Author Archive: Margie

Book Review: ‘After Woodstock’

After Woodstock by Howard Reiss

By Karen McCarraher

Jack and Ryan were friends from preschool days.  As they approached high school graduation, they talked about their plans and dreams.  Ryan planned to go to college, then law school and become a partner in a prestigious law firm.  He wanted a penthouse in Manhattan, a beach house in the Hamptons and all the finer things in life.  Jack was a math genius, and he dreamed of solving the world’s most difficult calculations and perhaps inventing a supercomputer.  During the summer after graduation, they decided to go to a concert being held in a farmer’s field in Woodstock, New York.

When they get to the concert, Ryan is mesmerized by the music, the pot, and all the girls.  Jack, on the other hand, meets a girl named Astrid and he spends the weekend in her tent with her.  The weekend marked them both indelibly.  As Ryan prepared to go to college, Jack changes his mind about going.  Instead, Jack takes a bus back to Woodstock and moves in with Astrid.  They resided with people who believed they were one with the universe and the universe never ends.

 

It was almost a year before Ryan heard from Jack again.  Jack was living simply.  He and Astrid (who had now changed her name to Kai) grew their own vegetables.  Jack worked as a carpenter; Kai embroidered flowers on jeans and belts and sold them in a shop in Woodstock.  Although Jack wrote infrequently, he never provided a return address.  Perhaps he didn’t want Ryan’s outlook on life to invade his peace.  Ryan continued on his quest for money and power and attained it at a very young age.

 

Eventually, Kai and Jack had a daughter they named Harmony.  When she was in middle school, she traveled to New York on a school trip and met her “Uncle Ry”.  Ryan had never had time to build a family.  He married once but it ended in divorce after two years. Jack continued to protest the Vietnam war as well as corporations who made items used in the war.  His correspondence with Ryan continued and Jack continued to try to get Ryan to embrace a simpler life.

 

At age 77, Jack was on his deathbed with Ryan at his side.  Their friendship had lasted seven decades.  But who do you think lived the happier life?

About the Author

Howard Reiss is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia Law School.  He co-founded a soup kitchen in Nyack, New York where he lives and runs.

 

Published by:  Krance Publishing

Available Online

Philadelphia Death & Arts Festival at Laurel Hill Cemetery

From May 29 to June 1, 2025, the Philadelphia Death & Arts Festival (PDAF) invites audiences to the inaugural year of a performance and educational festival that aims to transform how we engage with aging, dying, and grieving. Taking place at the historic Laurel Hill Cemetery, this artist-led, multi-day festival features world-class performances by five artists. These performances are offered alongside end of life educational workshops, panels, and advocacy opportunities, led by leaders in the end-of-life care field, as well as experiential opportunities to process and reflect on mortality, connect across generations, and re-envision our collective relationship with death.

 

The mission of the Philadelphia Death & Arts Festival is to embrace the culture of dying from one that is overmedicalized and taboo to one of deepening meaning and care—centering communal and individual experiences, practices, and traditions.

 

“The festival offers many ways to engage with mortality: your own, or a loved one’s. Whether that is through addressing a practical aspect of dying that, left unattended, may make a death even more stressful than it already is, or by offering a space to reflect together on the deep mysteries of aging, dying, and grieving,” says festival co-founder Annie Wilson. PDAF believes that the poetics of art, when paired with pragmatic tools and space for shared reflection, can offer life-affirming support for individuals and their loved ones.

In addition to core performances, the 2025 program will include workshops and panel discussions for all ages on topics of caretaking, end of life conversations, Black elderhood, decolonizing death, green burial and shrouding, navigating a terminal diagnosis, how to “die for cheap” in Philadelphia and more.

Featured performances include:

THE CRONING from Shavon Norris

Thursday, May 29, 6 PM and Sunday, June 1, 3 PM

Laurel Hill West

A deeply personal solo movement-theatre piece exploring the realities of aging while Black. Norris draws from her lived experience, navigating physiological and cultural shifts in systems that often devalue Black women’s wellness. THE CRONING expands our rituals and references for aging, placing Black womanhood and transformation at the center.

“The Black is definitely cracking,” says Norris. “And I want to expand the references, rituals, and understanding we have access to about aging in Black women bodies.”

