphere of the almost mystical scene that was a live Doors concert.
He succeeded. The Soft Parade stands as one of the most fascinating, convincing example of a tribute performance there could be.
Seeing The Soft Parade is like reliving the legendary concerts Jim Morrison and The Doors performed over 30 years ago. They are internationally recognized as one of the most authentic, realistic tribute bands working today. From the vintage musical instruments and sound equipment right down to stage clothing and hairstyles – watching The Soft Parade is as close to seeing the Doors as anyone can possibly get.
The show is so hauntingly authentic that critics and fans continually use words like “eerie” and “chilling” to define the experience. The New York Times summed their impressions by saying, “The Soft Parade’s show is eerily convincing, often causing the audience to temporarily suspend it’s disbelief.” The voice, and the emotional abandon of their performance is genuine, intense and unforgettable.
The excitement of The Soft Parade must be seen. It is this focus, talent and expertise that has made The Soft Parade the number one Doors tribute in the world.
Tickets $23 Doors 7:30 PM Show 8:30 PM