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5 Questions with…

Josh David Barrett of The Wailers

It’s hard to pinpoint another touring musician who has bigger shoes to fill right now than Josh David Barrett.

For the past three years, Barrett has been singing lead vocals for The Wailers, the legendary reggae band that backed Bob Marley from 1974 until his untimely death in 1981, and whose mastery of laid-back island grooves helped sell more than 100 million recordings worldwide.

It’s hardly lost on Barrett that, as a musician, he is in an extraordinarily esteemed and yet possibly precarious situation: performing with the world’s most recognized reggae band where once stood an artist that The New York Times suggested “may the most influential musician in the second half of the [20th] century” —the same artist who wrote all but one-half of a song on Exodus, a reggae masterpiece that Time Magazine declared “Best Album of the Century.”

At the same time, it’s not like Barrett was simply a name randomly picked from a hat-full of possible Bob Marley replacements. Sure, it helped that Barrett is a distant cousin of longtime Wailers bandleader Aston “Familyman” Barrett and that two previous additions to the band were descendants of original members. But of equal importance, Josh David Barrett already had made a name for himself as a multi-instrumentalist, recording and performing with other multi-talents such as Kanye, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones.

“My musical journey has been a long and blessed one,” Barrett says. “I’m grateful to have all those experiences to add to this current one.”

Barrett is looking forward to The Wailers’ new release on Feb. 6—Bob Marley’s birthday and just two days before the band’s much-anticipated performance at The Queen in Wilmington, a town Marley once called home.

We spoke to Barrett by phone last month, and here is what he had to say—in his Jamaican accent—about his upbringing, his outlook with The Wailers, and his Rastafari faith.

O&A: You were really on your way before you joined The Wailers. As a competent and up-and-coming musician you played with artists like Common, Mary J. Blige, Q-Tip and Solange. Which musical experience was the most important to you before joining The Wailers?

Barrett: I would have to say growing up and playing in church because I feel spiritual music is the essence of Rasta music as a brand of reggae. When one says reggae music, I want to think Rasta. It’s the spiritual “one love, one God, one aim, one destiny.” That is what we inspire and aspire to bring to the people. I think that is the most important part of my upbringing: that togetherness, that oneness, that making one sound giving glory to the Most High, Jah Rastafari.

O&A: You make a direct connection between [your upbringing] and what you are doing now. What does that connection mean to you? What does singing in The Wailers mean to you?
Barrett: Well, it means a lot because reggae music has three elements where we speak of as Rasta: word, song and power. The word is the message; the sound is the music; and the power is when we come together and sing and dance, as Bob Marley said, jammin’ in the name of the Lord.
That is what I find most valuable, that unity, how it brings people together throughout the four corners of the world. Seeing how it inspires people and liberates people—to be a messenger of that is a joy. To me, that is the greatest job me could ever have.

O&A: I know there are a lot of other reggae artists, and I’m not trying to diminish any of their roles. But Bob Marley is the king of reggae. How did you feel about trying to step into that role at first?
Barrett: I hold a great deal of respect for the legacy of Bob Marley and The Wailers. For years I felt the best way I could express my appreciation was through music—my own music—with which I’d formed a band called Judah Tribe with [other musicians]. Through that, we were able to express our joys, our woes and our great appreciation for this great work, the great message, Rastafari. So it was a natural progression.

Learning and understanding every day the magnitude of [Bob Marley] being the first one to do this great work, to make it reach where it did reach, is very important. And I understand, just a little bit, about the pressure that Bob Marley and the Wailers had to go through. I mean they were shot at for this music, for this struggle.

And I understand not everybody love reggae music or love Rastas when you are out there saying “one love.” So we’re out there to encourage those who love justice and hate aggression and counteract all the works of evil that seek to divide humanity.

O&A: How do you see the music you are performing fitting in with what’s going on in our country and throughout the world?

Barrett: As much as we love this music, this music and this struggle was born out of protest. While there is a joy to singing these songs, ina myself, I wish we didn’t have to sing these songs. But this message is still needed. Not all of it—some of it is more joyous. But when you sing “Them Belly Full” or “Heathen,” those are things we have to sing because we still see it prevalent on Earth. So the music is needed, and the message is needed.