A Body in a Cemetery from Eiko Otake

Friday, May 30th, 6 pm

Sunday, June 1st, 2 pm

Laurel Hill East

Eiko Otake is a movement-based, interdisciplinary artist who worked for over 40 years in the collaboration Eiko and Koma. In 2014 she started her site specific solo project A Body In Places–a site-specific series of solo performances–at more than 80 sites, including at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. In a layered exploration of time, season, landscape, architecture and culture, A Body In Laurel Hill continues this series and Eiko’s longtime work on the theme of death and dying.

“In a cemetery, I think of the recent dead, and the dead from the past centuries, including many whose graves were never built. When I enter the cemetery, I try to leave my/our current upsets at the gate but make sure to pick those up on my way out. ” This site-specific work interrogates existence and non-existence: who, and what, is present or absent.

This performance by Eiko Otake is connected to The Politics of Mourning IV by DonChristian Jones.

Please note that a ticket to either one of these performances includes admission to the other which will take place during the same time period and place. Total run time for both pieces is 90 minutes.

The Politics of Mourning IV from DonChristian Jones

Friday, May 30th, 6 pm

Sunday, June 1st, 2 pm

Laurel Hill East

A continuation of site specific interventions on the subject of grief, POM first began in 2017 on the shores of Sicily, and trespassed temple ruins of Calabria. This iteration will be a return to home, Philadelphia, and a cemetery steeped in familial history for the artist.

This performance by DonChristian Jones is connected to A Body in Laurel Hill by Eiko Otake.

Please note that a ticket to either one of these performances includes admission to the other which will take place during the same time period and place. Total run time for both pieces is 90 minutes.

deciphering the knots in the pine beams from Mel Hsu

Friday, May 30th, 7 pm

Saturday, May 31st, 3 pm

Laurel Hill West

An intimate musical excavation of intergenerational memory and migration. Anchored by ethereal cellos and haunting vocals, deciphering the knots in the pine beams is an atmospheric re-interpretation of the symphonies and (many) vinyls Hsu’s grandfather cherished. it is an unearthing, a re-sculpting, a reaching – for a world in which dignified goodbyes are not a luxury, for a world unburdened by time on the eve of departure.

Viewing Hours from mayfield brooks

30 minute experience with timed entry

Friday, May 30, 5:30 PM

Sunday, June 1, 4:00 PM

Laurel Hill West

A striking interdisciplinary performance interrogating the spectacle and commodification of Black death and grief. Through improvisation, voice, and movement, brooks collapses systems in decay—personal, political, ecological—and asks: “Can I get a Witness or does the world need to be destroyed first?”

Festival Dates: May 29–June 1, 2025
Location: Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA
Laurel Hill West – 340 Belmont Avenue; Laurel Hill East – 3822 Ridge Avenue.
Website & Tickets: www.philadelphiadeathandarts.com

Next For Act II Playhouse: ‘A Grand Night for Singing’ 

Act II Playhouse rounds out its 2024-2025 Season with its latest production, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s A Grand Night for Singing”. 

The production features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, musical arrangement by Fred Wells, and orchestrations by Michael Gibson & Jonathan Tunick. The production was conceived by Walter Bobbie. 

A comic and loving tribute to the Golden Age of Broadway, “A Grand Night for Singing” showcases some of the most beloved songs from the legendary collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Audiences will be laughing and singing along all night long as the revue offers fresh, witty takes on some of the duo’s most beloved musicals including Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, and many more. 

The musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein resonate as much with audiences today as they did when they first appeared 80 years ago. Their words and their songs are truly timeless. ‘A Grand Night for Singing’ is the perfect tribute to their extensive body of work. It is constantly surprising in its humor while at the same time reverent to the legendary duo. I am sure that it will have audiences singing along night after night.  – Act II Playhouse Artistic Director Tony Braithwaite

A distinguished cast is assembled to give voice to this time-honored collection of songs. Zachary Chiero, Eleni Delopolous, Renee McFillin and Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton all return to the Playhouse. The cast is rounded out by Jackie Washam, making her Playhouse debut. 

If You Go

Previews for “A Grand Night for Singing” begin Tuesday, May 27, 2025, and the production opens Friday, May 30, 2025. The production closes after an extended five-week run on June 29, 2025. 

