Getting into character can be a complex process for some performers. Not for Windle Willoughby.
The member of The Deloreans, a Hampton Roads-based ’80s tribute band, said being Billy Idol is a breeze.
“All it takes is a box of L’Oreal No. 205, extra bleach blond and some hair gel,” he laughed.
Toss in a few leather-gloved fist pumps, a well-timed lip curl, and Willoughby is pretty much a dead ringer for the “White Wedding” singer.
“I’m totally recognizable,” said the band’s keyboard player and one of its seven vocalists. “I don’t even need business cards anymore.”
The resemblance to the iconic ’80s figure may seem obvious now, but it wasn’t always so. Willoughby, who’s 37, came of age in the era of Nirvana and grunge-inspired flannel shirts. By that time, Billy Idol’s punk chic was about as relevant as a Rubik’s Cube and had faded from the public eye.
“I grew up in the ’90s, so on a personal level, that’s the music and era that I identify with,” Willoughby said.
Even so, a gig’s a gig, so when his brother and a few musician friends got the idea of forming The Deloreans in 2007, Willoughby agreed to join them.
“I was like, yeah, an ’80s band, sure why not. I wasn’t ambivalent about it, but I can’t say I was that ecstatic about it either.”
As it turns out, the decision proved to be a very wise career move. It may be a cliche, but music really is the soundtrack to our youth, no matter the generation. For the original MTV generation, ’80s music represents carefree times, and nostalgia can mean big business. But the price of admission includes more than just a grab bag of cover tunes.
The Deloreans, who play The Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach on New Year’s Eve, are all in when it comes to embodying the era of excess.
“We are like an ’80s theme park,” Willoughby said. “We’ve got the costumes; we got the look and the attitude. When you come to a Deloreans show, you feel like you’re actually in the ’80s.”
Each member of the eight-piece unit gets their moment to shine, swapping off the lead role in tunes from Madonna to Twisted Sister.
“The thing about ’80s music is that every song is like a party,” Willoughby said. And he’s more than happy to play the part of its merry prankster host.
When it’s his turn to take the lead as Billy Idol, Willoughby plays the part with all the hedonistic gusto the British musician became known for.
“I wind up doing stuff that would get most people thrown out of a club, but I’m actually getting paid to do it,” Willoughby laughed. “I’m usually on top of a bar or on a chair right in the middle of the crowd. One time I jumped up on a table with my big black boots, just getting into the song, and I stomped on a glass. Shrapnel went everywhere.”
When Willoughby isn’t performing with The Deloreans, he’s a music teacher in Virginia Beach, as are many of his bandmates. Still, it’s fair to ask if spraying on Aqua Net and wearing neon ever gets old.
“I always get a charge out of playing in this band,” Willoughby said. “Every time we perform there’s always at least one person who is seeing us for the first time. When they hear a song they haven’t heard since they were in seventh grade, it’s like magic. That’s the appeal, and that’s why they keep coming back. We touch on love and memories, and that makes people feel good.”
If anyone appreciates the realm of social media, it's Martina McBride.
While the 46-year-old mother of three may seem an unlikely inhabitant of the Twittersphere, the country music superstar is very much plugged in. She tweets regularly, posts often on Facebook and is a prolific pinner.
"I'm kind of obsessed with Pinterest right now," she confessed.
McBride is even a follower of @DrunkenMartina, a fake twitter account that pokes fun at the singer's contemporaries with humorous posts supposedly written by McBride after one too many glasses of Chardonnay.
"I think it's hilarious," she said.
With her socially minded lyrics and charity work, McBride is often depicted as somewhat serious. In the virtual arena, the Grammy-winner gets to display a more playful side, even if people aren't always in on the joke.
Who knew a recent Facebook post titled "Things I Don't Get," which included decaf coffee and artichokes, would arouse so much feedback? "
You wouldn't believe how many comments I got about those dang artichokes," she said with a laugh during a recent phone conversation from her home in Nashville. "C'mon, people! I didn't say I hated them, I just said I didn't get them, so please stop sending me recipes!"
Such are the hazards of having such a passionate fan base. On the flip side, we can thank the singer's superfans for encouraging her to reprise one of her more popular outings.
After a six-year layoff, McBride is once again taking out the tinsel for her "Joy of Christmas Tour," which plays the Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk on Saturday. She will likely include songs from her platinum-selling "White Christmas" album, originally released in 1998 and repackaged 10 years later with a few new holiday tracks.
"The Christmas season is by far the McBride family's favorite time of the year," she said. "Every year we go out and get a live tree and decorate it together, and each year I give my girls a new Christmas ornament. I love traditions, so to be a part of that for someone else is really cool for me."
As for McBride's yuletide set list, she says she plans to mix it up.
"We'll do everything from 'Let It Snow' to 'Blue Christmas,' some of the more pop numbers, and then we build up to the hymns like 'O Come All Ye Faithful' and 'O Holy Night.' That's the really powerful part of the show because those songs are about the true meaning of Christmas and they're also challenging to sing."
With her high-octane soprano, McBride routinely hits those soaring, celestial notes. Her powerhouse pipes have helped make the singer one of the most successful female artists in country music. But it's McBride's substance that has made her stand out.
"I'd like to be known as someone who records songs that are intelligent and emotional," she said."I don't want to be thought of as fluff."
From tackling domestic violence on her hit "Independence Day" to breast cancer on "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" off her latest album, "Eleven," McBride is anything but. With 24 Top-10 country music singles to her name, the musician's uplifting anthems and power ballads have obviously struck a chord.
And although she's been nominated a record 15 times for female vocalist of the year by the Country Music Association, McBride doesn't feel like she's done it all.
"I keep looking for new places to go with my music," she said. "Of course, it's fun to play arenas and pretend like you're a rock star, but for me, making a connection is the thing that makes it all worthwhile. That's the real payoff."
Of all the elements that provide gospel music with its designation as a joyful noise, perhaps none is more significant than the lyrics. Sure, the genre's praise-filled melodies can inspire people to their feet, but it's the message that stirs the soul.