The world I don’t feel is balanced. And if we are not wise, we’ll end up going backwards. All of us must take it upon ourselves to be a living example, be a Bob Marley, wherever you are in your sphere, in your work. It’s gonna take that to win this struggle.

O&A: Where would you like to see this go, playing with The Wailers? Do you have any long-term goals?
Barrett: Wow… I have a dream that one day The Wailers will play in Ethiopia when the royal dynasty of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen is restored. That would be a glorious day, and I would love to be there as a participant in this great affair and blessing being that, for Rasta, Ethiopian history is crucial. We don’t want to convert anyone, but correct the abuse. We want to see that world power, that knowledge, that grace, restored in Ethiopia with we, the singers and players of instruments to celebrate this great occasion.

Catch Josh David Barrett and The Wailers at The Queen on Thursday, Feb. 8, for what will surely be a memorable performance. For details, go to TheQueenWilmington.com.

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Classic Films, Beer, Charities

Movies on Tap combines all three for a fun way to support good causes

In just two years, the monthly Movies on Tap event at Penn Cinema Riverfront has truly become a juggernaut of fun-filled philanthropy. The movies are classic gems, the brews exemplary in craft and flavor, and the scope of the cause continues to grow.

In April of 2016, Ryan Kennedy, marketing director for Harvey, Hanna & Associates, came up with the idea, which was to bring together local breweries and movie goers at a fun event aimed at raising funds for local charities. It has been an absolute success, with 99 percent of ticket proceeds from each showing being donated to that month’s charity.

“To date, Movies on Tap has raised $58,000, which has benefited 22 charitable organizations,” says Kennedy, adding that the December showing was the most successful of the 22 events. “Urban Bike Project received $8,820 from their event with Dogfish Head and screening of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” Kennedy says. “We’re so grateful for the generosity of Movies on Tap, Dogfish Head Brewery, and all of the enthusiastic moviegoers,” says Laura Wilburn, executive director of the Urban Bike Project.

“The funding we received through Movies on Tap is huge for us. It’s enough to cover a full year’s costs for our Free Bike program. The program gives bikes, locks and lights to Wilmington residents who are in need of transportation to get to work or job interviews, grocery stores and other necessary services.” Last year’s series raised nearly $45,000, according to Drew Sheaffer, director of Operations at Penn Cinema and coordinator of Movies on Tap. “That’s almost $10,000 above our original goal of $35,000,” he says.

“Overall, we’ve heard overwhelmingly positive feedback from all of the featured breweries and nonprofits. The breweries have expressed how much they love the opportunity to connect with the local community in a fun, interactive and impactful way.” The breweries’ enthusiasm for the 21-and-older series, in which Out & About is also a partner, is reflected in the lineup of repeat participants, including Yards, Mispillion River Brewing and Dogfish Head Brewery. “It’s something different, which is what people want, and a great way to raise money and awareness,” Kennedy says.

“It’s the easiest form of fundraising. If you pair a quality movie with quality beer and an inspirational mission—tickets will sell.”

Sales figures confirm that assessment. The average crowd per event increased from 97 in 2016 to 175 last year. Donations are up as well. The average donation per event of $1,413 in 2016 more than doubled last year, to $3,500. This year’s goal is to raise more than $40,000. With tickets priced at just $20, which covers a flight of beer, unlimited popcorn and the movie, that goal should be attainable.

For more information, check out the Movies on Tap Facebook page.

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This Month at Theatre N

Coming to Theatre N in February: The Final Year, a documentary about the end of Obama’s term as president, Feb. 2-4; the current crop of Oscar-nominated Short Films, Feb. 9-11; and I, Tonya, feature version of skater Tonya Harding’s life story. For specific dates and times, visit theatren.org.

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‘ArtStuff’ to Keep You Warm with Excitement

Ballet, Music School open mic, and Bud Martin takes the stage for second time in 37 years

First State Ballet Theatre heats up the baby grand stage this month as it presents a “double bill of dance” with Paquita and The Young Lady & The Hooligan.

Paquita, a ballet by French composer Édouard Deldevez and Paris Opera Ballet Master Joseph Mazilier, premiered in Paris in 1846. It tells the story of a young girl abducted by gypsies as a child who is ultimately reunited with her noble family and finds love with a young French army officer.

