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əkoostik hookah əkoostik hookah’s annual fall visit to The Kent Stage – hookah incorporates many genres of music into their own style, from folk to psychedelic rock, bluegrass to blues, extended jams to concise rock-n-roll, əkoostik hookah’s style includes many musical genres for a sound that in the end is distinctly “hookah”. With well over 100 original songs, and a large catalogue of cover songs to choose from, you will never hear the same show twice. The band is known for its live shows and its ability to feed off of the crowd’s energy, using it to fuel the improvised set lists that create unforgettable musical experiences.
An Evening with Ottmar Liebert
Ottmar Liebert Ottmar Liebert’s global success can be attributed to a myriad of things – his creative vision, his determination, and a strong sense of melody. Born in Cologne, Germany, he began playing guitar at 11. Before the age of 19, Liebert had intended to stay in Germany and pursue a career as a designer and photographer. However, while journeying extensively through Asia and playing with other travelers and local musicians, he realised that he could not escape a life of music. After pursuing his dreams of playing rock music in Boston, he settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe was a fresh start for Liebert in many ways and in addition to returning to the acoustic guitar, he remained open to letting the place define the music he made. It was this openness to the local landscape that defined what was to become his musical style, a mix of Spanish, Mexican and World elements, strong melodies tinged with a shade of melancholy, balanced with upbeat rhythms.Liebert founded the first incarnation of his band, Luna Negra, in 1989. His debut album began as a self-produced release called Marita: Shadows and Storms, copies of which local Native American artist, Frank Howell, distributed in his art galleries. After the record made its way to radio stations, it began generating a buzz among programmers and received unprecedented response among listeners. Higher Octave Music picked it up and released a fully remastered version, Nouveau Flamenco. Recorded for less than $3,000 on an old analog machine in a shack beside a gravel pit, this CD became an international sensation, establishing Liebert’s unique border-style flamenco, and becoming the best-selling instrumental acoustic guitar album of all time:2 x Platinum – USA14 x Platinum – USA/LatinPlatinum – AustraliaPlatinum – New ZealandGold – CanadaGold – MexicoVisual art has always been essential to Ottmar Liebert’s world-view and even today he is an avid photographer. “My music is visual,” Liebert says. “Santa Fe has great light, that special thing you get in the high desert. Some days you can see for 100 miles, and think you can reach into the sky or walk off a ridge and keep flying. That’s how I felt when I recorded Nouveau Flamenco.”Liebert has since become one of the most successful instrumental artists of the past decades, entertaining audiences around the world and releasing a catalog of 33 classic albums including live recordings, an orchestral album for Sony Classical, a binaural surround sound recording, remix albums, a lullaby and a flamenco-reggae album. During his career, he has played more than two thousand concerts worldwide. Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra have played two concerts with the New Mexico Philharmonic featuring Liebert’s music arranged by bassist, Jon Gagan. These two concerts, to date, have broken attendance records for the New Mexico Philharmonic. Ottmar Liebert has been nominated for five Grammy awards.
An Evening with Jonah Koslen & Strike It Up 23!
Jonah Koslen & Strike It Up 23!Tickets Go On-Sale this Friday!!!! One of the founding members of MSB, Jonah Koslen makes his return to The Kent Stage, this time with his own band for STRIKE IT UP ’23! Enjoy songs from MSB, Breathless, and many of his solo faves! VIP M&G Includes Premium Seat Pre-Concert Meet & Greet/Photo-Op with Jonah Koslen
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
With 8 of their albums selling over 2 MILLION copies and worldwide hits like “Jackie Blue” and “If You Want To Get To Heaven” still in regular Classic Rock rotation…The Ozark Mountain Daredevils have come a long way from the Missouri bars and porches where their music was born. Combining stunning vocal harmonies with a distinctive mix of Country Rock and Electric Bluegrass, the Dares were one of the most-decorated and inventive Country Rock bands of the 20th century. The band was originally formed in 1971 by the songwriting team of John Dillon, Randle Chowning, Larry Lee and Steve Cash (with Michael “Supe” Granda and Buddy Brayfield completing the original lineup). Following a long run of successful albums, singles and tours, the band’s activities ceased for a time in the mid-80s. Then, after reactivating in the late-80s, original members Dillon, Cash and Granda have been going strong with a new lease on life ever since.The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are proud to continue their legacy and just celebrated their 50-Year Anniversary in 2022. In the same year, PBS chose to honor and celebrate their 50th anniversary with a nationally-broadcast documentary called “Ozark Mountain Daredevils Backstage”
AMOS LEE plus special guest Mutlu