"For me, it's all about encouragement and inspiration," said Yolanda Adams, one of gospel's leading ladies.
"I think a lot of music, whether its R&B, hip-hop, or rock, it's been so dogged and down. There's a real hunger for an uplifting message."
Adams, who performs Sunday at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, has built a career on the power of positivity.
"I have joy in my life every day," she said.
But that doesn't mean the four-time Grammy winner hasn't had her share of ups and downs. In a four-year period alone, Adams went through a divorce, was investigated by the IRS and lost her mother to colon cancer. But as the saying goes, it's all about perspective.
"I think we take for granted that joy is just something people possess," she said. "I have joy because of the choices I make. A lot of people don't do the necessary work to ensure that no matter how they feel, they're still joyful about something in their lives. We're so used to looking at what we don't have or assuming that what someone else has is so much better. Let's take a look at what we do have."
The 51-year-old singer won't get any arguments from fellow gospel superstar Erica Campbell of the sister-duo act Mary Mary.
"We concur with Yolanda 100 percent," she said during a recent interview.
"The way you think will determine how you live. Yes, life is hard sometimes, but you have to choose to be happy."
The Mary Mary sisters, who perform at Hampton Coliseum on Friday, say the subject is especially timely.
"It's so interesting to talk about perspective, because we literally just wrote a song about it," said Tina Campbell. "The lyrics go 'bad news came in this morning and I had to decide, even though these tears are flowing, that I choose to be all right.' You're basically confessing to yourself that no matter what the circumstance, my perspective is going to elevate me."
A shared outlook isn't the only thing Adams and Mary Mary have in common. They are also both masters of other media.
The second season of Mary Mary's reality show - aptly called "Mary Mary" - kicks off in December on cable TV's WE network. Meanwhile, Adams' syndicated radio show can be heard locally on Star 1310 (WGH-AM) on weekday mornings.
Both acts have also helped broaden the fan base of contemporary gospel music by introducing elements of soul, jazz and hip-hop.
"It's a wonderful thing to see how our genre has grown," Adams said. The singer's 2011 release, "Becoming," had no shortage of dance floor anthems.
"Too many times we are put in a box by musical labels," the singer noted. But make no mistake, while the music may have evolved, the Christian message remains the same.
"I don't think being a follower of Jesus dictates having a certain kind of instrumentation," Erica Campbell said.
Perhaps more than any other group, Mary Mary has redefined gospel music.
The platinum-selling sister act is a crossover sensation. The duo's latest release, "Go Get It," charted on Billboard's gospel, R&B and hip-hop charts. "It blows our hair back," Tina Campbell said of the duo's success.
Even so, there's more work to be done. "I like to think there's a science to the numbers when we play a concert," Erica Campbell said. "Fifty percent of the people in the room love Mary Mary, but the other percent came just because someone invited them. Those are the people we're trying to reach."
Robert Lamm believes that his brain is wired differently
than most other people’s. How else to explain the near constant hum of music playing
in his head?
“Even as I speak to you now I hear a melody in the background,”
said the founding member of the band, Chicago.
As the
songwriter for such classic rock hits as “Saturday in the Park,” “25 or 6 to 4”and
“Beginnings,” this ever steady soundtrack has been mostly a good thing. After
all, Chicago has produced five number one albums and twenty one top ten singles
over the course of their celebrated career.But sometimes the tune spinning inside Lamm’s head is unwelcome.
“It’s
not much fun when it’s a jingle from some dog food commercial,” he laughed. Such are the occupational hazards involved
with five decades of music making.Chicago,
who play tonight at Farm Bureau Live in Virginia Beach with the Doobie Brothers,
has been churning out their horn fueled rock and roll for 45 years now. Still,
suggest that the band has provided the soundtrack to people’s lives and Lamm is
gracious but mostly indifferent.
“I don’t like to focus on the past,” said the keyboard
player and vocalist. “We’re all about moving forward.” Fans of Chicago’s 80’s
power ballad years may be unaware that the band’s early output was very different.
When Peter Cetera, the de facto leader of that era left the band, Chicago
returned to their earlier adventurous mind-set. By 1994, love songs gave way to
experimental fare including psychedelic jams and even a rap song for what was meant
to be Chicago’s 22nd album.
Considering
their storied career up to that point, it seemed as though Chicago had earned
the right to follow their artistic vision. “Well you would have thought that
would have been the case,” said Lamm of the project. Instead, “Stone of
Sisyphus” was deemed unmarketable by Chicago’s record company. Even so, the album
gained legendary status among fans and was heavily bootlegged until it was
finally self- released in 2008.
With four original members now in their
sixties, Chicago could easily coast on their back catalog but instead are
busily crafting new music for a CD they expect to release in 2013. Lamm says
his compositions reflect the direction taken in his solo efforts.
“My interests
move toward world music and electronic music. The great thing about Chicago is that
there’s never been a lot of resistance to pushing boundaries.”
A prime example of
that mentality is the viral sensation “Forget Saturday,” a mash-up of Chicago’s
“Saturday in the Park,” with Cee-Lo Green’s Grammy winning song, “Forget You.”
The track, produced by a Lamm collaborator melds the two songs seamlessly.
“I spoke
with Cee-Lo and he just laughed and threw his hands up in a humorous way when
we talked about the similarities in the songs,” said Lamm. “I look at it as a
compliment.”
But that wasn’t the first time Chicago’s music has served as an
inspiration.
I’ve had a lot of requests
over the years for permission to sample Chicago songs,” said Lamm, who’s given
consent to artists ranging from R&B superstar Chris Brown to the European
hip-hop collective Cookin’ Soul. “A lot
of today’s current music makers have a certain reverence for 70’s music,” he said.
“For them, it’s where it’s at right now. They think it sounds cool.”
Royal Teeth is having a moment.
Not only did the quirky indie pop band deliver a buzzworthy performance at this year's annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, but the sextet's synth savvy music is getting modern rock radio play, featured in TV shows such as "90210" and HBO's hit series "Girls," and even showcased in a Canadian Buick commercial.
"Things are happening really fast. We haven't really fully processed it yet," guitarist/vocalist Gary Larsen said of the band's rapid rise.