In 1881, dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa—considered one of the most influential ballet masters in history—produced a revival of the ballet in Russia, adding new pieces arranged and composed by Ludwig Minkus.

The additions included the Paquita Grand Pas Classique, now known as one of the foundations of the traditional ballet repertory. The Paquita Grand Pas Classique blends Spanish flair with classical performance in an expressive and timeless masterpiece.

First State Ballet last performed the work in May 2009. For this iteration of Paquita, its principal dancers are Rie Aoki, Leonid Goykhma and Zane Winders.

The Young Lady and The Hooligan is based on Vladimir Mayakovsky’s 1918 film about a criminal transformed by his love for a young teacher. The work was initially performed at the Leningrad Malii Opera Theater in 1962. The dynamic music conveying this melancholy lovers’ tale comes from composer Dmitri Shostakovich. The score was created from a number of Shostakovich’s existing works, arranged by his longtime musical colleague, Levon Atovmyan.

The Music School of Delaware offers monthly open mic nights for musicians and spoken-word artists at its Wilmington Branch. Photo courtesy of The Music School of Delaware

Principal dancers are First State Ballet’s Mary Kate Reynolds as the Young Lady and Richy Romero as the Hooligan. Executive Director Kristina Kambalov notes that Artistic Director Pasha Kambalov chose the two pieces because they are completely different stylistically, emotionally and technically. “The Young Lady and the Hooligan has a great deal of emotion and drama, and Paquita is pure classicism,” she says.

Dates for this double bill are Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at tickets.thegrandwilmington.org.

Music School Expands Open Mic Night

Beginning this month, The Music School of Delaware’s Open Mic Nights will become a regular event at its Wilmington Branch. The open community event now expands to the second Thursday of each month (Feb. 8, March 8, April 12 and May 10 at 7 p.m., with a 6:30 p.m. artist sign-up) and offers a revised staging setup.

“In addition to regular dates, we’re also excited to offer a new format for these events,” says Chris Braddock, the Music School Studio Department head and Open Mic Night coordinator. “Our previous open mics were more like small concerts; this setup will be less formal, with club-style seating for musicians, their families and friends.”

Braddock also notes that new sound equipment will be available for performers’ use, and food and drink will be available during the show. Also new this year: One act will be chosen from each open mic performance to participate in a “Best Of” concert in December.

The Music School Open Mic Nights are open to soloists or groups ages 14 and up in all musical genres as well as spoken-word artists. For more information, call the Music School’s Wilmington Branch at 762–1132.

DTC’s Bud Martin Onstage!

Another regional premiere hits the Delaware stage in playwright Simon Stephens’ Heisenberg, running Feb. 7-25 at Delaware Theatre Company (DTC).

Stephens—also playwright of the celebrated The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time—opened this play off-Broadway in 2015. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in 2017.

The story opens in a bustling train station in London, as Georgie spies Alex, a much older man, and kisses him on the neck. The encounter plunges the two into a fascinating and life-changing game.

The DTC production is directed by Matt Pfeiffer and stars Karen Peakes as Georgie (seen previously in DTC’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, The War of the Roses and The Explorers Club) and DTC Executive and Artistic Director Bud Martin as Alex. This show marks just the second time in 37 years that Martin will take the stage as an actor.

“It’s a beautiful show about how two lonely, hurt people—very unlikely to ever get together—can find something astonishing when they give in to the unpredictability of their future,” Martin says of the production.

“[This production] is a perfect role for Karen, whom I adore,” he says, “and they don’t often write these roles for older men. When else would I get the chance to play a part like this with someone like Karen?”
Due to sexual situations and profanity, the show may be best suited for mature older teens and adults.

Two show dates (Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 14 and 15) have already sold out. Tickets for the remaining dates are $15 for students and $25-60 for all other seating and are available at delawaretheatre.org.

Celebrate Mardi Gras in Arden

The folks of Arden invite you to bring your beads, masks and a pair of comfy dancing shoes as Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas take over the Gild Hall for a proper Mardi Gras music festival beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9.

Band leader Nathan Williams hails from St. Martinsville, La., the heart of Creole country. He moved to Lafayette to pursue his dream of playing zydeco and was mentored by two of the greats—Clifton Chenier and Arden’s favorite son, Buckwheat Zydeco.