Ticket prices start at $32 and are available online at act2.org, by calling the Act II Box Office at 215-654-0200, or in-person at the Box Office at 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, PA. The Box Office is open Mon-Sat, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Student tickets are $15 and group discounts are available.

 

 

 

Lantern Theater Company Presents ‘The 39 Steps’

Lantern Theater Company presents the winner of the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and a 2008 Tony Award® nominee for Best Play, the riotous adaptation of “The 39 Steps”. The show was inspired by John Buchan’s 1915 adventure novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film and continues to delight audiences today.

Both spy thriller and a rollicking comedy, the comedy travels from London to the Scottish Highlands and back again.

If You Go:

THE 39 STEPS
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
From the novel by John Buchan
And the movie by Alfred Hitchcock
Directed by Charles McMahon
Performances May 15 – June 15, 2025
Run time: Approximately 2 hours, including one brief intermission
Tickets  at www.lanterntheater.org or by calling the Lantern Box Office at (215) 829-0395. Discounts are available for students, seniors 65 and up, U.S. military personnel, and groups of 10 or more. Performances will take place at St. Stephen’s Theater, located at 923 Ludlow Street in Center City Philadelphia.

‘Urinetown’ at Footlighters

 

Footlighters Theater in Berwyn, PA, will present

May 30 – June 15

 Winner of three Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards and two Obie Awards, Urinetown is a hilarious musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, environmental collapse, privatization of natural resources, bureaucracy, municipal politics, and musical theatre itself! Hilariously funny and touchingly honest, Urinetown provides a fresh perspective on one of America’s greatest art forms.

 

 For tickets, visit AudienceView Professional
Footlighters is at 58 Main Ave, Berwyn, PA 

Bay Atlantic Symphony Concerts for Cape May Jazz Fest

Thursday, June 12: 7pm
Episcopal Church of the Advent

“Serenades and Song”
Bay Atlantic Symphony presents “Serenades and Songs” for intimate string orchestra highlighting sweeping melodies and snappy rhythms by composers from America, Sweden, England, Georgia/Russia, and Germany. 7pm.
The Episcopal Church of the Advent, 612 Franklin St.

Saturday, June 28: 7:30pm
Episcopal Church of the Advent

“Alpine Jazz Adventure”
Celebrity cellist Amit Peled joins the Bay Atlantic Symphony and will play a work he has long championed, the eclectic concerto by Austrian pianist/composer/philosopher Friederich Gulda. The work is for cello and wind orchestra with a jazz rhythm section and bounces between swing and funk, to rustic Austrian folk melodies. It is tuneful and dramatic, with wildly expressive passages. The evening’s program begins with one of the greatest of all wind serenades, by Mozart. The audience will also have the joy of experiencing Mr. Peled’s intensely expressive artistry performing solo Bach. 7pm. Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave.
Learn more at capemaymac.org or www.bayatlanticsymphony.org.

Agatha Christie’s ‘Alibi’ at Bristol Riverside Theatre

Audiences should prepare for a thrilling night out at Bristol Riverside  Theatre (120 Radcliffe St, Bristol, PA 19007)! Alibi, a sharp and stylish adaptation of legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, begins previews May 27 at Bristol Riverside Theatre, with Opening Night on May 29. This suspenseful and witty production runs through June 15 and promises audiences excitement and plenty of laughs as they join one of Christie’s most iconic characters—Detective Hercule Poirot—on a twisty trail of secrets and murder. BRT’S Co-producing Director, Ken Kaissar, takes the helm on this new production of the murder mystery classic, adapted by Amy Kaissar, BRT’s other Co-producing Director.  

The brilliant Belgian sleuth is played by Philadelphia favorite, Benjamin Lloyd, joined by a standout cast of more than 20 principal actors and local community members, coming together for a rare and exciting collaboration—BRT’s first community-integrated production since The Christians in 2019. 

Set in a seemingly quiet English village, Alibi begins as Poirot settles into retirement hoping for peace and quiet. But when his neighbor Sir Roger Ackroyd (Johnny Fernandez) is murdered under suspicious  circumstances, Poirot is drawn back into action. With secrets, blackmail, and betrayal around every  corner, every character becomes a suspect—and any detail could be the clue that cracks the case. 