"We all just quit our day jobs in May," added vocalist Nora Patterson by phone from the band's home base in Lafayette, La. "It's a little scary, but it's worked out really well so far."
It almost didn't happen. At least, it might not have happened.
Last fall Royal Teeth was invited to perform in the hipster-approved CMJ Music Festival in New York City, and considered turning down the offer.
"Our manager was a little hesitant to have us play because he wasn't sure we had enough experience," explained Larsen.
At the time the current lineup had only been together for a year.
"There was some talk about whether we should take a little bit more time before we threw ourselves out there and risk getting eaten alive," Larsen said.
Royal Teeth took the chance.
Bolstered by the vocal interplay of Larsen and Patterson, the festival's response to Royal Teeth was almost as exuberant as the group's catchy melodies.
The band, which plays The Jewish Mother in Norfolk on tonight, evokes the golden age of new wave with its swooping choruses and electronic dance beats.
On "Wild," the lead track off its debut EP "Act Naturally," Royal Teeth delivers an epic ode to chasing dreams.
"It's about making a real commitment and going for something you really want," Larsen said.
That "go for it" philosophy struck a chord. "The song is really connecting with people," Larsen said. "It's kind of weird but it's a really good weird."
"We didn't think it would become this anthem when we wrote it," Patterson added. "That's pretty awesome."
The band's live show isn't so bad, either. Royal Teeth tries to connect with its audiences by using simple, but effective, techniques like shooting balloons or confetti into the crowd.
"Our main goal is to be really fun live," Larsen said. "We really want it to feel like an experience. I like to jump in the crowd and play, literally, in your face. I'll take your phone and snap pictures, anything we can do to make the show memorable."
And that takes practice.
"It's actually something we work on," Patterson said of developing the band's stage show. "We want to be different, so we try to come up with new ways to make the show more interactive.
"We put everything we have into it so we can make it really worth the money you're spending to come and see us."
People always tell us, 'I never thought I would like bluegrass music, but I love you guys,' " said Ward Harrison, guitarist for the Hackensaw Boys.
"Whenever someone comes up to us after a show and says, 'I'd never seen a bluegrass band before,' we say, well you still haven't."
So say the Hackensaw Boys, a six-piece acoustic act from Charlottesville that plays moonshine-era-inspired melodies with a punk rock swagger.
"If anything, we're a fiddle-stomping rock 'n' roll string band," Harrison said.
For the Hackensaw Boys, that joyful noise is as much informed by the music of their youth as that of their great-grandparents. The bandmates came of age in the era of such alternative rock pioneers as The Replacements, a noted influence.
"That band directly inspired the angle at which we approach music," Harrison said. "They had that sort of reckless, throw-it-all-up-and-see-where-it-lands kind of spirit."
The Hackensaw Boys will conjure that spirit at The Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach on Saturday, using traditional instrumentation such as mandolin, upright bass and fiddle along with a rhythm device called the "charismo," a homemade contraption of tin cans, spoons, bicycle bells and hubcaps.
"It is kind of a spectacle, I have to admit," Harrison said of the band's stage show.
But that doesn't mean the Hackensaw Boys aren't capable of tugging at heartstrings with an Appalachian-style lament.
"We're certainly known for very high-energy, dancey kind of stuff, but at the same time we can switch gears into something more contemplative and mature," Harrison said. "I liken it to an evening at the theater; we cover the gamut of emotions."
Eclectic but not gimmicky, the Hackensaw Boys embrace old-time music without a stitch of irony.
Sure, they have fun with the concept, as evidenced by their grizzly-bearded appearance and use of old-fashioned country music nicknames, but Harrison - aka "Spits" - says the band's intent is genuine.
"We love the tradition of the music that we do. It's what's in our hearts."
That's the premise behind this weekend's inaugural ETC Indie Music and Arts Festival at Town Point Park in Norfolk.
Organizers say the event aims to shine a light on independently produced music, art and even food.
"Indie can mean different things to different people, but it is the idea that the independent author, the visual artist that does not have a studio, or the band that is not heard every day on the radio is given an opportunity to showcase their talents in a premiere venue within a professional production," said Ted Baroody, president of Norfolk Festevents.
And ETC, which stands for Embrace the Culture, takes the independent theme a step further by including chefs who don't cook at typical brick-and-mortar restaurants. In addition to three stages of music and a retail arts marketplace, the festival will feature a food truck food court.
"It's a modern alternative to the traditional food setup," Baroody said. It's also a fitting representation of the do-it-yourself ethos.
"Chefs, musicians and artists are kindred spirits," said Cassandra Ayala, co-owner of Twisted Sisters Cupcakes, one of the mobile eateries that will be serving culinary creations on Saturday. "I think food is just another level of the kind of passion it takes to be any kind of creative soul."
Ayala should know. The enterprising epicurean and her sister, Tracy Busching, ditched their steady paying jobs several years ago to launch their traveling cupcake business. The siblings' pink polka-dotted van is likely recognizable to many Hampton Roads foodies who stay abreast of Twisted Sisters' ever-changing location via social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
"We get to bring the community together," Ayala said. "It's about much more than just handing someone a plate of food."
That's a sentiment echoed by Amy Oliver, founder and co-owner of Wrap-N-Roll, a food truck that offers healthy wraps, salads and entrees.
Oliver and partner Jerri Hartz work with Hampton Roads Buy Fresh Buy Local, an organization connecting local farmers to consumers. The food truck proprietors are newbies to this. Oliver, a former flight attendant, was mulling over career options after a transitional job in food retail got her thinking. One day while scanning Craigslist, the Virginia Beach resident spotted an ad for a used truck and inspiration struck.
"I didn't tell anybody, I just pulled up to the driveway and told my husband I was starting a new business," she laughed of driving home with the vehicle.
Oliver says the venture has given her the opportunity to meet like-minded people.
"The woman who designed the logo for the food truck is also going to be at ETC," she noted. Local artist Tammy Deane repurposes goods found at local thrift shops.