With one foot in the real world and the other in a charmed dimension of his own making, Amos Lee creates the rare kind of music that’s emotionally raw yet touched with a certain magical quality. On his eighth album Dreamland, the Philadelphia-born singer/songwriter intimately documents his real-world struggles (alienation, anxiety, loneliness, despair), an outpouring born from deliberate and often painful self-examination. “For most of my life I’ve walked into rooms thinking, ‘I don’t belong here,’” says Lee. “I’ve come to the realization that I’m too comfortable as an isolated person, and I want to reach out more. This record came from questioning my connections to other people, to myself, to my past and to the future.” On “Worry No More”—the mantra-like lead single to Dreamland—Lee shares his hard-won insight into riding out anxiety. “I’ve had a lot of episodes with anxiety in my life and now I feel much more equipped to handle them, partly because my family and friends have always been so supportive of me,” he says. “Music has also been so healing for me, and helped me to find a place in my mind that isn’t purely controlled by fear.” To that end, “Worry No More” gently exalts music’s power to brighten our perspective, with the song’s narrator slipping into a headphone-induced reverie as they wander a broken world (“I’m listening to the sounds of Miles/Spanish sketches, playground smiles/Crowded streets and empty vials/For all to share”). Special Guest: Mutlu A Philadelphia musician who proudly carries a torch for the city’s soul legacy, Mutlu makes a connection with every audience. He’s toured across the U.S. and Europe with his musical brother, Amos Lee, who discovered Mutlu’s music just as both of their careers were taking off. Mutlu (pronounced moot’-lu) is a first-generation American whose parents moved from Turkey to the United States in the 1970s. Now roughly fifteen years into a career as a professional musician, hebelieves that his Turkish heritage informs his perspective as an artist. “The vocal connection, that’s the cornerstone of everything I do,” he says. “Everything else is in serviceof that, performance-wise and production-wise. In R&B and soul music, singers try to really emotionally connect, vocally. It’s about that special thing that can happen when you really dig down deep and give a performance that moves people.”
Robert Cray Band
ROBERT CRAY BAND “Funky, cool and bad,” is how Cray describes the Grammy-nominated album, That’s What I Heard, produced by longtime collaborator, Steve Jordan, who adds, “I thought, if we could get this thing that Sam Cooke used to have, the kind of sound that early Sam Cooke records had, that we could pull this off.” “Robert Cray is not only making music, he’s making history,” writes Guitar Player Magazine. Over the past four decades, Cray has created a sound that rises from American roots, blues, soul and R&B, with five Grammy wins, 20 acclaimed studio and live albums that punctuate the Blues Hall of Famer’s career. On That’s What I Heard, Robert celebrates the music of Curtis Mayfield, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Sensational Nightingales and more, alongside Cray’s own songs. Cray and Jordan go way back, having met during the making of the Chuck Berry documentary Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll, in 1987. They started working together in 1999, when Jordan produced the Grammy-winning Take Your Shoes Off, and the recent Grammy-nominated LP, Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm. That’s What I Heard is their sixth album. “Once you start working with Steve, it’s kind of hard to get away from him,” said Robert. “Robert is just a great person besides being extraordinary talent,” adds Jordan. “People gravitate to his guitar playing first, but I think he’s one of the best singers I’ve heard in my life. Not only because of his singing ability, but his interpretations. He’s such an honest soul in my opinion.” Robert’s band features Richard Cousins (bass), Dover Weinberg (keyboards) and Les Falconer (drums).
TAB BENOIT and Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Louisiana flavor is coming to Kent, Ohio this December when Louisiana Music Hall of Famer Tab Benoit comes to The Kent Stage, bringing with him the unique and soulful Dirty Dozen Brass Band on Wednesday, December 13th! 2 Time BB King Entertainer of The Year and Louisiana Hall of Fame Inductee Tab Benoit has had an incredible career spanning over 3 decades. Built on the foundation of the gritty soulful Delta swamp blues, Tab has acquired a legion of devoted fans. Tab has recorded and performed with some of the top names in the music industry like Junior Wells, George Porter Jr, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Billy Joe Shaver, Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Cyril Neville, Kenny Aronoff, Allen Toussaint, Kim Wilson, Jimmy Thackery, Charlie Musslewhite, Kenny Neal, Chris Layton, Ivan Neville, Jimmy Hall, Jim Lauderdale, Anders Osborne, and Alvin Youngblood Hart, just to name a select few. In addition to his musical accomplishments, Tab is the founder of “Voice of the Wetlands”, an organization looking to preserve the coastal waters of his home state. Tab has also found himself starring on the silver screen, starring in “Hurricane on the Bayou”, documenting the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the wetlands of LA, and calling to preserve them. With over 40 years since they were founded in 1977, the New Orleans based Dirty Dozen Brass Band has blended traditional brass band music with a plethora of genres like Bebop Jazz, Funk, and R&B/Soul, creating a unique sound that can only be described as a “musical gumbo”. This uniqueness has allowed The Dirty Dozen to tour across 5 different continents, 30 countries, and record 12 studio albums. The group has also collaborated with a vast array of artists from the likes of Modest Mouse, Widespread Panic, and Norah Jones. 4 decades into their career, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band has become a world famous music machine synonymous with genre bending romps and high-octane performances! The Band consists of Roger Lewis (Baritone Sax/Vocals), Kevin Harris (Tenor Sax/Vocals), Gregory Davis (Trumpet/Vocals). Kirk Joseph (Sousaphone), TJ Norris (Trombone/Vocals), Julian Addison (Drums), and Takeshi Shimmura (Guitar)!
