KIRBY SERIES STARTS IN STYLE WITH AMY AT THE HELM
IMG_0551 By Michael Lello Photos by Jesse Faatz WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Introducing the song “Calvary” during Amy Helm and the Handsome Strang...
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AMY HELM: “IT’S OUR JOB TO PASS IT ON”
By Michael Lello Amy Helm is playing a vital role in keeping alive the legacy of her late father Levon – and not just in name. When the legendary drummer, singer and mandolin player from The Band di...
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RINGERS WOW JAZZ CAFE CROWD
By Michael Lello Photos by Pati Bobeck PLAINS, Pa. -- On paper, the concept of The Ringers sounds like a trainwreck waiting to happen. Three world-class guitarists, vying for alpha-dog status and...
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“KIDS FOR CASH” EXPOSES NEPA’S OPEN WOUNDS
By Greg Popil A sad, tragic story, particularly in documentary form, can be painful to watch regardless of the tale’s location, participants, and details. A good filmmaker can chronicle the exploits ...
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FUNKY TROMBONE SHORTY HORNS IN ON KIRBY CENTER
By Michael Lester Photos by Jim Gavenus WILKES-BARRE -- Troy Andrews lowered his shiny trombone to his waist, wiped his mouth and swiveled from his dual microphones at the front of the F.M. Kirby ...
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ALEXIS P. SUTER’S “SINGING JOURNAL”
By Michael Lello Can the blues make you happy? It seems counterintuitive, but Alexis P. Suter seems downright sunshiny in a recent conversation with Highway 81 Revisited. The powerhouse vocalist wi...
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ELVIS COSTELLO’S AIM IS TRUE IN MARATHON KIRBY CONCERT
WILKES-BARRE -- It took about two and a half hours for Elvis Costello to encapsulate his career Monday night at the F.M. Kirby Center, and the poet, punk and provocateur used every minute of it to ful...
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ALICE COOPER’S NIGHTMARE ON MARKET STREET
By Michael Lello Photos by Jim Gavenus WILKES-BARRE – In an era of Miley Cyrus’ twerks and Rihanna’s Instagram feed, an entertainer has to go to cartoonish extremes to engage, never mind, shock, a...
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AMERICAN BABIES STARE DOWN DEATH
By Michael Lello For Tom Hamilton, changes in his perspective on life led to changes in his music. Put simply, both grew more serious. You can hear the new approach on “Knives & Teeth,” the thi...
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A CONVERSATION WITH ALICE COOPER: PART TWO
By Michael Lello Photos by Jim Gavenus On the phone with Highway 81 Revisited from his Arizona home, the first thing Alice Cooper, an avid sports fan and owner of sports bar and restaurant Alice Coo...
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