Alibi is named for a 1928 by Michael Morton adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, a novel by the British crime writer, Christie. This new version features an all-star cast, who are beloved by audiences  from past BRT shows including Miche Braden, Lea DiMarchi, Scott  Langdon , Benjamin Lloyd, Danny Vaccaro and Carl Wallnau. 

Alibi also features newcomers to the BRT stage including stage and television actors Johnny Fernandez, Beethovan Oden, and Marcus Troy and New York-based actors Peter Kendall, Jasmine Pierce and Jackie  Schram.

Performing alongside the principal cast are community cast members Richard Adamczyk, David Cashell,  Miranda Cruz, Cynthia Delorenzo, Will Galbreath, Carmen Harris, Frank Haynes, Ziatin Ivanov, Keith  Johnson, Cindy Kahmar, Dara Leshine, Margo Malcom, Jamie Margraff, Ronald E. Pae, Terry Scullion,  Lyn Yetto, Jane Zakrzewski, along with youth performers Molly Balcer, Spencer Diopolo, Sarah Feily,  Marabella Galanti, Annalise Geist, Zata Jackson, and Luke VanBuskirk. The community cast was selected from over 75 auditioners ranging in age from under 10 to over 80. 

If You Go

Alibi opens with preview performances at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28.

The opening night show is set for 8 p.m. Friday, May 29 with remaining performances of Alibi scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 8 p.m. Saturdays through June 15. Matinees are offered at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays.  

Tickets are $15 to $52 and may be purchased online, at 215-785-0100, brtstage.org, or by visiting the box office at 120 Radcliffe Street between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. (excluding all holidays), Monday through Friday.  

Conversations And Articles About Music

Beautiful music will be emanating from the Washington Memorial National Carillon Tower at the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge during the 2025 Frank P. Law Summer Carillon Series’ concerts; the concerts will take place on Wednesday nights in July and August

By Steven Brodsky

The Washington Memorial National Carillon tower at the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge
Photo by Steven Brodsky

… The concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets.

Admission to the concerts is free.

Visit 2025 Frank P. Law Summer Carillon Series — Washington Memorial Chapel for additional information.

Posted 5-14-25

‘I’m just a long-haired son of a sinner’

By Steven Brodsky

… sings Jelly Roll in “Son of a Sinner” (one of my favorite Jelly Roll songs):

We’re all children of sinners.

And all of us have sinned.

Nonetheless, God loves us.

Romans 5:8 KJV: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

This post appeared at: Conversations About Faith – delcoculturevultures.com.

Posted 8-20-24, Revised and Reposted 12-6-24

This’ll be the day

By Steven Brodsky

… to commemorate Buddy Holly’s birthday by listening to:

Buddy Holly was born on September 7, 1936, 88 years ago.

Posted 9-7-24

‘Pride and Joy’

By Steven Brodsky

… shared here on the 34th anniversary of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s passing away on August 27, 1990:

A helicopter crash took the life of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie Ray Vaughan was 35 years old.

Posted 8-27-24

Paul Simon heard Jessy Dixon perform ‘The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling’

By Steven Brodsky

… in Radio City Music Hall in 1972, which prompted Paul Simon to invite Jessy Dixon to sing with him on Saturday Night Live. The two would go on to tour together in the U.S. and overseas for eight years.

Enjoy this video of Jessy Dixon singing “The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling” at The Dome:

 

Job 3:17: “There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.”

Jessy Dixon passed away on September 26, 2011 at age 73. This post appeared in the Conversations About Faith section of the Entertainment, Culture and More column. 

Posted 1-10-21, Reposted and Revised 8-19-24

How meeting Livingston Taylor at a concert affected the career of John Flynn

By Steven Brodsky

John Flynn has been interviewed several times for this column. In a 2011 radio interview, John and I spoke about Livingston. We did so again last year in this interview for this column.

John, where and when did you first meet Livingston Taylor and how old were you at the time?