Tickets are $25 and available at ardenconcerts.com. The Gild Hall dance floor will be wide open on Feb. 9; join in the fun and allons danser!

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Winter Instagram Challenge

Cold, gray and bleak: It’s winter, so that means we’re all hibernating on the couch re-watching The Office on Netflix, right? Not quite.

In keeping with the theme of our Optimism Issue and championing the good things happening in Delaware, in partnership with Delaware Nature Society (DNS) we’re challenging the amateur and pro photographers among our readers to get outside and capture the beauty of the state in winter. Wildlife, winter walks, snowstorms, backyard scenes, landscapes or the frozen bay—just whip out the trusty smartphone or an actual camera and start capturing the natural wonders The First State has to offer in winter.

Then, from Feb 1-19, share your best shots with the hashtags #OandAwinter and #delnature for a chance to be featured on @outandaboutmagazine’s Instagram. Winning photos will appear in our 30th Anniversary March issue, plus one DNS household membership will be awarded,  along with gift cards to Iron Hill and Penn Cinema movie tickets.

We’re looking for originality, high resolution photo quality, and most important, a photograph that conveys why this spot or this scene is special.

The contest is sponsored by Delaware Nature Society. One note: Out & About contributors are not eligible.

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Indie Films Worth Trying

Theatre N specializes in “Worth Trying” films each week with the latest in first-run independent films. Executive Director Beverly Zimmermann gives us a heads-up on upcoming features for January and February:

The Disaster Artist, the film based on Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), the man behind The Room, considered the “Citizen Kane of bad movies.” I did try to watch The Room in 2012, and couldn’t finish it because it was so bad.

The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro’s latest film, is a drama/fantasy/love story between a mute woman and an amphibian. Sure, we see this plot all the time, but go see this one.

I, Tonya, with the gorgeous Margot Robbie transformed into Tonya Harding (itself worth the price of admission). If you weren’t around for the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan skating rivalry, this is a must-see. And even if you remember these two contrasting personalities, go see the film for Allison Janney’s performance as Tonya’s mother.

The Breadwinner, an animated film from the creators of The Secret of Kells, takes place in 2001 Afghanistan under Taliban rule, and tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who cuts off her hair and dresses as a boy to reunite her family. Girl power!

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, reveals that the world’s most beautiful woman was also the secret inventor of secure Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS communications, but her arresting looks stood in the way of her being given the credit she deserved–until now, in this documentary.

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Seven for ’17

Best movies, and a couple of additional year-end lists

Apologies to David Letterman, but I’ve always thought 10 was an arbitrary number for compiling “best” lists.

So, here are my seven favorites from 2017, not ranked but in alphabetical order. Why seven? Frankly, my dear, for the alliteration of seven and 17. But, of course, you know that there are always a few more worthy films that fall just shy of the cut-off. Hence, I’ve included some honorable mentions. A final caveat: as a part-time film critic in a smaller market, I haven’t managed to see every buzzy movie of the last year, so I’ve also provided a list of those for which I still have high hopes.

The Big Sick

This indie comedy stars stand-up comic and actor Kumail Nanjiani, and it’s even co-written by him and his wife, Emily V. Gordon, based on their own cross-cultural love story. Nanjiani plays a Pakistani stand-up comic named Kumail who falls in love with a white grad student, Emily. When Emily becomes seriously ill, he must come to terms with her prickly parents, his traditional family’s expectations, and his own conflicted feelings. Offhandedly funny, modernly relevant, touching, and oh, so meta!

Coco

Pixar’s latest animated film featured an entirely Latino voice cast in a fast-moving but thoughtful story about family and destiny. Miquel, born into a family of shoemakers, aspires to be a musician, and must travel to the land of the dead and his ancestors to find his way home physically and emotionally. Not only does Coco celebrate a rich Mexican cultural tradition, it’s also an arrestingly beautiful and detailed film. This is not your abuela’s movie cartoon.

The Florida Project

Writer-director Sean Baker’s newest project has amped up the production values from his 2015 Tangerine, but still hews to his affection for the downtrodden and marginalized. Set at and around a ramshackle residential motel in the shadow of Disney World, The Florida Project uses non-professional actors to show the boot-strapped lives of its struggling residents mainly through the eyes of the motel’s latch-key children. The film is painful to watch at times, but always deeply poignant. Willem Dafoe shines as the motel manager and den mother to a wayward pack of kids.

