Entries Tagged 'Performer' ↓

This is Nate Johnson…

Nate Johnson performs at JavaVino in Racine, we will keep you posted when he will be there next.

The Kal Bergendahl Project performing “I Could Write A Book”

from the Kal Bergendahl Project myspace page.

“…About Kal Bergendahl Project

The Kal Bergendahl Project (KBP) is a group of several diverse and talented musicians spanning from Milwaukee to Chicago. The group’s founder and bassist, Kal Bergendahl, embarked on this project venturing to combine smooth, edgy jazz with soulful pop music in 2005. KBP steps into the worlds of vocal jazz and pop, as well as instrumental jazz (both traditional and smooth). The group’s sounds are reminiscent of Diana Krall and Kirk Whalum on the jazz side and Norah Jones, Maroon 5 and John Mayer on the pop side. With the unique and interesting blend of musical variety, KBP have created a musical setting that has attracted a wide audience and diverse fan base. This has given them the ability to perform at a wide range of musical venues. Because of the group’s diversity they can customize their live show to best suit a given venue/audience.

KBP gives Kal and the other members the opportunity to take the next step in their playing and creativity.

“I wanted to have a group which has the ability to have any member lead, either instrumentally or vocally,” he explains. “Even though I am the leader I pass around the melodies to everyone. My purpose is to bring two audiences together, the jazz and pop audience and expose them to the music they may not be as familiar with.”

For Booking Information please contact: 262.344.1347 or kal@kalbproject.com…”

“Captivated” ~ Meet Gina Laurenzi

by Tammy Peacy


Gina Laurenzi and Kevin Hammond video courtesy of 716: Fine Art

T: You’re a dancer… When did you get started?

G: Well, actually I started in Kenosha when I was younger.

T: What’s younger, because I think you’re young now.
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FA LA LA THIS… A review

by Franco Tarsitano

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Let me begin by telling you that Ron Kelly, who by the way is a great performer, a great humanitarian, and a great personal friend of mine, opened his Holiday Variety Show, “FA LA LA THIS,” on Friday night atop of cozy Carolyn’s Coffee Connection.

The evening line-up of performers: Dove was “hands on” with his/her letters to Santa, Mel Meskimen brought the angst of “giftgasm”. Sweetness Jill Paisted fingered a folksy guitar and carols “Christmas In Jail,” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Wino”. Ron Kelly’s “Top Ten Secret Santa’s Gifts” and “Top Ten Self-Help Books to Give As a Gift” caught me thinking that I might have to make some returns right away.

Ron’s final monologue reveals an astute story-teller who manages to keep the audience compelled with an unexpected twist. We are reminded that the Holidays have their innocence, tragedies and everything in between. “FA LA LA THIS” is a gift to Kenosha.

David HB Drake

by Tammy Peacy

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Click the arrow to listen to David HB Drake

Don’t tell him that folk music is dead. Saying folk music is dead “is like saying people are dead. Nowadays if you’re washing dishes or mowing the lawn you might listen to and iPod, but when I was a kid we didn’t have that stuff. We had radio; we didn’t have television. We would sing while we were doing that stuff. In African culture everybody sings whatever work they’re doing. The work is lighter when you sing,” says David.

DHBD comes from a strong family tradition of music. His grandmother was a part of the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. On Friday nights he would go with his brother and parents to a local bar for a fish fry. The boys would sit in a corner and watch as their parents danced. Their father sometimes played the accordion. Brought up during the John Wayne-era of real men don’t sing and dance, DHBD was raised to believe “Music is okay. Poetry is okay. Dancing is okay.” His family used to sing together at night. He remembers the first record they got was Harry Belafonte’s Christmas album.

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Fa-La-La THIS Ron Kelly

by Tammy Peacy

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He’s a self-promoting, women’s foundation garment peddling, performing and visual artist. It’s Ron Kelly.

As I arrange myself in a chair upstairs at Carolyn’s Coffee Connection, I push a decorative throw pillow to the side.

“I think pillows [on furniture] are just to cover people’s bellies to be honest with you,” Ron quips.

“Yea, honesty!” I think to myself. And while we’re being honest, “That’s exactly what I usually do with the pillow! But nobody is supposed to know that’s what the pillow in my lap is for.”

Ron Kelly is offering “the perfect antidote to the inevitable Ryan Seacrest holiday special.” Fa-La-La THIS started in Chicago with a theater company called Hell in a Handbag.

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Tammy: What was Hell in a Handbag?

Ron: We did ironic spoofs of classic B movies. So we did Valley of the Dolls, Scarrie the Musical. Our biggest success was Poseidon the Upside Down Musical. We did a holiday show every years called Rudolph the Red Hosed Reindeer, which is a musical about a cross-dressing reindeer and a not-gay-enough elf. We had a monologue show that just kind of grew out of that called Screw Christmas. We broke off and started our own little show and we started Fa-La-La THIS, which I think is a little more fun.

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