Gene Shay introduced me to Livingston back in the ’80s. It was prior to one of his appearances at the old Bijou Café in Philadelphia. I was in my early twenties and just starting out. I was a big fan of Livingston’s and I had just appeared on Gene’s radio show on WMMR. I heard Gene mention that he was going to host Livingston’s show, so I asked for an intro. Gene was just too nice to say no.

What was going on in your life?

I was playing some bar gigs, writing songs and mailing demos to Nashville. This was a few years before I got signed to my first publishing deal down there.

Describe what took place. What did Livingston tell you?

To begin with, Livingston was incredibly gracious. As a performer, I really see that now in hindsight, because usually the last thing I want to do before a show is to meet new people and have them sing their songs to me. Actually, I don’t think I’ve met anyone before or since who would have extended themselves in this way to a stranger. But that’s exactly what happened. Gene apparently bragged about me enough to get Livingston to hand me his guitar and sit down directly in front of me. He asked me to play him a song and listened with an almost unnerving, totally focused attention. When I was done he asked if I had any more. I did a second song and he asked for another. I was only too happy to oblige, figuring that if he’d listen to three songs he must be hearing something he liked. When I finished singing, Livingston kind of scrunched up his face and got real thoughtful. There was a long pause. Then he said, “John, there are so many wonderful ways to spend your time in this life. Take a walk, read a good book, spend some time with someone you love. Please do ANY of these things rather than write any more mediocre songs.” The rest was a little bit of a blur. He talked about Cole Porter and Yip Harburg, writers I didn’t really know much about at that point. He really challenged me to study the greats. He spent like ten minutes talking about song structure, and he played me these long-forgotten but really beautiful introductions to popular old standards. – Unknown (at least to me) musical salutations from bygone eras, that had been intended by their composers to set the mood and put the listener in the proper frame of mind to receive the coming song. He even explained that he would be doing relatively few of his own songs in his show that evening because great songs are rare, and a song should be great if you’re gonna sing it. That was the bottom line. If you weren’t going to try to write a great song, then why write one at all?

How did you respond to this at the time?

I guess I was disappointed. But disappointment wasn’t all I took away from the encounter, because Livingston could have easily tossed me a few compliments. He was probably never gonna have to see me again so that would have been the easy thing to do. But I sensed that he respected songs and songwriters too much for that. He chose the harder path and told the truth. He threw down the gauntlet. And, in my way, I accepted the challenge that night. I determined to work much harder at my craft. To really try to write great songs. I’m not saying that’s what I’ve always accomplished. But he got me to aim there. I’ve always been grateful for that.

How did the encounter impact your life?

I’m here forty years later answering questions about music.

Author’s note to readers: Livingston Taylor is a professor at Berklee College of Music.

John Flynn’s website address is: http://johnflynn.net/.

Posted 3-29-19, Reposted 8-6-24

Thinking about Solomon Burke

By Steven Brodsky

… after recalling this morning that the City of Philadelphia had honored Solomon Burke by having declared that July 19, 2002 would be “Solomon Burke Day.”

Solomon Burke (March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was born in Philadelphia.

Posted 7-19-24

Non-botanical ‘poison ivy’

By Steven Brodsky

… The kind of “poison ivy” that appears in a song written by Leiber and Stoller that was recorded by The Coasters 65 years ago (on July 16, 1959) wasn’t botanical.

The song: “Poison Ivy.”

A species of poison ivy (and other plants) is pictured here:

Photo by Steven Brodsky

Posted 7-16-24

Wouldn’t be prudent to dance till a quarter to three

By Steven Brodsky

… nowadays, if you were listening to Gary U.S. Bonds’ recording of “Quarter To Three” when the single went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first of two weeks, 63 years ago, on June 26, 1961.

Many of you will be singing and/or dancing while listening to the Gary U.S. Bonds recording, and while watching the following embed of Springsteen covering “Quarter To Three” in concert:

 

Posted 6-26-24

‘Blue,’ Joni Mitchell’s fourth studio album, was released 53 years ago

By Steven Brodsky

… on June 22, 1971.

One can get a bit blue realizing that so much time has transpired since this monumental album was released.

Enjoy!:

Posted 6-22-24

‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’

By Steven Brodsky

… to commemorate Dusty Springfield’s birthday:

Dusty Springfield was born 85 years ago on April 16, 1939.