Get Out

Comic actor Jordan Peele (half of the Comedy Central team of Key and Peele) astonished everyone last summer with this satirical horror film, which was also his directorial debut. Get Out slyly punctures somewhite liberal dogma while delivering terrific comic licks mixed with the frisson of fairly earned thrills. The solid cast includes newcomer Daniel Kaluuya, along with Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford and Allison Williams. The result is a winning trifecta: genuinely scary, hilarious and woke. 

Lady Bird

This bittersweet coming-of-age tale about a teenage girl (Saoirse Ronan) and her loving but unforgiving mother (Laurie Metcalf) is another directorial debut, this one by actress Greta Gerwig. Lady Birdmanages to walk a fine line between unsparingly honest and profoundly affecting. Born Christine but renaming herself Lady Bird, the teen trudges through her senior year in high school seeking a way out of her confining home town and the road to excitement, adventure, and ultimately, a comfortable self-identity. This is a familiar cinematic journey, but Gerwig’s assured direction and Ronan’s and Metcalf’s unvarnished performances make it feel brand new.

Wonderstruck

Todd Haynes’ mysterious fantasy sets two lost (and deaf) children on adventures in the wilds of New York City, but the twist is they are happening 50 years apart. Haynes cuts back and forth between the stories, with the 1920s version shot in luminous black-and-white and the ‘70s sequences in raucous color.Julianne Moore, a frequent Haynes collaborator, plays multiple roles, but the true stars are the two adolescents at the movie’s center: Millicent Simmonds as Rose and Oakes Fegley as Ben. Both are captivating.

Wonder Woman

At last, a female superhero worthy of a film franchise! And, girl, is she ever! Wonder Woman got a lot of attention during and even prior to its release for its groundbreaking qualities: not only a woman hero but a woman director in the Marvel universe. But the movie itself more than delivers on its promise by showcasing a central character whose greatest strengths are arguably her feminine qualities: curiosity, a thirst for justice, and abiding compassion. Israeli actress Gal Gadot embodies the Amazon princess with serene ease in front of the camera. The viewer cares about Wonder Woman, and therefore, her quest. The period setting and World War I revisionism are additional clever touches.

Honorable Mentions

Baby Driver, Blade Runner 2049, Detroit, Lady Macbeth, Lost in Paris, Mudbound, Okja, Personal Shopper, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and War for the Planet of the Apes. (Interesting side note: Mudbound and Okja were both made for Netflix and reached most of their audiences on that streaming site, not in theatrical release.)

High Hopes

(Movies I’ve not yet been able to see but which I look forward to)

Call Me by Your Name, Darkest Hour, Downsizing, I Tonya, Molly’s Game, Phantom Thread, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Post and The Shape of Water.

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Performance Series at DAM Explores Culture and Diversity

‘Thoughtful introspection’ is one of the goals

Throughout its 100-plus-year history, the Delaware Art Museum has presented a myriad of dance, music and theater experiences, expanding upon its own programs and showcasing the broad artistic range in Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley.

Now, the museum’s new (yet-to-be-named at press time) performance series will double down on that commitment, while attracting artists and performances that are relevant to the diverse population in the area. The entire series will aim to address critical issues affecting our surrounding communities while pushing the boundaries of experimentation in performance arts.

“This series allows us to create connections and conversations among people who may not otherwise come into contact with one another,” says Jonathan Whitney, the museum’s manager of Performance Programs and Community Engagement. “We’re responding in real time to what’s happening in our city, our region and our nation through opportunities for thoughtful introspection.”

The menu of interdisciplinary programs ranges from the popular chamber music of Concerts on Kentmere to the fusion of modern dance, music, multimedia and sculpture works. Some of the series events feature outside-the-box performances by the likes of trumpet virtuoso Nicholas Payton (Feb. 8) and large-scale collaborations like the contemporary dance project Step Afrika!

The Step Afrika performance, called The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence, will be co-presented with The Grand Opera House and Delaware State University (April 13).

The Step Afrika! project is inspired by Lawrence’s iconic paintings and combines body percussion and dance in a moving depiction of the migration north of African-Americans in the early 1900s. For this piece, the museum is also partnering with the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education (DIAE) to bring three-day workshops to local elementary and middle schools.