"She takes things apart and puts them together into really interesting funky pieces. "That's what I love about this festival," added Oliver. "If you look around, you will see that we're sitting on all kinds of neat creative stuff here in Hampton Roads."
Thirteen years ago, the rock band Lit was on top of the pop music world with a platinum-selling album and a No. 1 hit song in "My Own Worst Enemy."
Musical trends have changed since Lit's sugary, serrated guitar riffs and semi-gloomy Southern California melodies were late-'90s buzz fodder; so much so that it's easy to assume Lit's flame burned out years ago.
The reality is much more complicated.
"We've been through a lot," confided the rock band's bassist, Kevin Baldes. "But we're still standing, and I think that speaks volumes."
The fact that Lit, which plays the nTelos Wireless Pavilion in Portsmouth on Tuesday, has survived is something of a minor miracle. And although the band's performance is part of the "Summerland" tour of '90s acts, Lit's story is more than just nostalgic. It's one of endurance through tragedy.
Since releasing its last album eight years ago, Lit has faced a number of heartbreaking challenges. In 2005, brothers A. Jay and Jeremy Popoff - the group's lead singer and guitarist - lost their stepfather when he was killed in a motorcycle accident. Their mother survived but was seriously injured.
"They were hit head-on by a drunk driver," Baldes revealed. "It was horrific."
It would be several years before the Popoff brothers felt ready to return to making music on a full-time basis.
"Obviously, family comes first, and A. Jay and Jeremy needed to take care of their mother," Baldes said.
By 2008, things were looking up for Lit.
"We were writing new songs and had booked a tour to open up for Kiss in Europe," Baldes said.
A week before the tour was scheduled to start, tragedy struck again when Lit's drummer, Allen Shellenberger, collapsed.
"I was the first guy he called after it happened," Baldes said. "He was really upset because he didn't know what was going on."
Medical tests revealed that the 38-year-old drummer was suffering from brain cancer. He died just over a year later. After his band mates took time to grieve, they opted to carry on.
"Allen would have been really mad if we hadn't kept going," said Baldes. "Music has always been soothing for us, just as it is for a lot of people."
Fast-forward to the present, and Lit is now a five-piece group, with the addition of guitarist/keyboardist Ryan Gilmour and new drummer Nathan Walker, Shellenberger's one-time drum tech.
Even so, the loss of the long-time member is still palpable.
"As a bass player I'm part of the rhythm section, and there are many different points in a show where I would have to look at Allen to keep time," said Baldes, his voice cracking with emotion. "So I have to look back at Nate now. It's still hard sometimes."
Triumph over tribulation is a theme that colors many of the songs on Lit's new album, "The View From the Bottom," released last month.
"The Wall" and "Here's to Us" are poignant power ballads informed by loss. But that's not to say Lit has abandoned its fist-pumping rock side, as evidenced on the new single, "You Tonight."
"If you're a fan of Lit and like what we do, why would we change that and try to be something different?" Baldes said.
So far, the reception for Lit's return has been more than the bass player had expected.
"We've been away for a long time, so the support we've been getting is just awesome," he said. "People seem to be really digging the album, and that is very validating. I can't tell you how good that feels after all we've been through."
Not quite a country singer, and with a sound that's sexier than folk music, Mindy Smith isn't easy to label, and that's just the way she likes it.
"I don't much care to be put in a box or be in any specific genre," said the Nashville-based musician.
Even so, by creating music that favors substance over style, Smith has found an audience with fans of intimate songcraft.
"That's the reason I write songs; to deal with difficult things," said the musician, who plays the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach on Sunday. "I think that's what draws people to my music. They can hear that it's real."
Whether she's calling out a thoughtless lover or expressing grief, Smith strikes a chord and offers catharsis.
"There's a certain element of exposure emotionally within myself that I allow people to get in touch with," she said. "But at the same time I think they can reflect on situations in their own lives."
The 40-year-old native New Yorker moved to Nashville in 1998 and, like many young hopefuls, started out by playing open-mic nights. It wasn't long before her sweet soprano voice began eliciting comparisons to country-folk artists like Alison Krauss and Shawn Colvin.
As the daughter of a pastor, she draws on spiritual themes.
From "Come to Jesus" off her 2004 debut, "One Moment More," to "Closer" on her new self-titled record, Smith isn't shy about expressing her faith.
"I'm proud of being a pastor's kid," she said. "I think it's actually pretty cool."
But that spiritual journey hasn't always been an easy one.
"It's been a challenge sometimes, I'll be honest with you," said Smith, who purposely took a three- year hiatus between albums. "I spent the last several years trying to get my bearings and investing in myself. We all have to do that at times. I call it weeding the garden."
The time off re-energized the singer-songwriter and allowed her to dig deep into her emotional life, one that will forever be influenced by the passing of her mother when she was still a teenager.
"The songs that I write are very much coping mechanisms for traumatic experiences," she said.
One other method of attempting to deal with difficult feelings has held her back, but it's something Smith says she's come to terms with.
"There are elements in my journey that have inhibited me, and one of them is having obsessive compulsive disorder," she said.
"When I do a show I have to explain to the stage manager that these are my issues and this is how things need to be because a lot of people are coming to my show and I want to be able to give them the best one possible."
Smith used to find these types of exchanges embarrassing.
"Now I'm like, whatever," she said. "There are a lot of people struggling with the same thing, and maybe, by me being open about it, it will help them in their own struggle to be OK with themselves."
Above all else, Smith seems to have found some peace of her own, and it's resulted in a newfound confidence.
"I really feel like this is my moment," she said of her career. "And there a lot of people pulling for me."
On his way to band rehearsal, Carbon Leaf frontman Barry Privett ruminates over the concept of time.
“I’ve been chewing on the fact that we’re all on this linear timeline,” he said of a theme that’s emerged in the rock band’s latest batch of songs. “There have been a lot of questions about how you use that as you move through life. Are your dreams still the ones you once had or do they need adjusting?”
It’s fitting that the band takes such stock in its timeline as Carbon Leaf just hit its 20-year mark. What began as a dorm room jam session at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland in 1992 has evolved into a career that’s included radio hits and tours with the Dave Matthews Band and John Mayer.