Posted 4-16-24

Remembering Solomon Burke (March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) on Solomon Burke’s birthday

By Steven Brodsky

Solomon Burke, Grammy-winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, was born in West Philadelphia. His records and concerts influenced some of the greatest artists in soul, rock, and other genres.

Enjoy:

“Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmkeyzZ91sI

“If You Need Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PllNSSUz3gk

“Cry to Me”: Solomon Burke – Cry To Me (Live at Montreux 2006) (youtube.com)

Mary J. Blige inducting Solomon Burke into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmyRq09cTIs

… and read the chapter “The Song of Solomon: A Triptych” in Peter Guralnick’s excellent Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing. 

On July 19, 2002, the City of Philadelphia honored Solomon Burke by declaring the day to be “Solomon Burke Day.”
I had the honor of doing a longform radio interview with Solomon Burke. The interview aired live on May 21, 2010.

Posted 3-21-24

Whether or not the song character in ‘I’m Not in Love’ was in love

By Steven Brodsky

… 49 years after 10cc’s The Original Soundtrack album was released, “I’m Not in Love” (on one of the album’s tracks) continues to be loved by many people.

The Original Soundtrack was released on March 11, 1975.

Posted 3-11-24

Fifty-one years ago, Bruce Springsteen performed a concert at Villanova University’s St. Mary’s Hall auditorium

By Steven Brodsky

… That concert took place on January 16, 1973 before an audience of only fifty or fewer people because advertising for the concert could not run in a campus newspaper (because of a newspaper strike) and because The Boss was young in his career.

How young? Springsteen’s debut studio album, Greetings from Asbury Park, was newly released; the album was released on January 5, 1973.

“Spirit in the Night,” a track from Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ:

Posted 1-16-24

There weren’t many attendees at Bob Dylan’s Carnegie Hall debut performance

By Steven Brodsky

… nearly 62 years ago, on Saturday, November 4, 1961. Reportedly, 53 people purchased tickets to see the then 20-year old Dylan perform in a small auditorium that was located in Carnegie Hall. Tickets were priced at $2.00.

Bob Dylan did not perform “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

The song hadn’t been released nor had it been recorded.

Bob Dylan recorded “Blowin’ in the Wind” on July 9, 1962 at Columbia Recording Studios.

The recording was released on the A-side of a single on August 13, 1963 (the B-side is “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”); it appears as a track on the album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963.

Bob Dylan’s Philadelphia debut didn’t draw much of crowd either, as this concert too was performed prior to the release of “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Gene Shay invited Dylan to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to perform the concert. The concert took place on Saturday, May 3, 1963 at the Philadelphia Ethical Society building on Rittenhouse Square. Approximately 45 people were in attendance. Tickets were priced at $1.50.

A few months before Bob Dylan’s Philadelphia debut, Dylan performed “Blowin’ in the Wind” on a television show:

Gene Shay told me that Dylan’s Philadelphia debut concert almost didn’t take place: the sound system components for the concert were inaccessible.
Gene Shay passed away from COVID-19 on April 17, 2020. He is greatly missed.

Posted 10-4-23

There’s a bluebird in many hearts

By Steven Brodsky

… whose presence may be more apparent today, the birthday of Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994).

A recitation of Charles Bukowski’s “Bluebird”:

Miranda Lambert co-wrote and recorded “Bluebird.” The song was penned with some inspiration from the same-named Bukowski poem.

The 2020 CMA Music Video of the Year:

Charles Bukowski’s birthday was referenced yesterday in this section of the Entertainment, Culture and More column: Conversations With Writers And More delcoculturevultures.com.

Posted 8-16-23

‘I was glad to get it over with, and I thought that would be the last of it.’

By Steven Brodsky

… said Freddy Fender about recording “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.”

Of course, it wasn’t the last of it: many millions of people would hear and adore the record.

“Before the Next Teardrop Falls” was released on February 1, 1975.

It arrived at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on May 31, 1975 (and would remain on that chart for a total of 21 weeks).

On the 48th anniversary of the record reaching the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, enjoy:

Freddy Fender was born Baldemar Huerta, in 1937, in a Texas border town. He was the son of migrant workers.

Freddy Fender served in the U.S. Marines for three years.

