Two Shows in Yonkers, One Done, One Soon to Happen!

I have been neglecting this page for awhile. . . Damn! Just too much going on!

This past weekend - Sunday night to be exact - we had a very cool show and this Friday coming up - June 12th, we have another a great show happening!

Sunday night we had the Dark Prophet, and Rob Salter, Mike Lunapiena and Marc Black. The Dark Prophet and Rob Salter are two very different acts but both are pretty cool. Rob just has this great blues feel and the Dark Prophet is basically metal stripped down to bare bones acoustic. Both are friends and welcome at Acoustic Sundays anytime.

Marc was playing his first gig at Mr D;s and was pretty cool. He had some acoustic chops and and his tunes worked too. The highlight of the night though was Mike Lunapiena. Mike is a classicaly trained cello player who just happens to run his cello through a series of effects boxes. Mike was the one who really caught my attention.

He played some JS Bach - appropriate stuff for a cello, and mixed that up with two or three improvised numbers. On one or two occasions he clicked on the effect box and gave us a hint of what could be done running his cello through those effects.


So Sunday was pretty cool, and this Friday we are back at it! Again in Yonkers and this time with Queen V who will rock-who always rocks! Plus three other acts-Drew Torres, Words On Parchment, and Jason Fresta - all will kick ass. As Drew would say it will be a sick. Yes, all acoustic, but they all will put on quite the show! And those of you interested in cello music, Mike Lunapiena is back, playing with Jason Fresta on Friday night! Trust me, he is worth checking out.

Some of you might have heard of or seen Queen V, she has done several big shows and tours and has opened for several big acts including Billy Idol, Twisted Sister, and even Bon Jovi at the Meadowlands. Currently she is doing a monthly show down at Don Hills in NYC-both with band and unplugged. I know that is all well and good, but the really cool thing, the important thing, is that she puts on an amazing show. and that is true whether she is with a full band or just solo and unplugged! She just has this an amazingly rich vibrant voice and some equally cool tunes.

The rest of the bill is not too shabby either! Drew Torres is just a great guitarist with some speed and some style, and again with some good tunes. He will get your attention when he is playing. Words on Parchment are a duet doing what I would call acoustic alternative. Again, Anthony, who does most of the singing has a great voice and they just know how to entertain and have a good time. Lastly, Jason Fresta, I cannot comment on his show. . .I will be seeing him perform for the firt time too on Friday, but his tunes just got this cool mellow vibe. And with Mike supporting him on cello, I am sure it will work.

I do hope all wander down and join us - join in the chaos.

No where else are you going to get a better show this Friday night. It is $5.00 to enter. It will be a cool show in a cool venue. (When I first talked to Queen V three years ago about her doing such a show-this was the venue I had in mind). It will finally happen. Doors open at 8:00 PM.

The venue is Mr D's Pub & Lounge located at 748 Yonkers Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704

$5.00 Cover and 21 to Enter. Doors open at 8:00 PM.

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Stuff Going On. . .

We may not be doing much over here but some of the acts we are in touch with are hard at work. Some are in the studio, others are just trying out something new and different in rehearsals. Here is a quick and dirty update on some of that.

Last week I wandered down and caught Karen Curious (The New Professionals) and Lani Ford (Stark) doing some acoustic stuff at a little place on Avenue C. It was a cool show-mellow but still neat. Karen tried out a new song or two, both sounding promising. the neat thing though is that she is moving from bass guitar to lead guitar. We got a sampling I think in the course of the acoustic set, as she was just not into the bar stool acoustic show. She was up and about more like doing the electric guitar on a stage with a band. From the little I caught, she should be fine. Soon enough the New Pros are heading to SXSW.

Lani Ford has likewise busy. She was playing out in Pennsylvania last weekend and at Arlene's this weekend. the more interesting news is that her and the band (Stark) are in the recording studio working on what will be their third album. We got a sampling of one tune they had just recorded along with a mix of other numbers from her most recent CD.

Jumping ahead to next week, we got have the release party for a CD that has been done for awhile. Queen V will be having a CD Release/ Birthday party at her Take Back New York show at Don Hills. Quite the CD, Death or Glory features various guest artists, including Vernon Reid of Living Colour. Forget the artists, she just has some cool tunes on this album, (not that her earlier stuff was not good!). i have heard some of these on off for the last year or more and it will be nice holding the Death or Glory CD in my hand. I am, I guess, one of those folks who still likes a CD. I won't go the next step and say that vinyl is even better-it ain't. Regardless of all that, it is just very cool that Death or Glory is finally coming out!

Well who else was I wanting to talk about. . . There are two acts who are in the studio now or will be soon enough. Both KILLCODE and Do You See The Dark are aiming to have CDs out shortly and they are or will be in the studio shortly. Do You See The Dark has been working on new material for awhile and their sound and even their older material has evolved, so I am looking forward to their CD!

Lastly it seems that Words On Parchment appear to be back! Rob and Anthony are back and perhaps even have a drummer so they moving from the acoustic indie sound to a pop punk band sound. Last i heard, they were still needing a Bass player. And they are back at Mr D's in Yonkers sometime soon with the Halfway Crooks. And with the new sound has come a new name=Burning Times.

So that is an update on what is going on with some of the local talent I am in touch with.

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