Privett, who was raised in the Elizabeth Park section of Norfolk, admits that the milestone snuck up on the band.
“Before we knew it, all this time has flown by,” said the 41-year-old singer, talking on the phone from his home in Richmond. “It makes me wonder how we managed to stick with it. It’s still a lot of hard work, but on the other hand, we still get to create things and throw it out into the world.”
Carbon Leaf’s career trajectory has been slow but steady. The band, which plays the Fourth of July Stars in the Sky event at Victory Landing Park in Newport News on Wednesday, started performing at small clubs in Hampton Roads and Richmond before moving on to larger East Coast venues.
In 2002, the rootsy, harmony-driven rock band beat out more than 1,000 other entrants to become the first unsigned group to perform at the American Music Awards. The high-profile gig garnered the quintet national radio airplay and a record contract. Two years later, Carbon Leaf had a pop-rock radio hit with “Life Less Ordinary.”
The band’s latest release is 2011’s three-disc set “Live, Acoustic … And in Cinemascope!” a collection that showcases Carbon Leaf’s warm, amiable vibe. Now, the group is in the initial phase of readying its next project.
“There are different seasons for the band, and we just ended kind of a long, dark winter,” said Privett. “I was off on my own writing lyrics and everyone else was doing a lot of heavy practicing, so now we’re getting reacquainted with the creative process again.”
To that end, Carbon Leaf has been holed up in the West End of Richmond at the home of guitarist Terry Clark.
“He’s got a two-car garage attached to his house, which we converted to a rehearsal space and recording studio,” Privett said. “We have about 30 new songs, and we’ve been working out the arrangements and hitting about four or five a day for the last couple of weeks. Once we cycle through them, we’ll see which ones are good and which ones are disasters.”
Paula Poundstone wants people to know that she really is trying. "Yes, I do want to win," the comedian said of her gig as a panelist on NPR's weekly news quiz show, "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me."
"It seems to be an urban legend that I'm attempting to lose," she added, talking on the phone from her home in Santa Monica, Calif. "Apparently my losses are so dominant that I'm the agony of defeat of public radio. I do study up, but my children and my cats interrupt my training."
So how much prep does Poundstone do before each taping of the radio show?
"Well, I sort of collect newspapers during the week, and then on the flight to Chicago, I cram," she said. "Some weeks I have great success at being well-apprised and others just not at all."
The comic does have a theory on how her fellow panelists consistently achieve victory. "I do feel that the others cheat," she joked. "They were simply born into the world knowing more about current events than I, and if they want to play on that uneven playing field, I'm not going to be a bad sport about it."
Known for her off-kilter sensibility and razor-sharp wit, Paula Poundstone balances her radio duties with an active stand-up schedule. On Sunday, she brings her act to Newport News for a performance at the Ferguson Center for the Arts.
The youngest in her family, Poundstone was introduced to comedy quite young. "When the other kids went to school, my mother would make them breakfast and then she would go back to bed for an hour, so I was sort of baby-sat by television," she noted.
As fate and TV scheduling would have it, that hour spent watching the tube would play a pivotal role in Poundstone's development. "My relationship with the Three Stooges started very early," she said. "I've seen each episode literally hundreds of times."
Clearly, Larry, Moe and Curly made a big impression.
"I have a very silly sense of humor," admitted the 52-year- old funnywoman. "I've never laughed harder in my entire life than seeing someone with toilet paper stuck on the bottom of their shoe. I do love clever and witty, but I think that the Three Stooges were geniuses."
By age 19, Poundstone was a regular on the comedy club circuit. She's since hosted her own TV show, written a comedic memoir, won an Emmy award and two Cable Ace awards.
As achievements go, it adds up to a pretty nice resume, but Poundstone says an honor bestowed to her several years ago remains a personal favorite.
"A while back, the Chicago Tribune did an article on the history of the Pop-Tart, and my face was pictured on the timeline. I am very proud of it. I had it laminated, and it's hanging on my office wall."
The comic's relationship with the toasted pastry is one of her best-known gags. She attributes her love of them to a self-diagnosed "riboflavin deficiency." Just don't get her started on Pop-Tarts' ever-changing packaging.
"They keep adjusting the toasting directions," she explained."The truth is, the way you toast a Pop-Tart has not changed since they were invented, but they keep changing the way they articulate it. It's like, 'How else can we say, remove the pastry from the pouch?' It must be coming from their legal department. That would be the only reason to keep investing that kind of money in retooling the packaging. My guess is they're being sued over yet another facial disfiguration from someone who looked into the toaster while the packaging was still on and it burst into flames."
Observational humor about life's little absurdities has long been Poundstone's trademark. Take, for instance, her view on the tendency of TV meteorologists to report outside during inclement conditions.
"Why would you want to get the weather from someone who's not smart enough to come inside from a rainstorm?" she joked.
Poundstone's home life has also provided the Comedy Hall of Fame inductee with plenty of fodder. The mother of three is also the caretaker of two dogs and 16 cats. Her felines' foibles are well documented.
"My old assistant did not like animals, and she was always bellyaching about my cats," Poundstone said. "Finally I said to her, those cats have written half of my act, so get over it - you pretty much work for those cats."
Sam Hayes' life might have turned out much differently if his mother hadn't been such a stickler for diversity.
"When I was young, I wanted to be an orthodontist," revealed the Yorktown native. "But my mom wanted me to be a well-rounded individual, so she made me do sports and music."
When Hayes discovered a knack for the latter, a career in dentistry didn't seem quite so interesting. By the time he graduated from York County's Tabb High School in 2005, music had become a full-blown passion.
"I don't think my mother ever thought I would take it this far, to be honest with you," said Hayes.
Music has carried him south to Nashville, as the frontman for the country music trio River City Gang, which plays at Norfolk Harborfest on Saturday. The band was named after Richmond, known as River City, and Hayes says his Virginia roots run deep.
"My family has lived in Yorktown for three generations, and I'm proud to call it my hometown. The reason the band is based in Nashville is really to get more connections to pursue the dream."