After his discharge, he achieved recognition as a singer of Spanish translations of rock and roll and other songs.

In 1960, his release of “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” took off in the U.S. This national breakthrough was soon tamped down by a prison sentence. He served nearly three years of a five-year sentence in a very tough Louisiana prison for possessing two marijuana joints.

After his prison release, there was a long period of time working various jobs—with music a part-time endeavor.

While Freddy Fender was at work in a car wash, a record producer heard him singing and recognized his voice. Freddy was handed the producer’s business card. The encounter resulted in Freddy returning to recording.

Posted 5-31-23

An unfortunate ‘truth’

By Steven Brodsky

… was learned at seventeen by the song character in this iconic Janis Ian song: Janis Ian – At Seventeen (Audio) – YouTube.

Janis Ian, born in New Jersey on April 7, 1951, turned 71 years old today.

Happy birthday wishes to Janis Ian.

The song begs the question: What “truths,” dear readers, did you or will you learn at seventeen? There are some “truths” that are best unlearned.

Posted 4-7-23

He was the ‘Jackie Robinson of television’; on his ‘show rode the hopes and fears and dreams of millions of people’; his show debuted nationally on November 5, 1956

By Steven Brodsky

… He was Nat King Cole, the first African American to host a television show on nationwide television. That show was The Nat King Cole Show. Today is the 66th anniversary of the national debut of the Nat King Show on NBC TV.

Nat King Cole ranks among the most acclaimed jazz and pop musicians of all time. Born as Nathaniel Adams Coles in Montgomery Alabama in 1919, he would go on to achieve recording and concert performance success that was nearly unmatched by others of his generation. “Mona Lisa,” “Unforgettable,” “The Christmas Song,” are among the nearly 700 songs that he recorded. Well over 100 of Nat King Cole’s records charted. He was a prominent presence on national television shows (he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on six occasions).

The Nat King Cole Show was popular and attracted some of the most sought-after entertainers, but it could not secure a national sponsor (other than a few sponsors for brief periods of time before the show expanded from 15 minutes to a half hour). There were 30 sponsors with cooperative arrangements supporting the show across the country on local stations, but nationwide—not one.

In an essay in the February 1, 1958 issue of Ebony titled “WHY I QUIT MY TV SHOW” by Nat King Cole (as told to Lerone Bennett Jr.), Nat King Cole said, “For 13 months, I was the Jackie Robinson of television… On my show rode the hopes and fears and dreams of millions of people.”

Posted 11-5-22

 

 

 

Berwyn Farmers’ Market Is Back

Berwyn Farmers’ Market is back and bigger than ever! Culinary Harvest, with generous support from Eadeh Enterprises, proudly announces the return of the region’s most beloved new farmers’ market, kicking off Sundays from 9 am to noon at Bronze Plaza (511 Old Lancaster Road) — right next to Handel’s Ice Cream.

Now in its third season, this community staple is turning up the charm with expanded hours, 70+ curated vendors throughout the season, live music, food trucks, weekly kids’ activities, and rotating charity partners. Each week features a unique mix of 25–30 local farmers, food artisans, artists, and makers, offering everything from farm-fresh produce and pasture-raised meats to baked goods, handmade gifts, small-batch coffee, and grab-and-go bites.

If You Go

  • Berwyn Farmers’ Market is your Sunday destination for all things local, fresh and festive. The market will be open weekly through Dec. 21, 2025, with brief breaks on July 6 and Nov. 30.
  • No charge to visit, with shopping pay-as-you-go. Complimentary parking is available between Barre3 and Kramer Drive.

Berwyn Farmer’s Market Food Truck Schedule

5/18/2025
Bright Day Studio/Indian Run EEC – no charge kids’ art activity
JT Wilder BBQ – Food truck

5/25/2025
FLITE – Charity
Angie’s Vietnamese Cuisine – Food truck

6/1/2025
Daemion Counseling – Charity
Bop Truck – Food truck

6/8/2025
3rowback – Live music
Back to Earth Compost – Education
Bop Truck – Food truck

6/15/2025
Easttown Library & Friends – Education/Charity
Philly Hots – Food truck

6/22/2025
Main Line Meals on Wheels – Charity
Angie’s Vietnamese Cuisine – Food truck

