Shine a Light Rocks Queen with the Sounds of 1984
Call it a tribute to ‘80s rock royalty — with essential nods to Prince, The Boss, and Madonna, and a court full of other pop and rock icons.
On Saturday, March 2, more than 70 local musicians will join forces on stage at The Queen to resurrect the sounds of 1984 while raising money for local music programs that directly impact Delaware’s underserved youth.
This marks the 12th show in the annual series. Voted Best of Delaware’s Best Fundraiser in 2019, the concert typically sells out every year.
“The rehearsals are hard work, but fun, then the show becomes a total party environment,” says musician Tony Cappella, who has managed the past four Shine A Light concerts and will oversee this one.
“The ultimate thrill is seeing the money we raised going to the charities we pick. That’s incredibly rewarding!”
Last year, nearly $58,000 was raised, all of which was donated by the Light Up The Queen organization to six worthy music education programs in the area: The Choir School of Delaware, Christina Cultural Arts Center, Cityfest, Inc., The Grand Opera House, Kingswood Community Center, and Reed’s Refuge Center.
The concert starts at 8pm, but the popular VIP party starts at 6pm. The VIP ticket also includes gourmet hors d’oeuvres, open bar, views from the balcony, and pit access.
For ticket link and more information about Light Up The Queen, visit LightUpTheQueen.org.
Local Luthier Launches Guitar Exhibit in Las Vegas
Known in the music industry for his colorful and conceptual “hot-rod” guitars, Wilmington’s Jim Cara makes a splash this month in Las Vegas, exhibiting his imaginative works in one of the wildest spaces off The Strip — KISS WORLD.
Cara’s “The Art of Guitar” exhibit will debut February 17 and 18 at Rio Hotel & Casino’s KISS WORLD, the home to the largest public collection of KISS memorabilia in the world.
“I set my sights on that being the place to first show my work,” Cara says. “It’s the finest place for my audience and quickly becoming a destination much like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“I was not going to take another alternative. I was going to make it happen there, first, and if it did not, I’d know I didn’t work hard enough or just didn’t have the talent to make them notice.”
The exhibit is unique in that it features an “integration of removable guitars seamlessly blended into iconic pop-culture wall art.” In one piece, a clear guitar with eerie green lights illuminates a reproduction of the movie poster of the ‘30s classic The Invisible Man. In another, the poster Attach of the 50 Ft. Woman features the giant star of the film towering over a panic-filled highway, reaching for a skyscraper-sized instrument blended into the scene.
It’s a new artistic avenue for Cara, who has designed custom guitars for the likes of famous rockers Lita Ford, Cheap Trick and Brad Gillis. Cara has also worked as a guitar designer for the Gene Simmons Axe Company.
For more information or to purchase an original, visit JimCara.com.
Spokey Speaky Celebrates Bob Marley
Keeping up with a years-long tradition, reggae band Spokey Speaky will honor the birthday of Bob Marley on Friday, February 2 at The Queen.
In addition to Marley’s music and other reggae favorites, expect to hear some Spokey Speaky originals as well.
For tickets and more info, visit TheQueenWilmington.com.
The Dustin Manucci Trio Releases Midnight Angel Music Video
The Dustin Manucci Trio has something sweet planned for Valentine’s Day.
On Wednesday, February 14, the band will release on YouTube a music video for its new single “Midnight Angel.” Boasting fun, ‘80s-rock vibes, the single was teased on Mark Rogers’ Hometown Heroes radio program in December.
“I always thought of ‘Midnight Angel’ as a secret love affair or a secret crush,” says Manucci. “Or something very toxic, but a fiery good time.”
“Midnight Angel” comes less than a year after the band put out its first EP, Buy The Rumor, Sell the News, which featured four songs including the Southern-rock tinged “Bed on Fire.” In November 2022, the band released the scorching instrumental, “Epica Suite.”
In addition to YouTube, The Dustin Manucci Trio has pages on Facebook, Spotify and Bandcamp.
Big February for Arden Gild
The Arden Concert Gild is bringing three significant shows this month, starting with the West African music of Gambian Griots: Jali Bakary Konteh & Maf Conteh on Friday, February 2.
On Saturday, February 10, legendary bassist Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson) performs in Stick Men: Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Markus Reuter.
Then on Saturday, February 24, Stanley Jordan brings his elegant jazz guitar musings to the Gild Hall stage.
Tickets for all shows are available at ArdenConcerts.com.