For Hayes, that journey began by playing open mic nights while he was still in high school. At 19, he got his first big break opening for country musician David Allan Coe at The NorVa.
"It really lit a fire in me," said Hayes of performing in front of the sold-out crowd. A year later the musician was among the performers at a country music festival in Charlottesville, where he met superstar Tim McGraw.
"I got to hang out with him backstage and talk with him for a while," Hayes said.
Later that night, he was in the front row for McGraw's set when the headliner told the audience that he wanted to invite his new friend Sam onstage to sing with him.
"I swore he wasn't talking about me, so I just froze," Hayes said with a laugh. "Next thing you know, 15,000 people were staring at me. After the show it took me about an hour to come back down to earth."
Although his budding career looked promising, the musician was paying bills by stacking wood at a lumberyard in Yorktown.
"I was literally standing on a pile of wood when I got a call from Nashville," Hayes said.
On the other end of the line was Rusty Harmon, former manager of Hootie & the Blowfish and a Nashville insider. It seems as though the demo that Hayes had given McGraw's management had made its way into the hands of executives at the Universal Music Publishing Group.
Harmon was enlisted to persuade Hayes to come onboard as a songwriter.
"I was blown away," said the musician. "People don't get an invitation to come to Nashville and then say no."
Hayes packed his bags, and his career has been growing steadily ever since. His songwriting stint was followed by a touring gig as an opening act for Tracy Lawrence.
"I spent a year and a half with him, living on a tour bus and learning the ins and outs of the music business," said Hayes.
In 2010, the musician met Richmond native Brian Friedman, the guitarist and founder of the River City Gang. They became fast friends, and when the Gang's singer departed a year later, Hayes took over the spot. The trio, which also includes bassist David Karns, released their first single, "This Old Town," last year.
Perhaps no song represents the band's spirit better than "Born in Virginia."
"It has a lot of meaning for me," Hayes said. "The chorus goes, 'I was born in Virginia where the river splits the sea, and if my prayers are answered, that's where they'll bury me.' That pretty much says it all."
Not long ago, Jeffrey McLaughlin, fiddler and mandolin player for The Fighting Jamesons was searching the web when he stumbled upon a blog post about the band.
“We had just played a show and this girl was talking about seeing it with her dad,” he said. In the entry, the author wrote that when the Virginia Beach based Celtic rock band played the Irish classic, “The Leaving of Liverpool,” father and daughter looked at each other and smiled. “She said that he’s sung that song to her since she was a baby. They had this incredibly special moment. It was a really great story and it made us feel so good.”
On a recent Friday night in Richmond, McLaughlin and the rest of The Fighting Jamesons are gathered in their dressing room, pre-show at The National rock club to share stories about their relatively quick emergence on the music scene.
“You think back to when you were a kid and you’re setting up a stage made of milk crates like you’re Gene Simmons or something putting on shows for your sister and cousins and then you’re actually playing clubs like The National or the NorVa or The Stone Pony in New Jersey,” said singer/guitarist Mike Powers. “It’s extraordinary. Playing music has got to be the coolest job in the world.”
Powers, who also plays the banjo, ended his 10 year on-air reign at Norfolk radio station 96X last year and founded The Fighting Jamesons in 2010. The quintet, including guitarist Geo Bauman and brothers Paul and Jon Bidanset on drums and bass guitar respectively, take their cue from such bands as The Pogues and Dropkick Murphys by blending traditional Irish/Celtic music with rock and punk. The band has quickly made a name for themselves thanks to their fiery high-energy shows. Think sing-along choruses, the occasional guest bagpiper and hoisted pints of Guinness.
“We take a lot of pride in our live act,” said Powers. There’s a lot of energy and heart behind it and we always do our best every time we go on stage. I think that’s missing in music right now; going out there and working hard for your audience.”
The band’s skillful performing chops even managed to surprise some family members. “My mom had never seen us play until last November,” said Jon Bidanset.
“After the show she was like wow, that was really, really good. I laughed because she sounded so shocked.” On Saturday, The Fighting Jamesons perform at the NorVa for what will likely be one of their more festive gigs. As the saying goes, everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. In the case of The Fighting Jamesons it also happens to be factual. Each of the band members can lay claim to some Irish ancestry.
“My family emigrated from Ireland around 1913,” said McLaughlin. “The legend in our family is that they were actually going to take the Titanic to America a year earlier but they didn’t have enough money saved.”
At that revelation, Powers’ voice raises with good natured incredulity. “How have we not heard about this before?” he exclaimed. “This is ridiculous. You have to write a song about it. That’s an amazing story.”
It was Powers’ own visit to the Emerald Isle that inspired him to start the band in the first place. “It was kind of life changing,” revealed the musician.
“My wife and I went there three years ago and it was the greatest time of our lives. The people, the atmosphere, the sounds, the smells; everything about it is just intoxicating. One night we were in a pub in Killarney and this husband and wife were performing. They saw me singing along and invited me up on stage. It was incredible.”
For lead guitarist Geo Bauman, playing in a Celtic band has even improved personal relationships. “My family is about as Irish as you can get,” he said. “Growing up I played in all kinds of different bands, mostly metal and really weird sounding stuff that really doesn’t mesh with other people. Now that I’m playing something that involves my heritage like Irish music, they’re really proud. I have a really strong connection with my family now.”
It’s easily apparent that the band mates are also exceptionally close knit.
“These guys are literally my best friends in the world,” said Jon Bidanset. And while his brother is mostly absent from the conversation to man the band’s merchandise table, his brief appearance initiates a wild flurry of jokes, anecdotes and good humored barbs. “What we lack in height we make up for in charisma and friendliness,” joked Paul Bidanset. “If you were to stand outside of a room and just listened to us talk, you wouldn’t go fifteen seconds without hearing somebody laughing,” added Bauman.
For Powers, that camaraderie helps keep the band motivated.
“I really believe in these guys and in this bond,” he said. “I think if we work hard and continue on this path, we can take it to the next level.”
To that end, the band essentially gave up drawing a salary last year, sacrificing immediate gratification in favor of the bigger picture.
