Ana Popovic
The award-winning guitar player, singer, and songwriter, recently celebrated 20 years as a touring musician with the release of Live for LIVE. An exciting concert video and live album that demonstrates why she’s proudly looking back at a career of thousands of shows worldwide. Popovic’s passion on stage is evident and the title sums it up, this IS what she lives for. Today, you’ll find Popovic in a select group of excellent modern blues guitar players. One reason could be the fact that she’s always willing to work a little harder and travel a little further to master her craft. That dedication has resulted in 12 albums, two DVDs, and six nationwide Experience Hendrix tours. She’s been nominated for seven Blues Music Awards, and appeared on the covers of Vintage Guitar and Guitar Player magazine. Her albums Can You Stand the Heat and Unconditional were USA Today Picks-Of-The-Week and featured on NPR Weekend Edition. Nearly all of Popovic’s albums reached the top of the Billboard Blues Charts. She and her phenomenal 6-piece band tour tirelessly, sharing stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa and many others.
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band & The Hooten Hallers
The latest album from Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band was written by candlelight and then recorded using the best technology available . . . in the 1950s. But listeners won’t find another album as relevant, electrifying and timely as Dance Songs for Hard Times. Dance Songs for Hard Times conveys the hopes and fears of pandemic living. Rev. Peyton, the Big Damn Band’s vocalist and world-class fingerstyle guitarist, details bleak financial challenges on the songs “Ways and Means” and “Dirty Hustlin’.” He pines for in-person reunions with loved ones on “No Tellin’ When,” and he pleads for celestial relief on the album-closing “Come Down Angels.” Far from a depressing listen, Dance Songs lives up to its name by delivering action-packed riffs and rhythms across 11 songs. The country blues trio that won over crowds on more than one Warped Tour knows how to make an audience move. Peyton, the cover subject of Vintage Guitar magazine’s January 2020 issue, showcases his remarkable picking techniques on “Too Cool to Dance.” It’s rare to hear a fingerstyle player attack Chuck Berry-inspired licks with index, middle and ring fingers while devoting his or her thumb to a bass line. Yet the multi-tasking Peyton has made an art of giving the illusion he’s being accompanied by a bass player, despite the Big Damn Band’s roster featuring no one beyond himself, Breezy on washboard and Max Senteney on drums. Conditions aren’t ideal when compared to pre-pandemic adventures that allowed the Big Damn Band to play for audiences in nearly 40 countries. But those days will return, and in the meantime we have Dance Songs for Hard Times. “Despite the hardships of this moment in history, it created this music that I hope will maybe help some people through it,” Reverend Peyton says. “Because it helps me through it to play it.” Join us for a night here at The Kent Stage with one of our favorites. Show starts at 8 P.M. and both the doors & box office will open one hour prior.
Steamroller – The Music of James Taylor
Steamroller is a masterful tribute to the music of James Taylor. Sam’s uncanny resemblance to James, and his astonishing capture of Taylor’s vocal and guitar styles leaves audiences feeling like they’ve just seen and heard the legend himself and applauding for more!Sam’s unique guitar style, soulful voice, original songs and interpretations of timeless classics have captivated thousands of audiences the world over. Musician, vocalist and composer, Sam’s original music has been featured in television and theatrical productions around the globe. Sam received his degree in music composition from the prestigious D’Angelo School of Music, and has since worked with music industry greats such as Lou Rawls, Eric Burden, Peter, Paul and Mary, Crosby Stills & Nash, Mitch Ryder, Aimee Mann, 10,000 Maniacs and The Violent Femmes. He collaborated with Praz (Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Lauren Hill) on Dante Thomas’s cover of Sam’s original song FLY, the title cut of Dante’s freshman Elektra Records release. Recently, Sam’s original song “You’re In My Heart” was featured on CBS Television’s The Young and the Restless.