Paula Poundstone
Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and a spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. Time magazine, in the March 2020 “Best of” issue, listed Paula’s HBO special, “Cats, Cops and Stuff” as one of The 5 Funniest Stand-Up Specials Ever. Paula can be heard weekly as the host of the comedy podcast “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone”, and as a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me”! Also an author, Poundstone’s second book, “The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness” (Algonquin 2017) was one of eight semi-finalists for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, the highest recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. The audiobook was one of five finalists for the Audio Book of the Year AUDIE award. Paula was the first female comic to perform at the White House Correspondents dinner, in its then 73rd year. She was the first female standup to win the ACE award, in its then 5th year, for Best Comedy Special on Cable television. She is included in innumerable lists, documentaries and literary compendiums noting influential standup comedians of our time.
An Evening with Andy Summers of The Police
Andy Summers rose to fame in the early 1980’s as the guitarist with the multi-million record selling rock band The Police. The Police were the number one band of the time and dominated the music scene and the media in the eighties with several number albums and singles including Every Breath You Take, Roxanne, Don’t Stand So Close to Me, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Invisible Sun, and Message in a Bottle. The band was the recipient of several Grammys and awards too numerous to mention.Andy Summers innovative guitar playing created a new paradigm for guitarists in this period and has been widely imitated ever since. Prior to the Police Andy Summers played with various bands in the London scene including the Soft Machine, Kevin Coyne and also Kevin Ayers.Post Police Andy has made thirteen solo records, collaborated with many other musicians and toured the world as a solo artist. In addition he has composed film scores, and along with many photo gallery exhibitions, Andy has published books of his photography.In 2006 his autobiography One Train Later was released to great success and was voted the number one music book of the year in the UK. The film Can’t Stand Losing You based on the book saw it’s theatrical release in the US by Cinema Libre in March 2015. The DVD of the film was released on July 14th 2015, along with Andy’s CD – Metal Dog.Andy is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Guitar Player Hall of Fame, has the keys to New York City! He has also been awarded the Chevalier De L’Ordre Des Arts et Des Lettres by the Ministry of Culture in France.
Peter Asher and Jeremy Clyde
Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon and Jeremy Clyde of Chad & Jeremy Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon joins forces with Jeremy Clyde of Chad & Jeremy! Together they star in an unforgettable evening of music and memories featuring songs and stories from their sixties heyday as recording artists right through to Jeremy’s success on stage, television (Downton Abbey) and film (The Iron lady) and Peter’s Grammy-Winning career as Producer and manager of the likes of James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and more. Their respective British Invasion duos were collectively responsible for 30 Billboard chart hits. From the Chad & Jeremy catalog, they bring you “Distant Shores”, “Yesterday’s Gone” “Willow Weep For Me”, “Before and After”, “A Summer Song” and more. From the Peter & Gordon songbook comes “Woman”, “I Go To Pieces”, “I Don’t Want To See You Again”, “Lady Godiva”, “A World Without Love” and more. Steve Smith of the Los Angeles Daily news sums up the evening: “The duo oozed a refreshing abundance of natural English good humor and charm as they told tale after tale from their fabled careers…their voices blended seamlessly…(they) sound virtually identical even 50 years later.” Peter tells stories from his new book, “The Beatles: From A to Zed”, based on his SiriusXM radio show From Me To You” , on the Beatles Channel; Jeremy regales with tales from Chad & Jeremy’s appearances on Batman and the Dick Van Dyke show, and gives us a taste of his new series of CDs, “The Bottom Drawer Sessions”. Don’t miss this special opportunity to hear the stories behind the lives and music of these two legendary duos from the era that wiped clean and drew again the face of popular culture.