“We took all of the money we made and invested it right back into the band,” said Powers. “We used it to make our record.”
The Fighting Jamesons released their self-titled debut late last year. The eight song CD features a healthy respect for Irish music tradition while infusing the genre with a decidedly modern day attitude. The disc kicks off with the thrashing, fiddle fueled “Ghost Ship Baltimore,” an original song about the ships that carried Irish immigrants trying to escape the country’s Great Potato Famine. On “Uncle Michael” the band charges through their own version of an old school drink soaked Irish anthem. Elsewhere, “Sink” finds the band taking on a more introspective tone.
“It’s about having an emotional night kind of alone in a bar,” said McLaughlin. “It’s not slow by any means but it’s the slowest song on the record. We were kind of scared to do it because we’re such an upbeat band but people seem to really like it.”
"There are so many different styles of Celtic music,” added Powers. “We tried to hit every single one from traditional to punk rock to straight up rock and roll to something more folksy. There’s so much to pull from.”
The next challenge for The Fighting Jamesons is expanding their predominantly east coast fan base. “I’d love for us to tour nationally and even internationally at some point,” said McLaughlin.
The band recently got one step closer to that objective by signing with a national agency that also represents such artists as The Clancy Brothers, The Irish Rovers and The Saw Doctors. The Fighting Jamesons have since been booked to play several big Irish music festivals this summer, including gigs in Colorado and New York. If all goes according to plan, the band mates will one day be able to quit their day jobs.
“My number one goal and I think everyone else is on the same page; is to make this band our number one priority,” said Bauman.
“I think we owe it to ourselves and all the people that supported us to see how far we can take it,” added McLaughlin. “We’re in this place now that so many musicians are never fortunate enough to reach. We want people to know that we’re incredibly appreciative and humbled by the ridiculous amount of support that’s been shown to these five nerds. We intend to work incredibly hard to hopefully be worthy of it.”
For Hank Williams III, aka Hank 3, musical boundaries are meant to be crossed. He’s spent his career traveling from country to punk, with occasional road trips to speed and doom metal. It’s not your grandfather’s music, or in Hank 3’s case, it’s not your father’s either.
“Hank Williams and Hank Junior have covered the country world as best as it can be covered,” said the younger Williams’ of his famous bloodline. “If I was just a country singer I don’t think I would have gotten the respect of people like Henry Rollins of Black Flag or Jello Biafra of The Dead Kennedys. I think even people in the country world can see that I’ve stayed true to myself,” he said by phone from his ranch in Nashville, Tenn. “I’ve always loved different kinds of music. I think it sets me apart.”
Still, it would have been easy for the musician to cash on his legendary last name.
“Yeah, there were some suggestions,” Williams revealed. “The easy road would have been to work with some famous Nashville producer, do what they told me to do, and make tons of money.”
As a matter of fact, the musician’s first CD, “Three Hanks: Men with Broken Hearts,” signaled a turn in that very direction. The 1996 mainstream country release brought the voices of all three generations of Williams men together through modern technology. Hank 3 has been distancing himself from it ever since.
“Even though I’m not famous or making that much money, I like being independent,” he said.
That kind of determination has put Hank 3 on a rather unconventional career path. In the country music genre, he’s recorded such fittingly named albums as “Risin’ Outlaw” and “Damn, Right, Rebel Proud.” The material includes an amped up, attitude driven version of rockabilly, that Williams dubs “Hellbilly.” The musician, who plays the NorVa on Wednesday, has also been a punk rock drummer and a heavy metal bass player. He says the seemingly disparate genres are not mutually exclusive.
“There’s a lot of connection there,” he maintained. “I think the barriers have been broken down over the years and people are a little more open.”
Williams, 39, offers up a few of his musical influences as evidence.
“Just look at someone as big as Willie Nelson. Nashville told him we don’t like your sound and we don’t like your look. Well, he moved to Texas and started getting bikers and hippies and all kinds of different fans. David Allan Coe was singing about long haired rednecks. There’s a bunch of people that love Johnny Cash and Hank Williams who also love Pantera and heavy metal.”
Note the absence of any references to mainstream country in Hank 3’s discussion.
“Everything is so clean and pretty and perfect.” Williams is unapologetically the opposite. “I’ve been known to cuss,” he said. “I sing about drinking and raising hell but my main goal is to make people forget about their problems. I want people to have a good time.”
That attitude has awarded Williams a loyal fan base and it’s something he derives much satisfaction from.
“A lot of musicians nowadays just show up two minutes before they play and when they’re done, they’re outta there. I take pride in the old country way of shaking hands and thanking the people that are there for you.”
Creating a bond with fans he said, is the best part of his job.
“The biggest payoff is when someone tells you how your music has helped them or affected them in some way.”
When Hank 3 performs in Norfolk, he’ll have plenty of new material to draw from. Last fall the musician released four albums simultaneously. “Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown,” is a double disc of outlaw country and swagger packed “Hellbilly.” “Attention Deficit Domination” features a grinding metal sound reminiscent of Black Sabbath, and the unusual “3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin’” is a concoction Williams calls “cattle-core;” speed metal mixed with the voices of actual livestock auctioneers.
Hank 3 will perform separate sets of each genre.
“I’m basically opening up for myself,” he laughed. “You don’t have to stay for all of it but I always pay respect to my deepest roots first,” he added. “No matter what, the first set is always the country part of the show, then it’s the “Hellbilly,” and then the rock.” While he may not be as well-known as his forebears, Williams seems content. “If anything happened to me tomorrow I’d feel like I’m satisfied,” he said. “I played with some of my biggest heroes in the rock world and the country world. I’ve had great audiences and I have quite a few records out there. I think some people would say that kid was a true artist and did things his own way.”
Susan McFadden had just wrapped up her leading role in the London production of Legally Blonde- the Musical when she got the invitation.
“I was in Dublin visiting my parents,” said the performer about the phone call asking her to join the Irish female vocal ensemble, Celtic Woman. “Of course I absolutely jumped at the chance. I was over the moon.”