An Evening with Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
“The hardest thing to do,” says internationally beloved soul-blues rocker Tommy Castro, “is be yourself, take some chances and bring your fans along with you.” Throughout his long, constantly evolving career, guitarist, singer and songwriter Tommy Castro has always remained true to himself while exploring, growing and creating new music, and he has taken his thousands of devoted fans right along with him. Since his solo debut in 1994, he’s made 16 albums—the last seven for Alligator—each its own unique chapter in the book of Tommy Castro. Ranging from horn-fueled R&B to piping hot blues to fiery, stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll, each release is solidly built upon Castro’s unshakable musical foundation—a dynamic mix of 1960s-influenced guitar-fueled blues, testifying Memphis-soaked blue-eyed soul and Latin-tinged East San Jose funk, all driven by Castro’s grab-you-by-the-collar vocals and passionate guitar work. Blues Revue declared, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong. ”For Castro’s new album, a roots music odyssey entitled Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town, he tells a timeless story. This special project was composed by Castro along with Grammy Award-winning producer Tom Hambridge. Through its 13 songs, A Bluesman Came To Town tells the tale of a young man working on his family farm who gets bitten by the blues bug. He masters the guitar and heads out on the road seeking fame and fortune, only to find what he’s left behind is the treasure he’s been looking for. Each memorable song—from the blistering title track to the pleading Child Don’t Go to the hopeful I Caught A Break to the emotional Blues Prisoner—stands on its own, as well as contributing to the larger story.“I like to keep things fresh and interesting,” says Castro, “Tom and I have talked about making a record together for a long time. Collaborating with him was even better than I imagined. I had an outline for the story and then Tom and I talked it out and the songs just started to organically grow out of each other.” Castro continues, “A Bluesman Came To Town isn’t a story about me. It’s pulled from some of my friends’ and my experiences though. I’ve seen first-hand for a lot of years what it’s like out there on the road. ”The road has always been Castro’s home away from home. He’ll instantly ignite a crowd, turn them into loyal fans and then keep those fans coming back for more. He has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles and performed thousands of gigs, leading his bands at clubs, concert halls, and festivals all over the world. After a series of successful releases on the Blind Pig, Telarc and 33rd Street labels, Tommy Castro joined Alligator Records in 2009. His label debut, Hard Believer, was released to massive popular and critical acclaim. With the album, Castro won four of his six career Blues Music Awards, including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award (the very highest award a blues performer can receive). In 2012, Castro stripped his music down to its raw essence, creating a high-energy, larger-than-life sound with the formation of The Painkillers. Tommy Castro & The Painkillers’ initial release, The Devil You Know, was embraced by his legion of fans and discovered by hordes of new ones. With the current version of The Painkillers (bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown and keyboardist Michael Emerson), Castro released Method To My Madness in 2015, Stompin’ Ground in 2017, and the irresistible Killin’ It–Live in 2019, with critics shouting praise and admirers cheering the group’s every move.
John Waite
Singer-songwriter John Waite has been a fixture of classic rock radio for nearly 40 years. Waite returns to The Kent Stage on February 3rd to once again captivate our audience with magical vocals and stunning bass playing! Waite first came to prominence as the vocalist and bassist of the English rock outfit The Babys, best known for the hits “Isn’t It Time?” and “Every Time I Think of You” in the late 1970s. That group disbanded in 1980 (after a final performance in Akron, Ohio), and Waite went on to a very successful solo career, scoring a Number One U.S. hit with “Missing You.” In the late 80’s John was the lead singer of supergroup Bad English and was the lead singer of their Number One hit “When I See You Smile.” John has been recording and touring over the last 30 years and is the subject of the recently released movie, John Waite-The Hard Way. Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb7_5iY9M9Y
John Waite – VIP Sound Check Party and Meet & Greet
VIP ticket for a pre-show soundcheck party where fans will get signed merch, photo opp. MUST PURCHASE A CONCERT TICKET AS WELL!LIMITED TO 16
CRASH TEST DUMMIES
In 2018, 25 years after the release of their multi-Grammy nominated hit album “God Shuffled His Feet”, The Crash Test Dummies hit the road for the first time in 20 years with an Anniversary Tour that spanned North America. The overwhelming reception led to a 30th Anniversary Tour in 2022 for their debut release “The Ghosts That Haunt Me” that touched down in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Canada. And the band is showing no signs of slowing down . . . “Touring again was not something we’d planned on, but surprisingly – at least to me – there are lots of people who many years later, still want to come and hear us. The folks that are coming out to see these shows tell us their stories, some of them very funny, some very dark and all very personal. It’s very humbling, being in the confidence of so many people” says lead singer-songwriter Brad Roberts, “and it has inspired us to continue to tour and make music.” Early 2023 will see the release a new, original Crash Test Dummies’ single “Sacred Alphabet“ as they again hit the road in North America and Europe.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – The Hits, The Dirt & Dylan! Jack Schneider to open