6/29/2025
JT Wilder BBQ – Food truck

07/13/2025
Bright Day Studio- no charge kids’ art activity
Tucked In – Live Music band
Philly Hots – Food truck

7/20/2025
Barnstone Art for Kids – Charity
Angie’s Vietnamese Cuisine – Food truck

7/27/2025
Fighting Back SP – Charity
JT Wilder BBQ – Food truck

08/03/2025
Good Call – Live music
Easttown Library & Friends – Charity/Education
Bad Mother Shuckers – Food truck

8/10/2025
Donut NV – Food truck

8/17/2025
David Fiorenza – Live music
Bop Truck – Food truck

8/24/2025
T&E Care – Charity
JT Wilder BBQ – Food truck

8/31/2025
Women’s Resource Center – Charity
Bop Truck – Food truck

PCS Theater Presents the High-Energy Hit Musical ‘Legally Blonde’

PCS Theater is thrilled to present Legally Blonde, the fabulously fun and empowering musical based on the hit movie of the same name. With a book by Heather Hach and music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, this dazzling production is directed and choreographed by Jessi Meisel with musical direction by Aimee Ferenz-Renna. Performances will run May 23 through June 7, 2025 at PCS Theater.

Follow the journey of Elle Woods (Rachel Catherine), a bubbly fashionista who seems to have it all — until her boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Craig Lauer) breaks up with her to pursue a more “serious” life at Harvard Law. Undeterred, Elle follows him to Harvard and discovers her true potential along the way. With the support of new friends and her own unstoppable spirit, Elle turns stereotypes on their head and shows the world — and herself — what she’s capable of.

Kylah Monet, Craig Lauer, Victoria Heppard, Rachel Catherine, Casey Lynch, Mikayla Cook and Bill Weir in PCS Theater’s “Legally Blonde”. Photo: Brian McCann

The cast also features Casey Bilger (Margot), Tess Coary (Serena), Amirah Pooree (Pilar), Casey Lynch (Emmett Forrest), Bill Weir (Professor Callahan), Victoria Heppard (Vivienne Kensington), Kathleen Moran (Paulette Buonofuonte), and Kylah Monet (Brooke Wyndham). They are joined by a dynamic ensemble including Mikayla Cook, Jason Boyer, Brian McCann, Amanda Reed, Danielle Lachall, Steven Tambon, Ellen Taylor, Claire Gower, Nina Kilgore, Laura Donnelly, J. Tyler Atkinson, Andrew SanFilippo, Christina Concilio, Nick Renna, Evan Alexander, and Aimee Ferenz-Renna. Together, this talented company brings to life Elle’s story of determination, friendship, and empowerment with infectious energy and humor.

If You Go

Special performances include:

  • Friday, May 30: Aimee Ferenz-Renna as Paulette, Christina Concilio as Brooke
  • Saturday, May 31 (7:30 PM): Amirah Pooree as Elle, Claire Gower as Pilar
  • Thursday, June 5: Nick Renna as Emmett, J. Tyler Atkinson as Grandmaster Chad/Kyle
  • Sunday, June 1: Post-show Talk Back with actors and production staff

Performance Schedule:

  • Friday, May 23 at 7:30 PM
  • Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 PM
  • Sunday, May 25 at 2:00 PM
  • Friday, May 30 at 7:30 PM
  • Saturday, May 31 at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
  • Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 PM (Talk Back)
  • Thursday, June 5 at 7:30 PM
  • Friday, June 6 at 7:30 PM
  • Saturday, June 7 at 7:30 PM

Content Advisory:
This production includes mild language, sexual innuendo, objectification, gender stereotypes, and brief depictions of harassment, presented with a comedic and empowering tone.

Tickets:
Tickets are available now at www.pcstheater.org. Save $5 on Friday May 23 with code OPENINGNIGHT.

About PCS Theater:
Founded in 1911, the Players Club of Swarthmore (PCS Theater) has been a beloved hub for community theater in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, for over a century. Entirely volunteer-run, PCS is committed to producing a diverse array of theatrical experiences, fostering local talent, and making the arts accessible to everyone. From beloved classics to innovative contemporary works, PCS Theater continues to be a vibrant center for creativity, collaboration, and community spirit.