The 28 year old singer has good reason to be excited. Created by the musical director of “Riverdance,” Celtic Woman has become something of a phenomenon. Their 2005 debut release remained on Billboard Magazine’s World Music chart for a record-setting 81 weeks and their numerous PBS television specials are consistent ratings grabbers.
“I’ve followed the success of the girls over the years,” said McFadden, who joined the band late last year. “I really admire them. They are very dedicated to their work and dedicated to their fans. I think they are very elegant ladies and really good role models for young girls.”
The group, who perform Wednesday at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, mix traditional Irish music with pop songs infused with a Celtic twist. A typical set list by the group may include everything from an Enya tune to a classic like “Danny Boy."
“Every Irish person has grown up with music in their house,” said McFadden by phone from a recent tour stop in Nashville, Tenn. “My mom is one of 11 children and my dad is one of 14 so there are hundreds of us in our immediate family. We were always having parties and without fail there was always music. At some point the guitars would come out and there would be singing. The music is really kept alive because we all keep singing these songs,” she added of Ireland’s rich musical heritage. “My great- great grandparents were probably singing these songs. It’s lovely to have those passed down.”
A native Dubliner, McFadden made her performing debut at the age of 11, playing the role of Annie in the classic musical. The entertainer’s theater background will serve her well in Celtic Woman. More Broadway event than traditional concert, the ensemble’s performances are typically highly theatrical, lavish affairs.
“Visually it is beautiful,” said McFadden of the group’s current production. “The costumes are stunning and the lighting is gorgeous.”
The show will also feature a champion bagpiper, a choir, a six piece band and Irish step dancers. Given the band’s considerable commercial success, it isn’t surprising that McFadden is just a bit nervous in her new role.
“The girls have all worked so hard,” she said of her band mates. “They’ve set the bar so high and are very passionate about what they do. It’s important to come in with the same standards. I want to make them proud.”
A seasoned performer in her own right, McFadden needn’t worry too much about measuring up.
Among the other notable entries on her resume is winning the British television reality show “Grease is the Word,” which landed her the lead role of Sandy in a West End production of “Grease.” She’s been a fixture in London’s musical theatre scene ever since. Now, the singer is eager to lend her performing chops to Celtic Woman’s brand new production called “Believe.” An album and companion DVD of the same name was released in January.
“All of the songs are about belief and hope,” said McFadden. “There’s so much negativity in the world at the moment. All you need to do is turn on the television and see the news.”
McFadden says Celtic Woman’s latest show is designed to give the audience a much needed escape.
"The world can be a hard place and we want to take people out of that for a couple of hours. At times like this, entertainment is really important. I think we need more of it.” So, how does it feel to be an ambassador of that kind of inspiration? “It’s wonderful,” McFadden said. “It’s such an amazing feeling to know you have that ability to share something so powerful.”
While most 4 year olds were busy with their toys, Hunter Hayes was playing his custom made accordion on stage with Hank Williams Jr. to a crowd of 200,000 people. Before he was a teenager, the Louisiana native had released two independent albums, jammed with Johnny Cash and Charlie Daniels, and performed for President Bill Clinton.
“I don’t really think I found music, I think music found me,” said Hayes by phone from his home in Nashville. “There was never a time when I wondered what I was going to do when I grew up. I guess I started too young to know it wasn’t a typical career path.”
Along the way Hayes taught himself to play dozens of instruments, starting with a guitar given to him by actor Robert Duval. The two met when Duval was filming “The Apostle” in Hayes’ hometown of Beaux Bridge, Louisiana. After catching one of the young musician’s performances, the actor gave him a small part in the film. Fast forward to the ripe old age of 20 and Hayes has a country music radio hit with “Storm Warning,” from his eponymous major label debut. He’s also a semifinalist for the Academy of Country Music’s New Artist of the Year Award.
“When I was in middle school I would daydream and draw pictures of tour buses and now here I am living out of one,” said Hayes, who performs Thursday at the NorVa. “My happy place as a kid is where I am now.”
It’s the musician’s first headlining tour but he’s already logged plenty of miles on the odometer. Last summer, Hayes opened shows for country music superstar Taylor Swift, and it didn’t take long for him to begin winning over her fans.
“To see people singing along to your songs is amazing,” said Hayes. “That’s definitely the moment when you know you’re doing something right as a songwriter. I’ll never get used to it and I don’t want to get used to it. I want it to be that cool every time.”
After graduating from high school, Hayes moved to Nashville and got his first Music City gig as a songwriter, helping pen several tracks with country hit makers, Rascal Flatts.
“It was and still is a little trippy for me that I got to work with such heroes,” Hayes said. “I remember when I bought their “Me and My Gang” CD, I would just crank it up. There were certain songs that meant a lot to me and that I could really relate to.”
Making that kind of connection is something Hayes aspires to.
“It’s always been my goal to have a record that somebody can put in their CD player and say yeah, that’s me, that’s my song,” he said. “Music is a very powerful thing. Just think of how quickly your day can change if the right song comes on the radio. I want for someone to relate to my songs enough for one to really mean something to them.”
If sales figures are any indication, Hunter Hayes has indeed struck a chord. His current CD has remained on Billboard Magazine’s country music chart since its release last fall, peaking at number 7.
The musician wrote or co-wrote every track on the album, played every instrument and even did all of his own backing vocals. So is it fair to ask Hayes if he might have a few… issues?
“I know, right? I’m a total control freak that’s what it sounds like,” he said with a laugh. “Artistically, yes, I’m willing to admit there are some things I want to be in control of. I want to do everything in my power to make sure my music translates to who I am. There are some records that you can listen to and you feel like you know that person. You’re not feeling like you’re listening to a group of songs that a team of people picked out. At the end of the day if I’m not myself, than I’m wasting everybody’s time and I’m wasting my own time.”
Despite his already impressive list of achievements, Hayes isn’t shy about admitting he has even greater plans for the future.
“I’ve got crazy big dreams,” he revealed. “I want to get to the point where I’m headlining arenas. It’s a little weird for me to say I have some of these goals because it’s like, that’s a little out of reach you know? But I think you should believe in your dreams and believe in yourself. Dream as crazy as you want to.”
