Nate Johnson performs at JavaVino in Racine, we will keep you posted when he will be there next.
Entries Tagged 'Performer' ↓
This is Nate Johnson…
March 9th, 2008 — EK24, Racine, Performer, Musician
The Kal Bergendahl Project performing “I Could Write A Book”
February 24th, 2008 — The Kal Bergendahl Project, Musical, Performer
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
December 16th, 2007 — Dance, Educator, Art Leadership, Performer
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.
Continue reading →
FA LA LA THIS… A review
December 16th, 2007 — Musical, Shows, Theater Review, Performer
by Franco Tarsitano
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
December 9th, 2007 — Literary, Performer, Musician
by Tammy Peacy
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.
Fa-La-La THIS Ron Kelly
December 2nd, 2007 — Poetry, Theater, Performer, Visual Artist
by Tammy Peacy
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.
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.
The Winter Wonderettes
December 2nd, 2007 — Theater, Performer
Platinum Players Presents
Winter Wonderettes
The New 60’s Christmas Musical
Founder/Director/Choreographer: Nikki Platt-Agazzi
Executive Chef: Michael Christensen
December 7th and 8th: 6:30pm Cocktails / 7:30pm Show
December 9th: 5:30pm Cocktails / 6:30 pm Show
Simmons Auditorium at Kemper Center
For tickets call Nikki @(262)764-0114
“Common Sense”
November 18th, 2007 — Poetry, Writer, Literary, Performer
An “Impromptu” Performance by Nick Demske
Click the arrow to listen to Nick Demske’s performance
Nick Demske is a poet living in downtown Racine, Wisconsin, above Wilbur’s Barbeque, with his girlfriend, Angela Malone. He is a Creative Writing graduate of Carthage College (May ‘06) and a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School (Nov. ‘06), a program that involved 3 months of living outdoors in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. Currently, Nick is working on two manuscripts: a self-portrait sonnet sequence called “Self-titled” and a manuscript based on a character he created called “Otis Henry.” Or did Otis Henry create him?
Nick works at the Racine Public Library and is working to start several programs through it, including a youth workshop analyzing social justice through poetry and a contemporary poetry discussion group in collaboration with JavaVino, a local wine and coffee shop.
If you see Nick about town, feel free to request an impromtu poetry reading (We did). He typically only responds when called “Nicki-poo.”
He paints. He acts. He binds his own books. Matt Specht rocks.
November 11th, 2007 — Painter, Theater, Writer, Song-writer, Musician, Performer, Visual Artist
by Tammy Peacy
Click the arrow to listen to Matt
Tammy: Are you from Kenosha?
Matt: Not really. I was born in Indiana. And lived in Iowa and Missouri and moved up here right before the fifth grade, in 1985.
T: Oh, so you’ve been here for (not wanting to do simple arithmetic in her head)… a while.
M: Most of my life. After I graduated from high school I lived in Racine, I lived in Waukegan for a little bit. And I was in a band and we were on tour so I lived in Minneapolis for a little while, but other than that, mostly Kenosha.
T: Alright. Were the arts a part of your upbringing? Is that kind of how you got into it?
M: Not really. I studied classical piano when I was a kid and that was the bulk of it. When I was a little kid I got a transistor radio from my grandpa, I would fall asleep with it under my pillow. That kind of turned me on to popular music as opposed to classical music. In junior high I started writing music. I remember writing a lot when I was a kid. Writing stories. My parents didn’t have much to do with it, aside from using piano lessons as punishment.
Night of Comedy and Improv at the Rhode Center for the Arts!
November 4th, 2007 — Theater, Performer
Laugh out loud! It’s time for another Night of Comedy and Improv at the Rhode Center for the Arts! Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 10th at 7 p.m.
The ladies of BroadMinded are ready to flex their funny bones as members of the gentler sex. Ah, they are just good-hearted girls from Milwaukee who like to have fun. Stacy Babl, Melissa Kingston, Anne Graff LaDisa and Megan McGee grace the Rhode stage with their smart and lively Sketch Comedy. Comic and emcee Jim Selovich will keep the evening moving merrily along. They will finish up the night with everyone joining together for some on-the-spot improv comedy that will have you rolling in the aisles.
Some come out and join us for one LIVE AND HILARIOUS night!
Maureen Cashin Bolog of Actor’s Craft and Jim Selovich are producing this fundraiser for the Rhode Center for the Arts, located at 514 56th Street. Tickets are affordably priced at $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Cash Bar and snack items will be available. Advanced tickets can be purchased at the Pollard Gallery, 518 56th Street (phone 262/657-PLAY), or at Larsen Mayer Pharmacy, 3535 30th Avenue. For more information at 262/705-0194.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS! What’s a fundraiser without friends and funds?
Contact: Maureen Cashin Bolog, Actor’s Craft
Business Cell: 262/705-0194