“We encourage students to have a more in-depth art experience,” says Ashley SK Davis, DIAE artistic director and executive and artistic director for Pieces of a Dream, Inc. “Instead of students simply seeing a performance, we send our teaching artists to partner with schoolteachers. We work with the students to participate in art making, and through that experience help them develop a deeper understanding of the work they’ll experience.” Following the teaching artists, a performance artist will meet with the students and teach them to create a step dance similar to what they’ll see in the Step Afrika! performance.

According to museum staff, this first year of programming will see many presenters pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines. In March, the museum presents Hand Eye, a performance from the multi-Grammy-winning sextet Eighth Blackbird (flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin and cello) at The Queen in Wilmington. The site-based dance performance, REPLICA, by choreographer and media artist Jonah Bokaer will be presented in the Copeland Sculpture Garden. In the summer, spoken-word and contemporary movement artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph will present /peh-LO-tah/, a groundbreaking hip-hop performance inspired by his memories of playing soccer as a child and his travels to World Cups in South Africa and Brazil. And in November, Bessie Award-winner Okwui Okpokwasili’s Poor People’s TV Room will consider the Nigerian histories of the Women’s War of 1929 and the 2014 kidnapping of nearly 300 girls by Boko Haram. Okpokwasili’s performance will be accompanied by outreach at the Cab Calloway School of the Arts.

“The museum is becoming more civically engaged,” says Sam Sweet, DAM’s executive director and CEO. But why bring in artists to present somewhere else? How does that come back to the museum? Sweet says he likes the idea of these partnerships and taking artists into neighborhoods where there is opportunity to create new audiences. “It will be up to us to get audiences to see these artists in venues where they live, but also to create incentives for them to come to the museum and discover what’s happening here,” he says.

To formally introduce the series, an exclusive preview party is planned for Thursday, Jan. 25, at 5 p.m. at the museum. The event will feature a sampling of the multidisciplinary works to be presented in the series.

Cultural Crossroads Honors 50 Years of Dr. King Legacy

Christina Cultural Arts Center’s student dance ensemble performs during a past Music School MLK & Black History Tribute program. Photo courtesy of The Music School of Delaware

The Music School of Delaware honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his death as part of its Cultural Crossroads series. On Friday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m., the school’s Wilmington Branch hosts its Martin Luther King Jr. & Black History Tribute—a celebration fusing music, art and spoken-word performances.

Cultural Crossroads Series Coordinator Chris Braddock calls this program one of his favorite Music School projects. “Needless to say, it’s an exciting one to present—drawn from an endless reservoir of inspiring music and words,” he says.

This year’s event focuses on the social upheaval of the late 1960s brought to life through the stirring words of award-winning Delaware storyteller TAHIRA and the soulful music of local R&B artists Fuzion Sol. Audiences will also hear live readings from King’s illustrious “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, given the day before his 1968 assassination. Performances from the DuPont Diversity Choir, pianists Clarence and Jacqueline Beach Faulcon, and the Music School’s student rock ensemble (in a tribute to bluesman Robert Johnson) round out the event. Works from noted regional visual artist Dane Tilghman will be displayed on site as well.

All tickets for the event are $5 and can be purchased at musicschoolofdelaware.org.

Gamers’ & Musicians’ Worlds Collide

On Saturday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m., The Grand Opera House taps into your arcade memories of yesteryear with the one-night-only event Video Games Live. It’s an immersive concert reviving music from some of the most popular video games in our collective memory. The performance features several members of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra playing along with exclusive video footage, synchronized lighting, live action and interactive segments to create an explosive event worthy of any Missile Command battle. Music includes themes from then to now and from such iconic games as “Donkey Kong,” “Space Invaders,” “Frogger,” “Mario,” “Zelda,” “Tomb Raider,” “Assassins’ Creed” and more.

The concept was created and produced by gaming industry veteran and video game composer Tommy Tallarico to support the culture and art that video games embody in the zeitgeist of the 1980s to now. The performance also bridges a generational gap in entertainment by exposing new audiences to the symphony orchestra experience while offering a unique musical event for families and non-gamers alike to enjoy.

Tickets range from $54-$62, with an additional “Ultimate Gamer VIP Experience” available that includes a pre-production tour, meet & greet with Tallarico and more. All are available now at thegrandwilmington.org.