Nitty Gritty Dirt BandThe Hits, The History, & Dirt Does DylanMany veteran bands trade on nostalgia, on replication of past glories, and on recycled emotions from younger, more carefree days.The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band trades on a mix of reimagined classics and compelling newer works. The group formed in 1966 as a Long Beach, California jug band, scored its first charting single in 1967, and embarked on a self-propelled ride through folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll, pop, bluegrass and the amalgam now known as “Americana.” The first major hit came in 1971 with the epic “Mr. Bojangles,” which, along with insistent support from banjo master Earl Scruggs, opened doors in Nashville. Behind those doors were Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, and others who would collaborate on a multi-artist, multi-generational, three-disc 1972 masterpiece: Will the Circle Be Unbroken went triple-platinum, spawned two later volumes, and wound up in the Grammy Hall of Fame.Was this a cutting-edge combo or a group of revivalists? Was the goal rebellion or musical piety? Yes, to all these things. In the 1980s, the Dirt Band reeled off 15 straight Top 10 country hits, including chart-toppers “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream),” “Modern Day Romance,” and “Fishin’ in the Dark (co-written by Jim Photoglo, who would join the band in the second decade of the new century). 1989 brought a second Circle album, this one featuring singer-songwriter talents including John Prine, Rosanne Cash, and John Hiatt and garnering two Grammy awards for the band (it later won another, for a collaboration with Earl Scruggs and other fine folks). Circle II also won the Country Music Association’s Album of the Year prize. Circle III was released in 2003, featuring collaborations with Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, and more.Throughout the group’s lifetime, personnel have changed, with each change resulting in positive steps forward, new ways of playing the old songs, and renewed enthusiasm for writing and recording fresh material. The latest Dirt Band lineup is expanded to six members for the first time since 1968. Today’s group consists of founding member Jeff Hanna, harp master Jimmie Fadden (who joined in 1966), and soulful-voiced Bob Carpenter, who has more than 40 years of service in the ensemble. Those veterans are now joined by singer-songwriter-bass man Jim Photoglo, fiddle and mandolin wizard Ross Holmes, and Hanna’s son, the preternaturally talented singer and guitarist Jaime HannaBlood harmony, thrilling instrumental flights, undeniable stage chemistry … these things are part of each Dirt Band show, just as they are part of Dirt Does Dylan, the first recording from the reconfigured, six-strong group. Produced by Ray Kennedy and Jeff Hanna, it’s a remarkable ride through some of the most impactful songs of the past century, penned by Bob Dylan and taken for a blue highway spin by a great American band, with help from genius-level contemporary artists like Jason Isbell and The War and Treaty.The world of Jack Schneider is one strewn with eccentricity and nostalgia, Jack is, as some would say, a Nashville triple threat – guitarist, songwriter, and singer, in addition to producer, guitar collector, and analog enthusiast.
MARTIN BARRE – A Brief History of TULL – with Dan Crisp
Martin Barre Jethro Tull’s guitarist for over 43 years. His sound and playing was a major factor in their success. Album sales have exceeded 60 million units and they continue to be played worldwide, representing an important part of classic rock history. Martin’s guitar playing has earned him a high level of respect and recognition. His solos were voted 25th best solo ever in the USA and 20th best solo ever in the UK for his playing on Aqualung. His playing on the album Crest of a Knave earned him a Grammy award in 1989. As well as numerous Jethro Tull albums, Martin has worked with many other artists including Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa and Chris Thompson and has shared the stage with such legends as Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin.
Jim Messina
Jim MessinaRescheduled to MARCH 20 @ 7:30 While acting as producer/audio engineer for Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Buffalo Springfield, Messina ultimately joined the band as its bass player. When “the Springfield” disbanded in 1968, Jim and fellow bandmate Richie Furay formed Poco. With Jim on lead guitar, Poco defined a new musical genre, Country Rock. After three successful albums, Jim was ready for a change and left to return to his passion for producing music. He signed as an independent producer with Columbia Records. In November 1970, Columbia asked Jim to work with an unknown Kenny Loggins. While helping Kenny get ready for a record and touring, the two discovered that they worked well together and Jim agreed to sit in on Kenny’s first album. Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In was released in November of 1971 and an accidental duo was formed.Over the next seven years, Loggins & Messina released eight hit albums, had scores of hit songs and sold over 16 million albums. They had become one of rock’s most successful recording duos ever, but it was time for the duo to go their separate ways. After a series of celebrated solo acoustic tours, Jim formed a band made of acclaimed musicians who have played with him at various points in his career. His latest release, In the Groove, includes selected hits from all three of Jim’s previous bands, as well as several of his solo works. Touring the country and playing sold-out shows, Jim says that he’s enjoying discovering who he is, where he’s been and, most significantly, where he’s going.