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For the Record With Kurt Houff

“For the Record” is a periodic feature in which musicians discuss what they’ve been listening to lately.

If you talk to Montana Wildaxe lead guitarist and co-founder Kurt Houff about music, it’s surprising how much of the conversation focuses not only on sound, but also on sight and feel.

“Your influences are not always directly related to music,” Houff says. “Visual, auditory, anything that you process can be an influence to your music. It comes out in what you do.

“I have people come up to me and ask, ‘What do you see when you are building a solo?’ And honestly, I think of it more as a painting than an auditory thing. It’s more of a visual thing.”

It’s an interesting observation from a musician who has been long celebrated locally for his ambitious guitar solos—rollicking, circuitous sonic monologues that somehow counter a laid-back, almost instinctual style of play.

However, if Houff makes it all look easy, it’s an illusion of sorts. There is work to it, after all.

“I’ve done a fair share of studying [but I] apply it to the point where, when I go to perform, it’s not obvious that I tried to study something,” the guitarist says. “I assimilate it with what I do from a day-to-day perspective so that it really becomes another tool or another set of colors to put on [my] palette.”

With more than three decades with Montana Wildaxe, Houff has had time to collect a wide array of musical tools and colors. Along with the other members of Delaware’s most legendary jam band, Houff will be displaying that onstage artistry the night of Saturday, Dec. 23, at The Queen in the annual holiday show that has become a local tradition, attracting both longtime fans and inquisitive newbies looking to discover what the fuss is all about.

Houff himself remains somewhat curious about the popularity of the yearly event.

“I can’t put my finger on exactly why people continue to come out,” he says. “I’m assuming the music’s good because I enjoy it. But I think it also has to do with the camaraderie amongst the people who have come to see us [all these years]. They come out to see their friends who they haven’t seen in a while, and we’re a part of those friends. We’re kind of the catalyst for getting together.”

In addition to their revered renditions of songs by the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Little Feat and other classic jam bands, Montana Wildaxe’s connection with its audience certainly has helped fuel its success. Houff recalls a time, not so long ago, when the band played back-to-back weekend nights every month at Kelly’s Logan House.

“We’d get a lot of crap for it, but we’d do the first set then we’d take that seemingly endless half-hour break and hang out with everybody,” Houff recalls, chuckling. “Throw back a couple of beers or whatever and then head up on stage. They’re working their tails off having a good time in the crowd, and we’re up there sweating everything out for them.”

If you plan to get wild and festive with the Wildaxe crew this month—whether for the first or for the umpteenth time— you may be interested in the influences that have colored the sensibilities of one of the local music scene’s most colorful musicians. Here’s Kurt Houff on those influences:

Artist Unknown – Autumn Leaves

My first exposure to recorded music in album form—I don’t even know what the album was called—but I believe it was a collection of jazz standards with the first cut on the record being an instrumental version of “Autumn Leaves.”

My mom used to tell me that, as a 3-year-old child, I would pull that album off the stack because I recognized the picture on the cover, a beautiful autumn landscape, and then I would put it on. I would play the first cut, walk over, jerk the stylus off the record player and start it again. I would play it for hours, the same song, over and over again.

I’m pretty sure it was a piano trio. And to this day, piano trios are my favorite jazz vehicles.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

When I was 8 or so, my sister and her friends were just absolute Beatles freaks, for lack of a better term, and so Sgt. Pepper’s would probably be the next record. Paul McCartney basically indicated that this album was the Beatles’ response to the Beach Boys and [what they were doing in the studio at that time]. Hearing that later made perfect sense to me. But back to wh

en I was first listening to it, that wasn’t even a thought in my head. I was just floored by sounds of that record: the

guitar tones, some of the tape loop stuff, and McCartney’s bass lines throughout the entire album.

Part of [what was going on at that time] was that artists were exposed to new and different things and were asking, “How do I get at this sound that I hear in my head?” In today’s music, that childlike sense of discovery doesn’t seem to exist much anymore. Everybody’s jaded. Nobody’s going “How do I do this differently?”

Jeff Beck – Wired

The next step in my thought process was probably Jeff Beck. The hit song off that record was “Blue Wind,” and it [featured] the guitar carrying these quite different melodies that I was not used to hearing a guitar carry. That’s what struck me about it.

I had listened to some Yardbirds stuff and Jeff Beck Group’s “Shapes of Things.” Then I listened to Yardbirds without Jeff Beck, but those guitarists didn’t speak to me as much as the Jeff Beck stuff. So as soon as Wired came out, I was like, “I gotta listen to this!”

I didn’t know how he was getting those sounds back then. It was not like I’d seen tapes of him, or video footage, or any of the stuff you can Google now. So I just listened to it and said, “That’s cool. How does he get the guitar to do that?”

Rory Gallagher – Tattoo

I was watching TV and saw Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert and they had a Rory Gallagher bit. There he is in this really worn flannel shirt playing this beat-up Stratocaster with a tone that was pretty much guitar-to-amp. Some of the stuff that he did with guitar just absolutely blew my mind. It was probably the first time I saw somebody doing that with guitar.

This would have been ’74 or ’75 and I would have been 11 or 12. I think I’d just recently bought my first copy of Guitar Player magazine. [I was] just really starting to wrap my head around it all.

So I went to the record store at the Concord Mall—Village Records or something like that—and went in there and saw the record. The album cover is a picture of Rory done up like a tattoo. Same flannel shirt he was wearing on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.

His playing was pre-Stevie Ray Vaughan “Stevie Ray-ism.” Somebody who kind of channeled stuff. And once he got into an extended jam, he was somewhere else.

The Kinks – Arthur

I think it was the political commentary. I didn’t quite grasp it as I would today: songs like “Mr. Churchill Says” and songs about the prudishness of the Victorian era.

It’s rock ’n’ roll. I mean rock ’n’ roll really is a rebellious voice back to its origin. It’s a distaste for authority, just beating the man down.

Dave Davies played a significant amount of Stratocaster on that record and the tone of those guitars always speaks to me.

Houff and the rest of Montana Wildaxe perform their annual holiday show on Saturday, Dec. 23, at The Queen. For tickets and more information go to TheQueenWilmington.com.

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Somethin’ About Christmas Tour

American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen and pop artist Marie Miller come to Wilmington to help make the season bright

Pop artists Kris Allen and Marie Miller are coming to The Queen on Wednesday, Dec. 6, during Allen’s Somethin’ About Christmas Tour. Allen, the season 8 winner of American Idol (2009), released the album Somethin’ About Christmas last year but says he wasn’t able to play many shows for it, so he’s geared up for this tour.

“I played a couple shows with a small set-up, but none with a full band last year,” Allen says. “So I’m excited to bring these songs to life. We’ve also got some fun things lined up in the show that I think people are going to love.”

Christmas is a special theme for Allen. Before this album he had worked on a couple of Christmas projects: an EP in 2012 and an original Christmas song in 2014. Those releases fueled the fire for wanting to create a full-length holiday album, he says.

“More than anything, though, I just love that classic type of music. For some reason it has always stuck with me,” says Allen. “When I was making this album, I wanted it to feel like a classic—that jazzy and warm feeling you get when you listen to Burl Ives sing ‘Holly Jolly Christmas.’”

He wanted to try to create something similar for himself—and as a result, this album is one of his favorites among those he’s recorded over the years. His albums date back to 2007—before American Idol was a reality for him—with Brand New Shoes. Allen’s post-Idol self-titled album was released in 2009, which debuted at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The album’s lead single, “Live Like We’re Dying,” was released on Sept. 21, 2009, and peaked at number 18 in the U.S. with combined sales of more than 1.7 million. His most recent album, aside from the Christmas record, is his fifth studio album, Letting You In, released in 2016—and he says he wouldn’t be surprised if a new album found its way to listeners’ ears in 2018.

Meanwhile, Marie Miller, a folk pop singer-songwriter from the Shenandoah Valley, who is currently signed to Curb Records, is looking forward to being part of fans’ Christmas festivities while on tour, she says.

She is currently busy promoting her record Letterbox, an album featuring literary undertones.

“I grew up reading and loving old books, and so I have found that many of the characters from these books find themselves in my music,” Miller says. “My song ‘Story’ has references from The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings and Alice in Wonderland. Basically, I am a big nerd.”

The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $25. Get them at thequeenwilmington.com.